Saturday, July 30, 2011

Thoughts at 2am

I think it's part of God's masterful plan that we start waking up every couple hours during the last couple months of pregnancy. Prepares you for the future. Only, in a couple months (instead of watching I Love Lucy with heartburn) I'll be holding a beautiful, albeit hungry and crying, BABY! :) Can't wait for that.


Friday, July 29, 2011

How to Nap in the Office

Today I made a few discoveries...

1. My office chair reclines. A lot. When feet are propped on a client chair, it is very comfortable.
2. My sweater makes a pretty good pillow
3. I found my doorknob hanger that says “Nap in Progress” (purchased as a joke years ago and previously forgotten)
4. There is a “Do Not Disturb” button on my phone. When activated, no one can call you, buzz you on the intercom, and the phone does not ring.
5. The dark-out shades on my windows work well, even in summer.
6. Combining all of the above makes for a surprisingly restful office NAP!
7. This may become a daily occurrence.
8. A piece of chocolate makes it easier to wake up and go back to work.

So grateful I work in a place where this is okay, and I don't have to build a nap-cave under my desk, i.e., George Costanza style. (Doubt I could fit under there anymore anyway...)

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Today's Ultrasound

Well, we had another ultrasound. All day I kept silently telling Katelyn to keep those cute little hands out of her face so we could see her.

Today I learned our daughter has a sense of humor.

She kept her hands to her sides all right, just as mommy had wanted.

She found a different way to hide her face...



Her feet! The little stinker!

So we really couldn't see her too well throughout the ultrasound. But everything is measuring on track and she seems healthy and perfect, which is what's important. We were also able to confirm again that she's a girl.

The most surprising thing about the appointment was Katelyn's weight. I know these estimates are often wrong, but they had her weighing in at 3 pounds 7 ounces! I was impressed. Seems I'm growing her right. The tech estimated at this rate, Katelyn will be about 8 or 8 1/2 pounds at birth. Again, they are often wrong with these estimates, but it still was interesting to hear. :)

So, that was today's experience and, just for good measure, I'll end with a picture of Katelyn sticking her tongue out at us, happy to have foiled our ultrasound plans again with her contortionist ways. ;)


Saturday, July 23, 2011

My Baby's Daddy

I will be forever indebted to my hubby for how he's treated me this pregnancy. He is always telling me to "sit down and relax" or "don't worry about it" and he's totally appreciative about what I'm able to do. He's stepped up and does even more around the house to help (and he already did a lot). Even though I feel guilty (because I want to "do it all"), it is very nice and I'm so grateful! I picked a good one, and I can't wait to see him with our baby girl.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Baby Belly at 30 Weeks


Quite a long way I've come from not wanting to take any 'belly shots', huh? Somewhere along the line I realized... Who knows what infertility has in store for me after Katelyn comes. This may be the only time I'll be pregnant like this and, although it has had its ups and downs, I never want to forget what it looked like. I never want to forget how beautiful it was.

So I asked Ryan to take a picture for me. It was out of my comfort zone for sure, but I decided not to care. I put on one of his white dress shirts, rolled up the sleeves, grabbed a flower and he snapped the photo. It was the perfect time to do it... no stretch marks (yet...), my innie belly button is still "in" (not for long!), I feel pretty good.

I want to remember this forever. For many years I wondered if I would ever be pregnant. Many times I was convinced I never would be. And here we are. In less than ten minutes, my hubby permanently captured this time in our lives. And in such a beautiful way. I love him for that.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Long Night

Last night was a long night. I noticed in the evening, Katelyn was "quieter" than usual. Less kicks and movements. When I got home from our CPR class, I started my nightly kick count.

Usually, Katelyn does all 10 kicks in about 15 minutes. It has never taken longer than half an hour. At the end of the first hour, she hadn't done 10. I became a bit anxious, but I drank some lemonade, laid down on my side and started again.

