Ready Or Not

... Here she comes! 34 weeks down. 

Size of Baby: 17.75 inches or about the size of an average cantaloupe. She weighs approximately 4.75 pounds. She's also head down and facing my spine. Let's keep it that way, Birdie-bird! 

Total Weight Gain: I have a doctor's appointment next week so I'll have an answer then. I really feel like there's a basketball perma-attached to my stomach. 

Continuing Symptoms: Nasal congestion, lower back pain, unhappy feet and just plain uncomfortable. 

New Symptoms: Increasing Braxton-Hicks contractions. They, so far, don't hurt and are really random. I usually get them more in the afternoons and evenings. My legs are really starting to feel the weight of pregnancy. Sometimes it feels as if I've ran a marathon when really I just walked across the house. 

Maternity Clothes: The shirt in the above picture is new to me but it's a hand-me-down that's not a maternity shirt. I'm pretty proud/ excited that I've been able to get this far without a bazillion maternity items. Although, I was finally pushed out of my favorite pair of jeans: my skinny jeans. I miss them terribly. 

Sleep: Sleep is getting increasingly harder. I usually start out crashing on the couch and then shuffle to bed around 1:30am-2am. Usually I'm up a little after D leaves for work but lately I've been sleeping in until at least 8am. I've been shoving a pillow under my stomach when I sleep on my side which has been helping me sleep for longer stretches without being uncomfortable. Unfortunately one of D's pillows works the best and I can't always steal it from him. (Especially when I'm already occupying a minimum of 3 pillows.) I'm having to sit up straighter to get comfy when I'm on my back. 

What I'm Eating: Eating habits haven't changed much. I've been wanting more steak and veggies, or just healthier things in general. Some days I eat terribly, though. I've been eyeing the pineapple currently residing in our fruit basket. I'm excited to crack it open for the 4th of July but I have a feeling this lady will not be sharing much of it. 

Cravings: Still craving blueberries! When it's hot I still want frozen yogurt. I spent 10 minutes at the grocery store the other day trying to decide if I really wanted a box of popsicles... but I was good and walked away.

Special Pregnancy Moments: 

1.  I ordered 8 more newborn cloth diapers this past week. I'm SO excited for them to arrive! The only thing left to get in the diaper department is the actual cloth diapers. Those will arrive by the end of this month. I've washed our diaper stash that we do have and it's all ready to go. 

2. I got a killer deal at a local consignment store on a ton of outfits ranging from newborn to 12 months. 

3. I've been on a mission to find the perfect "going-home" outfit for Birdie-girl, and I found it yesterday! 

4. I've been jotting down notes to compile our birth plan. I've also been doing a LOT more prenatal yoga, sitting on my birthing ball and focusing on relaxing when I feel tense or stressed. 

5. Birdie has been moving like crazy! Some days she's all elbows, knees and feet. I've been able to catch her on video a few times. 

6. A couple of our friends have been able to feel Birdie moving like crazy. I love watching their reactions! 

7. It's so surreal to think, "Next month we will have a baby." Whooooa! 

One Night In Jail Is More Than Enough

The first time we went to church after finding out we were expecting I really wanted a priesthood blessing from some of our leaders. The blessing was beautiful and reassuring but it also warned that we would face trials. I was a little concerned by that but just pushed it to the back of my mind and continued on with life.

"Trials" should have been substituted by "trauma" as I believe it's a more appropriate word. Okay, okay maybe "trauma" is a slightly over dramatic description some things that have happened since I received that blessing. (Some of the trials we've faced do feel somewhat traumatic in their own way.) There's been one exception: this past week we truly experienced something traumatic. 

Not only do I want to post about this for the it-could-happen-to-you effect... but also to show that we are human and life happens. I won't get into the gory (sadly) and scary (understatement) details but, basically, our Bogey-boy attacked another dog. 

Why? We. Have. No. Idea. Was their something "off" about the owner or dog? Was it because it was right in front of our house? Is he just a bully? We don't know. The only theory we can come up with is that I was alone and I'm pregnant. Our furry son becomes more protective when D is gone. In ways I cannot explain into words I know that he knows that I'm in a more vulnerable state being that there's a little one on the way. Whatever his reasoning was inside of his little dog brain- it still isn't a fun situation to be in, especially when other dog was injured. (The owner, and I as well, suffered very, very minor injuries in the scuffle.) 

