Bundle in the Oven

One year passes

2011-04-22T15:16:00.025-05:00

It's been an entire year since Viviana's birth and it's difficult to remember our lives without her. She is the loveliest little baby girl and Mirabella and her are so much in love. There is a genuine affection shown by each for the other and witnessing all of their daily interactions-smiling, kissing, hugging, protecting, teaching, learning, sharing, laughing, entertaining-is unbelievably heartwarming. Mirabella is absolutely delightful and watching our two young daughters grow has been rewarding beyond belief. It was just over two years ago when Mirabella arrived and this whirlwind of creating a family of three, then of four so quickly, has left Jeff and me happier than we could imagine.

Viviana is one (as of 4/5/11)!
(photo at 12 months courtesy of Mindee)

Mirabella is two! (as of 3/1/11)
(photo at 25 months courtesy of Mindee)

Our family in October 2010 (Mirabella at 19 months and Viviana at 6 months)

(My apologies to anyone who subscribes to this blog that got a notification of a new post and thought I had some big news to share! Nope!)

The conclusion (one chapter closes...a new one begins)

2010-04-23T10:53:00.003-05:00

Read the introduction and the body, the two previous posts, first...

Immediately when Jeff's voice let me know we had ourselves a girl, I was overjoyed! I was so happy to have another girl in our family, a sister for Mirabella. Dr. Chow lifted her up so I could catch my first glimpse and she was instantly beautiful! It was incredible to be able to see her without the shaking from the meds getting in the way. She came so close to me right away! I was overcome with happiness. When they asked her name, Viviana rolled off my tongue, still feeling somewhat foreign that it was really our baby's name and we really had another baby girl to call our own.

I watched every moment as they took her to my left to clean her and get her weighed. Jeff was right there with her. We watched eagerly for the scale to read her weight. 7-11 (coincidentally 11/7 is her daddy's birthday and he was born at 11:07; Viviana's nana's birthday is 7/11).

I was even able to see Jeff cutting the umbilical cord.

Jeff took Viviana out to meet her relatives while I was put back together in the operating room. I wish I was able to witness that first meeting, but I'm glad Jeff gets that moment with all of them. When he brought Mirabella out to see our parents for the first time, he immediately announced, "This is Mirabella!" With Viviana, he brought her out and asked them to guess if they thought she was a boy or a girl. After mixed reactions, he let them know and they, our parents, Jason and Tanya, were very excited to have another girl too.

Prior to us having Viviana, Jeff and I talked about how fun it would be to see what another girl would look like. (And now that we know, she looks a lot like her big sister did as a baby, with some unique characteristics all her own.) Then we added how fun it would be so see what a boy would look like too. Funny enough, with Viviana, as beautiful as our girl is, she could pass for an adorable baby boy at this point also (shh, don't tell her we said that!), so we felt that we got to see what each sex would look like!

Once I got into the recovery room, I was wrapped in warm blankets since my temperature had dropped. There was no mention of it again, so they seemed to do the trick. Finally the two nurses taking care of me let me know that Viviana would be brought down shortly and I couldn't wait. Within minutes, I was surrounded by familiar faces and it was awesome. I was so happy to see them all, especially Jeff and my new baby daughter again. I swear she had gotten even prettier since she had left me in the OR.

We took some photos and after a while, I was able to be moved into my room. Papa, Papi, Jason and Tanya said their goodbyes and Grandma, Nana and Jeff stayed with us for the day.

It was so nice and such a different experience than the first time around. It even felt a little relaxing, as surprising as that sounds. I was still an invalid of sorts that first day, but all in all, I felt pretty darn good. I wasn't exhausted, dying for sleep. I was alert and ready to stare at my baby cakes! That night I would be up on my feet for the first time since walking into the operating room and Jeff and I would walk the halls the next day with Viviana, increasing my activity with each day.

Viviana was a good feeder from the start, but with a limited milk supply, by the second night, my nurse in the middle of the night suggested giving her some drops of formula since she had been crying in the nursery after I had fed her last. This was the only time they had to do it. She had lost about 9% of her body weight, 10% being concerning. Even though I had colostrum, my milk supply wouldn't really start to come in more fully until around Thursday (Thursday, April 8th), but she was gaining back some weight. By Friday, I had a full supply of milk for my babe (and I was beginning to resemble and adult film star...which I kind of liked!). I was grateful I didn't have to do the SNS (supplemental nursing system) that I had to do with Mirabella. It worked great at the time (you can read more about it if you look back to my experience with her earlier on this blog), but it was tedious and a very nice thing to be able to eliminate this go around.

Like her sister, Viviana had some jaundice issues but thankfully not quite bad enough to be put under the lights. We loved this since that meant we could hold her any time we wanted to, and she got her share of holding, that's for sure! The jaundice would continue to be monitored while we were there and into her first doctor appointment, one week after her arrival.

We had many visitors at the hospital to meet Viviana, but unfortunately weren't on the ball at getting photos of them. Jeff did manage to snap these two during our visit from the Olsons and Swartys. Nora was getting in some good practice; she is going to become a big sister this fall!

We hadn't seen Mirabella since we left her at daycare before my c-section, and we thought that Monday night might be a little too soon to have her visit. So by Tuesday (Tuesday, April 6th), we were filled with anticipation about the first meeting between sisters, our girls! Nana picked up Mirabella from daycare and when they walked in, I was just ecstatic! Mirabella greeted me with smiles and then looked down and saw Viviana. Nana held her up to us and without even a word from any of us encouraging her to do so, Mirabella gave Viviana a big kiss! Then she did it again, and again. It was one of the most precious sights any of us had ever witnessed. Grandma and Papa came up to visit a short time later and to bring Mirabella home, and she was still a kissing bandit, rubbing Viviana's cheeks against hers, loving up her little sis.

The kisses keep on coming throughout her entire visit.

Out come the jammies and Mirabella continues to eat her up, almost literally!

Noelan got a kick out of his new cousin too during his first meeting, although Viviana looks like she was more interested in her next feeding!

Whew, what a big day for this daddy's girl!

In addition to the gift of a new sister, Mirabella also received some wonderful presents (puzzles, clothes, books, even a newborn Cabbage Patch doll!), including pajamas and a puzzle from Viviana.

Jeff and I thought we'd be going home on Thursday, but after a visit with the on call doctor that day, she suggested that with a 13 month old at home, I stay the extra day. I actually thought the extension was great since dare I say, I was kind of enjoying myself! Plus it was nice to have one more day of monitoring Viviana's weight and jaundice. So, Jeff left that day to take care of Mirabella and the next day (Friday, April 9th), he was back at the hospital to take Viviana and me home.

Life is somewhat hectic these early days, but as I continue to recover from surgery, things get easier with each day. The jump from one to two kids has definitely been felt, but we're adjusting well and we just love having our two girls! The toughest part right now has been not being able to help with Mirabella as much as I would like to. I'm not supposed to lift anything over 20 pounds for six weeks, including her. :( It is killing me! I'm not able to bring her to or from daycare and I'm not even able to lift her into or out of her crib. We'll see how long it lasts; as I feel better, I doubt I'll be able to make it that whole six weeks! Jeff has been a tremendous help both with Mirabella and around the house, and Tricia has helped us a ton with her schedule allowing for several daycare pickups for Mirabella for us (thank you!). We'd really be lost without our parents right now. They have been the absolute best!

Mirabella has been at daycare and will stay there for a few more weeks, giving me some much appreciated bonding time with Viviana. She has been a really great baby and I'm quite sure she is tiring of all my stares and kisses by the confused looks she likes to give me. I happily remind her that I'm her mommy when she stares back at me, choking myself up almost every time I say it. I can't get enough of that sweet baby girl. Fortunately for me, she can't get away from her doting mama since I'm her only food source. Ha!

When we first found out the news of my pregnancy with Viviana, Jeff and I were filled with emotions, one of the first of those being fear. There were so many uncertainties about what was in store, and having just gotten done with being pregnant such a short time before, I was worried about doing it again so soon. Shortly after those fears consumed us, the happiness set in and we quickly looked forward to the addition of our second child. Then when we welcomed Viviana into our world that Monday morning in the beginning of April, our happiness reached a new level and we could not have shaped this out any better than how it happened naturally. Sometimes the best laid plans in life aren't ours to plan and Viviana will forever be proof of that for us. We truly could not have planned for her to come at a more perfect time and we are so grateful for our healthy babies that are thirteen months apart. We are thoroughly in love with Mirabella and Viviana, our cherished daughters. Life as we know it will never be the same. It is unbelievably better and has brought a richness we continue to discover.

Thanks to each of you for embarking on another journey with us. When we count our many blessings, our family and friends are at the very top of our list. I'm feeling the sadness that comes with the close of this blog again, but as we all know, the timing of when, or if, it will be reopened for a third time may not be easily predicted. Rest assured, you'll be informed of any changes if there are any to report! For anyone who would like to follow the continuation of our story as a family of four, please visit the scene at eight 19 .

Just as we concluded the last time, forever grateful continuously seems to be an understatement around the Jiovanazzo home.

The body (the road to meeting Viviana)

2010-04-19T10:18:00.008-05:00

This post contains graphic pictures

Read the introduction, the previous post, first...

In the maternal assessment center on the 6th floor of the hospital, our baby's heartbeat was monitored. The baby seemed to be sleepy, but no concerns. My IV was hooked up and we waited. And waited. The nurse pointed out that I was having contractions. They weren't painful like the last time, just the start and what I had been feeling most of the weekend. Jeff was given his scrubs and our parents spent some time with us as we sat in this small room, me in my gown in a recliner, Jeff sitting in the chair nearby.

There were visits from two men I liked to see, those who were to provide me with drugs. Love those guys. They explained what I was to expect. At this point, it all still seemed so weird and dreamlike. Dr. Chow arrived a little after 9:00 AM and chatted with us a bit about final thoughts or questions before getting prepared for my surgery. As he departed he says, "I gotta go read my manual." Nice. Our parents left and went to their waiting room post. I walked with Jeff and a crew of capable hands to the operating room. How absolutely strange walking to the operating room! Jeff's waiting room was pointed out. We kissed and said our I love yous before I walked in the room. It felt like a movie set. It didn't seem real. All the bright lights, so many tools, so many people, all there for the sole purpose of getting my baby out and doing so with our safety at the top of their minds. I felt safe, secure and scared all at once.

I sat on the edge of the table waiting for my spinal anaesthesia, also referred to as a spinal block. It's the same concept as the epidural I had with Mirabella, but it would numb me faster with one shot lasting about two and a half hours (from what I can remember of what they told me). I hung my head down as one man held my shoulders down and the other cleaned by back with a cold solution, which he said would be the worst part. I could handle that if it was the truth. Then the poke, not comfortable. It stung like crazy for a few moments, but it was manageable. I laid down on the table with assistance and my cathetar was put in. How was I this nervous for that to happen? After all, I knew much worse was to come. It didn't hurt. I don't even remember feeling it much. My doctor was in the room now and we were minutes away from birth time.

One of the anesthesiologists said, "We're going to bring you from the R rated version to the PG one and then we'll get your husband" as I could tell I was all sprawled out, naked from the chest down, on the table. I was so fearful of the shaking reaction I had the last time I was on the table. It was so out of control it felt like a seizure that wouldn't end. They prepared me for the possibility I may have that again, but when Jeff came in and grabbed my hand, still no shaking. I was so happy that it never came.

Jeff held my hand, rubbing it as I was loving being able to stare at him unaltered with no shakes. I felt tugs and pulls, but no pain. There was constant anticipation about feeling pain, but I was fine and no pain would come, in the operating room. It is such an odd feeling when they start to prepare you for the pressure, telling you it'll be like someone is standing on you and you feel it, but without any pain! An anesthesiologist let us know that it would be about one to two minutes before the baby was out by his estimation. Whoa. Jeff was told to get the camera ready and I wondered if there was apprehension on his part of having to finally look over the curtain that protected us from seeing what was going down. He stood over that curtain and started snapping without hesitation, with a ton of playful provoking by the crew. "Come on Jeff! Get ready! Are you snapping, Jeff? Keep snapping!" they would say.

The curiosity was killing me as with each snap, Jeff would have something to say. "Oh my God! Oh, wow! Oh my gosh. Oh..."

I was told by Jeff later that each of his comments, the oohs and ahhs of all sorts, came with the reveal of each body part. First the head, then the shoulders and then..."OK Jeff, you are going to announce what the baby is. Get ready!" the guys said. I waited in suspense as I stared at Jeff and he looked on...and finally..."It's another girl!!!" he said with a sweet excitement. It was 9:54AM on Monday, April 5th.

More to come...

The introduction (to a scheduled c-section)

2010-04-15T14:30:00.027-05:00

Sleep did not come easily on Sunday night (Sunday, April 4th), the night before my surgery. At this point, I was heading to the bathroom several times in the night, but thankfully on most nights, I was able to get back to sleep fairly easily. Not the case this time. I was consumed by the thoughts of surgery and knowing our baby's arrival was within a few short hours. I had already been doing the countown all week...at this time next week, we'll have a newborn baby...at this time next week, we'll be home with a new baby, etc. Now the countown to his or her birth was in an hourly measure. It was crazy! I did relatively well with falling back asleep after the first few bathroom breaks that night until around 3:30am. I could not get back into my sweet slumber. There was too much to think about. With every minute I was awake that passed, the frustration set in further. My alarm was set for 5:20 AM and I needed this sleep. Still, too many thoughts to allow for that until I awoke to my alarm which made me believe I had at least gotten a few more minutes of shut eye. I was grateful. I hit snooze a couple times, even though I knew no more sleep would come.

We hustled to get ready so we could get ourselves out the door and Mirabella to daycare with enough time for our commute. Mirabella cooperated fully and slept until the very last minute, so we had only ourselves to contend with that morning. She finished her last bottle as an only child, we quickly got her dressed and out we headed.

We were still late getting out the door, about ten minutes behind, go figure. We gave Mirabella a ton of kisses as we both walked her up to the daycare door knowing she had no idea her world was about to change along with ours in just a few hours. The thought chokes me up as I type.

Traffic was heavy. Surgery was scheduled for 9:30 AM and we were asked to be there by 7:30 AM. Not looking good. With my track record of tardiness, I was feeling decent about our degree of lateness, about 20 minutes behind when we got to Abbott. "We were wondering if you were going to make it; usually people are early!" one of the nurses in the maternal assessment center said, fortunately with a smile. We were there and our nerves about being late calmed which allowed for the nerves of what was to come to surface. Oh my gosh, we were going to meet our child, and soon! I was scared for the surgery, but so excited for this long awaited day. How could we love someone so much we hadn't even met yet? Having gone through this process before with Mirabella, we knew it was possible.

Five days: Photos of Viviana and her mom and dad

2010-04-12T19:49:00.013-05:00

Today (Monday, April 12th) we are celebrating one week of our new baby's life! Viviana has brought so much happiness into our world already in this short period of time. Mirabella continues to be a little sweetheart to her baby sister which of course, we are eating up like crazy. The kisses, the cheek rubs, her giggles when she sees Viviana, all of them keep us smiling to no end. Here are some photos of Viviana, Jeff and me taken at the hospital.

I have a few more posts coming before this blog closes, so check back for details of our time at the hospital, the first meeting between Mirabella and Viviana and more. Thanks to everyone for all of the love and support we have received thus far!

Lively. Lovely.

2010-04-06T16:45:00.027-05:00

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome another baby girl into our family!

Viviana (Viv-ee-on-uh) Colette was born at 9:54am on Monday, April 5th. She weighed in at 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. She is perfect to us and we are all doing very well here in the hospital. Viviana looks a lot like Mirabella did as a baby, not so long ago, and Jeff and I love that we'll get to watch two sisters grow up together. We were able to introduce the two for the first time tonight and that meeting was in a word, precious. As soon as Mirabella was in close enough distance to Viviana, she gave her a big kiss! It was awesome and so touching. More smooches followed, along with more precious moments.

We have a bunch of photos to share once we are able to upload from our camera, so we'll get some of those up when we get home. In the meantime, here are a few below from our first day with Viviana taken from a couple other cameras and my phone.

From the recovery room (along with the one at the top of this post)...

And a few from my phone once we got settled into our room...

We have more details and photos to add ahead, so please check back if you are interested. Jeff and his girls...

...sure has a nice ring to it, huh?

Our new baby has arrived!

2010-04-05T06:46:00.005-05:00

More details to come...

In just a few hours...

2010-04-04T21:30:00.015-05:00

...we'll have a new baby! (Oh, and it's early in the morning on Monday, April 5th, not Sunday as the post says.)

My c-section is scheduled for 9:30am and we are supposed to arrive two hours before it. We'll be at Abbott again. Last night I missed a call from a private number and when I listened to the voicemail, it was my doctor. He was calling to check in and see how I was doing, if I had any questions...seriously, on Easter Sunday no less, who does that? How awesome! I was sad to have missed it.

Jeff and I are taking Mirabella to daycare on the way this morning; our parents are splitting the time taking care of her while Jeff stays with me at the hospital which is so nice. My parents will be staying at our house to be with her at night and to take her to daycare in the morning and Jeff's parents will be picking her up from daycare each day. She'll get to meet her new sibling for the first time on Tuesday!

Both of our families will be at the hospital with us today and thanks to you all who we know will be with us in spirit.

We're heading out the door...stay tuned!?

Photos: 39 weeks

2010-04-04T18:05:00.011-05:00

I just had my last hot fudge sundae and some water before I have to give everything up until after surgery. I'm having a baby tomorrow! Wow! I don't know how we are supposed to be expected to sleep tonight knowing what lies ahead in just about 12 hours from now, but whatever the amount, it'll be more sleep than either of us had the last time. We had a wonderful Easter celebration with both sides of our familes today and then Jeff and I were able to spend the rest of the day and night alone with Mirabella. We read her big sister book to her before bed and then we put her down together for the last time as an only child. I didn't know it was possible, but I know I held her just a little tighter today.

Thanks for all of the unbelievably kind well wishes and prayers we received today and previously. Your thoughts mean a lot to us and we're excited to share the news with everyone tomorrow!

Study time for the soon to be big sis

2010-04-03T08:23:00.013-05:00

Mirabella is fine tuning her big sister skills, and thanks to this book from the Levys that she received soon after I found out I was pregnant, she is sure to be in good shape come Monday.

At just 13 months old as of Thursday (Thursday, April 1st), Mirabella is getting so big, yet she is still just a baby in our eyes. She is bound to look like a giant next to our newborn though. We are getting so excited to see how she interacts with her sibling. She has been such a lover to him or her in my belly, lifting up my shirt to get to the baby/belly and kissing it without any prompting at all now. We joke that Mirabella won't even recognize her mama without this basketball attached to her!

The last pages in the book read, "Our baby is so lucky Mirabella," her mommy says with pride, "To have a big sister like you"...as she begins to cry. She's crying because she's happy, not because she's sad. Sometimes mommies cry when they are feeling extra glad. I want you to remember Mirabella, one thing that's always true...that nobody can ever, ever take the place of you.

I'm sobbing even as I type it out. Just sobbing. I can't get through reading it without doing so! I'm so unbelievably happy to be welcoming our new child in just two days, but I can't help but to wonder what all this addition will mean to Mirabella. My heightened emotions are getting the better of me, but deep down I know that once we all get settled, Mirabella will be just fine and what we hope will be even better is that she will love having a playmate all to herself so close to her age. The words of the book ring true, nobody will ever take the place of you, dear Mirabella. And to our new baby cakes, of course nobody will ever take place of you either! We know there will be plenty of love to go around, and we just cannot wait to have two kiddos to share it all with.

Photos and doctor appointment: 38 weeks

2010-04-01T22:01:00.027-05:00

Wife: Do you think for my size and for having a single baby that I have the biggest belly Dr. Chow has seen?

Husband: (pause) No (uncertain)...but you're definitely right up there (in all seriousness).

Wife: (succumbs to the truth unconcerned. chuckles. thinks about hot fudge sundae.)

Five pounds. In one week I've gained five pounds! The news was broken at my doctor appointment today. My weight gain had been fairly gradual, especially in the last several weeks, so today I was not expecting what the scale read. I'm blaming it on the fact my doctor was running late which caused me to swell in my waiting room chair. That, and the scarf I was wearing. Although it was silk, it was very large and flowy and quite obviously weighed me down some. Surely it had nothing to do with the breakfast from McDonald's this morning, or the chocolate cake right after (and yesterday), or the Mexican feast, or...

Seriously though, I can feel myself swelling and I swear I feel it more and it has gotten worse since my appointment. There isn't much concern about it right now because as with my first pregnancy, my blood pressure is good. My legs are heavier, but the swelling still is not as bad as it was in the last couple of weeks with Mirabella. I'm catching up quickly now to the weight gain that time around, however.

My doctor let me know which doctor would be on call this weekend. If I have any signs of labor, or if my swelling gets worse, I am to call right away. We talked about any questions I had, which weren't many. He went to do my exam and before he told me anything else while he was checking me out, he again mentioned which doctor would be on call. This made me nervous---what did he know? I was able to breathe a little easier when he said I was dilated to one and a half centimeters, versus one a couple weeks ago. My nerves kicked in a bit more though when he said it wasn't out of the question that I could go into labor before Monday, but what's that mean really? 10% chance? 30%? Whatever the odds were, I felt they were pretty much the same as before he did the exam, so all was decent again in my mind.

