37 weeks and 4 Days

As I approach the end of my pregnancy there are many signs telling me that Zoe will be here soon.

One of those signs is posted to front of the refrigerator.   We have decided to start a pool predicting the day Zoe will be born.  However, this pool does not benefit the winner, instead the winner has to double the pot and give it to Zoe as her first birthday present. So far my prediction is the earliest (maybe this is just wishful thinking).  I chose the 27th of September for a few reasons.  One, I wanted to choose the 29th but Zach beat me to it.  Two, it is the day after the full moon, and a week before my due date (October 4th).  I'm not sure if this is a wives tale or if this is true, but I've heard that statistically more babies are born on full moons.  Thirdly, I chose this day because it is a Thursday.

Why Thursday, you might ask?

Well, my mom has said she needs to double check the accuracy of this, but she is fairly positive that everyone of her children were born on Thursday.  So I just figured it maybe possible that grandchildren will follow in the cycle. 

So far, Zach, my mother, and I all believe I will be having this baby early.  My mother choose Sept. 30th.  My Dad, however still hopeful that the baby will be born on his birthday has chosen Oct. 5th.  However, I believe that if I last through the end of September then she will be born on Oct. 6th. Unlike my due date, the 6th does not fit the Thursday rule.  But when I first announced my pregnancy at work this date was mentioned oddly multiple times.   Various people would ask, "whens your due date again, the 6th of October?" It began to become somewhat ominous with the number of  people that mentioned the 6th back in February.   It is also fairly common that first babies are late.  Regardless, I believe everyone comes on their own time, Zoe will make her world debut when she is ready. 

I may be ready way before she is! I have been one of those crazy pregnant women, who overall has loved pregnancy.  I always feel guilty when I say it has been easy.  Nine (actually 10) months has flown by in no time. Despite a large portion of the pregnancy being easy these last few weeks have had their challenges.  Sleeping being the toughest challenge of them all.  During the school year, I typically find sleeping difficult, mostly because I'm a worrier.  I stress over my students constantly.  Reenacting scenarios in my mind, wondering how I can better help a student or a class. I can only imaging how I'm going to be as a mom if my worrying gets this bad for kids who aren't even mine. On top of worrying (which I'm sure the stress will most likely lead to Zoe being late, not early) my comfort and sleeping has gone out the window.  I have at least one morning every week that I am awake before 4 A.M. and usually end up just getting up.  Yet, by the time Friday rolls around I am ready to sleep, and come home and sleep my Friday away.   

Teaching has also gotten really difficult, and leads to many overall aches and pains for me.  As an art teacher, my classes are active, which means I have to be active.  I don't get to just sit and let them do book work.  Standing on my feet all day, I experience several Braxton hicks. Today, on the drive home my muscles in my belly and back were so sore I began to wonder how I'm even going to tell what a true contraction is.   Not to mention, now that Zoe's head is so low my pelvis feels like it is splitting in half at times.  As I walk down the halls at school I feel as though I am limping because of a pulled groin muscle in my right leg. I wonder if I look as noticeable as a I feel?  My Dad, and Mom were discussing last weekend how I truly do have the pregnant waddle.   I still like to pretend I don't at time.

So when is your prediction?  Leave a response....Let me know...

Nursery 95% done

The boxes on the wall still need to be painted.  I plan to paint the inside of the boxes orange so that the shells  will sand out, and the outside wide to match the other shelves. 

The yellow curtains and quilt were made by my mom.  I love  the yellow glow that the curtains give the room as the sunlight shines through. 

About the only changes still to come are a few last minute organization things in the closets and dresser, and the addition of a changing table. 

Baby Zoe we are ready for you to come home. 

Just Around the Corner

It is hard to believe that 9 months has flown by so fast. In four weeks or less we will get to meet my precious little Zoe.

I have to admit I'm a little conflicted about this.  I am so excited about meeting Zoe, however there is a huge part of me that is very nervous. I'm nervous about labor, and maybe more curious.  Zach and I attended a child birth class called, Confident Child Birth, designed to prepare me for a natural birth; and I'm sure it has in many ways.  Never less I can't help but wonder are you ever truly prepare?  I've read and had many accounts described to me, however part of me still wonders if I'm going to recognize it when it begins to happen to me.