As a parent of a dog you always run the risk of this situation whether you're responsible for the attacker or the victim. You just never think it's going to happen to you. Ever. Not only do you have to deal with the pain and guilt of being the responsible party but there are, naturally, repercussions to inappropriate actions. For Bogey that meant he had to be quarantined- away from us- for ten days. Ten whole days of being separated from my "first born," our first baby, the dog who really "understood" me through those infertility days- it was a knife in the heart. The first night he was gone I alternated between replaying the incident over and over in my head and crying. 

The good thing about this whole ordeal is that Bogey didn't bite a person. (That would be a whole different situation that I don't even want to think about.) Another good thing is everyone is okay... still shaken up... but okay. It's also a good thing that animal control understands this was out of character and believes our theory as to why it happened. Because of this Bogey is doing his 10-day quarantine at home. The best part is our insurance is covering e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. 

We're a few days post-incident and breathing a little easier. Bogey, however, is still recovering from his jailhouse experience. He will not let me out of his sight. We're dishing out more kisses, hugs, and cuddles around here as a family but we're moving forward. 

Eight More To Go

 32 weeks and feeling large! 

Size of Baby: 16-ish inches (give or take) from head to toesies. She weighs about 4 pounds and, boy, do I feel it!
Total Weight Gain: I had gained one pound at my last OB appointment. My total weight gain since the beginning of pregnancy is 17lbs. I'm definitely feeling that weight gain in the obvious areas in addition to my thighs/ butt. (Insert rolling of eyes)
Continuing Symptoms: Nasal congestion, occasional "down" days, and back pain at the end of the day.
New Symptoms: I'm just plain uncomfortable all the time, especially as the day progresses. Iron supplements have really helped with the chest issues I reported a couple weeks ago. I can feel the symptoms of anemia coming back if I miss a pill or take them off "schedule." The past couple of days I've had pain/ discomfort in the heels of my feet. (I'm assuming from the weight of the pregnancy and me being pretty active during the days.)
Maternity Clothes: I haven't purchased anything recently, and I'm still working with what I currently own. Lately I've been preferring workout clothes for comfort, ease of getting into them, and fit.
Sleep: D says I'm still snoring at night. Ha! I'm sleeping... okay, I guess. Some night better than others but for the most part I'm just happy with what I do get. Of course I'm still up 4-6 times per night for potty breaks.
What I'm Eating: Same, normal eating habits although I've been having a stronger preference for healthier foods: avocados, blueberries, hard boiled eggs, orange juice, and oatmeal.
Cravings: Ugh I wish the craving for sweets would subside already! I'm doing much better in not indulging in every craving I get. A new frozen yogurt place recently opened just over a mile away from our house. I've been loving cake batter frozen yogurt with gummy bears on top. (For those who don't know I, usually, strongly dislike ice cream, frozen yogurt, shakes and smoothies... it's a texture thing.)
Special Pregnancy Moments: 
1. Attending a really great La Leche League meeting and being lead to an amazing breastfeeding book... one that I finally click with. Not to mention the wonderful support from all of the women.
2. I washed all of Birdie's blankets, lovies, swaddlers, (etc) as well as all of her 0-3 month clothing. It was by far the cutest and most fun loads of laundry I've ever done.
3. I'm getting more anxious for her to just be here already and find that I'm getting envious of those women who are further along than I am. I've really tried to focus on just being in the moment because there's a good chance this may never happen again.
4. D has been amazing at helping me practice my breathing during pain. (Leg cramps, back pain, etc) It makes me feel much more confident that we'll be able to handle labor together instead of both of us becoming stupidly stubborn.... which we tend to do in stressful times.
5. I can feel all 4 pounds of our Birdie girl in just about every corner of my uterus. She's becoming more wildly active for longer periods of time. She's also becoming a little bit of a night owl. (grrr...) She responses to D's voice EVERY time he's close to my belly.
6. I already know that D and I are going to be fighting over who gets to hold her. This is a legitimate fear of mine because I'm a huge mama bear. I had to wait so long and go through so much to get her I really only want her in MY arms. D has been working really hard to remind me that, hello, Wifey, he had to go through everything just as I did. I think we've come up with a little plan to give him the time he needs with her but that I don't feel like she's being taken away from me.
7. I've been besides myself with excitement to watch some of our friends turn into parents recently. I'm so incredibly happy for their new little families but also happy that it will be our turn pretty soon!