I asked him very nicely to use caution about having too many mimosas the day before my c-section, Easter Sunday, to which he obliged. I expressed my concerns about a shaky handed doctor if he were to overindulge; I'm his first surgery of the day on Monday, of the last week at a minimum I think since besides his day in the office today, he has been off to spend time with his kids while on spring break for the week. Hopefully that means he'll be very well rested...not rusty. I suggested a two mimosa limit, but he impressed me by saying there would be no alcohol for him that Sunday. Good man...until he asked Jeff on his way out what time they should meet at the bar that day. Then he reiterated his commitment, "Wait, I guess it'll have to be Saturday since there'll be no alcohol on Sunday." Good, good man. A touch of a smart ass, but a good man nonetheless. Ha!

Ever since I left my appointment, I've felt different. Monday seems so far away and I'm questioning whether I'll make it. I know I've questioned that before, but this questioning is based on how I'm feeling physically and not emotionally, as it has always been before. My body is tingly, my feet need propping, my belly is even more sore and it's been really tough to walk and move around easily (or comfortably). Our little precious is antsy, moving a ton and feels like he or she is coming on down faster than the next contestant on The Price is Right. Could it be that baby #2 wants out and Monday is just not going to fit into his or her plan?

Adios compañeros de trabajo: the first goodbye to my coworkers

2010-03-31T09:14:00.042-05:00

Today my office hosted a taco bar lunch in my honor catered in from Qdoba (and bagels were brought in this morning too!)! It was so nice. The way to this girl's heart is food-an added bonus that it was Mexican food too-which most people seem to know by now, so it was probably obvious that it would make my day. It totally did, and although it was delicious, the thought of them putting it together for me was the best part.

When the Adios subject line for the meeting request came into my inbox last week, I should have immediately suspected the Mexican theme, but wasn't so sure if I should take it more like, "Sayonara! See ya when we see ya! Beat it, chica!" Yesterday the black beans were spilled and I knew to get my palate ready for a cilantro sprinkled feast today. Oh, and what a feast it was and they topped it off with a chocolate cake to boot!

I think with any job that you work at for a significant period of time, there are bound to be roller coaster moments; there are highs and lows. It's been the case in every job for me at least, and this one was no different. With this organization, when there were highs, they were great and closing this chapter has been tougher than I thought it would be.

I got married, moved into a new house and had two babies (well, almost two...two pregnancies at least) while working with this company, major life changes. Through all of them, the flexibility, understanding and support I received from my employers to my managers to my co-workers was fantastic. I have come to know many exceptional people; I've worked with everyone in my department in particular since the day I started, five and a half years ago. We've had a lot of fun together. There's a lot to miss, but knowing that I'm making the best decision possible for my family helps to keep the tears at bay. We'll see what happens on Friday, my last day. I was able to stifle them during my little speech at lunch today, but it helped that I chose to read the card they had all signed until I was on my own. When I opened it and read the first passage, I knew my emotions would get the better of me and it would be a good idea to wait.

Thanks for the send off, amigos! Who knows what my future holds exactly, but two things are for certain: tacos will be a part of it and I will walk away from my time at AMI with many fond memories of the highs.

Tick tock

2010-03-29T16:08:00.012-05:00

In just one week from today, we will become a family of four! The countdown is on. I am consumed by thoughts of...this is the last Monday before the baby comes, the last one just the three of us; tomorrow will be...this is the last Tuesday before the baby comes, and so on and so on. Coupled with that, it was my last Monday at work...and tomorrow will be my last Tuesday at work, and so on and so on. It's all very surreal.

Yesterday (Sunday, March 28th) marked 38 weeks of pregnancy for me. My last doctor appointment on Thursday, March 25th was short and sweet. The baby's heart beat sounded good and there was no further dilation news after hearing I was dilated to a one the appointment a week prior. It's not that there wasn't any news, but we just didn't find out any since my doctor opted not to do an exam. He gave me the option and I told him whatever he thought was fine by me and he said, "Let's wait until next week then."

Waiting was fine by me since I trusted that if he thought I had progressed enough to make any difference, he would have done the exam. Well, waiting was fine except for one little thing. I had forgotten to leave my house wearing socks that day and leather shoes with no socks doesn't always equal feet that smell like roses. I should say that not wearing socks has become virtually a habit since it's way more comfortable than the tops of them digging into my ankles leaving marks looking like someone is trying to choke them. But on doctor appointment days, I try to remember to at least sport some ankle socks so as to spare myself from the embarrassment of my doctor gagging on the stench of sweaty feet. I did remember to bring socks with though, knee high dress stockings this time, but they'd do the trick. However, it had slipped my mind all six plus hours before my appointment to actually put them on. So there I find myself in my office bathroom washing my feet (clumsily I might add, trying not to topple over) with paper towels and hand soap before heading out the door to the clinic! Yep, I did it, yes, I'm actually admitting it and yeah, gross.

All that work and no exam so it didn't really matter anyway, but hey, at least my feet smelled nice (as nice as soft pink commercial hand soap can smell---or is it the foamy white soap at my office?) underneath the socks that I adorned them with for no more than an hour. I gained one pound since the last week's appointment, slightly less than what I weighed at this time in my pregnancy with Mirabella according to my doctor. Cool! My next, and final, appointment is on Thursday (Thursday, April 1st).

This is the last Monday with aforementioned stinky shoes, and tomorrow will be the last Tuesday with aforementioned stinky shoes, and Wednesday will be the last...

Photos: 37 weeks

2010-03-25T22:28:00.012-05:00

Brace yourselves...

Compliments of Tricia

Here's one I forgot to post at 36 weeks, also compliments of Tricia

Full term

2010-03-23T11:33:00.006-05:00

At 37 weeks as of Sunday (Sunday, March 21st), I am officially considered full term, or my baby is, I should say. So, if I went into labor today, chances are that he or she would be just as healthy as if I gave birth on my original due date. I get butterflies in my stomach every time I think about how close our baby’s birth day is!

It’s funny because at my last appointment with the doctor, exactly a week ago, I was proudly declaring how fantastic I felt. I was wearing regular shoes (with heels even), in my size, versus the last time when I was wearing slippers around my office and fuzzy boots around town by now. There was no swelling anywhere. Yes, my stomach was gigantic, but I was still able to walk fairly normally. The very next day, it was like my stomach got even bigger and the waddle appeared more often than not while I was walking. And for the last two days, my legs, ankles and feet have become tingly and have started showing the initial stages of swelling (although to most people, it's not real apparent, so maybe I'll get lucky and the swelling won't progress). The movie title Big Momma’s House comes to mind every time I look in a mirror or look down. My belly is in more pain too, not only from the protruding body parts poking me on the inside, but I am feeling it from the outside as well. Sometimes it feels like a really bad sunburn and sometimes it’s like my belly is splitting open, ripping apart underneath my clothes. Ouch! I keep thinking the feeling surely means some stretch marks are going to appear, but I’m glad that nothing resembling one has appeared just yet.

Jeff called me into Mirabella’s room the other night when he was changing her diaper to look at something strange, and comical. There were smashed up crackers submerged in her butt crack! It was so funny, until I saw the front of her and all the red marks and scratches. Poor girl had been eating crackers and they must have gone down her shirt and into her diaper…how uncomfortable! Then it came to me. That’s kind of how this feels on my stomach, like there are sharp, jagged edges of broken crackers (dipped in flames at their worst) stabbing into my belly sometimes. It hurts! Most times when I feel it, which is often, I find myself checking to see if finally a sign of a stretch mark has appeared. Still nothing, so that makes me happy and I think maybe the pain even subsides some! OK, doubtful, but I can stand it a little easier.

Sleeping is proving to be more difficult too and getting comfortable at night is nearly impossible. Trying to flip my enormous belly from one side to the other after my entire side has fallen asleep actually takes my breath away at times. I need a hoist. Why hasn’t someone invented a pregnancy hoist, a crane or something? Luckily I have a husband to pull me up from the sofa or push me off the sofa when I need it, which is regularly now, but what’s a girl to do when he’s out cold in a peaceful slumber (jerk!)? Right now when I lay down, I settle in on my left side with a pillow in between my legs (because why is it that the weight of one leg on the other now feels like Chris Farley found his final resting place?), a pillow or two to prop up my feet (since the swelling seems to be coming on) and a pillow to try and rest my belly on (which only makes me feel like I’m smothering my baby without giving me any comfort anyway so it usually ends up just being something I hold onto). The worst is when I finally get “comfortable”, it’s time for another bathroom break.

Plus, I’m convinced that I have no less than 50 dreams a night. Some are just totally crazy and off the wall, others are all too realistic, but both leave me waking up feeling like I haven’t slept. I always remember them when they wake me, but in the morning, most of the details that made them make some sense so I can explain them to Jeff have been completely erased from my memory, which I’m sure he is thankful for. We all know how fun it is to listen to someone else’s explanation of their dreams.

I’m getting sleepy again at this stage and I’m still annoyed with all the bloody noses I’ve been getting. There have been no migraines though for a long time, since whenever I last wrote about it, which has been awesome. I’ve been having Braxton Hicks contractions for quite a while, but they have been getting progressively more prominent the last couple weeks, sometimes stopping me in my tracks.

As anyone who has ever been pregnant can tell though, these things I’ve mentioned above are all extremely tolerable, especially considering what many have to go through. The last few weeks can definitely be the toughest, as is the case for me, but I’ve been so fortunate to have great experiences with my two pregnancies. I really enjoy being pregnant and I’ll very much miss many parts of it (even my mammoth belly…and even more so when my mammoth belly turns to mush!). Someone please remind me I said all this when my ankles become unrecognizable or when some stranger is forced to pull me out of a booth at Taco Bell.

Maternity leave that really pays

2010-03-19T08:29:00.048-05:00

Deep breath. I quit my job. Oh my goodness---I QUIT MY JOB!

After five and a half years with the same company, Jeff and I felt it was in our best interest for me to leave my current position and take on a new and more rewarding one (and scarier and more challenging one no doubt too!)...that of a stay at home mommy of two! I gave my notice on Wednesday (Wednesday, March 17th...just another reason why a green champagne would have been extra nice that night). If all goes as planned with the baby set to arrive on Monday, April 5th, my last day at AMI will be Friday, April 2nd.

I am so incredibly excited about what is to come, but to be honest, nervous too. There are a ton of thoughts going through my mind, our minds, but mostly, I feel amazingly fortunate to have this opportunity.

The chance to be with our kids (still feels strange to say kids, plural, already!) on a full time basis is something I hadn't totally envisioned, but it is quickly going to be my reality. I can't believe it most days. I'll know what they ate and when they ate it. I'll know what they've learned, when they've learned it and how they've learned it. Then again, I'll know how much they've pooped, when they've pooped, what color they've pooped every single time they've pooped it too! So yeah, I do know it's not all going to be peaches and cream.

Financially, the timing is not ideal considering our unpredictable economy. It won't be easy, but it makes sense for us right now and hopefully as a family we'll benefit greatly from this decision. I have struggled deeply with the many thoughts about never reaching my full career potential, but feel better when going into this knowing that this may not be, nor does it ever have to be permanent. After taking some hard looks at the numbers, what it takes for us to get by in a year, who knows---I could be back to work before 2010 ends once this all truly sinks in. But for now, even with the uncertainties, we are looking at my being able to have this time with our children as a completely positive and rewarding experience. I am going to savor all that it is worth, even if a decision, an opportunity, timing or a circumstance changes the plan sooner rather than later.

It seemed a lot of people expected that with two kids so close in age, this decision may just be a natural one. Plus, with layoffs and furloughs affecting my company currently, and taking into account a non-paid maternity leave, the picture appeared to be getting clearer. So many of you had asked about our plans, specifically if I was going to return to work post baby #2, and if we didn't dodge the curiosities and questions entirely, we had to bend the truth until we felt we could come clean. Our apologies to everyone for not being forthcoming about this path, but the secret's finally out and damn does it ever feel good!

Any advice from those of you who are already doing what is one of the toughest jobs in the world will be immensely appreciated! I am incredibly lucky to be in this position and all of my gratitude goes to Jeff for making it a possibility. Thank you, babe, and let me apologize in advance for not feeling like cooking every single night just because I'm at home and begging you to pick up Chipotle on your way home. Or Gina Maria's. On those days, please consider that your children behaved perfectly because I was there with them. Oh, and that the laundry was done...or at least everything but the whites, but there is always the weekend and after all, don't you love the smell of bleach?

Now please, send that wonderful husband of mine some business before we have time to change our minds!

Gimme that shamrock shake. Gimme that shake.

2010-03-18T14:51:00.001-05:00

It was no green beer, but it sure hit the spot. And don’t think Jeff didn’t try his best to find our green food coloring, but with no such luck. Not to worry because after we put Mirabella to bed last night I went out and got us the next best thing. Probably the only thing better than enjoying a shamrock shake on St Patty’s day (next to green beer, green champagne or a green martini, of course) is enjoying one while pregnant when ice cream should be mandatorily given through an IV.

Doctor appointment: 36 weeks

2010-03-17T15:45:00.002-05:00

So I keep having this suspicion I may not make it to April 5th, the scheduled date of my c-section. My doctor said there was nothing indicating otherwise, but I know much of how I’m feeling is coming from the fact that I’m worried my doctor won’t be there to do my surgery. Since he is off for his kids’ spring break the week prior, other than to work in the office one day that week, I have been thinking that may be my time. The pessimist in me is coming through. Usually I’d be feeling very happy about shaving some time off of my pregnancy at this point, but as you all have heard several times, I just really want my doctor to be there.

I was determined to find out his exact schedule, as if I could really control if I’d go into labor early and when. When I asked if he’d be on call the weekend before the 5th and he said no, I practically begged him to get on the rotation. “That’s Easter!” he says. Sheesh. Like he needs to spend Easter with his family. I told him that too. Both he and Jeff found my madness humorous, and even though I was laughing too, I don’t think I was joking. Dr. Chow left the room while I got ready for my exam and came back with his on call schedule. Three days. Only three freaking days he is on call until the 5th! Like the guy needs that kind of a break. If I go into labor today, I’m all set. The two other dates are March 22nd and 23rd, both of which I said would work for me too. He tried to reassure me about the high qualifications of the other doctors, but I wasn’t having it and told him to take it as a compliment. “None of the other doctors is you!”

Then came time for my exam and he tells me I’m dilated to a one. Hold up, what? My mind races thinking my suspicions about going into labor early have now been fueled. I know people stay dilated at a one for some time, but it was strange to hear since with Mirabella, even at my 38 week appointment, I think five days before I had her, I was not dilated at all. So a one this time felt like…wow! And to still have almost three weeks left…WOW! So really, the 22nd would work great for me. I’m kicking myself for not asking him to pencil me in! One more thing…my doctor thinks this baby will be born bigger than Mirabella; he estimated the size at 6 1/4 right now (Mirabella weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces).

Anyway, after the exam, my doc changed his tune a little and said he’d say he’d give me a 70 % chance I’d make it to the 5th. 30 % I would not. We’ll see! I gained three pounds since my last appointment. Very fortunately, my ankles and feet haven’t started to swell like they did at this time with my first pregnancy. I had hopes I’d dodged a bullet, but was reminded that there was still time for that. Awesome. The good news is that my blood pressure looks great, so there aren’t concerns right now if the swelling and fluid retention does happen. I suppose I can handle a brief stint.

I have only two appointments left, next week and the following: Thursday, March 25th and Thursday, April 1st.

Photos: 35 weeks

2010-03-13T13:51:00.004-06:00

Our baby at 35 weeks

2010-03-08T08:38:00.002-06:00

At 35 weeks, the baby is about 18 inches long and weighs around 5 1/4 pounds, about as much as a honeydew melon.

Doctor appointment: 34 weeks

2010-03-04T14:52:00.008-06:00

All went well at my appointment today, which was fairly routine. I met with Jaimie, a nurse practitioner, and will meet with my doctor in two weeks, and every week thereafter. We discussed warning signs for labor, birth control post baby (which she brought up with a pretty big grin!), she checked my measurements (still measuring right where I'm supposed to be) and we listened to the baby's heart beat. How this happened, I don't know, but I only gained one pound since my last appointment. Very interesting with my almost compulsive ingestion of cookies and ice cream growing worse this past month or so. How great if I didn't have the swelling problem in my ankles and feet like I did at the end of my pregnancy with Mirabella (causing an eight pound weight gain, if I remember correctly, between two of my appointments), but there is still plenty of time for that I suppose! Ugh.

It is very surreal that we just wrapped up celebrating Mirabella's first birthday and pretty soon we'll be welcoming our new baby! It seems so close now. In some ways I feel so ready and in others, it feels like it can't possibly be that time yet. Regardless, we are so extremely excited to welcome our newest family member!

Photos: 32 weeks (and 30 weeks)

2010-02-20T18:20:00.008-06:00

32 weeks

30 weeks

Saturday surprise

2010-02-17T12:08:00.024-06:00

Jeff and I took Mirabella out to breakfast at Emma Krumbee's on Valentine's day (Sunday, February 14th) which reminded me that I forgot to post something very special that happened the last time we were there...

With my love of pancakes during pregnancy, our family has ventured south a few times these past couple of months so I can indulge in some of the best of them (the blueberry pancakes in particular). Our previous trip to Emma Krumbee's was the morning of Saturday, January 23rd. It was a snowy day with no plans, which we were so excited about, so we decided a little road trip for the three of us would be fun. We planned on following up breakfast with me running an errand or two and then the two of us cleaning the house. So when I was letting Jeff know my next steps for the day before the cleaning began, he said, "Great, that'll give you just enough time before your 1:00 pregnancy massage."

The night before when Jeff had asked for a back scratch, I joked that it was me, the pregnant one, who should really be the recipient of back scratches and massages right now. When I gave in to his request as I typically do since I am always, always aiming to please him (right, babe?), I'll admit I thought his response had an air of BS when he said, "I promise, you'll get a nice massage tomorrow."

So at breakfast when he mentioned my 1:00 massage, I thought it was coming from him (which was still greatly anticipated and very welcome), but I was wrong. He had made arrangements for me to have have a one hour professional pregnancy massage that day! It was the greatest surprise and not to mention, one of the best excuses for not having to clean our house that day. :) When I said the same to him, he replied with something like, "Hey, you'll be nice and loose, all ready to clean like crazy when you get home!" Funny. It didn't happen.

The massage was heavenly, but it was the thoughtfulness of the gesture that was the best part of it. That husband of mine, what a guy!

Monday, April 5th

2010-02-10T22:06:00.020-06:00

Pending he or she decides not to come early, today at my doctor appointment our baby’s birth date was determined: Monday, April 5th! Happy birthday to you, babycakes. We cannot get over how strange it is knowing the date of arrival in advance. Mirabella was born four days before her original due date of March 5th and if all goes as planned, this baby will be born six days before his or her original due date of April 11th.

I can’t say I’m not nervous about having another c-section; the good and the bad news is that I know what to expect. I’m becoming consumed by thoughts of what the experience is going to be like. Will the surgery go the same as last time? Will I be shaking uncontrollably on the table again? Will I lose a lot of blood? When they told me to expect more pressure than I’d ever felt before when pulling the baby out last time, and then when it wasn’t nearly what I was anticipating, will it be like that again? Will it be painful? Scratch that. How painful will it be, during surgery and/or afterwards (fortunately the surgery itself wasn't painful last time, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed)? Will I be as immobile as I was after the surgery last time and how long will it take me to recover this time?

So many thoughts. So many questions! Like I said, it’s good and bad to have already been through it before. Then again, a long list of questions is what consumes all moms to be, whether first timers or those with some experience.

There are plenty of positives thoughts though too. I am looking forward to skipping out on the contractions and the 30 some hours of labor, the hunger pains (mentally and physically!) when all I could eat was ice chips for almost as long (while the smell of McDonald’s lingered into my room), the terrible thirst when no one would let me drink anything, the two hours of pushing (and the swollen, almost unrecognizable you know what!), the not sleeping for 45 hours, etc. I’m sure there'll be plenty more that I won't miss.

My doctor did warn me of the thought of going into labor early, but assured me that it would be fine if it happened. He didn't anticipate it happening too early, if it did at all. He had told Jeff and me at a previous appointment that his son's spring break was the week prior to April 5th (which he suspected then could be birth day), but I felt so much better this time when he told us they weren't planning on going out of town for it. I just really, really want my doctor to be the one doing my surgery. He's the one we trust, the one who knows us and the one who puts us at ease (and still my mind drifts off on this tangent and I have to say...he's the one who won't let me die there on that table---how's that for a morbid thought? Sorry, but I think about that.). And after all, isn't my well being more important than some fancy spring break vacation with the kids anyway? :)

I gained two pounds since my last doctor appointment, the one before the three hour GTT, roughly two weeks ago. I can handle that. Geez, maybe getting the flu in between did me some good! I'm measuring right where I'm supposed to be, at 31 weeks. Take that Mr. Man Co-worker who told me I looked like I was ready to give birth tomorrow! Nice. Just a thought for anyone reading, but you probably don't want to say something like that to a pregnant woman, especially when she still has almost two months to go. He also told me I looked fabulous, better than he'd ever seen a pregnant chick look. Did he say stunning? Elegant maybe? Breathtaking. Striking? Yeah, I think it was strikingly gorgeous to be exact. Wait, that was I made up in my head. All of it-after the looking like I was going to give birth tomorrow part-completely made up. My next appointment will be in three weeks.

