36 weeks and we will be having a baby THIS MONTH!

How crazy is that?  A journey that started more than a year ago with E&L and for me a journey that started more than 8 years ago is finally coming to an end!!  It is pretty unbelievable.  E&L could have their baby in their arms anywhere from now until New Year's Eve.  (I am thinking positive that I won't go over my due date because I haven't yet!)  According to the pregnancy app, we have 3w5d left. 

This week I got a cold that turned into wheezing.  It is quite miserable.  But in true maintenance issue form for our house, it flooded last week. They had a contractor come out and replace a faulty sump pump last week.  We have been having issues with this pump since we moved in.  It caused a sewage smell in our house.  I am happy to report that we no longer have a sewage smell in our house... but the contractor forgot to open the closed water line and it was for the grey water leaving our house. I ran a bath, 3 loads of clothes, a load of dishes, washed dishes by hand and any other times we used the sinks or bathtubs in the house.... Well that water all backed up all over our floor and we had boxes packed for a move.  Of course we had them on the floor of the basement because that day was a sunny, nice day.  No chance of flooding... except we were the unlucky recipients of an incompetent contractor! 

So now I have respiratory funk causing wheezing and coughing and all of the other really lovely things that go with being whale sized like a bladder that leaks when you cough hard enough! 

So here is the 36 week update and bump photo for what is going on inside this body of mine....

Finally, my nesting has happened like crazy for the last minute stuff I have had to get done.  One of the projects I did the other week was organize breast feeding supplies.  I pulled out my tubs and charged pumps and washed bottles.  I got a stackable drawer system to stay organized and set it up next to the couch that has a table and also cup holders for the water I will need to drink.  I am strangely excited about pumping.

Finally - on Black Friday, usually Kurt and I go out shopping but this year, we did it all online.  We got a great deal on an upright freezer and had it delivered this week too.  Need to get this beauty hooked up so that when teacup makes her appearance, we have a place to start putting milk!

I need to meet with the doula this week to get everything finalized with her. We actually have a signed copy of our birth plan in place.  She was great at facilitating all of our needs and mostly explaining things to the IPs about what their choices were for various different aspects of the process. If you want to check out an excellent Doula in the DC area, check out Melissa with Anchored In Hope -- Birth Services Just having this in place and knowing our desires and needs makes it all very real.  I will take it to my OB on this Thursday's appointment to get approval from her.  I will likely be having my cervix checked at this time just to be able to give the IPs an idea of whether or not 39 weeks is still a safe time to wait to come.  Obviously a cervix can change quickly but if we are very effaced or dilated, they may want to consider changing travel plans so we all agreed on these checks just to be diligent with planning!

I think that is it for now... just getting excited and getting bags packed and paperwork finalized!!!

34/35 Week update

I have been totally behind with blogging on time.  Most of the time, in the evenings, I am far too exhausted to even think about blogging.  I am just tired and want to put my feet up. 

Here is a recap of the last 2 weeks. I am going to go ahead and do the 35 week update since I haven't posted that yet either!

First I will post a photo of me at 20 weeks with Teacup (in pink) and 20 weeks with Piper (blue) -- Piper was 8lbs even -- how big is Teacup going to be?!  (This photo from piper just showed up on my news feed from a few years ago, hence the comparison for 20 weeks)

At 34 weeks pregnant, I thought it would be a great idea to hop into a 5k!  I used to run prior to this pregnancy but really did take it easy after the physical therapy on my hips.  Kurt got free bibs through this work and was going to take all 3 kids but I decided that morning to lace up my shoes and at least walk it!  We enjoy doing races together as a family but Kurt is much faster than me anyway, and especially when I am pregnant.  Leah & I walked the race while Kurt, Weston, and Piper ran it -- in less than 34 minutes.  Not too bad for a 5 year old running the whole race!  Along the route, we were the last people.  The sweeper car was behind us, but you know, it didn't bother me.  Eventually we started walking with a really nice woman.  She inspired me.  She had lost 200 lbs and she was telling me that I inspired her because I was walking this race.  We got to know each other and I told her I was a surrogate.  She is the mother of a teenage girl but had many miscarriages along the way and eventually, her and her husband could not fathom another loss so they stopped trying.  When people ask me what made me become a surrogate -- stories like that!! 

Good thing I got a large Turkey Trot Shirt -- This is my belly in my shirt post race!

After the race, we went home, rested some then went to the National Harbor that night for the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.  It was nice but crowded and I would be lying if I said I was not the slightest bit nervous in that crowd.  The Paris terrorist incidents had happened the night before and the Harbor had the Ferris Wheel lit like the French Flag. 

Here is my 34 week belly shot!

The week before my 34 week appointment, I went to the doctor because I had contracted a really lovely illness called Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease.  I will spare you the photos but first Piper had it, then with my compromised (Pregnant) immune system, I got this childhood illness as an adult too.  The virus comes out of your body through blisters on the soles of your feet, the palms of your hands and in your throat.  Luckily, I did not have any blisters in my throat but the feet and hands were absolutely miserable.  It felt like constant infected splinters or papercuts.  So I went to the doctor after I started getting these blisters in other places (Insides and outsides of thighs, sides of belly) to make sure that everything was okay.  As I was sitting in the doctors office, my pulse was 135, then 105, then 128 -- all while sitting.  So there is me and Piper in the doctors office and the doctor orders blood work, EKG and heart monitors.  I am so fortunate that my doula/friend Melissa was around and she came and got Piper for me so I could do some of this without a toddler.  All is good with my heart -- it is just MY normal but right now, I am sitting with a 24 hour heart monitor on me to monitor why my heart is beating so fast.  I have had a heart monitor all 3 pregnancies and it always shows up as runs of sinus tachycardia and all is good. 