Baby Moon

I originally wanted to post a small update of our California vacation shortly after we arrived home. Obviously it didn't happen since we're a couple weeks post vacation. Another thing I didn't realize until we were, literally, driving back home:

This is the only picture I took during our entire vacation! Ironically we (well, I) didn't spend more than an hour in San Francisco the entire trip. (Side fact: I took this the weekend that the Golden Gate turned 75 years old!)

Years and years ago I had first heard the concept of a baby moon in a magazine: taking a trip as a couple during your pregnancy as the last "hurrah" before your baby arrives. I really thought it was sort of ridiculous. Why would someone want to drag their body somewhere far away when they can't always do fun activities?! Spoken like a true non-expectant woman.

Maybe it was just "the time" to head back home, maybe it was the fact that I was being blessed with a baby shower, maybe we needed a break from the PacNorWest, maybe it was time for our families to see my round-belly-self in person, or maybe it was the stress of moving at 6 1/2+ months pregnant within a week. In the end it really didn't matter what the reason was- we were heading home and we were beyond excited.

We're very lucky that both of our families live in California, and live within a good distance from each other to make visiting very easy. This time, however, we decided to mix things up. I had been secretly stashing extra cash gifted a surf board to D as an early birthday/ anniversary gift. I knew he'd be spending insane amounts of time surfing to begin with but, with a new board in tow, his time at the beach would triple. So, we decided to take our own vacations: D would spend the week with his family and I would stay with mine.

I can't speak for D but from what he tells me he had a blast. I was equally in heaven! I slept in,  (well, as much as a certain- ahem- dog would let me, being that he thinks 5:15am is an appropriate time to eat breakfast) I got to help my mom in her classroom, spent time with my niece, enjoyed my dad's cooking, spent time with the bestie, soaked up the heat, shopped, and was blessed with a beautiful baby shower. I also loved indulging in all of the things that our tiny town doesn't offer us everyday: amazing restaurants and nightlife (read: businesses open past 8pm)

I also greatly enjoyed the time with my family. A year ago I NEVER thought I'd have the chance to sit on the couch with my mom and watch Birdie girl roll and kick through my shirt. Or have a long laugh with my dad when Birdie kicked him SUPER hard after he poked her in the booty. I loved seeing family and friends that I don't always get to see every time we come home for a visit. It was fun and exciting as much as it was humbling and special.

Alas, our time in California came to a close waaaay to fast. With my dad's help I stuffed, squeezed and packed our car up and woke up suuuuper early to drive to San Fran (hence the picture) to pick D up from our friend's house. (New board + in same state as friend= boy surf session/ sleepover) Poor D had to drive most of the way back because I was just trying to stay comfortable and trying to keep from crying. We took our time getting back so a 12 hour drive turned in 15 hours.

We're now post-baby moon about two weeks and while we still greatly miss our families/ California we have had a lot going on to keep us distracted. It's surreal to think that the next time we travel home we will have a little on in tow. Whoa.

30

30 Weeks! 

Size of baby: About 17 inches from head to toes, and she weighs approximately 3 pounds. 

Total Weight Gain: I'm up 3lbs which means my total weight gain since the beginning of this pregnancy is 16 lbs. 

Continuing Symptoms: Nasal congestion, occasional mood swings (although a *little* more mild and seem to come when I'm either physically or mentally tired) Back pain by the end of the day or if I'm moving around a lot. I've had a few more cramps in my calves but I've found a way to make them pass a lot faster. While in California I was a hot mess in the nose bleed department but they, fortunately, only happened at nighttime. 

New Symptoms: I began to notice that it felt like a small child was sitting on my chest whenever I was sitting or laying back in a reclined position. It got worse while we were in California but I chalked it up to the (way) hotter environment and active, busy days. I mentioned this at my OB appointment last week and my doctor ordered an Echocardiogram. (Aka... heart ultrasound) Everything came back normal except, turns out, I'm anemic. So I'm going to add an iron supplement and increase my natural iron intake. 

Maternity Clothes: I purchased a new outfit for my baby shower- a cotton pencil skirt (which I already had in a different color and smaller size) and just a basic tee-shirt that was made extra long. I also found a really cute maternity shirt that fits now but still has room to grow. Otherwise I'm still functioning on what I already have. To date I have two designated maternity shirts and only one pair of maternity jeans. 