I cannot wait to meet this baby of ours! Are you a boy? Will we have to get all new clothes, and eventually, a whole new genre of toys? Are you a girl? Will you look like Mirabella? Will Mirabella's clothes get a second wind? Are you healthy? How much will you weigh? Will you have hair, be a good eater, have jaudice and what color will your eyes be? No matter what the answers are to any of my questions above, one thing is for certain...we will love you so much, little baby! We already do.

Our baby at 31 weeks

2010-02-08T15:38:00.003-06:00

At 31 weeks, the baby is about 16 inches long and weighs around 3 pounds.

So sweet...and salty!

2010-02-02T15:53:00.018-06:00

Last Thursday (Thursday, January 28th), my brother teased me with the lure of a surprise he was going to bring me at work the following day. Well, I wasn’t able to make it into work that day because after finally being able to eat some yummy food again after passing my glucose test, at 3:00am that Friday I came down with the flu! My surprise would have to wait. Mirabella had the nastiness that Wednesday, so after a day or so of pondering its strike, it decided to take over my bod too. After not even being able to keep water down that day (I will spare you the details), I was finally able to eat exactly three bites of a banana, a couple tiny bits of plain white toast and some Jell-o later that evening. Boy, would I have killed for those Bran Flakes! By Saturday I added some peanut butter to my toast and got some noodle soup down until I worked my way up to the ultimate meal on Sunday night: a sandwich! Unfortunately the bug touched Jeff too, so our family was basically quarantined all weekend.

In the ultimate irony, I talked to a nurse at my clinic when I was at my sickest on Friday and among other things, she advised me to have no dairy for 72 hours. If I had had the strength, I would have kicked myself for not heading straight to Dairy Queen from my clinic after I passed that GTT on Thursday.

(Hmm, DQ…I don’t think I’ve actually had a Blizzard my entire pregnancy. Note to self.)

So today my brother called and asked if it was a good day to stop by my office. Of course! I love a good surprise, and he assured me it was a good one, so I was eagerly awaiting it. I watched for him and as he approached my office door, I saw some heavenly goodness in his had. It was a malt! Seeing it brought a big smile to my face, but when I found out it was not just any old malt (which would have been perfectly welcomed), but a salted caramel one, my heart skipped a beat a little! How sweet! And oh my gosh, was it delicious. I inhaled the thing, devouring every last scrumptious sip! He knew I had been craving that salty/sweet taste, so he made it his mission to find it for me and crossing several cities to get there, he found it in malt form at Burger Jones . What a perfect gift, not only for passing the glucose test (as he said was his primary reason for the surprise), but it was just what I needed now that I am finally able to eat regular food again (regular pregnancy food = junk food and ice cream…after supplementing with vitamins and some proper nutrition, of course!). Such a lovely gesture...thanks so much, Jason!

The only downfall is that now I can’t get that thing off of my mind.

Doctor appointment: Diabetic screening/glucose tolerance test (GTT)

2010-01-28T14:11:00.011-06:00

I passed my second glucose test, the three hour GTT! I was so nervous about it. After the first test this week, I didn’t eat anything that would be considered a sweet, not even one bite of my usual suspects. I didn’t even want to have a Lifesaver. I had a sandwich for lunch that day and soup and salad that night. The next day I had a piece of peanut butter toast and milk for breakfast and a bagel sandwich for lunch. Then I came to find out that carbohydrates were the real culprit in increasing your blood glucose level, so what I had thought was being good actually wasn’t. Not only am I addicted to sweets right now, even not pregnant, my diet is jam packed with carbs!

I was on a quest to find some foods that were good for me to be eating to manage my carb and sugar intake. I wanted to control all the things I could control to pass this test. Whether or not it actually helped any on test day, I’m not sure, but I felt better about doing it. I went to the grocery store on Tuesday night on a mission and picked up some random things I had learned were within healthy boundaries (or better) for a diabetic diet. I got into my car and tore violently into the high protein/low carb/low sugar granola I had found. My actions confirmed what I already knew: I was having withdrawal from all things sweet, going a little insane. I could not get that granola into my mouth fast enough. It took all of my power to try and stick to the serving size, a measly 1/4 cup. All of my power. For dinner that night, Bran Flakes. I had an apple and Bran Flakes the next morning for breakfast and the same cereal again for lunch until my special treat of lentil soup for dinner. My snacks consisted of puffed corn cereal, almonds, sugar free Jell-o and the aforementioned granola.

Granted, I know if I had some guidance, hopefully the diet wouldn’t be this strict, but still, limit my carb intake? Analyze the amount of sugar going into my body? Dieting while pregnant? “A lifestyle change, not a diet,” you say? Phooey. I’ll have plenty of time once this baby comes to try and figure out how to shed these extra pounds. I’m screwed. Check out some of the labels on things you are eating and you will be amazed at just how many grams of carbohydrates and sugar they contain. Maybe that’s why I have an affinity for all the non-labeled stuff!

Anyway, I’ll get off of the food subject. Wait, back on it for a minute. I was trying to figure out what to bring to pass the time during my appointment and I ended up with one of my new cookbooks I had received for Christmas. This was a mistake since I hadn’t eaten anything since 7:30 the night prior and my mouth was watering the entire time my eyes locked on all the yummy pictures. I don’t know what I would have done had I failed and not been able to indulge in all the things I had just read about.

There were four phases of the test (four readings of my blood glucose level) I had to pass today. I could only fail one; if there were more, I would be considered a gestational diabetic. The first finger prick was for my fasting glucose level and I passed. The level needed to be less than 95 and mine was 82. (I found out that for my test on Monday, the level needed to be less than 140 and mine was 150.) I drank my morning cocktail, the glucose drink (I opted for fruit punch this time since it didn’t fail me when I was pregnant with Mirabella), and waited the hour until the second finger prick and analysis of my blood glucose level. The level for that phase needed to be less than 180; I passed with 145. I wondered why the woman taking my blood offered me the use of a recliner and was asking if my baby was doing somersaults because of the sugar high. They weren’t as concerned during my previous test on Monday. Then she explained that the drink for Monday’s test contained 50 grams of glucose and today’s was double at 100. No wonder I was looped up. I didn’t need the recliner, but the bambino was having a gay ol’ time bouncing off the walls of my stomach.

I was just getting through the heavenly cinnamon roll recipe when my timer was about to go off for the third phase of testing. I headed to the lab and my doctor happened to walk by while I was in the chair. He asked how I was doing and I told him that I’d be doing better if I wasn’t there. Then he gave me the good news that if I passed this phase, I wouldn’t have to do the last and could go home. I don’t know what level I needed to be under or what level I was at, but I was where I needed to be and was set free…one sixty minute timer and one finger prick early! As my doctor walked away from our conversation saying he’d see me in a couple weeks I couldn’t resist my parting words, “Does this mean I can have ice cream tonight?”

“And in the morning too!” he replied. Now that's a good doctor.

Doctor appointment: Diabetic screening/glucose test

2010-01-25T15:14:00.018-06:00

I failed my first glucose test. Dang! I thought I was going to cry I was so shocked. I was given the orange glucose drink (basically sugar water) at my last appointment and have been staring at it in our fridge until this morning came. Within a few minutes it was gone (it has to be within five) and an hour later I was at my clinic being tested. The woman who pricked my finger said that my hemoglobin looked good, so I suppose I assumed my glucose would too. Jeff and I waited for the nurse practitioner to come into the room to tell us the result, figuring it’d be a short and sweet conversation. She greeted us and then said, “Well, your test didn’t come back so good.” It was definitely not what we were expecting to hear and I wasn’t prepared for feeling so bummed out about it. “I guess I shouldn’t have had that chocolate cake last night,” I said to her, but was relieved when she told me it actually has less to do with my diet than it does with my hormones. Whew! However, if it turns out I fail the next test, my diet will have to change. Oh, and I gained two pounds since my previous appointment.

I haven’t had any sweets since my appointment this morning and I have been losing my mind a little. It’s not that I can’t technically right now, but I thought I’d give it a try. I have realized I just may do better if I was a crack addict giving up crack. How can a person, a pregnant woman nonetheless, give up sweets? On a typical day I can’t get cookies and cake and candy and ice cream and anything ooey and gooey and chocolaty off my mind, but now that I am trying to restrain myself, and even just as my own little test, oh my gosh! I can hardly stand it. I’m sick to my stomach and shaking a little thinking about sweets and worse, about possibly having to give them up!

I’ll go in for a second screening, a three hour glucose tolerance test (GTT), on Thursday (Thursday, January 28th) to see if I have gestational diabetes. I’ll have my finger pricked when I arrive at the clinic and then I’ll drink the glucose drink. I’ll carry a timer (I’m picturing Flava Flav--->) and wait there for an hour, have my finger pricked, wait another hour, have my finger pricked, wait another hour and have my finger pricked again. And I don’t even get a sucker? All kidding aside, of course our baby’s health is my main concern and I’m more than willing to do whatever it takes to bring him or her here healthy. Mostly, I’m afraid of the prospect of what gestational diabetes could mean for both our baby and me later on. About 50% of pregnant women who have it will develop type 2 diabetes after pregnancy and children are at higher risk for the disease as well. I’ll be given the results the day of the test, so hopefully my next post will be good news…

Photos: 28 weeks

2010-01-23T20:35:00.006-06:00

Hang the streamers! Bring out the balloons!

2010-01-20T14:52:00.013-06:00

I have entered my third trimester! Obviously I’m the only one excited about it since no one realized it besides me (Insert pity party here. I can hear the violins, can you?), but as of Sunday, January 17th, I am 28 weeks pregnant. And yes, I am excited! Although there is no party planned, we are having Chipotle and these days, that counts for something. I think I’ll get some ice cream too. I discovered a new flavor, ONE Cheesecake Brownie and it proved dangerous. Jeff and I split a pint the other day, which means he had 1/10 of it while I devoured the rest. Don’t let him kid you though, that boy can eat ice cream. It usually takes him two sittings to polish off a pint whereas in most cases, it takes me three sittings while pregnant to do that kind of damage.

Oh, and since we’re (do you like how I brought you all into this “conversation”?) talking ice cream…is it too much to ask for someone to get me some salted caramel ice cream from Bi-Rite Creamery? Soon? Or maybe NOW? I’d almost consider a plane ticket to San Francisco for some of that deliciousness. Unfortunately they don’t deliver. I checked. I know a place that does though if ever any of you is itching to shell out too much dough on a gift of ice cream for me; just ask and I’d be happy to provide you with that information. I mean come on, it’s the third trimester for crying out loud! I made it! (Ice cream delivery also makes a wonderful gift for just having a baby, coming home from just having a baby, one month anniversaries of having a baby, Mother’s Day and birthdays.)

There are 12 more weeks until my due date, April 11th, but hopefully it’ll actually be about 11 weeks until our babe arrives. Every day shaved off is great by me at that point since at 37 weeks, our baby will be considered full term. My next doctor appointment is on Monday (Monday, January 25th) where I’ll do my glucose test. Hopefully I don’t fail after all that ice cream I’m imagining getting sent to me over the weekend.

Doctor appointment: 26 weeks

2010-01-06T12:57:00.018-06:00

Happy 2010! I have officially been pregnant for the last three years...well, during a period of the last three years anyway! On Sunday (Sunday, January 3rd) I reached my 26th week of pregnancy. Mostly when I think about it, things have gone rather quickly. Even so, April feels like an eternity away sometimes. Three months until we meet our baby. Three months is a long wait. Then I look at my belly and three months seems unreal. How can I be this big and still have so much longer to go? When we met with my doctor yesterday (Tuesday, January 5th), I couldn’t resist telling him I thought he must have done something wrong. Surely he missed that I was having twins! Dr. Chow laughed and assured me that there was no way he missed one and could guarantee that I was only having one baby. “This time,” he added with a shady grin.

My appointment was fairly straight forward. We heard our baby’s heart beating perfectly. I received my glucose water for my diabetic screening at my next appointment with a nurse practitioner. I’ve had a couple more migraines lately, but there was no major concern about those, or headaches in general, with my blood pressure being normal. I measured right on track. My doctor placed special emphasis on this point since I told him, "Everyone thinks I’m huge!" Rest assured everyone (he told me to tell you all), my size is perfectly normal. By the look of my stomach though, I can’t really blame anyone for thinking I’m larger than average. Heck, my own husband has looked at my belly and said, “That’s full-term!” more than a couple times.

And let me tell you something else: it wasn’t a good idea to tell Jeff how much I weighed. I was feeling pretty darn good about my five pound weight gain at this appointment. I received the eight pound shock during the last one, so I guess I was assuming I'd receive similar news this time. And with the holidays, I thought for sure I had gained ten. So when five pounds was the increment, I was kind of pleased. When I met up with Jeff again after my weigh in, I told him I gained five pounds. Then (obviously without really thinking) I said, “I weigh XXX.” Big mistake.

“What? No. Are you serious? Oh my gosh! You’re going to start giving me a run for my money! That’s more than you weighed at the end of your entire pregnancy last time, isn’t it?!” Even his smiling while asking didn’t make me feel better. Maybe that made it worse. “NO! I weighed more than that with Mirabella! I gained like 38 pounds with her (maybe it was 39).” And he still thought I weighed less at the end last time than I do now---I don’t know if I was bothered, or if I was actually flattered that he thought I only weighed XXX when I got pregnant with Mirabella!

Bottom line: don’t state your total pregnancy weight to your husband. There is just no reason to. You will be going about your business, packing on the pounds and not worrying much about it really. Amniotic fluid? Two pounds. Increased blood volume? Go ahead and throw on four. Make out with a few McMuffins...weekly? Tack a couple more on. You wanna look at a cookie? That’ll cost you. You know it’s temporary (or so you hope), so who really cares what the scale says? Well...your husband does. Not that he is going to go around telling people you are a fat lard, and not that he necessarily thinks you are a fat lard, but he’s thinking about that number. Yeah, that one. The one the scale said. He’s trying to wrap his head around that number. He’s in disbelief; could you really be that number? The worst part is that I probably could have convinced him I weighed 125 right now and he wouldn’t have known otherwise! But now he knows I weigh XXX and now I’m going to have to buy more cauliflower and crap. My stupid mouth.

It's a girl...

2009-12-31T10:07:00.007-06:00

...or so my dream two nights ago indicated. This was my first dream regarding the sex of our baby, or about our baby in general that I can recall. For those of you who didn't know, like with Mirabella, we chose not to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. There was all kinds of craziness surrounding my dream (just like with my first pregnancy, I am dreaming all the time!), but then it was all clear and relatively normal when I was in the operating room about to have our baby. I was having a c-section and within what felt like about ten seconds (wouldn't that be nice?), the baby was out and she was a girl! She was plump and beautiful. And nameless.

Someone in the operating room asked what her name was (just like they did right away when I delivered Mirabella and it was so surreal to say her name for the first time), but oh my gosh, we didn't have one! And in reality, we don't have one!

Names have proven to be more challenging this time around, but hopefully we won't be leaving the hosptial with a nameless baby. We have a few contenders, but no decision yet. During my first pregnancy, I was telling everyone for the longest time that we hadn't made a final decision regarding names, but we had and just weren't telling people what they were (we didn't want to be influenced by other people's opinions and we wanted the name to be another surprise to everyone on delivery day). We decided on Mirabella's name maybe before I was even pregnant, or right in the beginning of my pregnancy at least. The boy's name came later, but we were pretty sure of it for quite some time. We think we're all set on a boy's name this time around, but I really mean it, we do not have a girl's name picked out.

When I was pregnant with Mirabella, I dreamt we had a baby boy...and we all know how that turned out. So, maybe this time it'll be the opposite again. Should we be getting prepared to blend our currently pink world with a blue one?

Photos: 24 weeks

2009-12-27T11:09:00.005-06:00

These two below are from 23 1/2 weeks

Merry Christmas from our family to yours

2009-12-25T08:16:00.001-06:00

Six months down

2009-12-22T12:02:00.004-06:00

At 24 weeks pregnant (as of Sunday, December 20th) I've been very fortunate again in that I'm feeling so well and my pregnancy is going wonderfully. Right before I hit week 16, I felt my baby move and a couple weeks later, Jeff felt it too. Over the last eight weeks since I felt those first flutters, I've been feeling him or her moving a bunch ever since and have been loving every second of it. Especially lately, the baby moves constantly and not only can it be felt, now it can be seen!

I think it was at about 17 or 18 weeks when I was at the grocery store that the first person, the first stranger, acknowledged I was pregnant. It was sample day (go figure) and when the woman gave me a sparkling juice taste, she said that it was good for me, then looked down and said it was good for both of us. It made me so happy. Pregnant, not fat...thanks for noticing, dear sample lady! Surely other strangers noticed my belly before then, but this was the first time one had felt comfortable saying something I suppose. Well now that I'm 24 weeks, I'm obviously fully showing to the world at this point and have been since oh, about week one (or so it felt like to me!).

When my first trimester ended, the tiredness remained whereas with Mirabella, I remember feeling refreshed almost immediately once I got out of it. Although I didn't quite get that same pronounced burst of energy upon entering into my second trimester as I did then, I can't complain in the least. I'm quite sure I just need to get used to being tired for a while, years I suppose, but I am much less tired than I was in the beginning. I think the energy burst is coming, just a little late. Or, maybe this is it!

Previously (in my second trimester has begun post) I had mentioned that I was getting the same goofy butt pain I had gotten when I was pregnant with Mirabella. I have since forgotten to mention that it was thankfully short-lived and after only having it for maybe a week or so, it hasn't come back! I also had bothersome back pain with Mirabella in the middle of my right side, and that hasn't come back either. I feel tinges here and there, but nothing like last time. That was the worst. I don't know if it's still too early on for it, but I'm enjoying its lack of presence.

Jeff will concur that my absent-mindedness is in full effect. I can't seem to remember much of anything unless I write it down. I make lists for everything, online, in my phone, on paper, in my head and soon, on my forehead, I swear. I think absent-mindedness is putting it politely. Sometimes I'm an utter idiot! Brainless even. I find myself saying some of the stupidest things and of course, blame the baby for sucking the oxygen from my noggin. Common sense? On vacation. I forget food in the oven (after shutting off the timer thinking I can remember to take whatever it is out after just a few more minutes of cooking), on the stove and in the toaster. I'll fluff up clothes in the dryer I've forgotten to empty only to forget them again. It's a vicious cycle of fluff, fluff and refluff. (Hey, shouldn't I be taking a break from cooking and cleaning right now anyway?) I've forgotten to add street addresses on cards I've mailed; the tune of "Return to Sender (address unknown, no such number, no such zone...)" plays in my head. I wish I could remember the better examples, but why is it not surprising that my memory escapes me now? Somehow I remember to shower (well, most days) and pick up Mirabella at daycare, but I'm waiting for all that to change.

Another symptom of pregnancy for me that has come back this time around is the bloody noses. I've had several gushing nose bleeds in the past two months. They are more of a nuisance than anything. I'd much rather have a bloody nose than a migraine though, which have been sparse, thank goodness! I had a few early on, and one two weeks ago, so all in all, things are good in that area. I’ve had some cramping in my foot a few times, but nothing as bad as the handful of times they happened with my first pregnancy. Oh, and I get winded easily, especially when going up stairs (and especially with a nine month old on my hip while climbing those stairs) but that's standard. Surprising some with all the marathon running I do, but fairly standard nonetheless (haha!).

Listing these things is more to keep record for myself, not to complain about them. Really, how could I complain? I mean, it's not like someone forgot to put the cheese cup in with my nachos or something.

I love being pregnant. I am utterly grateful that I have been able to be pregnant twice in my lifetime and I'm incredibly blessed to have been given the chance to enjoy my pregnancies so much. Cheers to the bundle being in my oven for six months!

Our baby at 23 weeks

2009-12-16T16:08:00.003-06:00

At 23 weeks, the baby weighs just over a pound, about as much as a mango.

The San Francisco treat

2009-12-11T09:50:00.006-06:00

And what a treat it was. We loved our time there and we made the most of it. Of course we missed Mirabella, but thanks to our parents, she was in good hands allowing us to enjoy a solo trip. The traveling companion in my tummy could not have been more accomodating too, leaving me feeling very well. Aside from some nose bleeds, I couldn't imagine feeling better at five months pregnant in San Francisco.

We lucked out with our hotel view, overlooking Union Square. Lights were being strung on the giant tree on the square, but we settled for the skaters to get us in the holiday spirit since the tree was never fully lit at night during our time there. It was still pretty. The weather was nice the whole time as well. It was sunny and in the mid 60s during the day. Not California hot by any means, but San Francisco warm for November.