There are already many signs indicating that Zoe will make her debut to the world any week now.  As of last weeks doctors appointment I was informed that she has in fact dropped, her head is very low and I began dilation at half a centimeter. After my doctors appointment today the doctor still remarked on how low her head is, and informed me that I am another half a centimeter dilated, making me a total of 1 centimeter dilated.  Yes, I am aware that I could stay in this stage for weeks.

Regardless of my dilation the nurse decided it was best to go ahead and schedule another ultrasound for me next week because she felt as though my belly was measuring small.   However, she did later mention that she believes that could be due to the fact that her head is so low.  Needing another ultrasound is great news to me, its been so long since I've gotten to see her.  The last ultrasound was at 18 weeks when we found out the gender. I just can't wait to see her face, and get to know her personality. I've made many predictions, and want to see what comes into fruition.

Although, the idea of meeting her is very exciting it also brings on a whole other bundle of nerves. Am I ready to care for a baby?  Will I be a good mother? Am I going to be able to cater to all her needs?  I'm glad I'll be off work until January.  However, I'm already apprehensiveness about the idea of going back to work. In many ways teaching takes dedication as much as being a parent. Am I going to be able to juggle the load of motherhood and working?  I am planning to breast feed, and am very uncertain how this will interfere with my daily school schedule.  This is exactly where I need to follow my wonderful husbands advice. I need to stop worrying about things I have no control over at the moment. Things will happen as they are suppose to happen.

Maternity Photos

I had the joy of spending the day with my good friend, Diane and her son Drew.  We decided to go on an adventure and check out the local Roswell Mill and get some great maternity photos in the process.  However, the adventure was stop in its tracks  as the sky opened up.   Luckily there is a great covered bridge that created a great backdrop and shielded us from the rain.

If I haven't mentioned Diane before she is a good friend of mine who is currently pregnant with her second child, and is due just a few short weeks after me.  It has been great to have someone to share the joy of pregnancy with, and also blessing to have someone that has already been through it to ask random questions as they arise.

Check out our Photos:

  

Christi, they aren't bikini photos, however you can tell Evan I took them just for him.

 

Lets just say, if we were in a bubble blowing contest I would win. ; )

Diane and Drew:

The photo on the motorcycle was too cute not to share.  My husband loves 

introducing little kids to his motorcycle. 

Another look at the not so pretty side of pregnancy

Since my last blog was a look at the not so pretty side of pregnancy I figured, hey why not let's write another one on that topic.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm actually one of those crazy women that has in fact enjoyed most of my pregnancy, but there are those few occasionally side effects that really make you want to scream. Early on in my pregnancy I   was plagued with what I like to call charlie horses.  You know those cramps that occur in your calves during the middle of the night.  They happen when you move your legs to stretch them out, and in the process of stretching you can feel the muscles start to tighten, and then there is no going back.  It's extreme pain from there on out.

Luckily these cramps had disappeared for awhile.  I don't believe I had a single incident during my entire second trimester. Trust me when the say the second trimester truly is the honey moon phase of pregnancy. However, as I mentioned in the last blog...THE THIRD TRIMESTER HAS STRUCK.  OK, yes I'm being dramatic, but I am not enjoying that I have been woken up by these charlie horses again.

Last nights occurrence was the worst.  Typically for me the cramps only occur in one calf, but I received the grand prize this morning when I woke to charlie horses in not just one but both of my legs.  Honestly, it hurt so bad I couldn't help but yell, and my poor husband had to be woken up because of it as well. And all my husband can do is wonder whats wrong with me as I am laying there having spasms in bed. I try everything to get the cramps to stop when they occur.  I've heard pull your toes upwards, so I try that.  When that doesn't work I try pointing them down, anything to help stop the cramping. Nothing seemed to work this morning, and now I'm walking around as though I have limps in both my legs.

The only thing I can do now is make sure I'm drinking enough water.  Lets hope water can save me from this pain.

The third trimester has struck

I guess it is true, what I have so frequently read, that the second trimester is the honey moon phase. And that honey moon phase is OVER!  I expect  the last couple months of pregnancy to become more challenging, but I figured it would be more of a gradual process.  I expected that starting back to work would bring on some challenges that I haven't had to face over the summer such as: swollen tired feet, and an achy back.  BUT I haven't even started back to work yet! And its not my feet that are the problem, yet.