Sleep: It was surprisingly very hard to sleep while I was in California. I had double the pillows I normally sleep with but I think because they weren't as fluffy as what I'm used it became hard to find a good position for all of them. I'm sure the fact that it was 30+ degrees warmer than what I'm used to also had a big factor. Now that we're back home I'm sleeping a lot more comfortable. (D also reports that I've been a snoring machine lately. Puuul-ease...this coming from the boy who talks in his sleep constantly. I can't believe him until I have proof!) 

What I'm Eating: I was spoiled in California! I greatly enjoyed splurging on all of my favorite restaurants! I also loved that my dad made tri-tip... enough for me to eat for lunch the entire time I was there. Plus he made sure I always had enough milk and cereal in the house. (Love that man!) We've had D's coworkers over for dinner a lot lately which is exciting for me: they cook/ bbq while I just wait for them to call me to the table! 

Cravings: For the past couple of weeks I haven't been able to get enough corn on the cob. Up until this week we've had it just about everyday. I'm still craving sweets but I'm not indulging as much. This week I'm craving baby carrots with ranch dressing, cottage cheese, cheese it's, apple juice, and just dinner time in general. My entire pregnancy I've been DYING to have potato salad and tuna sandwiches. UGH!!!! 

Special Pregnancy Moments: 

1. Visiting my parents in California and having them see me pregnant, in person, for the first time. They both got a chance to feel Birdie girl kick and roll. My niece would not leave me alone either. She always wanted to be hugging my tummy or asking me baby questions. Let's just say we had some funny, interesting conversations that only 8-year-olds are capable of having. 

2. We were blessed with the perfect baby shower (more on that in another post) 

3. Having my father in law see my belly for the first time in person. 

4. Purchasing ALL of the stuff that we need for this little girl and, somehow, fitting it in our Subaru for the 12-hour drive back to Oregon. 

5. Birdie girl loves reggae music the best but also enjoys listening to Feist. (A girl after my own heart!) 

6. Her changing table arrived on Friday and is set up in her room. I'm expecting her swing to arrive today, more cloth diapers later this week and her crib arrives next month. I also picked up the material to start making her reusable wipes. 

7. D is obsessed with our new jogger stroller, infant car seat and our diaper bag. (All of which are pictured in the background above) He shows it off to EVERYone who comes over. He said he's going to install the car seat in the car soon because he likes the way it looks. I have to admit that he looks pretty darn hot pushing that stroller around with his Ray Bans on. Oh boy! 

8. We have our last childbirth class this week which is really hard for me to believe. Where'd the time go?! I'm SO glad we took this class and would highly suggest it to everyone. It's forced us to have conversations that we never thought of having. Plus- D cracks me up every time. 

The First of the Last

28 weeks: the beginning of my last trimester! 

Please excuse my workout clothes. 

Size of Baby: 36.8 cm or about the size of a cauliflower.
Total Weight Gain: I'm guessing I'm up about 1-2 lbs since my last Birdie post.
Continuing Symptoms: Lots of ligament stretching towards the underside of my stomach and back pain. I've had a lot of increased sinus congestion- especially at night. I think it's a combination of moving, warm weather, pollen, pregnancy, and I've been around a bunch of strong smells lately. (New house, cedar dog bed, incense, etc) I've had a few more mood swings/ down days but I think that's mostly related to the stress/ exhaustion/ anxiety of moving. I'm still enjoying some pretty clear skin... I know my time is drawing to an end in that department.
New Symptoms: Nose bleeds! Ugh!!! I've never had a nose bleed in my life until the past couple of weeks. They're very mild and only last, maybe, a couple minutes but my goodness!
Maternity Clothes: I purchased a couple new shirts within the past couple of weeks. They're just "regular" shirts that I bought a size larger. One is still working well but the other may not make it until the end of pregnancy. I think it's the fabric. It's hitting me that I'm quickly growing out of a LOT of my stuff and will have to start thinking about how to clothe myself during this last trimester.
Sleep: Still sleeping normally and accepting the fact that I wake up a LOT. A couple weeks ago my hip pain was so bad that I was starting off the night in our recliner to get some relief. This past week I've been trying hard to keep my eyes open past 8pm. I've enjoyed going to bed really early even if it means I'm ready to get up right after D leaves for work.
What I'm Eating: Still anything to keep me full. Still have to have meat at dinnertime. I can see my meal planning efforts paying off both with our budget and with making sure we're both eating properly.
Cravings: Tootsie Rolls. I polished off a whole bag over four days. (D helped, too!) I've been wanting corn on the cob lately so we've been having it for dinner just about everyday this week. I've been cutting back on my sweet intake and it's going pretty well.
Special Pregnancy Moments: 
1. A few weeks ago we started our childbirth classes at the hospital where I'll be delivering. I'm so glad we opted to do this. Not only is it fascinating but it's forced D and I to think and talk about things we would not have thought to talk about.
2. Just before we moved I finished sewing Birdie's cradle bedding. Now it's on to her crib bedding and recovering her glider chair!
3. I still LOVE when Birdie is super active. Last night it looked like she was doing about 15 seconds worth of flutter kicks- it looked like there was an earthquake in there!
4. Purchased What To Expect The First Year
5. Celebrating my first Mother's Day: D bought me flowers, made me breakfast and even bought me a new couch! I received a lot of text messages, phone calls and a few Mother's Day cards.
6. This weekend we're taking off for our last long vacation before Birdie-girl arrives!