Some more of Union Square, right outside our hotel's door

Seeing San Francisco wouldn't have been complete without a trip to The Rock, Alcatraz Island, the most famous federal prision around. We did the night tour which started at 4:20, so it was really cool seeing it during both the day and night. It was a highlight for us.

View of the Bay Bridge from the ferry...

...and of the city

Sea lions

Night views

We rented a car for a day and drove just outside of the city to Muir Woods. The beauty of the nature that surrounded us was breathtaking. Our pictures couldn't do the place justice, so I only included a few, but we'd highly recommend going there. It felt like we were in a rain forest. It was a completely different world from the city limits, and just a short drive to get there. The sun was shining brightly before we arrived and after we left, but in between, we were enveloped in browns and greens.

These are from the car on the way out

Some veiws of the Golden Gate Bridge while we crossed it on our way there and back

And two other views, not from the car

Saw plenty of cable cars...

...and finally, it was time to ride one for ourselves

In motion

Enjoying the scenery

Coit Tower

No idea why

Fisherman's Wharf

We explored a horse track too

I indulged in plenty of chocolate, Ghiradelli being among San Francisco's best known brands

We made a stop at the Buena Vista, home of the Irish Coffee, for a taste. I watched. Jeff started without me while I tooled around Ghiradelli Square.

One of our favorite food items in San Francisco was ice cream from Bi-Rite Creamery. And it wasn't just any old ice cream, it was Salted Caramel ice cream. It was unbelievably, sinfully delectable! If someone can figure out how to send us some, we will smother you with kisses. And cash.

This is our light breakfast (light for one of us) at a cafe called La Boulange where I had an egg, cheese and veggie croissant (both Jeff and I said it was the best croissant we had ever tasted), fruit and a canelé (one of my favorite patries in the world!) and Jeff had a cream cheese pastry that was outstanding. We both had hot chocolates which were also delish.

Another morning, we had an awesome breakfast at Mama's, where we had been warned of a line outside. Now that's some good grub when people wait outside for a seat. We got there five minutes before it opened, and at 8:00, we were inside. The line was just about as long when we left, so we concluded that going on a weekday was key. The place was packed.

This just may have been the best French toast I had ever eaten

He loved it, but I know Jeff's omelette took second place

Any food lover should make a stop at the Ferry Building Marketplace, containing a level of shops dedicated to my favorite pastime.

From outside the back doors

Very stiff competition when it came to food, but one of the very best things we ate during our trip was...brussel sprouts. We mean it. It won't surprise anyone that we found a Mexican joint to hit up, and Mamacita was fabulous. It was upscale Mexican for sure, and we made the most of trying as much as we could. We saw the chimichurri brussel sprouts on the menu and had to add them to our order. They were (and I don't use this term much) to die for. We had so much food coming, so we tried to refrain from eating the whole mess of them since we ordered them as a second appetizer. We could not resist them. I could go on and on, Jeff could too I swear, but I'll end with saying they are a must try for anyone who goes there. Worth a trip to Mamacita just for those and a cocktail.

Not pictured was the fine cuisine we indulged in at one of San Francisco's top restaurants, Michael Mina. Good for us, it happened to be located in our hotel. The food, the service, then entire experience was exemplary. Every bite was scrumptious. I even tried cod and liked it, which says a lot. For my main course I had the lobster pot pie and I'm telling you all, what a masterpiece. I wanted to lick the plate. I say plate because it comes in a bowl with the crusty top as you would picture a pot pie to look like, but then it is reconstructed on your plate by your server. The presentation was impressive, but the taste, mmmm. Jeff had some beefy entree that he also really liked, but I don't know how anything could compare to that pot pie. We both had the signature root beer floats for dessert, made with sassafras ice cream, root beer sorbet and IBC rootbeer served with two, big, warm chocolate cookies on the side, one light and one dark oozing with chocolate. Oh my word.

I think I can feel myself getting fatter just writing about the root beer float and cookies, and all of the food we had in general. Obviously I'm attributing much of my nine pound weight gain between doctor appointments to this trip!

We couldn't leave San Francisco without picking up a couple gifts for the highlights of our lives. I saw this and fell in love with it. It had a similar feel to the book we had gotten last year for Mirabella in Paris, so we had to buy it for our baby. Interestingly enough, we found it during our Alcatraz visit, in the gift shop. We can't wait to read it together once our family of three turns to four.

And for Mirabella, we picked up this book during our trip to Muir Woods. She has been having a lot of fun reading it since we've been back!

It was fantastic to have had this travel opportunity, but it was really nice getting back to Mirabella. The best was coming home to four more days of vacation-we were especially looking forward to Thanksgiving-before having to return to the daily grind of working. We'll treasure the lovely time we had.

Food.

2009-12-04T09:27:00.014-06:00

I like it. I love it (I want some more of it...to continue to tune). I’ve always felt badly for those people who don’t seem to care much about food, or eating for that matter. What a tragedy! I used to think when a person said that sometimes they forget to eat, they were lying. Now though, I believe there actually are some people who really don’t care that much about eating. Maybe that’s why they look so darn good in skinny jeans. I bet they don’t know that Joe’s makes skinny jeans in "curvy". But, I do.

Next to my family and friends, the joy of eating is third on my list for what I enjoy most in this world. I’ve been accused of being a picky eater, but really, meat is what I’m picky about. I’m not a big fan of it, especially during pregnancy. I don’t like mushrooms and (besides lobster, crab and blue marlin thus far) most types of seafood. It’s a short list in my opinion. What no one has ever accused me of though is starving myself. Words I don’t hear very much: "You really should eat something."

I’ve never been the healthiest of eaters (someday maybe I’ll get on one of those health kicks I’ve been hearing about), but during pregnancy, I’m worse. Sweets are doing me in. Cake, cookies, candy, pretty much most desserts in general, pancakes and syrup, they’re my ally and my enemy in one. The sweets are my craving, coffee, hot chocolate and cider too. I baked a cake two nights ago and ate five pieces that night. My disclaimer is that they were brownie sized pieces. I can’t be trusted, not around chocolate.

Breakfast calls my name lately. Not the peanut butter toast, the cereal or the oatmeal (although I eat all three), but nothing calls my name at breakfast right now like pancakes. Well, maybe an Egg McMuffin and hashbrowns or an egg and cheese bagel, but a good sit down breakfast calls for circular sweetness. I haven't always been all about pancakes, but now, it's like I can get enough. I'm not sure if it's the syrup, or the chocolate chips, blueberries, bananas or the like added to the batter. It must be the syrup because French toast always sounds good too. But for some reason though, I keep gravitating toward pancakes. This happened some with Mirabella too, but not as badly from what I recall.

Speaking of sweet, four of my girlfriends were kind enough to oblige my craving last weekend when we met up for brunch at the OPH. I ordered two meals: chocolate chip pancakes and cherry crepes.

There’s been room on the savory side though too. No surprise that Mexican food remains at the top of my food list and Taco Bell has been sneaking in, well, coming in at full force. (I've been meaning to get a Taco Bell post up because I have a great story about it, but if I don't, remind me to tell you about it.) I eat it two to three times a week, usually at lunch. It’s convenient, and those cheesy bean and rice burritos are fantastic. One used to be enough, but with pregnancy, I had to add an order of chips and cheese for the baby. I take three vitamins for him or her daily, so I feel it’s my duty as a mother to provide something yummy to balance it all out.

In my first trimester and even into my second, there honestly were times I’d get full really fast. Those days have passed. This explains why at my last doctor appointment (during my 20 week ultrasound appointment) at 21 weeks, I gained nine pounds in the six weeks since my previous appointment. NINE pounds! Even the lady that did my weigh-in grinned when she looked at the chart to write it down. I’m going to make myself feel better by saying I provoked her because I was shocked and was masking the shock by laughing, acting like it was humorous. I continued the sentiment when I blurted out the number to Jeff and my doctor before he even opened my chart. My doctor slightly chuckled with me, with us, and after doing some analysis, I felt good when he said the weight gain didn’t worry him at all. Thank goodness. That would mean I’d have to give a hoot about what I ate and I really don’t want to do a silly thing like that, not while pregnant. I think he said I was tracking six pounds more than what I weighed at this time with Mirabella, and by the looks of my 20 week photos back then, I’m going to tell myself it’s all baby and all in my belly. I know by looking at my face, neck and body in those photos that my reasoning isn’t at all the truth, but I’m running with it.

It may take me longer to shed the pounds once our baby arrives, but besides one hardened brownie cookie I should have spit out (but instead at the whole thing), I’ve enjoyed every bite (and every ounce of my little bundle) that has led me to put them on. And now that I’m having a tough time fitting into my Joe’s Honey booty cut skinny jeans, most maternity jeans are curvy by default, so for now I’m all set. Live in the moment is a motto I’m sticking with.

Doctor appointment: 20 week ultrasound

2009-12-03T08:10:00.013-06:00

Click here to compare these with Mirabella's ultrasound photos.

Just as awesome the second time around, Jeff and I got to see our bouncing baby during my ultrasound on Tuesday (Tuesday, December 1st)! It truly is amazing all that can be seen in general, but then when you really stop to think about this being a living human being, our baby, growing inside of me, it’s unbelievable. The fact that I am making bones, a heart, an entire body constantly leaves me in awe. Everything looked really good, according to both the woman doing the ultrasound and my doctor, the best news we could have asked for. Our nerves started to kick in the day of the appointment, hoping all was going to check out. Once you see everything pointed out on the monitor, all the fingers and toes, the bladder and kidneys functioning as they should, the heart beating and all four of its chambers in tact, oh, that feels incredible. They can even check for a cleft lip and palate, and she analyzed the nasal bone which if abnormal, can be a key indicator for common birth defects, mainly Down syndrome. Much to our relief, all appeared to be normal.

We did not find out if we are having a boy or a girl; we wanted it to be a surprise again on delivery day, so the ultrasound technician told us she wouldn’t try to figure it out. I was happy to hear that so she wasn’t tempted to spill any beans. She called our baby cooperative and cute. I know she said he or she was cute or called him or her a cutie many, many times. I’m sure I heard it at least ten times. Ok four times, maybe three. Wouldn’t it be nice if he or she holds true to that cooperative trait in the real world? Yes, yes it would be (you hear that, baby?)!

After the ultrasound, we met with our doctor and he concurred that all looked great with our baby. And after shooting the breeze about funny stories for much of the appointment, non-pregnancy related stuff mostly (San Francisco, wine country, talking to children about drinking and swearing, the latter provoking vast amounts of laughter amongst the three of us), we came back to discussing why we were there. My pregnancy is fortunately going very well, so there wasn’t a whole lot to talk about this time. We’ll be better able to pin point when the baby is coming probably toward the end of January when my doctor knows his April schedule. My next appointment is in the beginning of January.

Oh, and we talked about my weight gain. Stay tuned for how much the scale tipped this time!

20 weeks: Photos

2009-11-28T20:55:00.013-06:00

We're back from an awesome vacation in San Francisco (photos to come) and I'm at the halfway point of my pregnancy!

Over and out (west)

2009-11-20T14:53:00.009-06:00

It wouldn't be fair to the new bundle if we didn't take him or her on a trip after taking Mirabella last year at this very same time, so that's what we're doing. We're going on vacation! Actually, we bid on two travel vouchers at a silent auction, so we were extremely lucky to be able to make it a reality again. Tomorrow (Saturday, November 21st) through the morning of Wednesday (Wednesday, November 25th) we'll be in San Francisco, California! Jeff was there when he was younger and I've been to California a few times, but never to San Fran. We're very excited for a little getaway.

We had fun picking out our destination since our vouchers were good for anywhere in the US. Originally our plan was to take Mirabella with, so it limited a few options and because of some goofy flight schedules, San Francisco was taken out of the mix. We had almost decided on a spot (leaning towards New Mexico) and then my mom threw out a very generous offer. The three weekdays of our trip she had taken off from work to start her Thanksgiving holiday early and offered to watch Mirabella if we wanted to go just the two of us. After going back and forth, we decided to go for it! After all, it'll probably be a while before Jeff and I are able to travel alone once we have two young children. I'm hoping we'll be surprised and it'll be easier than we think, but right now we're not trying to fool ourselves!

Nana and Papi were also so kind to pitch in and they offered to take Mirabella for a Saturday-Sunday shift. We can't say often enough how fortunate we are to have two sets of grandparents in Mirabella's life that are so quick to offer their help in taking care of her. We know she loves it, but it makes things so great for us too. Many, many thanks to the four of you for giving our baby so much love and affection and for graciously allowing her mama and daddy much appreciated adult time!

The big V

2009-11-17T11:55:00.012-06:00

With all the H1N1 and pregnant women hoopla, I decided to take the plunge and get the vaccine. My doctor said it was being recommended that I get it, but at my last appointment, my clinic didn’t have the vaccine. Three weeks later, which was last week, when I called, I was told they didn’t have it and didn’t know if they’d even be getting it. What? A clinic geared towards women, several of whom are pregnant or taking care of babies under six months old, isn’t getting the vaccine when all the talking heads seem to agree that pregnant women (and those taking care of infants) should get vaccinated? Interesting. So, I began my quest to find it.

Even healthy kids are getting the vaccine now, but my first inquiry into getting it (aside from the one to my clinic) for me proved to be a dead end: no more appointments at that clinic, for anyone, even those deemed high risk (me), were being taken. After a couple other inquiries with no success, I was getting a bit concerned. At this point, Jeff and my family were champions of the cause for me to get the vaccine, so the more they talked about it, the more I felt like I should get it. But a big reason that I was on my mission in full force to get it now though is because we’re taking a little vacation (yippee!) and the idea of sitting in a germ infested plane began to make me cringe some. It made me a wee bit nervous. After a few calls, I finally learned of a (make-shift H1N1 vaccine) clinic I could go to, so I got the shot yesterday (Monday, November 16th) and besides an hour wait and today, a sore arm, all went well.

As I said when writing about Mirabella’s vaccine on my other blog, it can be tough to know what to do when it comes to this vaccine, but I do feel a lot better now that I’ve gotten it. So take that all you shivering, coughing, snot-nosed, plane-taking travelers!

(If I get sick after that last comment, I'm gonna feel real stupid.)

Update: After writing this post, I called my clinic to check on the time of an upcoming appointment, and a recorded message said they had received the vaccine.

16 weeks: Photos

2009-11-10T09:00:00.020-06:00

Once again late on posting these now that I'm 18 weeks as of Sunday (Sunday, November 8th), but here are my 16 week photos.

And the real belly shots (my belly button had popped out within my first month of being pregnant this time I think!)...

Is that what I think it was?

2009-10-27T11:29:00.005-05:00

While hanging out at home with Jeff and my parents on Saturday night (Saturday, October 24th), I’m pretty sure I felt our baby moving! I felt Mirabella at around 17 1/2 weeks, so at one day shy of 16 weeks this time, it seems feasible now that I can probably identify the feeling better. Tinges and tingles. Flutters and such. I thought I felt a little something the next day also, but nothing too prominent yesterday or today yet, that I’ve been aware of anyway. It’s early, so I’ve had to concentrate and be very in tune to the motion. Even so, I’m fairly sure the feelings have been our baby cakes on the move, twirling around in the limited space I’ve provided.

I’m so excited for the kicks and punches. Then to be able to feel it from the outside-and to see it from the outside-is the coolest sensation. I’m convinced Mirabella was trying to pound right through me at times, but I am sure longing for those feelings again. Let’s go, baby. It was you I felt, wasn’t it? Give your sister a run for her money. Beat me up, buttercup!

Doctor appointment

2009-10-22T20:03:00.008-05:00

At 15 1/2 half weeks, I had a second appointment with my doctor yesterday (Wednesday, October 21st). Our baby’s heartbeat sounded strong and my sigh of relief was loud. Being stupid, I had fallen at work a few weeks back standing on a cart I shouldn’t have been standing on. It wasn’t serious enough for me to get checked out, but I fell backwards and it startled me. It hurt. It compounded my already present anxiety about how my baby is doing. Then the night before my appointment, I had the strangest sensation, a sharp pain in my stomach. A blow to my insides, even though I haven’t felt my baby move yet and even if I could, it couldn’t be this strong. It was enough to provoke an audible sound from me, but the pain only lasted seconds. I was sitting on our bed and had turned to reach for my nightstand and it was like something was tearing from inside of me while jabbing me, hard, at the same time. It was indescribable really, but it was painful and it was weird. So between the fall and that goofy thing, the second I heard that heartbeat pounding solidly I was ecstatic. My doctor checked me for a hernia, but didn’t end up thinking that was responsible for the previous night’s happening. He let us know all sounded good and that he had no reason to think otherwise, nor do I. For at least a few days or so anyway!

I’ve gained four pounds total, not enough to get any judgment from the gals doing my weigh-ins. Yet. I gained two pounds from my first appointment with the nurse practitioner to the next with my doctor, and then another two pounds from that appointment to this one. I feel perfectly justified having Mexican for both lunch and dinner yesterday. We opted out of doing any genetic testing, the Quad Screen, during this appointment, as we chose to do with my first pregnancy. My clinic didn’t have the H1N1 vaccination available, but my doctor did recommend I get it when they do. The thought of getting the shot leaves me with some uneasiness, but thinking about what could happen if I don’t leads me to believe I’ll get it willingly. My next appointment is a big one, the ultrasound on December 1st.

Patent pending

2009-10-16T07:49:00.013-05:00

This is such an awkward stage, especially this go around when I'm showing sooner at this point than I had previously. Even though I can obviously tell I'm pregnant, and if I held my shirt tighter (like in my pregnancy photos) you all could too, but it's not so much that it would scream pregnancy to most people who don't know. Thus, my frumpy, chunky in the mid section look is less than cute right now. People will see me with a seven month old and naturally assume I just never got rid of the baby weight...it's not a good look! For the record, I did take off a decent amount of baby weight. Not all of it, but really, I was smaller at one point in these past seven months. I swear. Someone back me up. Anyone?

I'd like to invent something that expectant moms could wear to let people know they are pregnant when it's not obvious, or maybe even when it is. Something like those "Pregnant, Not Fat" shirts but slightly more discreet while getting the point across. Maybe a bracelet. A different color bracelet for each trimester and pretty soon, it would become standard that if you're wearing a yellow bracelet (not like the Lance Armstrong kind, different...and cuter), you're in your first trimester. In your second, your bracelet is orange, and third, red. This is a rough draft; I'd make the whole concept cooler, but wouldn't this make us all more comfortable?

I'd place ads in magazines from Sports Illustrated to Cosmo, in shows from CSI to Oprah to Sports Center, online and on the radio to promote awareness of their significance.

Nothing worse than asking someone who isn't pregnant when they are expecting. Actually, yes there is: being the person who was just asked. Sorry if this is a repeat, but this brings me back to a few days after I had Mirabella when the nice, seemingly new grandpa was admiring his just hatched grandson or granddaughter from the hallway looking into the baby nursery at the hospital. I was still struggling to walk after my c-section and was walking down the hall past him. He turned from the nursery glass to look at me and with a proud new grandpa grin on his face said, "Not much longer for you!" With a gleam in his eye, he was so happy and cheerful for me. All I could do was smile and say, "Yep!" After all, he was only trying to be sweet. I thought it was hilarious actually and couldn't wait to get back into my room to have a good laugh with Jeff, until I finally got there and started crying before I could get the words out to explain what had happened. By my own admission, I still looked fully pregnant then, but hearing I did from a total stranger, hit me. In the stomach.

In light of this memory, I think there would need to be a fourth bracelet. It could be a multicolored/confetti/polka dot/celebration looking one to let people know you have just brought life into this world and could use a break from people wondering if you're pregnant or not (or when you are going to start hitting the gym and laying off the cookies). Good for one year. Hmmm, this one might be my favorite!

I know I'd feel a whole lot better seeing that kid I knew from high school right now (the one I knew and who knew me but we didn't know each other well enough to seek each other out for a chat at the mall) if he knew why my belly was swollen and possibly a screaming orange second trimester bracelet would do the trick!

Heck, it could be an entire jewelry line. Maybe a collection of hats and gloves for the winter months. Um, maybe not. I can picture it, the poor guy pleading for forgiveness, "But ma'am, I'm sorry! I saw an ad in SI and I just thought..." Scratch that. That one might turn out to be disastrous.

Jewelry it is. Brilliant.

Our baby at 14 weeks

2009-10-14T09:42:00.009-05:00

More produce references! I'll be posting these on a different schedule than last time so as not to repeat my fruits and veggies (until the end maybe where I posted these weekly).

At 14 weeks, the baby is about the size of a lemon.

The second trimester has begun

2009-10-11T18:00:00.013-05:00

Today means 14 weeks of pregnancy for me! Please, no gifts. Unless you insist. It has gone by much faster than last time thus far. Things have been going smoothly too, so I’m hoping for more of the same. My biggest pregnancy symptom right now is tiredness, but I may just have to get used to that being a fact of my life for a few years the way things are panning out! Still, it’s so much different than my first pregnancy where naps were much easier to come by. There were many days I’d come home from work and head straight to bed for an hour or two before Jeff would wake me up for dinner. Since I found I was pregnant this time, I can count my naps on one hand.