Sometime I think that I may have brought this onto myself.  I've been getting to cocky.  Pregnancy overall has been fairly easy for me.  Mild morning sickness in the begging, and just overall a pretty easy go of it, until now.   I have to admit I had started to think this is it, whats the big deal?  And that's when God goes oh wait I have some challenges in store for you. Challenges you did not even see coming.

    I like to think of these challenges as a way to mentally prepare us for having the baby.  Instead of worry about labor or caring for the baby after it comes. All we are forced to think for the last few weeks is that I'm ready to get this baby out of  me.

Although,  I'm not begging for the baby to come yet...I still have to much work to do for that...I am nervous that this is something I'm going to have to suffer through for the next 12 weeks.

It has been a hot summer here in Atlanta with record hundred degree temperatures several days in a row.  With so much heat and humidity in the air most days ended in a thunderstorm.  I did my best to stay inside during days such as those.  However I believe the heat has still affected me causing a rash to develop on my stomach, and underneath my breast.

If you can remember back to having chicken pox and the torture of being so incredibly itchy, and not able to scratch for fear of making scars (or in my case creating or making stretch marks worse), the way I've been feeling these last couple days is very similar.

Weighing in on Diet

Weight is one of those issues that I hate to talk about because it is a sensitive subject, pregnant or not.  However it has been a subject of concern for me often during my pregnancy.  Of course like many women I don't want to over gain weight during my pregnancy, and began my pregnancy with the goal to be healthy and gain the appropriate amount of weight slowly.

Prior to finding out about my expected bundle of joy I had recently started a Yoga, and Pilates class that I went to twice a week. I attended this class through most of my first trimester with permission from my doctor.  During my first trimester I was eating healthy lots of spinach and other vegetables in addition to a fairly high protein diet.  I was very conscious of what I was eating at the time I wanted to make sure my baby was getting all the nutrition she needed, and tried my best to avoid sweets.  Not intentionally, but I actually lost weight during my first trimester...I think mainly to the fact that I of course had cut out drinking and was living a healthy lifestyle.  I was a little nervous about the weight loss, but it didn't seem to phase my doctor to much at the time.  It can be normal for women to lose weight during the first trimester because of morning sickness, although luckily that was not the case for me. 


It wasn't until the beginning of my second trimester that I had finally put on weight, and put on eight pounds fairly quickly.  I still tried to be conscious about eating healthy, but became a little bit more lax about this time. My Yoga and Pilates classes had ended, I was still walking but not working out as much.  I had also started drinking the occasional protein shake due to the suggestion of my doctor as a way to help with weight gain.  This seemed to be working until I hit a wall a few weeks ago.  I've been informed by my doctors that I should be putting on about a pound a week, and this hasn't been happening.  So of course the idea of allowing my self to indulge in sweets a bit more has crossed my mind...


I have always been weary of sweets while pregnant because I know gestational diabetes can be an issue.  And with a history of diabetes on both sides of my family I've wanted to be extra cautious. So of course when the time comes for me to take the glucose test I'm a little nervous but hopefully because I've been trying so hard to avoid to much sugar.   Needless to say when my results came back high I' was a little upset. How am I suppose to gain weight when  there is now even more food I should possibly avoid such as: carbs, or other things high in sugars foods like my protein shakes. With these thoughts looming over my head I tried my best to continue to eat as healthy as possible with whole grains before going back to the doctor for additional testing.  


{{ Oh and I haven't mentioned other diet challenges for me.  My husband has been struggling with diet issues for a few years now, and we are continually trying to pinpoint what the issue could possibly be. Lately we started to suspect that he could possible have a gluten intolerance, and have been attempting to put him on a gluten free diet. So know if I want to eat whole grain we have to make two types of pastas, and even two types of rice.  Yes I know rice isn't gluten but for some reason the brown rice seems to agitate his esophagus.  Lets just say we hope that our little girl doesn't inherit her fathers diet issues. Eating right for two very different dietary needs is a challenge.  I guess the way to go is a meat and veggies every night.  We don't run into as many issues if we stay simple. }}


Still contemplating how I should be eating I go back for my FOUR HOUR glucose test.  By the end of it my butt is numb and I feel a bit like a pincushion after having my blood drawn twice out of each arm .  Luckily the results were good.  I'm still going to keep eating the best I know how, and allow my self a few indulgences every now and then.  My mother didn't gain that much weight and had small babies.  If I take after her then that's the way it's going to be.  We were healthy and I have faith that my daughter will be.