As of Late & Chaos

This sums up our last couple weeks pretty darn well. Let me back track a little...

Six months ago D suffered a pretty bad shoulder injury while in training across the county. They immediately sent him back home to me and, together, we had a week to find a new place to live back up north near his previous station. I was overwhelmed by the whole situation but promised D that I would immediately calm down once we had secured a place to live. After all- moving is no fun unless you have some type of idea of where you're going. Within a couple hours D found a condo for rent, and five days later we camped- literally- in our new place after signing a lease.

While the town and the condominiums that we lived in were really, really nice the condo that we rented wasn't...err... treated properly... to be nice. But we did the best we could with what we had, and I think we made the best out of the situation. I successfully looked past the white walls, physical imperfections, and the small space and made our condo as homey as possible. We made a verbal agreement with our landlord to extend our lease for another six months.

One day, a couple months ago, I was served papers at our home notifying us that the condo we were renting was heading towards foreclosure. Wait.... what!?! We have never, ever missed or have been late on a rent payment so you can imagine our surprise. I tried my best to read through the legal mumbo jumbo but I could only understand a few things clearly:

1. We were to keep paying our rent.
2. Our landlord was behind a specific amount and had to pay the balance by a certain date. (Which, if paid, could stop the foreclosure proceedings.)
3. If the balance wasn't paid then the condo would be auctioned a week before my due date.
4. If the condo was auctioned off we could either have 24 hours notice, 30 days or 90 days notice to move, depending on the situation.
5. This wasn't a great situation for us.

We mentioned to our landlord that we were aware of the situation and asked him to keep us updated. Weeks went by and there was still no word, let alone a straight answer when we questioned him. A few weeks ago we were really adamant that we HAD to know.... after all- we didn't want to be in a situation where I was popping out Birdie in the midst of house hunting, or moving with an infant that was days or weeks old. D and I made the decision to remove ourselves from the situation and find a new place.

I'll spare the gory details but it was a lot more stressful and anxiety filled than I thought it would be. There were also a couple crying meltdowns on my part. In the end we found a place that's in the next town over, actually saves us money, and has a better use of space. The only down side is it's a single wide... literally... and it's extremely dated in the- ahem- decor department. But, we're making the most of it and the pros of it out weigh the dated wallpaper, wood paneling, linolium flooring and such.

We've spent the past week packing up our things. Fortunately I did a major spring clean shortly after we moved into the condo and most of our stuff was already packed in storage bins. Over the weekend we got permission to start moving our stuff over. D has been a champ at doing all of the actual lifting and moving while I'm heading the sorting and organizing department. Tomorrow is our official move in day. We accomplished so much over the past couple of days that we really only have the major stuff (bed, freezer, etc) to move over.

I'm so, so glad that we're done and out of foreclosure situation as much as I hate that I'm moving while 6 1/2 months pregnant.

........

Of course daily life continues in the midst of chaos. Here's a quick glimpse at ours: 

 D and our friend E hiked Saddle Mountain one morning. I thoroughly enjoyed not going and, instead, spent my time sewing. 

 I finished the bumpers for Birdie's cradle. I know SIDS is a big concern with bumpers so I purposefully did only two sides and made the inner batting super, supper thin. 

These knuckleheads always find a way to steal my heart. I'm glad we've been having unseasonably warm weather lately as it'll get them ready for our trip back to California. (Note the turquoise pillow I made for our couch with leftover cradle fabric.)