When I pick Mirabella up from Mary’s after work, all she wants to do is play (and she’s so sweet at that time that my falling asleep loses some of its appeal anyway...some of its appeal). On the days she does end up falling asleep between 4:30-5:30, it’s only a cat nap on her agenda so by the time I’d fall asleep, I’d be back up again. So I don’t try. I’m getting used to being sleepy pretty much around the clock as best as I can, and hopefully my constant yawning hasn’t upset anyone too badly.

(Did just seeing this photo make you yawn?)

No bloody noses for me yet, and at this stage the first time, I had already had a couple. I also had sore boobs then too, growing pains I guess, but what happened to those? No such pain this time, probably having to do with still nursing the first two months of my pregnancy. Now that the nursing tatas have mostly gone away, I’ve been eagerly awaiting my pregnancy ones. Let’s go! I sure liked those. Please come back...pretty please?

What has returned are the break outs on my face and I’m not happy about it. When am I going to get out of this ugly stage? Not soon enough by the looks of it.

Those of you that followed last time, I had gotten this strange pain in my rear (always on my right side). It’s back, and it started two days ago which is much earlier than when it started during my first pregnancy. I described it then as a nuisance, like an achy, sore or pulled muscle. Yep, that’s it again. It’s not so bad yet, but I know what’s to come and it’s not fun. Surely the back pain, and not the early on lower back pain, but the odd pain in the middle of my right side, is not far behind. Bring on the leg cramps too. Ugh. So minor in the scheme, in all seriousness.

I’m going...and going...and going to the bathroom a ton, numero uno (number one, gringos). During the day, during the night, it doesn’t really stop. And after some decaf, watch out. A couple glasses of just about anything, watch out. It’s much worse after that. At least now I’m prepared that this does start so early. From what I recall, it gets more manageable before it becomes out of control again at the end, so I’m looking forward to a little break.

Emotionally, I’m a little out of sorts. My fuse is short and many things make me cry, mostly touching things, or silly things. This hypersensitivity is something I had last time too, but I’m not sure if I wrote it down. There are many examples of my heightened emotional state. The crying ones are mostly small things, like driving to work and waving to the guy that holds up the slow sign on the side road that might be under construction. When he waves back, I get choked up by the nice exchange we had. Really, it’s the many things like that that do it to me.

The short fuse is pretty much just that. No great examples, just that I can frustrate easily and am short fused. Wait, I have an example. I was in the drive thru line at KFC which I never go to, but I had a craving over lunch for their mac and cheese. The guy in front of me was taking forever which was already annoying. At the window, he again was taking a long time exchanging many words with the KFC employee. A side note is that several times I saw him looking at me in his side mirror, something else that bugged me. When the employee gave him his receipt, the driver crumpled it up and with no shame, punkishly dropped it on the ground out of his window. This infuriated me! First off, littering is ridiculous as it is, but most people are embarrassed that they do it. Not this guy. This blatant littering angered me to no end, but there’s more...he looked at me in his mirror, saw me looking at him, and waved! I was ready to get out of my car! Naturally I put my hands up and started yelling at him to pick it up. He turned around out of his window and said, “What?” I repeated, “Pick it up!” and was ignored. My blood was boiling.

When I finally got my food, I pulled out and the guy was parked in a spot like he was waiting for me. When I approached, he turned around to look at me and I continued with some childish name calling and drove away. I was half tempted to get out of my car and punch the guy. I seriously was, had I not been pregnant not wanting to put my baby in harm’s way, I would have. I wanted to scream! I wanted to fight him! I could hardly control myself! This is a more serious example of my short fuse; thankfully I don’t think the other examples are quite as pronounced. I’m sure I’d still be annoyed in the same situation if my hormones weren’t out of whack, but I know it made things worse. Just thinking about it now gets me a little fired up again!

OK, deep breath and back to talking about other pregnancy symptoms, or lack thereof. No migraines since the three in a row I had early on. I’ve also been lucky that I’ve had no morning sickness again too. Whew!

Everything is moving along well and I’m really looking forward to my next appointment in a week and a half to take comfort in the beating heart again. These early appointments have too much spacing in between. What’s a girl to do in the meantime but worry that everything is going as planned? Actually, I have gotten better this time. I take comfort in knowing what a miracle we were provided in Mirabella, so that has helped to calm me some. Sure I’ll still wonder and my mind will race until my baby comes out healthy, but I know that wonderful things have happened for us before I am becoming better at expecting that again.

12 weeks: Photos

2009-10-07T11:41:00.016-05:00

A little late (since I'm now 13 weeks...14 on Sunday), but here they are. In looking back at the photos of when I was pregnant with Mirabella, my stomach wasn't this size until about 16-20 weeks!

Bundle in the Oven has returned!

2009-09-18T08:09:00.007-05:00

Jeff and I are very happy to announce that Mirabella is going to be a big sister! Yes, we are expecting...again! "What? So soon?" you ask. Uh-huh. Since we believe this is the way things were meant to be for us, this was no accident, but we did not plan for the quick turnaround! Still, we couldn’t be more thrilled about the news of our upcoming arrival. It will definitely be busy around our house having two babies in just over thirteen months (screeeech...yep, you read that correcly...two babies in thirteen months), but with all of you waiting on us hand and foot for oh, the next couple years or so, we know it’ll be a piece of cake. Thanks in advance!

And speaking of cake, we’ll be just about eating the last of it at Mirabella’s first birthday party and it’ll be time to celebrate a new miracle in our lives. Did I hear someone say Irish twins ? No, not quite, but close. Mirabella was born on March 1st, 2009 and this new baby’s due date is April 11th, 2010. After talking with my doctor, I'm fairly certain about having another c-section, so with it most likely being scheduled a week or so ahead of my due date, we’re looking at early April to begin our family of four.

After much anticipation, Jeff and I met with my doctor yesterday (Thursday, September 17th) for my first appointment with him. Jeff had made a quick bathroom stop when I was called in and my doctor, who I couldn't wait to see, greeted me with open arms and a big hug. I said, "Can you believe we're already back?" to which he replied, "Of course I can. When two people are in love, this is what happens!" Still, when Jeff came in, we all couldn't help but chuckle a little.

He talked with us briefly, trying to confirm my due date and then he said we were going to do an ultrasound. He did one early for us last time, but kind of snuck us in since usually at this appointment, you get to hear the heart beat, not see it. But we happily (and somewhat nervously for me) followed. He then told me he was going to do a vaginal ultrasound. Huh? This was such a new prospect for me, so right away I wondered if everything was OK. He started and turned the ultrasound screen more towards him as he looked, further triggering my curiosity. Finally he let us know that everything looked great and that he'd let us see momentarily. He proceeded to show us the beating heart. Ah, sigh of relief. We could already see our baby when he pointed out the head, arms and legs, or the beginnings of both at least. How amazing that we could see so much so soon!

We also received the confirmation that there was only one baby inside. We did wonder (my grandma was a twin). Later we realized that the vaginal ultrasound was most likely because my pregnancy was early on, he wanted to get an idea of the size of my baby to better confirm my due date and to see if there were multiples.

The three of us went back to the examination room and he spent a bunch of time talking about my delivery and the pros and cons of trying to deliver vaginally after my c-section (vbac) and the pros and cons of multiple c-sections. After the discussion, I was pretty much decided upon scheduling a c-section. Sure, there were risks to both, but not because of how close my babies would be, just because that's the nature of the game. Nothing alarmed me, and I was so glad for the reassurance.

My doctor further made us feel at ease when he explained that being able to hear the heart beat at this early stage made the chances of miscarriage highly unlikely, only a two percent chance. Whew. He also said that even though my pregnancies were very close together, there was no reason to suspect any complications. What a relief!

The appointment was fantastic and we couldn't have felt better walking out the door (before getting my flu shot...H1N1 shots come in two next month). It's fair to say, which I did to Jeff prior to getting on the elevator, that we're one of Dr. Chow's favorite couples. Actually, I asked him if he thought so and I know he wanted to say yes. Ha! Really, I'm sure I only feel that way because he's our favorite doctor and because he's so good, I'd guess he makes everyone feel that special. Needless to say, if anyone's looking for a good doctor, I have a glowing recommendation for you.

I'll be 11 weeks pregnant on Sunday. We'll keep you updated on all of the exciting, and much of the not-so-exciting news if you want to follow along with this blog. We'll still have our other one going, The Scene at Eight 19 , for more of the non-pregnancy going ons in our family (and probably some pregnancy tidbits too), but we'll just have to see how managing two blogs goes. For future reference, the link to that one can be found at the bottom of this blog's main page. Cheers to the next big thing in our lives!

Please see the previous post for far too many details about my pregnancy (finding out about this news, mostly) over the last several weeks.

Run it back

2009-09-02T17:09:00.013-05:00

Three weeks ago today we found out (again through ept) that it would soon be time to resurrect the Bundle in the Oven blog! We were as shocked as you all reading this probably are. Below is the beginning of our story and we hope like with my pregnancy with Mirabella, you’ll want to follow along. We loved having you here! If I have to remind any of you from the last time, my posts are candid, so consider yourselves once again forewarned!

Still breast feeding full time, I was a little shocked when my first period after having Mirabella came on July 5th, at four months post-delivery. We do know how pregnancy happens, yes, but with my uninterrupted nursing and it taking nine months for a successful endeavor the first time, it was a big surprise when that first period became my last! When August 5th came and went, I still wasn’t alarmed being late since my thought was that it would probably take a while for my body to get back into a normal routine. So I went about my days as usual, but with each passing one, I couldn’t help but think about the what ifs, although those what ifs were planted deep in the back of my mind.

On Tuesday, August 4th I had a golf outing planned after work with my mom, my mother-in-law and one of her friends. The night before, I tried on my clothes to find them snug, less than flattering and very uncomfortable. These were clothes that fit me previously, even with my post-Mirabella body. I guess I suspected they may not fit when I felt the need to try them on the night before wearing them in the first place. Within that week, I seriously felt like I had put on at least five pounds, and pretty much just in my stomach. I had a swollen belly, and looking back on it, I truly think it started the day after we conceived! Now I know that sounds crazy, but I noticed it. I made a joke about it to my mom, saying something to the tune of pregnancy being responsible for this newly found weigh gain I didn’t think I was just imagining (really thinking it was only a joke at the time!). To this, my mom chuckled and replied with something like, “Your problem isn’t pregnancy I’m afraid. Your problem is F-O-O-D (spelled out just like that)!” Thanks a lot, mom! The weight drop that I could only attribute to nursing came to a screeching halt. Maybe my problem really was F-O-O-D, and if it was, I sheepishly would have to say that it wouldn’t surprise me. My body changed overnight. Really. It just took a couple weeks to confirm it in my own mind.

Then came our trip to Ohio for Jeff’s family reunion (Saturday, August 8th-Tuesday, August 11th) and a few things fueled my suspicious mind. I did some research on pregnancy and nursing and learned that many times the taste of the milk will change to the baby. Mirabella pooped five times in a 24 hour period that weekend. I’d feel sensitivity while nursing when I hadn’t for months, another symptom. Coincidences, I was sure. Or was I? The Monday of our trip when we took a road trip to visit Jeff’s uncle on the other side of the family, I had a touch of nausea that I couldn’t shake when we got off Rob’s boat for lunch. I’m not usually one to get sea sick, but maybe this was just a fluke. When we got home, with my mind constantly racing at this point, the time to test had come. Could it really be that I was pregnant again...already? Jeff was fairly certain I was getting somewhat anxious for nothing. I say anxious because neither of us were expecting what we were about to find out and at first, there were many things I felt needed to be worried about if indeed I was pregnant!

Timing for taking the test worked out better for us on Wednesday (Wednesday, August 12th). I say Wednesday worked out better than it did on the Tuesday we got back from Ohio, but Wednesday was not at all ideal when we had just enough time to take the test, process the results and talk for less than ten minutes before I’d have to be out the door for dinner with three of my best girlfriends. With my anxiety in high gear, I felt just like I did the last time we took the test. However, that time I was nervous the test would be negative when we were so hoping for a positive and this time, I was scared about what a positive result would mean for us. There were so many things to think (stress out) about if it was positive this time. Too many to be able to handle! Purely perception at that time, I know now.

The time was up. I asked Jeff to look first and with Mirabella in hand, he said we were going to look together, as a family. Aw, a family. I love our family. Before getting to the test, Jeff says, “Now, this could go a couple different ways. If you aren’t pregnant, are you going to be upset because that will mean you’ve just gained weight from eating and not working out, instead of from pregnancy?” Apparently he concurred with my mom’s way of thinking. How come hardly anyone accuses me of having a tapeworm anymore?

As the three of us walked over...as the two of us walked over and the third was carried...I forced Jeff to look first. Shock filled his eyes and through a slightly confused, nervous smile he said, “I think you better look at this.” “What do you mean? Is it positive?” I asked. He says he’s not completely sure and then I see it and it looks kind of different than last time with one of the lines more faint, but we’re both fairly sure that it means we’re doing it again and ready or not, here comes another bundle! “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I’m pregnant again! Oh my gosh?!” I’m sure I must have said that like a broken record. We climbed into our bed with Mirabella and in a daze talked to her about what we had just found out as if she understood. Even though we knew she didn’t know what was going on, she gave us a smile and amidst all of the questions, through that reassuring smile it seemed like we knew all was going to be just fine. Um, maybe that’s clearer now than it was then.

Our few minutes were up and it was time to hit the road to meet my girls. What am I going to say? How am I going to say it? Am I going to say it? Since these were three of my closest friends, I was pretty sure I was going to share the news, even though it was still so early. Kristin was there first and I think I made it five minutes before blurting it out. She was so happy! Surprised too, but more happy and admittedly a little jealous since we had just gone through our pregnancies together and after some time to think about it, she would have been glad to be in the shoes again too! Of course I would have loved that as well, so I fed her full of dirty martinis and encouraged her to sweet talk her husband into trying for baby number three that night. Haha! She helped to calm my racing thoughts and reminded me what a blessing this was. I knew so too, but I had so much fear. We always wanted another baby, but having one so soon did bring up true, unselfish concerns. The main one: could my body handle this pregnancy? I had a rough labor. My uterus tore and I was warned of a possible blood transfusion. It didn’t happen, but I had a c-section and having another one this soon from all indications wasn’t recommended. Was it safe? I didn’t know and I was kind of terrified of the prospect that it wouldn’t be.

Kristin suggested I order a fake martini before Leah and Missy arrived so I could collect my thoughts and make sure I was ready to keep sharing the news. At least I’d get my blue cheese stuffed olives, but drinking the water like it was vodka was almost enough to make my stomach churn. I may have lasted fifteen minutes before blabbing to Leah and Missy and the look on their faces was absolute and utter shock. Nothing else. Well, there was disbelief too. Leah didn’t believe me. Not for a second. Missy, sitting there pregnant about ready to give birth to her baby just over fourteen months from her first knew all too well this was entirely possibly, if not probable! Leah brought up my martini. “You’re having a martini! I don’t believe you!” she says. “It’s fake! It’s water! Try it!” I insisted. Even after she knew I wasn’t kidding, she couldn’t wrap her mind around what I was saying. Neither could I right then. I was still in shock too.

It wasn’t until my ride home that I fully allowed my worries to take over again. I had voiced my concerns to the girls, but it was almost like they hadn’t totally hit me. I hadn’t processed the news. Jeff and I hadn’t processed the news together. I called him on my way home and we talked about the girls’ reactions. Then something came over me and the tears came. I started bawling, letting my fears get the best of me. “How can my body do it again so soon? Where are we going to put the baby? There’s no place to put another baby right now (we have two bedrooms on our main level, ours and Mirabella's)! We’re just getting used to having Mirabella around; how is having another baby so soon going to affect her?” It was when I, barely audible, said, “I’m scared I’m going to die!” (meaning in childbirth) that he asked me to pull over. I can see why that may have been scary. I know now that I was overreacting, but at the time, my first real chance to voice my fears with my husband, those fears were my reality.

By the time I got home, I had calmed down. On the door to get into our house from our garage was a handwritten note from the love of my life. In that instant, my husband put to rest my apprehension, even if only for the short-term, with his words.

Dear Wife,
Today I love you more than ever. Tomorrow I will love you more than I do today. We may have had something crazy, scary and exciting thrown at us today, but there is nobody I'd rather share it with than you. I am so thankful for our wonderful life together and for our beautiful marriage.
All my love,
Jeff

I cried again reading it and typing it here. No, you can't have him! With Jeff and Mirabella by my side, it didn’t matter where the baby’s room would be. It didn’t matter if the baby lived in our room for six months. It didn’t matter if he or she would share a room with Mirabella after. And if we had to consider moving (gasp!), we would consider moving. We wouldn’t enjoy Mirabella’s remaining months of her life as an only child any less. She wouldn’t feel any less love. (In fact, we can see her and her new sibling being the best of friends because they will be so close in age. That’s our hope at least, and having this hope makes us even more happy now for the timing. Plus, she’ll be too young to feel any jealousy about the “new kid on campus”, and she won’t know her life any differently than the one she has with her partner.) And most importantly, I wasn’t going to die in childbirth! The chances were very slim and that was clearer now. All of these things became clearer, and after a day and a half from that Wednesday, my anxiety was really subsiding.

Thursday morning (Thursday, August 13th) came. The sun was shining as we brought Mirabella into our room and talked to her about the new baby coming. She appeared pleased.

I called my clinic later that morning. I spoke with two people and amidst all the questions I had, I started getting choked up right off the bat with the two women I talked to. I wanted my doctor. The protocol is to meet with the nurse practitioner to confirm the pregnancy first, but I wanted Dr. Chow. I needed him to tell me I was going to be OK. Fortunately I received that compassion on the phone that day, especially with the second woman I spoke with. She could tell I was crying and let me know everything was all right. She told me it happens more than I’d think and told me about her friend who gave birth to her first child one December 1st and on that child’s first birthday, she was in labor with her second. That part didn’t sound great, but what did sound great was just hearing about it happening and knowing that if it worked for her, the close timing would work for me too. Things would be good. I believed it. I was excited about it! That woman also reassured me that the nurse practitioner could put all my worries to rest and to feel comfortable meeting with her first and my doctor second. It was a familiar name, the nurse practioner's (I hadn’t had much time to forget names), so that helped. My appointment was set and I wished it could have been that very day, but I’d have to wait a week.

By the day after talking to the clinic, that Friday (Friday, August 14th), I could breathe easily. The prospect of already being into my pregnancy five and half weeks felt nice. The countdown was already on. I was excited for what was to come and there was a lot to look forward to. Sure, I still wished (and wish) we could get that addition on our house right now to add another bedroom by ours and Mirabella’s, but we were going to have another baby to love! What could be more special? What could be more right? My parents came over that night for a casual visit and somehow we started talking about the winning the lottery. My mom had asked if we’d won it, if we’d build on to our house, or move and somewhere along the way I let them know that we were definitely going to need more room. They both looked at me a bit clueless, and then I added that we’d need another bedroom sooner than we thought. “What? Are you pregnant?!” I guess my problem wasn’t just food after all, mom! Jeff and I had big smiles and happily announced that yes, I was pregnant! They were surprised, but smiling and so happy too! We had fun talking about all that was to come. Was it my mom that said, “What if you have twins this time (since it runs in my family)?” Yes, she did, but it was something that had already crossed our minds. Now that would be interesting. Three kids in thirteen months? Mama needs a drink.

Déjà vu and just like last year, our annual Crosslake trip with a bunch of our high school friends was right around the corner. This time we were leaving that next week, on Thursday (Thursday, August 20th), the day of our doctor appointment to confirm the pregnancy. It was too early for us to feel entirely comfortable publicizing the news, but there would again be too many suspicions about my lack of cocktailing if I didn’t, so our dilemma turned into what was inevitable. Besides, these were our close friends and if God forbid anything were to happen to end my pregnancy, these are the people I would want to support us anyway. It became an easy decision.

At the clinic that Thursday, we walked in and it felt like we had never left! The woman who came to get us to take my blood was a friendly, familiar face and greeted us with a big grin. She said she was happy to see us back and then told me about two of her three kids that were very close in age. She let me know honestly that she cried a lot in the beginning, because there were some trying times with two young kiddos, but assured me that things will be great. I believed that. We were having such a good time talking that somehow she pricked my finger and right after told me she wasn’t supposed to do that. It was supposed to come out of my arm! Hey, thanks! Nothing says fun like an unnecessary finger prick.

Before I even left the chair, she confirmed what we thought was the case. I was indeed pregnant and it was official! She walked me to my room where Jeff was waiting and congratulated him too. When the nurse practitioner came in, she also recognized us. This was all kind of funny! The stuff she said was familiar, as she knew it was, but we went through it just the same.