Then I had my next OB appointment with nothing significant to report.  Had the group B strep test to make sure I don't need antibiotics during the labor to prevent it from being passed to baby (a routine test in the States).  Also she talked about delivery plans and what my ideal delivery looks like.  Cervical exams will start at 37 weeks (if requested and I will since we are dealing with a pretty substantial distance for E&L to come).  My blood pressure was good in office but it has been creeping up to a much higher than my normal and borderline high for other people as well so we will keep our eyes on that.  I also have significant swelling in my ankles/feet and its making me a little miserable. 


Last weekend we had absolutely nothing to do -- no shopping, no visits, nothing planned.  So we set up Christmas decorations!

For Thanksgiving, we went to my godparents house and there, I just felt crummy pretty much the whole time. I did a whole lot of sitting around and whining about how bad I felt!  Luckily, everyone told me to just keep sitting and kept bringing me food!  LOL 

I also got this email from E&L -- I hope they know that I feel as blessed as they do this year as well!

Tonight, we came back home and I took the older two kids to see The Nutcracker with the Girl Scout Troop and we had a lot of fun.  I wasn't sure how Weston would feel about it but he definitely enjoyed it!

 

Since I was dressed in real clothes, I decided to do my 35 week photo today too! 

 Finally -- A funny little graphic to show the stages of pregnancy. I am somewhere between 8 and 9 months pregnant and feeling quite uncomfortable. 

Off to bed now!!! Hopefully I will do a better job at updating at 36 weeks!!

32 and 33 week updates!

Things have been crazy hectic around here with a lot going on!  So even though I am no longer in school, I still don't have enough time to myself!  Or maybe I am not looking for an excuse to not do school work while still on my computer!

Last Wednesday, we hit 32 weeks!  I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by. 

Here are the 32 week photos followed by some things we did last week and finally what we have going on this week as well!

She's starting to look like a chubby sweet newborn!

Those feet are what come out the side -- I actually get feet on the OUTSIDE of my ribs and not the inside!

Teacup weighed almost 4 lbs a few weeks before this -- so it will be interesting to see what her birth weight will be!

She better stay down head down!!!  She likes to get a little crazy and go transverse (Sideways) as evidenced in the below photo -- I also feel the hiccups in different places than just down low when she moves.

Left is when she was head down at the ultrasound the week before.  Then at 32 weeks, suddenly my big round belly was no more.  She had gone sideways so instead of being out, I was wide!  She's back to head down now, but occasionally I feel her change positions. 

She was transverse in this photo too!

Fall is in full effect here in Northern Virginia -- except it keeps going between 50 degrees and almost 80 degrees! I won't complain about the warm weather though! 

Happy 240th Birthday Marines! This is me with my handsome date (My husband) to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball

Finding a dress was a challenge and I realized that even though it fit, some photos just made me look wide rather than pregnant!

Leah & myself in the barn at the farm at University of Maryland Campus

My brother in law (a Marine Corps Veteran) came to the Birthday Ball with us and also to the Wisconsin vs Maryland game on Saturday.  In case you were wondering, Wisconsin won the Maryland homecoming game!

This non-maternity shirt was a bit snug!  But I had to make it work!

We had front row tickets and my kids were spoiled by the trainers!

The kids were so excited to meet Bucky Badger!

                                           33 Weeks!

 This week I have had some sudden swelling but its pretty normal -- my ankles and calves are swelling but not my feet.  Its weird but my blood pressure is totally normal so my husband is kicking in and doing some house work to help me stay off of my feet as much. 

Pain relief in our birth plan (which is almost complete!) will not be any types of meds.  I had my last baby with no pain meds.  So as of now, that is the plan!  Also -- there it is, swelling is normal but we will keep our eyes on it!

She is back out front again!  I have resorted to wearing mostly dresses and leggings because nothing else covers that belly anymore! 

This week is always very special in our house.  On November 10, 1775, in a bar (Tun Tavern) in Pennsylvania, the Marine Corps Started.  Each year, they celebrate with a very traditional ceremony at the ball and everyone wishes each Marine a Happy Birthday.  On November 11, here in the US, we celebrate Veteran's Day where we honor veterans past and present for their sacrifices while serving.. and only is it fitting that my husband was born today on Veteran's Day and the day after the Marine Corps Birthday!  So we always have a busy week!  I am very proud to be the spouse of a service member-- it doesn't come without sacrifice, but I can say that I am always so excited to see him in his  Dress Blues at this time of year!  I also admire his tenacity and work ethic even if it does blur over into our daily lives.  He is a very good Marine and a hard worker and always gives his all to Marines -- especially those that he leads!

Lunch with Weston after his Veteran's Day Program

Crafts with Leah in her classroom for Veteran's Day!

Ice Cream at Cold Stone Creamery -- Teacup really liked that!

We still got ice cream even though we had an ice cream cake at home!