She asked what my normal weight was. As if I knew anymore! My norm wasn't what the scale showed, or at least it never was before I was pregnant the first time, but who knows now? It wouldn’t be out of the question to see that scale tip to 180 by the time this child is set to pop out! OK, for my sanity, let’s say it would. When your husband says, “Wow, you’d be giving me a run for my money if that were the case!” that’s when you have to just tell yourself that even if you do, pregnancy pounds don’t count. They just don’t. Besides, it was Jeff that told me to do whatever I did with Mirabella. Aside from the vitamins (three kinds that I never stopped taking: a multivitamin, folic acid and Expecta), the malts, Potbelly cookies, egg and cheese bagels and Chipotle obviously played a major role in how wonderfully Mirabella turned out. So I’m going back on each.

The nurse practitioner advised that I stop nursing. My milk supply would begin decreasing. I had also heard from a friend that nursing while pregnant increases the chance of miscarriage, although that was not personally confirmed to me. I didn’t fight the issue much. I would make it to my six month goal and I was proud of myself. I enjoyed many things about it, but I was starting to realize how nice it would be to be done with it too. Two kids, one out of the oven and one inside, feeding from me was quite a thought! I knew I’d be doing it that way for another few weeks, but I needed a break before my second round of nursing. Selfishly, I was kind of glad it was doctor’s orders, or nurse practitioner’s orders, to be exact. Based on my exam, she didn’t think my uterus was tracking any larger than usual, so the chances of twins weren’t so likely.

After our appointment, each of us went back to work until we would leave for up north in the afternoon. There was one stop to make before heading up. Jeff and I met at his parents’ house to drop a car off for them and my parents to use for the weekend while they were splitting grandparent time with Mirabella. We sat around talking for a little while when the conversation of Jeff’s cousin came up. We had heard the news previously; she was expecting her second child (the same due date as ours). Before we could say much more, Jeff spit out, “Well, we’re having a baby too!” Actually, I think he said that I was pregnant too, but whatever the exact phrase, they didn’t buy it! Not until we did some convincing and then the hugs came! Typical of what we had seen thus far, shock and surprise followed by happiness and excitement. Those same reactions came again when we told our friends in Crosslake. I’m not sure what made them happier, the fact that we were having a baby, or the fact that they were guaranteed a sober cab again, especially one so experienced like myself! Heehee.

So that’s how it all went down this time and now the nerves kick in. Not the nerves of being pregnant anymore (well probably some of that will come too), but the nerves of making sure our baby is healthy and that we can hear that tiny heart beat in a couple of weeks. We love you already, dear baby! We can’t wait for all the joy that you will bring to our lives, and we are so looking forward to you and Mirabella starting your lives together. We couldn’t be happier you came to us. Even though it was earlier than expected, we know your timing is perfect.

Many people said that after writing Bundle in the Oven the first time, I’d probably never be so detailed for a second pregnancy. I’m sure going to try, and I hope it’s not just repeating more of the same as on the first go around. This is a whole new miraculous experience, so thank you for wanting to follow along with us! As I said in the beginning, we love having you here. We love, love, love your comments too!

PS. My belly button has already started to pop out, at just over eight weeks pregnant! And I thought my stomach was enormous with Mirabella. Looks like I’m really in for it this time!

I didn't abandon the blog!

2009-06-12T11:11:00.007-05:00

OK, wait. I did abandon this one. Sorry, I tried to inform everyone, but if I missed you, and if you've been missing us...good news! We have a new blog filled with all the details of our lives, especially Mirabella's.

Check us out at the scene at eight19.

The conclusion (one chapter closes...a new one begins)

2009-03-13T09:38:00.090-05:00

Read the introduction and the body, the two previous posts, first...

After Mirabella was cleaned up, she and Jeff returned to me for another meeting, our official first meeting. It was like nothing I had ever felt. There she was, looking at me and it all felt like a dream. How thankful we were that she was healthy. After a short time, dad and daughter were taken away while the doctor finished taking care of mom. Jeff would get to introduce our daughter to the grandparents. He'd walk down to where they were anxiously awaiting some news and when he got there he announced, "This is Mirabella!" They were all so happy and excited.

I would wake up fifteen minutes later and my shakes were better, but still there. I was told they were going to give me something to calm them, so I asked if that was going to happen, but was told it did and I had just woken up from what they had given me. I was hoping for the shakes to stop, but they didn't. When I was ready to go to the recovery room, they continued the entire ride. I was covered in hot towels and although they felt nice, they didn't stop the shaking. It wasn't until what seemed like forever in the recovery area, when they gave me something else, that the shakes would finally cease and I was relieved. Jeff returned with our Mirabella. What joy. Our parents also returned, two at a time. They were exhausted, but Mirabella energized them. They left to get some sleep soon after.

At after 5:00 am on Sunday (Sunday, March 1st, the morning of Mirabella's birth), our family of three would arrive in the hospital room we would stay in until Thursday (Thursday, March 5th, Mirabella's original due date). After two hours of sleep, Jeff and I would start our Sunday. I was given antibiotics for a fever I had after delivery and would later be told I had lost a lot of blood which could require a blood transfusion (sounded frightening to me, but two days later I'd be told the need was gone). We were informed of Mirabella's jaundice, so she would require phototherapy (light) by the use of a biliblanket.

The hard part for Jeff and me was that all we wanted to do was hold her every second, but she would have to return to the lights as much as possible. We abided, as much as we could. :) By Tuesday, the news would be broken that she had lost 12% of her body weight, 10% is concerning, so this was not good. We would have to supplement my colostrum (and/or what was there of my breast milk), with formula which would be given in the nursery that night through a dropper or syringe so as not to introduce her to a bottle yet. The next morning I would be instructed on how to use a supplemental nursing system (SNS).

And here we thought this breastfeeding thing was a piece of cake with her latching on like a champ those first two days! It turns out, she just wasn't getting enough and we didn't know it. After a full day of my using the SNS, we would receive the best news: it was working and Mirabella's weight was down only 8% by Wednesday. Our nurse at that time informed us that when they are down so low in weight, the hope is that they don't drop any lower, but to see her gain such a huge amount in a such a short amount of time was beyond successful. My milk had started to come in by Wednesday and was fully in by the next day.

That Thursday morning we would also be told Mirabella had improved so much that we wouldn't need to take the biliblanket home with us, as we were warned could have been the case previously. Great news. She was healing, I was healing and it was time for us to go home. Finally! (And I have to ask---who ever said to bring clothes that fit you when you were about five months pregnant to go home in? Try nine months. Granted, I was retaining a ton of fluid, but no one prepared me for how huge my belly was still going to be. It was down from what it was, but still big. Was I a rare case? Ugh. Thank goodness it gets smaller every day, but man, those first couple days were very difficult on the self esteem!)

I only made Jeff pull over once on the car ride home to check and see if she was breathing. Mirabella's first public appearance was made at, of course, Chipotle. We enjoyed our lunch with her asleep. Poor girl probably didn't even get a sniff of the heavenly aroma in that place. In due time.

We were greeted by a stork holding pink balloons and a baby wrapped in a pink blanket in our yard when we arrived at home. Our neighbors are the best. I had a sneak peak since Jeff had stopped home during the week and surprised me with some photos when he came back to the hospital. I was so touched, and yes, the tears came. What a shocker that is these days. :)

We had so many visitors up to the hospital to meet our precious baby and to convey their congratulations to Jeff and me. Thank you to all of you and my apologies to our Sunday visitors for being a bit (or more than a bit) out of it as the day went on due to the pain meds combined with my sleep deprivation (and Jeff's too). The visitors have continued since we left the hospital too, almost daily, sometimes multiples per day. It's beautiful to see the introductions and everyone's reactions to her. Our time at home has been cherished and amidst the many new challenges, things get easier each day. Jeff returned to work for a half day the Friday after we came home (Friday, March 6th) and due to our appointments with a lactation consultant the following Monday and Mirabella's first doctor appointment on Tuesday (her doctor said she was perfect and she was already up to 7 pounds 9 ounces, two ounces more than when she was born, so she's been getting her share of grub...just like mama!), he worked half days on those days too before returning to more of a regular schedule by Wednesday.

I've adjusted very well to being home with her; I yearn for more time at home with her. I'm looking forward to being able to drive again since I was advised I needed to wait two weeks because of the c-section (and pain meds, which I am no longer on). Recovery has been good (slow, but good), but I cannot wait to get in my groove and begin to move like my old self again. My mantra with that, and with a new baby in the house has been, "Be patient. Stay calm. Be patient. Stay calm." So far, thankfully it's been working, helping at least. In case anyone was wondering since I haven't had a track record of being too good at it...I'm fabulous at changing dirty diapers now. A pro. Spit up? Fine. Have at it, baby. I was growing somewhat tired of hearing "it'll being different when it's your own" but yes, it's been the case. We love, love, love Mirabella more than any words could describe. We stare at her. Smile at her. Kiss her. Hold her. Talk to her. Cry (I cry...a lot). Happy tears knowing I have a daughter and she is here and I love her more than I thought possible. No, that's not necessarily true...I knew I would feel this.

I still haven't decided what to do about this blog. Even with an infant at home, it's tough to stay away. I can't lie: it's tough to find the time (between feedings) right now too. I'll just leave this post with saying, I know this won't be my last post. Thanks everyone for all of the congratulations, wishes, support, happiness and pure, incredible love we have received at this unbelievably joyous and surreal time in our lives.

Forever grateful continuously seems to be an understatement around the Jiovanazzo home.

The body (the road to meeting Mirabella)

2009-03-11T13:10:00.022-05:00

This post contains graphic pictures

Read the introduction, the previous post, first...
Now at the hospital at 8:30 am on Saturday (Saturday, February 28th), we made our way to the sixth floor and to the maternal assessment center at Abbott. I got in a hospital gown and was hooked up to a machine that measured my contractions and the baby's heartbeat. Just seeing the screen flash with that heartbeat was worth going in. I needed that reassurance. It came time to do a test to see if my water had broken, which required just swabbing me with a long Q-tip like thingy. I was warned that because of the blood, the chances of a false positive were likely. That's exactly what we got. So, it was time for the triage nurse to do a pelvic exam to check and see if my cervix was dilated and to what extent. I swear, she had her arm elbow deep inside of me and it was terrible! After all that, she couldn't reach my cervix so it was time to call my doc away from what he was doing and have him try.

Instantly I was calmed as I saw Dr. Chow enter the room. I love my doctor. As he edged his hand inside, the discomfort was almost intolerable and as I felt like I couldn't take it anymore, the pain subsided and he removed his hand. He explained that there was a block and once he broke through it, I was completely effaced. He asked if I wanted an epidural and I said, "Yes, eventually I think." He said, "No, do you want an epidural, because if you do, now is the time." I was scared and shocked and elated! He continued with, "You did a lot of work at home. You're dilated to almost a five (I was fully closed just a few short days before). Let's get you admitted, you're going to have a baby today!" Wow. We were relieved to be staying. We called our parents and both sets arrived shortly thereafter.

The plan would be for me to get situated in a room (the room I would deliver in), my water bag would be broken and I'd get my epidural. They may administer some Pitocin to speed up my contractions too. I was told that once my water bag was broken and the Pitocin was given, the contractions were going to get really intense. I wasn't totally prepared for the intensity and I was miserable for a while. A long while. My epidural would come late.

My doctor and the nurse made a mess of my bed by breaking my water bag (I was nervous about it hurting, but it didn't; it just felt like a pool of hot water coming out of me) soon after I got settled there. Thinking the epidural was within minutes, Pitocin was given. I waited anxiously for the epidural. And waited. And waited. The contractions were almost unbearable. The pain in my rectum was something no one told me about and with each contraction, I felt like a baby may come out of my rear! The baby was putting a ton of pressure on me there. That was the worst part. My nurse would apologize that it was taking so long for the epidural, ensuring that this was not common...as if I cared what was common or uncommon at that point, I just needed some drugs! It was so busy that day. My doctor was already set to deliver six babies that day alone and we'd be the seventh. My nurse, Barb, who was wonderful, suggested that maybe I'd want some other type of drug through my IV to relieve some pain, Nubain, until the anesthesiologist could get there. I didn't want it, but I really wanted it too. I succumbed and she came with the needle and I chickened out...I braved it out (pat, pat on the back :)) and decided if the anesthesiologist was going to be there sooner rather than later, I could wait. I was proud of myself, and confirmed my stupidity when the next contraction came.

After way too long, the anesthesiologist came and I was more than ready. It was a lot less scary than I thought. The hardest part was staying still while I contracted with him having a needle in my back. It was about 1:30 pm when it was in place. I was told within 10-15 minutes it would start working. At fifteen I could tell my contractions were getting less intense and in a half hour, I was smiling again. Our parents returned to the room and I felt better because I could speak again. Ahh...epidural. Could this also be the miracle of birth?

A new nurse, Rochelle, replaced Barb and she was just as wonderful, if not even more so. Now it was time to wait for my cervix to dilate. I was at a five now and needed to be at a ten to start pushing. I waited. Jeff waited. Our parents waited. It was slow. The Pitocin was turned up. Several hours passed. I was dilated to a six when my doctor thought I should have been further, so he said we'd wait another couple hours after turning up the Pitocin again and we'd hope for me to dilated to an eight. When he returned, I was! When he left the room, he said we'd hope for me to be dilated to a ten, a couple hours later, by 10:00 pm and it would be time for me to start pushing. Whoa...crazy! When he returned, low and behold, I was dilated to a ten and it was time! Finally, it was time.

At 10:30 on Saturday night (Saturday, February 28th), I began trying to push my baby out. I was given the instructions to take a deep breath in when I felt a contraction, Jeff would hold one leg up and the nurse would hold the other. I would push for ten seconds, breathe, push for ten seconds, breath, push for ten seconds and relax. Sounded simple enough to me. Within two rounds, I distinctly felt the baby's head way down in my birth canal. The doctor pulled Jeff around to look and he could see part of the baby's head and we found out our baby had hair. I felt like this was going to go quickly if the baby was already there. I was wrong. The baby was sunny side up (head down, face up) when he or she should have been head down, face down. An hour into it, Rochelle's shift would end and I really started to lose steam. At this point, I was 41 1/2 hours without sleep; my energy level was lacking. My doctor had managed to turn the baby to the correct position at this halfway point, but still, there was no further movement. I stared at the clock on the wall directly in front of me and I watched the last day in February turn to the first day in March. I pushed...and pushed...and pushed.

At 12:30 am on Sunday (Sunday, March 1st, 2009---what would come to be known as our baby's birth date), I had approached the two hour mark for pushing. At that time, my doctor decided we needed to explore other options. There were some guidelines and after two hours of pushing with an epidural, it was time to make some decisions. There were four options: continue pushing, but for only a short time, use the vacuum and still deliver vaginally, use the forceps and still deliver vaginally or c-section. Right away my doctor took the vacuum option off the table and with my lack of sleep, gently swayed me not to continue pushing any longer, although he would have let me had I really wanted to. I was exhausted. No more pushing, unless the forceps was going to be used. We talked with him for a while about the forceps and c-section options and then he left the room so Jeff and I could weigh the two. We went back and forth, back and forth. We had almost decided on using the forceps and just before the doctor came in, changed to the c-section option. Our baby was stuck in my birth canal; he or she had been through enough and it was time to do what we thought was the best thing for him or her. I second-guessed every part of our decision, but I would have done that no matter what we had decided. At a little after 1:00 am, it was decided that I was going into surgery and my doctor left to start preparations. Jeff got dressed in his scrubs and after, they wheeled me out of the room and into the operating room. It was 1:25 am.

Jeff would wait in a waiting area outside the room while I was prepped. There were so many people in the room there to help me and the need to thank them came over me. All of these people would make sure my baby and I got through this safely. Within minutes of being in the O.R., I began to shake uncontrollably. It was scary, but my two anaesthesiologists assured me I was OK and that this happens sometimes. Still, I hated it because of how out of control I felt. Once preparations were set, it was time to begin and my doctor said, "Where's Jeff? Why isn't Jeff here? Someone bring Jeff in!" I was wondering myself where he was and then he appeared. Still shaking, I tried to reassure him that all was fine and that they said it was normal. He described it later as it looked like I was convulsing; that's how it felt to me too.

The process began. I could feel tugging, but no pain. I was so anxious and excited to meet our baby after all this time! I kept asking Jeff through my chattering teeth and shaky voice, "Can you see? Do you know if its a boy or a girl?" He couldn't and didn't know yet and then they said for us to get ready...the head was coming...and there it was outside of me. I couldn't see a thing with the curtain up, but I felt it leave my body. I relied on Jeff for the play by play. He still didn't know, boy or girl. Then the doctor said, "It looks like a boy's head to me!"

Since I thought we were having a boy, a smile came across my face, but I wasn't shocked. I was just waiting there to meet him. Then I was told I'd feel a lot of pressure, like nothing I had ever felt. I felt pressure again, not pain, and I could feel the body pulled from inside of me. I heard gasps from the staff, not scary ones, but happy, surprised ones as I asked Jeff and found out, "It's a girl!" It was 2:20 am.

I could feel my smile from ear to ear and my eyes get bigger with surprise; I just could not believe that we had a girl. The doctor held her over the curtain and there my baby girl was! She was coated in blood, but so beautiful. Jeff and the nurses moved to the left of me as they cleaned her up. I could see them through my shakes, and was so eager for them to come back to me. At last, our precious little girl had arrived...

The introduction (to labor)

2009-03-10T10:03:00.062-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, a couple Thursdays ago (Thursday, February 26th) I started to feel like going into labor sooner rather than later was a real possibility. That night, when I went to the bathroom, I saw what appeared to be the start of me losing my mucous plug, also known as the bloody show (sorry about the yucky pictures those words paint, but I didn't term them!). (Leading up to this point, I had already felt like my baby was dropping and had more Braxton Hicks contractions.) It was slight, but enough to make me wonder and I immediately called my mom and got online to do a little research. I was prepared for this to happen, but I still didn't know exactly what it all meant regarding when to expect the baby. Some sites said labor could come within hours of losing it, some said it could be within days. Either way, it seemed to me that our baby wasn't going to wait until March 5th, my due date. I didn't want to alarm Jeff, who was out with some guys that night, but I did end up calling just to make sure he didn't have that extra beer...just in case. He answered the phone excitedly with, "Are we ready to have our baby?" So much for not wanting to get him fired up with a false alarm. I let him know not to worry and he would end up returning home a pretty short time later.

I had some sporadic contractions throughout the night and when it came time to get ready for work the next morning (Friday, February 27th), the thought crossed my mind that I may not be working the full day and end up in the hospital. We thought it was best for Jeff to drive me that day. We were looking forward to a dinner and movie date night that night, but at the end of the work day, still having sporadic contractions throughout the day and feeling more and more uncomfortable, decided that maybe dinner would be all I could handle. Before he picked me up, thinking a baby may make an appearance before Monday morning came along, I made sure to have all my ducks in a row at work, including turning on my out of office reply that I would be on maternity leave and changing my voicemail to reflect a similar message. I said goodbye to my co-workers feeling like it was going to be a longer goodbye than usual on a Friday.

Jeff and I made it to dinner close to our house just fine and settled in at home after to watch a movie. The movie concluded and the contractions really began and became more intense and regular around 8:00pm. I figured this had to be it, but when your water doesn't break, it's just so tough to know what is really what with the contractions being a first-timer. So we got through them as we best knew how and finally ended up calling the clinic a short time later, at 10:04 pm, when they were approaching five minutes between. Our doctor, who was thankfully on call that weekend, called us back a few minutes later at 10:08 pm. I explained that I was OK at home, but since we were instructed to call when the contractions were five minutes apart, we wanted to make sure we didn't have to come to the hospital at that time. After a set of questions, we determined I would stay home until the contractions became more intense and remained five minutes apart or less consistently.

So, the long night began. Jeff got out the stopwatch and we got through the contractions together. The breathing came fairly naturally (luckily, because we only spent about ten minutes on breathing techniques during one of our classes) since it was all I could do to try and relieve some of the discomfort. We headed to bed and discomfort turned to pain later that night, or very early the next morning (Saturday, February 28th), I should say. Jeff was great with the stopwatch at first, starting the timer when a contraction began, stopping it when it ended and giving me the report when the cycle was done. But after a while when I'd wait for the beep, the beep didn't come and I heard a soft snore. I knew it was going to be a long night and that he would need his energy, so I let him sleep. I was jealous, but I knew it would benefit us both. Still, he hardly had much sleep to speak of, but every little bit counted. It was funny because he'd randomly wake up as I was having another contraction (while I was chanting ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow continuously) and I'd hear his watch beep as if he hadn't missed the six contractions prior!

A couple times throughout the night, Jeff would say we needed to go to the hospital, no more phone calls to my clinic, we just needed to go. I almost agreed with him, but somehow we always ended up staying. I figured it was better to go through all of this at home than to wait it out at the hospital. I was glad we did, although a home epidural kit would have been real nice. I took two hot baths which helped in the night, but this madness wasn't going to stop. I think the longest time in between my contractions the entire night was nine minutes, once, but the average was between four and a half minutes and six minutes or so. I didn't sleep. I couldn't sleep. I would never sleep through the night again...or at least for some time! What a harsh realization, but there was no escaping it.

We called the clinic again at 4:38 am and expected another swift phone call from Dr. Chow. We waited. Figuring he was in surgery, we contemplated just heading to the hospital, but we stayed. Jeff got in a tiny bit more sleep and finally the doctor called at 7:21 am. By this time, I was having more bleeding (more like discharge mixed with blood, but heavier and it was a regular occurrence when I would go to the bathroom, which was almost after every contraction...sorry guys) and it concerned me some. I was happy he wasn't as concerned about that, but he wanted to make sure my water bag hadn't ruptured (as I had told him the bloody-tinged liquid was running down both legs at one point when I went to the bathroom...sorry again guys). He would inform the hospital I would be coming within two hours for an evaluation. We figured that even if they didn't admit me, which could easily be the case, we would at least have the peace of mind that everything checked out, even if we were sent home. I wondered how the pain I was experiencing couldn't be worthy of admitting me, but I really just wanted to make sure everything was without complication. Jeff and I got everything ready and set out for our 35 minute car ride. It wasn't as bad, nor as long as I thought it was going to be, seeing as how I was contracting the whole way, but I was so glad to be there when we arrived. It was about 8:30 am on Saturday morning...

Four days: Photos of Mirabella and her family

2009-03-04T17:30:00.021-06:00

Thank you to all who have posted comments about our angel baby; we love reading them. These photos were taken at the hospital today and although we think she looks so sweet, there's nothing like seeing her in person (especially when she is awake!). We look forward to introductions in the days to come. We're going home tomorrow!

Of incredible beauty

2009-03-02T13:33:00.007-06:00

Yes, we have a new baby girl! We welcomed Mirabella into our world on Sunday, March 1st at 2:02 am. She weighed in at 7 pounds and 7 ounces and was 21 1/4 inches long. She is healthy and all three of us are doing great! Jeff and I think she is the loveliest little creature we have ever seen, of course!

Mirabella (meer-uh-bell-uh) has been the name we had picked out since before I was pregnant and although there were other names we liked, we never strayed from this one. Martelle (mar-tell) was my nana's middle name; she went by Marty, so Mirabella's middle name is in memory of her. I know she is feeling honored as she looks down upon us from heaven.

We will provide more details and get some additional pictures up eventually, but we're very much enjoying our time together currently at the hospital. Thank you for all the well wishes and kind thoughts we've received! We are in love with our Mirabella!

Shirt for sale (or is it?)

2009-02-28T15:04:00.004-06:00

Starting on Thursday afternoon (Thursday, February 26th), I had some signs that things may progress on their own sooner than I thought. Those signs continued and intensified and now, it's time! Today, the last day of February, we're at the hospital, I'm in labor and this shirt's on the market because we've been told we're having a baby today! Stay tuned...

Update: Stop the bidding; this shirt has officially been removed from the market! Now I can say it was worth the money since our stubborn little child wanted to wait for a March 1st debut!

39 weeks: Photos

2009-02-28T15:01:00.002-06:00

As the end draws near

2009-02-27T09:51:00.065-06:00

Even though I am definitely ready and unbelievably excited to meet our family's new addition, I'm also feeling somewhat sad as the prospect of my pregnancy coming to its conclusion becomes more of a reality.

I know some women are very sensitive to this issue, but I never minded having my belly touched, no matter who was doing it. After all, my stomach may be far from flat, but it sure is rock hard and if there was ever a time to feel good about having paws all over it, that time is now in my opinion! Lord knows once this kiddo pops out, it's safe to say the solid "abs" as I knew them when he or she was inside will be a thing of the past. For fear of hands disappearing in my very own Bermuda Triangle, I think I'll have to say that the belly rubs will be off limits for a while. I believe you all will thank me for that. Back to my point though---I found it quite sweet actually, even encouraged it, when people wanted to touch my stomach or try and feel a kick (I probably even startled several of you by my lack of modesty as I'd whip my bare belly out!). The bundle didn't always oblige, and enjoyed playing the game of kicking me and then stopping the second I told someone to feel, but there was something so pure in the joy I could see in people's eyes as they tried to catch a sign of movement for themselves. It was even better to watch them when it happened. I'll miss that.

People, total strangers even, are so kind and curious. The smiles, the happiness on their faces when they inquire about the details of my pregnancy and the child on the way is priceless. The congratulations, the best of luck wishes, the hopes for a quick labor and healthy baby have turned me to mush. The men, the big and burly men who serve me way too much Chipotle and bagels, whose emotions pour out as they talk to me, question me and reflect on how parenthood has affected them, I tell you, they get me every time. I've left many a conversation this last month where I've turned away from people crying without control as our chat ends because of how much I will miss this experience and yes, the attention too. I am proud of my efforts and thinking about not having this to talk about when it's been such a big part of my life for so long leaves a void I can already feel. I will thoroughly miss so much of this.

These last weeks have been rougher and of course less comfortable, but I have had a fantastic time being pregnant. The experience of carrying our baby has been sensational. Even though I've tried very hard to capture so many facets of my journey in writing via this blog (and verbally to all those around me), so much of it is altogether indescribable. I will be forever thankful for the answering of my prayers for the ability to become pregnant, stay pregnant and give birth to a child in my lifetime, all with the most loving husband by my side at every step. I pray the miracles continue and that our baby comes into this world healthy and happy. I would be overjoyed if you could all keep us in your thoughts and help to wish that for us as well.

I would guess it's obvious by my writing a post almost every day now (and two today) how much I will miss this blog also. Bundle in the Oven doesn't really work when the bundle's out and done cooking! The response to my blog has been overwhelming to me and it warms my heart when so many of you comment on it to me, on the blog, in an email or in person. People I didn't even know read it will say things to me about it sometimes and it makes me want to keep on writing even more! I love that. It's been a blessing for me to document my experiences, occurrences, stages, phases, incidents and predicaments as a first-time bundlewarmer and having you all as my audience has made what started as just a way for me to remember it so much more than that. Thanks to each of you for providing me with this enriched adventure. I haven't decided if I'll start a new blog for our family (Jeff jokes that it'll be time for me to concentrate on "family time" and not blogging when this one is done!), but it's not out of the question.

Until the Bundle in the Oven blog concludes, I hope you all enjoy my last entries; I know I have enjoyed writing every single post. Sincere thanks from the bottom of my heart for reading and for sharing these moments with me. I hope I've done a good job of keeping you all interested and informed and I hope I do an even better job of being a mom for my great inspiration, our precious baby who Jeff and I love so much already.

Our baby at 39 weeks

2009-02-27T06:23:00.001-06:00

At 39 weeks, the baby weighs a bit over seven pounds, about the size of a mini watermelon (ouch!), and is about 20 inches long.

Spalon, take me away!

2009-02-26T07:11:00.000-06:00

At 39 weeks today, one week until my due date, my bod could practically melt from the mere thought of a long, professional massage right now (no offense to the bundlebreeder; his short, unprofessional ones are nice too :)). Heck, I'd pay good money just to plop down tummy first on a table, but the addition of a massage and a few hot towels could send me into sensory overload. So imagine how I felt when along came a gift card for one across my desk from some of my co-workers yesterday! It was the greatest. When I opened the card and (through my tears) saw all the notes (sniffle, sniffle), I was so touched. A couple of them suggested I go in before I have the baby in hopes of massaging him or her out of me. Hmmm, not a bad idea.

What an unexpected and thoughtful surprise that made my entire day.

Doctor appointment: 38 week fetal and maternal assessment

2009-02-25T06:15:00.010-06:00

I should have known that the night before my doctor appointment, both of my ankles (and feet) would be back to their old tricks and balloon up again. I’m blaming them for my four pound weight increase at my appointment yesterday (Tuesday, February 24th). They have been so much better lately, but when I came home on Monday night, both my left and right stumps were swollen almost as badly as they were at my 36 week appointment when my doctor had some concerns. Fortunately those concerns remain in check since my blood pressure continues to look good, so my doctor isn't worried about the weight gain or the swelling right now. Still, he went over symptoms to watch out for in case anything with my blood pressure should happen to change.

Every time a work meeting request for this week had been asked of me, I accepted but continued to think my participation would be unlikely. Then it was next week's meeting requests coming in and I figured there'd be no way I'd still be working by then. However, it's been business as usual at the office (and at home) with no sign of this baby budging. I'm succumbing to the fact that March 5th is going to come around and I may still be working full time trying to fit my fat feet into something presentable for an out of office meeting that day. Even though everyone says people will understand, I'm not setting foot into a client's office in some of the getups that have embraced these feet of mine as of late. And quite frankly, it blows because two hours in decent looking kicks means more swelling and discomfort after the fact. I will admit though, I've begun reasoning with myself that it's all right, even a bit sexy, to sport shirts that inch up to reveal the belly panel in the three pairs of pants in my rotation that are still comfortable enough to get me through a work day. OK, it only happens sometimes and I absolutely lied about even considering it to be in the ballpark of sexy, but wouldn't that be nice? My gosh, the designers who don't get that maternity shirts could use an extra inch or six of fabric length in the last trimester should be paraded on a scaffold and publicly humiliated...forced to wear crop tops and leggings in three sizes too small or something.

Back to the point I was going to make a paragraph ago---if anyone hasn't guessed, my doctor let me know yesterday that I'm still not dilated. He explained that he would look at inducing me anywhere from March 12th, a week after my due date, to March 19th, two weeks after. Waiting until the 19th would undoubtedly require a great amount of patience, even by his admission, but the longer the wait (within reason and if the baby's size isn't an issue), the better the chances of going into labor naturally, ultimately making it a better labor process hopefully. I think we'd have to weigh that decision heavily because our patience meter is running a little low. We're just really excited for the day to come (and I'm ready to bend over again!).

If someone would have told me two months ago that I may not have this baby until the middle of March, I would have been blown away. Convinced for some reason I was going to go into labor well before my due date, still being pregnant by March 19th just seems crazy. Doesn’t he or she know that being half Irish, the “Baby’s 1st St. Patrick’s Day” onesie is washed and waiting? I'm trying not to complain because without question I know things could be worse than going past my due date. Mexican food could be prohibited outside of Mexico. Soft pretzels and tortilla chips could disintegrate when coming into contact with cheese. Chewy cookies everywhere could harden and never melt in my mouth again. I could find out that Minnesota's martini supply runs dry after tonight.

Kid, I love ya and all, and I know bouncing around in my belly, tapping against my lungs and hanging out on my bladder feels real nice, but it’s time to gain some independence and get out on your own. Make your grand entrance. Dr. Chow is on call this weekend and I think he’d really appreciate it if you’d take the opportunity to meet him.

My next appointment is on Monday, March 2nd and as it looks, I’ll be there.

38 weeks: Photos

2009-02-24T18:24:00.010-06:00

Our baby at 38 weeks

2009-02-23T23:20:00.000-06:00

At 38 weeks, the baby weighs about 6.8 pounds and is over 19 1/2 inches long, about the length of a leek.

Vacancy: One opening. Immediate availability. Complimentary room and board. See mom and dad for this incredible offer.

2009-02-20T07:12:00.013-06:00

The bundle's nursery has come a long way since the room looked like this, less than three weeks ago. This wasn't even all of it either, but we actually felt like things were getting organized at this point. I mean, at least some kind of order was being established (or piles were being made, if it must be pointed out). Obviously it's a good thing he or she gave us some extra time to, at a minimum, clear a path!

I really cannot believe that our child will finally be here, any day now really! We are so excited to meet him or her. We’ve been feeling pretty prepared these last couple of weeks, or as prepared as you can ever be for a major life change I suppose.

We now have our nursery all set up with the basics: crib, dresser, bookcases, rocker/recliner and ottoman. A travel swing, bouncer and activity gym are sprinkled about until we know exactly where they will go. We have some clothes in the dresser drawers and closet (which is really fun to see). Luckily we have a double closet in the room so we have it fairly packed with baby gear like diapers and wipes, diaper bags, nursing supplies, bath essentials, blankets, burp cloths, toys, the Baby Bjorn, the Bumbo seat, the hook-on travel chair, some other baby necessities and fun stuff just waiting for the little one to make a mess of it all! There are also some bags of clothing in both genders awaiting their fate contained in that closet. I can’t wait to see which duds we’ll get to keep around and see on our very own prince or princess! We’ll definitely need to organize the closet more, but it feels so good to see it getting stocked up. We have yet to figure out lighting and accent rugs (possibly in addition to the rug we have in there now) and most of the décor additions and special touches to the room and walls we are going to wait on until the baby comes. We are so pleased with how it has come along so far and find ourselves peeking in often to take it all in.

Our Moses basket, our bassinet basically, will be set up in our room as soon as the stand arrives, which we hope is within days.

The play yard, swing/soothing center, jumparoo, strollers and high chair have been assembled and are ready for use. We’re working on making space for the new kitchen fundamentals that come with having an infant (and eventually a toddler) around too. All in all, we feel great about the progress we’ve made up to this point and are comfortable knowing that many things will just be a work in progress.

We received all the goodies our tailor made at the beginning of this week and she did such an exceptional job for us. Everything far surpassed our expectations and we are in love with the entire package! I had asked for a bumper pad (although at what stage we will use it with the baby is still to be determined), crib skirt, blanket and pillow and when I went to pick those up, she had also included a little bear she made from an heirloom pattern of her mother's with some of the extra fabric. It was very special and saying we were thrilled to get the pieces in the nursery is an understatement. Thank you, Ruth! It was all better than we could have hoped for.

Two weeks from yesterday until my due date! Your room awaits, child.

The little things

2009-02-19T10:20:00.035-06:00

My hands have stopped working, I swear. Practically everything that comes into contact with them falls to the floor. Was I always this clumsy and I’m just noticing it more now that bending over to pick things up seems like the biggest chore? It’s like my hands and fingers have no strength anymore; I’m like an animal without opposable thumbs. Every time I drop something, I get exceedingly more annoyed because it’s a pain in the butt, uncomfortable as all heck to bend over and retrieve whatever has fallen with this big ol’ tummy I’ve acquired! You’d think after so many times of it happening lately, I’d just be able to grin and bear it, but nope. I must audibly display my frustration, and I do it every single time something takes a tumble. "Ugh!" "Shoot (or worse)!" "Come Awwwwn!" "Darn it! (or worse)" "Errrr." "Freakin’ A!" "Seriously..."

So this morning when I dropped a small brush for my eye makeup, my frustration kicked in immediately.

I’m so sick of this! Why does this keep happening?! And then I looked down and there was no brush on the floor beneath me. In an incredible act of fortune, there the brush rested...on my oiled up belly .

Ahhh, the little things.

Doctor appointment: 37 week fetal and maternal assessment

2009-02-17T21:09:00.011-06:00

Not a lot of breaking news at today's appointment, but I'm happy to have my doctor back after his vacation. Since many times it's not the case that your doctor is the one who actually ends up delivering your baby, I'm trying not to get my hopes up...but I do have my hopes up. I really want him to be the one there with us when I deliver, and now that he's back in the state, I feel better.

I gained two pounds since my last appointment. My swelling is still better than it was a couple of weeks ago, but my right side (foot and ankle) is noticeably more swollen than my left. Easier said than done to stay off my feet as much as I can (per my doctor's advice), but I have gotten better at sacrificing fashion for comfort when it comes to shoes. Socks have completely disappeared from my wardrobe because my swelling worsens no matter the type. Again, I haven't started to dilate, but the baby's head has come down further. It appears our addition needs a little more time before showing his or her face to the world. I've been fighting a nasty cold, so as much as I want the baby to come, waiting some is all right by me. I'm functioning on very little sleep and my sickness is getting the better of me. Thus, going into labor like this seems miserable and I'm grateful for (hopefully) at least a couple more days to get well. Jeff had it before me and now he is on the upward swing; I'm hoping by tomorrow I'll feel like I'm on my way in that direction too.

After my doctor's review of the ultrasound I had when he was gone, he let us know there was a large amount of fluid surrounding the baby. This was most likely why he thought I was tracking big previously. Usually they see a larger amount of fluid when diabetes is an issue, but since that's not the case for me, the effects are benign and there are no concerns (lack of fluid would be cause for concern). What he did warn me about is that when my water breaks, it may be just more of a mess. Lovely! Hopefully I'm somewhere super public if that's going to be the case. Based on the measurements taken at my ultrasound, he confirmed too that there's much less reason to suspect a big baby. That's the latest and greatest for now! My next appointment is on Tuesday, February 24th.

37 weeks: Photos

2009-02-16T20:24:00.000-06:00

Our baby at 37 weeks

2009-02-14T12:21:00.004-06:00

At 37 weeks, the baby weighs about 6 1/3 pounds and measures just over 19 inches long, about the length of a stalk of Swiss chard.

Thursday, February 12th marked my 37th week of pregnancy. The baby is officially considered full term!

Thank you!

2009-02-13T16:03:00.017-06:00

As the big day draws near, I (Jeff) think it's time for a whole lot of thank yous. We have received so many generous gifts, wonderful advice and offers to help with anything baby related once our kid arrives. We sure are lucky to say the least. We are well aware that we have the best friends and family around. What an awesome support system as we learn to be parents for the first time.

Thank you mom and dad and Barb and Steve for the crib, the Sweetpeace, the outfits, the books, and the talks. Mom and Barb, it was so nice of you to go to all of the showers, go shopping with Jenny and provide us with invaluable motherly advice. Dad, thanks for your help with the windows, doors, shelves, your time and your handy man skills. I really feel like the house is in order and we're ready for that baby to arrive. Steve, thank you for your truck, your muscles, and your patience. After 3 or 4 hours and plenty of swear words we finally got that frickin' crib put together and looking good. If not for you I'd still be cursing up a storm and the crib would still be in pieces on the bedroom floor.

Thank you to all of our friends and relatives who hosted or attended Jenny's showers. She came home from each and every one with a car packed to the gills and a huge smile on her face. She couldn't have had any more fun and you couldn't have been any more generous. I can't wait to introduce you to the baby while wearing the clothes you got him or playing with the toys you gave her or while asking you to change the dirty diaper that you bought the little one. In case I haven't told you, if you gave the baby Pampers we wrote your initials and telephone number on each individual diaper so we know who to phone when baby needs changing. Yep, it's official, our friends and family rock!

Lastly, thanks to my wonderful wife for all that you've had to go through. I know that you've really enjoyed being pregnant and it's been a lot easier on you than a lot of women who have had babies, but at the same time there have been plenty of lifestyle and body changes that you've had to accept. Thank you for eating healthy food, giving up vino, getting up ten times per night to go potty, getting the house ready, going baby shopping, putting up with the bloody noses, and countless other things that have made me say to myself, "it sure is nice being the guy!" Thank you for all of it. I love you!

Now hurry it up baby! All of us have done our part and we're starting to get impatient. We're ready when you are!

Our baby at 36 weeks

2009-02-10T22:07:00.004-06:00

At 36 weeks, the baby weighs about as much as a crenshaw melon (almost six pounds) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. Now this size is more like it; let's just hope it's the case!

Doctor appointment: 36 weeks part two

2009-02-09T10:15:00.007-06:00

Good news today at my appointment. We got an ultrasound before seeing the doctor to check the baby's size in greater depth (and no gender surprises were ruined!). We were able to see that body all scrunched up inside of me and it didn't look so comfortable---which is good because we do want that baby to come out of there eventually! We were even able to see blood flowing through the umbilical cord and get a glimpse of our baby's little face, which was very cool. Measurements were taken and based on those, it was estimated that our baby isn't measuring too big like they were thinking could be the case last week. Yay! The tape measure came out again and I'm measuring normally there too now, so it could have just been the baby's positioning last week causing them to think he or she was tracking large. That sure doesn't explain my mammoth belly, but I'm feeling great about the feedback. My swelling looks so much better than it did at my last appointment on Thursday (Thursday, February 5th) and I lost one pound. My culture for Group-B Strep (GBS) came back negative, so that was good news too. Based on this appointment, I don't have to go in again this week and can wait until my next one on Tuesday (Tuesday, February 17th) at 37 weeks with my regular doctor.

36 weeks: Photos

2009-02-08T19:49:00.017-06:00

Doctor appointment: 36 week fetal and maternal assessment

2009-02-05T22:35:00.024-06:00

This doctor appointment proved to be an eventful one. It was my 36 week checkup to locate the baby’s position, hopefully head down where it's supposed to be now, and to see if my cervix had started to dilate. A culture for Group-B Strep (GBS) was also performed. GBS is a type of bacteria found in the body. Many people carry the bacteria without developing an infection or illness, but it’s necessary to find out if a woman has it during pregnancy because it can be passed on to the baby and cause complications if not treated. If I’m found to be a carrier, I’ll be given antibiotics during labor to prevent it from being passed to my baby.

My doctor was 90% sure that the baby's head was down from doing my cervical exam, but to be completely sure, he wanted to do an ultrasound. I was immediately thinking that the surprise we had waited for all these months, the gender of our baby, was going to be ruined. When I asked if we'd see what we were having, he asked if we wanted to and I was quick with a, "No!" He did the ultrasound and sheepishly I looked at the monitor, still hoping I wouldn't see anything I didn't want to see and a head and spine filled the screen. The head is down. I'm fully closed, or not dilated yet, which is a bummer as I'll explain below.

Before seeing the doctor, again the gal doing my weigh in showed me the comparison from two weeks ago to today instead of telling me. When I got on the scale, I had told her I was curious to see if it had jumped and when she said it had, I asked, “Another four pounds?” Then she showed me my chart. What? How on earth can one’s body even gain that much weight in two weeks? I will admit I’ve probably had a few too many sweets lately, but that cannot explain away an eight pound weight gain since my last appointment, just two weeks ago. Yep, that’s what I said: EIGHT pounds...in two weeks! Two weeks ago I had gained 24 pounds total during my pregnancy and now I've gained 32 (the recommended amount is between 25-35, so as you can see, I don't have much room to stay in that range). Even through my dismay, and shock, I chuckled to the room where Jeff was awaiting me. I couldn’t wait to tell him and we had another good laugh. Well no, it’s not the cookies or the ice cream (whew!)...

Weight gain explanation #1:
I’ve started to swell. In the last two days, I have developed cankles (calf + ankles = cankles), when the transition from your calf to your ankle is much too smooth. So smooth it’s difficult to tell where one stops and the other starts. It’s not attractive. During my Pilates class yesterday (which does a lot of good at this point, let me tell ya), I looked down as the bottom of my pants inched up exposing what can only be explained as someone else’s legs. “Oh my gosh, look at my ankles!” I say. The girls snicker with wide eyes as they look and then quickly try to act like they feel slightly sorry for me, but my observation is reinforced when Leah says, “Aw, you have cankles.” So now my stomach is gigantic, it’s a challenge to sleep comfortably or even breathe at times, I can hardly bend over to pick something up without grunting, I’m peeing like crazy, it takes me three times as long to get dressed because finding clothes that are tolerable enough to wear throughout an entire day is nearly impossible, and now I’m supposed to come to terms with someone stealing my original legs and feet and replacing them with cankles? Sweet. My shoes barely fit and socks are not my friend as even the loosest types leave the deepest impressions. The good news is that the rest of my body is still my own and someone else’s excessively large head hasn't been superimposed on my shoulders. Yet.

My doctor's concerns:
When Dr. Chow came into the room and asked how I was, I told him I was feeling pretty well still aside from my swelling and huge belly. He did some tests on my legs and feet and said we would discuss my swelling in more detail after my exam. Until this point, I expected him to chalk it up to "just pregnancy", but since it required more discussion, I got a little anxious. What he said is that when there is water retention/swelling and a large weight gain in a short period of time, one of the things they become concerned about is a condition called preeclampsia . When one gets it, if the baby is developed enough, usually a doctor will want to deliver the baby as soon as possible since in the condition's most severe phase, it can cause seizures in the mother. But, because my blood pressure is "rock solid", there is no protein in my urine and I'm not having bad headaches, three major red flags for preeclampsia, he thinks it's safe to say I don't have it at this point, but wants to monitor my progress closely.

Weight gain explanation #2:
Our baby needs to get less comfortable and get out! As I suspected, after weeks of measuring right on, I'm now measuring a little big. My doctor explained that he didn't pay as much attention to the tape measure at this stage, but estimated that our baby might be a bit over seven pounds---and I still have four weeks until my due date! OK, it's time, baby. My doctor said that if I went into labor now, things should be just fine. Let's do it! Since I'm not dilated yet though, it's less likely that it's going to happen quite yet (which I'm looking at the bright side of since my doctor is out of town next week).

My doctor's concerns:
If I'm tracking to have a ten pound baby (thanks a lot Jeff...9 pounds 7 ounces to my 5 pounds 8 ounces), that isn't the best thing. No one has to tell me that, although I've heard it a time or 12 from Jeff's mom!

So, to monitor our baby's size, I need to have an ultrasound on Monday (Monday, February 9th). They will continue to watch closely and will assess what may or may not need to happen if it becomes a bigger (no pun intended) issue as time passes. I was also asked to make an appointment with another doctor in mine's absence this Monday. I will now go in every week, but my doctor wanted me to go sooner rather than later next week to be in better touch regarding my swelling. After today's appointment, it's even more apparent that our baby could join us at any moment (and would be welcomed with open arms and without alarm)! Wow!!!

This photo was taken a couple days ago, so technically I was 35 weeks, but you get the gist (36 week photos will be coming this week).

All good months must come to an end

2009-02-04T21:43:00.026-06:00

This past weekend, the last day of January, marked the conclusion of my baby showers. It’s a true testament to my shower hosts why I feel like I was just let off the best roller coaster ride, yearning to jump the ropes to get back in the front of the line for another ride, or three. It’s an overused phrase, but I cannot thank everyone enough. Truly. From all of the work done in preparing to make my events so completely and utterly special to the generosity of each person that helped me to celebrate, Jeff and I are overwhelmed with gratitude. Because of the amazing people in my life, we are blessed to walk in our door to a home filled with more than we could have imagined to help us provide for our baby. The bundle is surrounded by so much love, as are we. We could not have done this without all of your support (as I tear up again just writing about it because of how moved I am) and we are and will be forever thankful. It was a blast playing show and tell with Jeff after each shower. He could not believe all we received and was touched and so appreciative of everyone’s kindness. It was a cherished time for the two of us as we reveled in the happiness of our lives, of our marriage, of soon becoming parents together.

Friend Shower
Date: Saturday, January 10th
Time: 5:00pm
Given by: Kristin, Leah, Missy and Missy
Theme: Cocktail/mocktail party

My shower hosts were four friends who have been in my life for 20-27 years and it’s safe to say I’d be lost without them. I’m thankful every day that they are a part of my life. They’ve known me through the good and happy times, the bad and sad times---and still they keep me in their friend pool without a second guess. Well, maybe they’ve second guessed it a time or two, but I'd like to say they haven't. :) Wow, did they put on a party to remember. It was not at all what one would expect when coming to a baby shower and that uniqueness of it was completely fabulous. Walking in the door to Kristin’s house was such an unbelievable sight. It was the kind of party where you could walk around the home’s perimeter several times and still feel like there were details you missed...so you’d walk it again and again, as I did! The night was simply awesome and all the effort they put into it could not and did not go unnoticed.

Memorables: cocktail tables, flower arrangements, endless decorations in red, black and white geared to match the shower invitation, photos from when Jeff and I were young and from my blog hanging everywhere and adorning all the walls, hors d'oeuvres galore (which is an understatement since there was enough to feed at least five times the amount of people!), pink and blue martinis complete with sugar rimmed glasses in the matching colors, faux champagne, coffee bar, an enormous cake (which was actually made of cupcakes...and the leftovers kept the babe happy for days after the party ended), travel-sized vodka favors for each guest to take home, a surprise gift from my husband, far too many presents (thank you, thank you, thank you), etc., etc., etc.

Games: blog trivia (a game to see how well people knew details of my life throughout pregnancy via what I’ve written on my blog), itty bitty baby parts: an ultasound game (cards of ultrasound photos with body parts hightlighted requiring us to guess which parts they were---it was tough!)

(Unfortunately Missy UL was sick and down for the count on the day of, so she's not pictured here.)

During this shower I received a very special gift from my husband, my "secret admirer". The girls made sure I kicked off my gift opening with one in particular and my suspicions were heightened. As I opened the card I was reminded once again of just how fortunate I am to be married to the man who was so worth the wait to fall in love with. It was a card thanking me for having our baby and a gift card to the Oceanaire Seafood Room since it's where we love to go for one of our favorite dishes...black and blue marlin. There are only a few types of seafood I like, so when I say that the way the Oceanaire does blue marlin is better than pasta or enchiladas, well sadly for them, that's a huge compliment coming from me. :) I haven't been able to have it during my pregnancy, so it's a mouth watering treat for us to look forward to together. Throw in a dirty martini and I'll be putty in the hubby's hands. Hmmm, seems this deal works out well for both of us! It was the sweetest (and I must add, it scored a ton of points with the ladies). Oh how I love my Jeff who is the reason I even get to write this post, or my blog altogether. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Neighbor Shower
Date: Saturday, January 17th
Time: 10:30am
Given by: Denise and Mary (with honorable mention to their daughters, Kayla, Sierra and Katie)
Theme: All things baby brunch

My shower hosts have been a part of my life for over two years now since Jeff and I moved into our neighborhood in November of 2006. It’s been a bunch of great times with them and their families ever since. We’ve become very close over these couple of years and it’s tough to imagine how we got along without them. They put in so many extra touches to make the day of my shower wonderful. At first sight, I could see we were going to have so much fun! The whole time I was there, I could really feel the excitement that everyone had for Jeff and me and for the new baby coming into the neighborhood. It was a tremendous feeling and I couldn't have felt more supported by all the pros around me. The reassurance and offers to help us along the way were priceless and it was a terrific time sharing the day with my neighbors.

Memorables: diaper wreath full of creativity and baby goodies (that I don't even want to take apart because it's so darn cute!), handmade baby blocks, diaper name tags (and at the end, we found out one was a poopy winner), fabulous brunch food that I couldn't get enough of (more salad please!), cheesecakes (which I passed on, but the baby decided to have three of), tissues (since I wasn't the only one crying for once---all sweet tears!), thank you cards already stamped and addressed, all the fun stuff I came home with in addition to the kind gifts (items they had used for games and decor), Denise's and Mary's kids with all four sets of hands on my bare belly feeling the baby move after all the guests had left, far too many presents (thank you, thank you, thank you), etc., etc., etc.

Games: baby food bingo (and I got to keep all the baby food!), pass the baby (and if the lullaby stops when you're holding the baby, you're out...like hot potato), baby bottle drinking game (Denise explained that they all knew how I loved a good party so a drinking game in my honor was in order! A tray of baby bottles filled with apple juice arrived and the first one to throw it down the hatch the fastest won.)

Family Shower
Date: Saturday, January 31st
Time: 1:00pm
Given by: Jody, Khristin, Pat and Tammy (with honorable mention to Khristin’s daughter, Abby)
Theme: Step right up for a day at the carnival

My shower hosts were two of my aunts and two of my cousins from my mom's side of my family and they have to like me since we're blood! Even if we all weren't related though, I would surely pick them to be in my life. We have a riot together (too much so sometimes since pregnant or not, our bladders can't always take the hilarity). They put on such a memorable event for me and all the time they spent planning it out was absolutely evident. The bright colors and cheerfulness of the venue couldn't help but to immediately put you in a good mood. The carnival theme was incredibly captured in every component and it was fantastic! Anything that can make you feel like a kid again is always a good thing and that's how the entire day felt.

Memorables: high calorie carnival food (the best kind---corn dogs, french fries, nachos, caramel apples and more), two kinds of huge cupcakes (chocolate and coconut), vase centerpieces filled with animal crackers, gigantic swirl suckers surrounded by bags of peanuts and popcorn, tiara and honey do whistle, balloon bouquets and balloon animals, three-tiered diaper cake full of baby gear (pretty enough to look like a professional was called in and it was Tam's first time), handmade thank you cards, carnival games, cheesy prize table (their words, not mine!) where tickets collected from winning games could be redeemed, all the kids that ended up coming (and leaving with sugar highs and prizes), far too many presents (thank you, thank you, thank you), etc., etc., etc.

Games: baby bottle toss (stacked up baby bottles filled with rice and guests threw balls at them to try and knock them down), clothes pin drop (put a carafe on the ground and see how many clothes pins could make their way inside from about a three foot drop), duck pond (ducks floating in water marked with numbers on the bottom coninciding with how many tickets would be won), guess her girth (my belly was measured and each guests cut a piece of string to see who came closest to my size)

My baby showers went far beyond extraordinary! Thanks again to each and every person who helped me celebrate this most joyful time in my life. By your graciousness, thoughtfulness, kindness and generosities, you have given Jeff and me a send off into parenthood that we will treasure in our hearts always.

Our baby at 35 weeks

2009-02-03T17:37:00.005-06:00

At 35 weeks, the baby weighs about as much as a honeydew melon (approximately 5 1/4 pounds) and is now over 18 inches long.

Fuzzy robe and slippers...check. Toiletries...check. Nursing bra...check. Hospital forms...check. Baby's bag...check.

2009-01-31T09:46:00.063-06:00

For the last few weeks, I have been working on getting my hospital bag packed. You wouldn't think it would take that long, but I've been paying too much attention to all these checklists I receive (online, from friends and from our baby classes). Every time I think I'm ready to get it all contained, there are at least two more things I feel like I need to add. Yes, I'm anal (probably a bad choice of words as you'll understand from the paragraphs that follow), but I feel like getting this task done and getting it done "properly" will help ease some anxiety I've been having lately about not being prepared enough.

One thing that comes up all too often on these checklists is something I've been putting off buying. It's a product that brings me back to a commercial that was on all the time when I was younger. A lit match and a medicated pad...medicated pad smothers lit match...extinguished match...relief. I didn't necessarily know what the pad was for at that time which explains why when Leah and I tried to mimic this commercial with our Noxema facial cleansing pads (drenched in alcohol) and a match, a small fire started. Please do not try it for yourself. The pads may have looked the same, but obviously they weren't made of the same materials. What the commercial was actually for was Tucks medicated pads, and with all I've learned about pregnancy now, I am all too familiar with what they are for. Hemorrhoids. I hate to even write it!

I finally broke down at Target yesterday and bought a box for my hospital bag. It wasn't like I was a man buying a three pack of women's thongs in a triple XL or something but still, I felt so awkward. It's silly I know, but I pulled out every trick to save myself any shame. I purposely bought them on a day I did a major shopping at the store. I made sure to have plenty of items in my cart so I could hide them at the back of it in case I ran into anyone I knew. I picked the lane with the nice checkout lady that could possibly put it together that the only reason I was getting these things was because I was pregnant. I set the box on the belt and stacked a few things on top, all while trying not to be too obvious that I was completely bashful about buying them. And seriously, couldn't they make a smaller sized box than a pack of 100?

I don't even have hemorrhoids (I hope you're reading this, nice checkout lady)! But, like a good student of pregnancy knows, I've succumbed to the fact that I may become a victim during my delivery (since fortunately it has not happened up until this point). I'm sorry for bringing up the topic, but sadly it is a fact of several pregnant women's lives. (When I started this blog, didn't I apologize for giving too much information? Yes, I did.) I am really hoping buying these pads in advance though will mean I'm one of the lucky ones and they'll go to waste. However, what I have heard that they are also useful for is the cooling feeling they bring (how can I say this...) on the front end during the days after giving birth. So if that's why the package gets opened, I'm OK with that.

Hey, anything to relieve discomfort, which brings me to another subject for anyone wondering. If I am in pain and there is something that can help me feel better, I am not opposed. This means that I will get an epidural if I need it and will not feel the need to be a champion for any "I am woman, hear me roar" causes. I salute all you stronger women out there who are 100% certain about going the natural route, but if I am roaring, give me the drugs. We'll see what happens!

Our baby at 34 weeks

2009-01-27T12:50:00.003-06:00

At 34 weeks, the baby weighs about as much as a cantaloupe (approximately 4 3/4 pounds).

Since I am quickly approaching my due date, I've decided to post these size/weight updates once a week now instead of once every three.

Why do you do this to me, Potbelly?

2009-01-24T07:42:00.017-06:00

I'm not talking about my stomach either. When I put my mind to something, I can't take it off of that something...when it comes to food. So, when I'm standing in line to pick up a healthy lunch (as was the case yesterday) and my mind wanders off to Potbelly (Sandwich Works) ooey, gooey, chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie la la land, there's no stopping me. I get out of the line I'm in to head straight for my car and drive to deliciousness. That happens a lot lately when it comes to sweets, especially over lunch. I'll think to myself that this is going to be the day I don't need to have some kind of a treat and then my head won't let the thought go until there's sugar involved.

I get to Potbelly with my mouth watering, order my usual veggie on wheat, no mushrooms or Swiss. "So basically a cheese sandwich," 22-year-old sandwich guy says. Then he starts telling me how he just loves it when people come in and order some healthy type of sandwich, and then during the next sandwich making step they pile on everything they can get their hands on, add chips, cookies, shakes, what have you. Chuckle, chuckle from me as I skip the mayo out of guilt during the next step, grab my cookie and go.

The lure of the cookie has been mesmerizing. I was really trying to have some willpower though. I tried. I failed. Because this scenario has become somewhat routine, I knew that yesterday (just a couple hours after my last cookie) when we walked in for my 34 week doctor appointment, there was no chance of that scale reading the same thing as the last time (as it did at my previous appointment). "Was there a jump?" I asked. "Yes, there was." I had to ask exactly what since it's like they don't want to alarm you, so they try to be so sneaky about it. "Four pounds." Fine. Even though my belly is feeling gigantic at this point, I'm somehow still measuring exactly "right on" with where I should be. We heard our baby's heartbeat beating away again and tried to figure out his or her position inside of me. Even with all the body parts practically popping out of me at times, it still remains foggy as to which part is where. We also talked about what to expect these latter stages of pregnancy. The big day is getting to be so close! All looks good and my next appointment is in two weeks.

The girl next door

2009-01-22T07:45:00.005-06:00

Back in November, Jeff and I started thinking more about childcare and realized we needed to get on the ball with exploring our options. It’s difficult to think about only being with our baby for such a short time (six weeks) before giving up my stay at home mommy status while on maternity leave. But, off to investigating childcare for us it was since the day we’d need one of those options would come before we knew it. We found out rates through a friend for an in-home daycare in a neighboring city at the start of our search and had gotten a follow-up email sent out to them to figure out how the whole process was supposed to work. Do we discuss details over the phone? Do we come to visit first, or is visiting a waste of time for both parties before discussing details over the phone? But what if everything sounds great on the phone and we find out the commute ends up being too long? Worse, what if we just don’t like what we see when we come, then wouldn’t the time on the phone be a waste? Obviously we had more than a few questions.

Later that week, we stopped by our neighbors’ house and the daycare subject casually came up. That conversation was a pretty short one since the only thing we had accomplished at that point was sending an email out to one place. The next night, our doorbell rang and our neighbor, Mary, who we had just been with that night before was at our door. (At times I dislike using the neighbor title because it almost negates the fact that we consider some of our neighbors a few of our greatest friends first and foremost.) We chatted briefly and then she told me she wanted to talk to me about something. Did it irk her when I egged Matt (her husband) on by continuing to talk politics knowing that he gets fired up on the subject? Was she sick and tired of the bundlebreeder over-serving himself on their wine? She proceeded with saying she didn’t want me to feel uncomfortable or obligated and I could definitely say no without any hard feelings. Hmmm. I wondered if the confused dog feeling I had on the inside showed on the outside.

I was taken aback not knowing what to expect and then she says, “I would like to offer childcare for your baby.” Gasp! I could go on and on about how the conversation progressed because I remember it vividly, but I know I should give the short version (which clearly I’m terrible at!). My shock quickly turned into tears of joy and gratitude and I think I hugged her at least ten times as we finished talking. I can't leave out one of the cutest parts: she told me she could supply me with references if I wanted. As if her fabulous kids, Katie and Patrick, didn't speak volumes as to what kind of a job she'd do with our own child! Wait a second...Matt and Mary did say they moved to MN because of Matt's job, didn't they? Goodness, what exactly did they mean when they called it a "job transfer"? Ha! Totally kidding.

Jeff wasn’t home, so the whole time I’m just dying, wishing he was hearing this discussion first hand. I mean, how unbelievably lucky could we be to have this proposition on the table? Did I even have to ask Jeff or could I just scream that we accepted? Knowing my husband and our mutual feelings about Mary, I probably didn't need to ask him, but Mary and I left the conversation as Jeff and I would talk about everything (my gosh, thank you so much...hug) and we’d nail down some details (does your family think you are crazy?...hug) and get back to her soon (are you sure you really want to do this?...hug). Then I gave her the tenth hug, told her again how I just couldn’t believe this and how thankful I was for her offer and we parted ways.

Our probe into childcare options came to a screeching halt that day and we are very happy to announce that Mary will be taking care of our baby when the time comes for me to go back to work! We’ll do a six month review to see how everything is working out, but knowing we'll have someone who we adore there with our baby at the most difficult time to be without him or her, in the very beginning, is a blessing. Did I mention she is our next door neighbor? Just when you all thought the arrangement couldn't get any better. Grandma Tricia will also help in the summer for a couple days a week which is so wonderful too. She had offered to help with more days, but we basically told her she could not completely give up her favorite pastime of golfing during the week while on her much deserved break from teaching. Reluctantly, she agreed. :) The bundle is definitely spoiled already.

Ever since we figured out all the details with Mary and made the decision final, Jeff and I have constantly been talking about how fortunate we are to have her doing this incredible thing for us. We'll never take for granted the generous offer or the piece of mind we've been given. Even though going back to work will undoubtedly be tough at first, the transition will be so much smoother knowing our baby is in such good hands while we're away.

Our baby at 33 weeks

2009-01-17T08:24:00.008-06:00

At 33 weeks, the baby weighs about as much a pineapple (approximately just over four pounds).