In the second round, she reached 10 kicks in an hour and five minutes. This is acceptable, but not normal for her. I got out my doppler (which I haven't used for weeks) and listened for her heartbeat. It sounded normal and you could tell she was moving around in there, but her movements weren't strong enough for me to really feel them.

I felt really torn. According to the manual, I was supposed to go to L&D if she was moving less than normal. However, I felt deep down that she was fine (although I was still pretty anxious).

It was after midnight by now, so Ryan and I decided to head to bed. About 2 hours later, I awoke to use the restroom. Afterward, I just laid in bed waiting for her to move. Nothing. I felt nothing for a long time.

Sometime later Ryan woke up and asked what I was doing. I said, "Laying here feeling worried." I told him she wasn't moving at all now. I didn't know what I should do.

We listened to her heartbeat again. It was a tad slower, and we could tell she wasn't moving at all in there. Perhaps she was sleeping? I was careful not to take too much comfort in the doppler, as one of the cautions about renting is was that sometimes people ignore problems when they should get them checked out because they get a false sense of security from the doppler reading. Was that me? I wasn't sure.

I was just about to suggest we get up and go to the hospital when Ryan decided to lean over and lay his head on my belly.

Within seconds, Katelyn was up, and kicking Ryan firmly in the head. Within a minute or two, she had given him 6 good kicks (with a couple of real whoppers) and several small ones. This was the most active she had been in 12 hours. I felt myself relax a bit.

Of course, after all that, it took some time to wind down and fall back to sleep. I got about 2 more hours and now it's time for work! Today should be interesting... I kind-of feel like a walking zombie. Preparation for motherhood, I presume!

I plan to monitor Katelyn's movements today a little closer than usual, just to be sure everything is okay. I feel like she is fine. I've felt her a few times since waking up and will probably feel her more after breakfast. I wonder why she was so still last night? Do babies have days where they're just quiet and calm, even in utero? I guess that makes sense. Regardless, I hope she's back to her wiggly self today and stays that way. :) I am so grateful and relieved that everything appears okay.

Oh, and I can't wait to crawl back into bed tonight!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Be Prepared!

Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads


This book is awesome! I got it for Ryan but I can't stop reading it myself. Funny, easy to read, informative. Perfect "new dad" book for the new dad who doesn't like books! (Or, I should say, doesn't think he'd like a parenting book.)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Breastfeeding

Earlier this week, I took a breastfeeding class with Ryan. We were given a ton of handouts and I’ve scanned them into a .pdf packet. If anyone would like a copy, please email me: rmcarter00@gmail.com.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

200 Days

The 200 best days of my life!

Last Friday marked 28 weeks of pregnancy, and today is Day 200.

80 days to go!

I can’t believe how wonderful the last 200 days have been. Yes, there have been tears, fears and heartache, but the joy has been immeasurable. Daily, I have moments when I stop and think, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I am finally going to be a mom.” I still have worries I will wake up and this will all be some sort of crazy dream. I can’t believe this is my life!

Last night, Ryan and I went to a breastfeeding education class. It was very informative and we were both glad we went. What absolutely shocked me (and Ryan) was how MISERABLE most of the women acted. Most were further along than me by about a month, but I have never seen so many women grunting, groaning, sighing, asking their husbands to rub their back, etc etc. At one point, it was all I could do not to stand on my chair and scream, “What are you moaning about??? Don’t you know you are among the most blessed women in the world? Women who are about to become mothers! Do you know how many women would give anything to be you right now?” Frustrating!

I am so grateful for the perspective I have on this whole experience. I have had my little bumps in the road during pregnancy, but overall I have been unimaginably blessed and I wouldn’t change a thing. Every time I am asked how I’m feeling (a daily occurrence), I am able to respond with an enthusiastic and sincere, “Great!” The inquirer usually shoots me a skeptical look or asks, “Really?” I just smile.

Life is a miracle and I get to carry my miracle around with me everywhere I go. Doesn’t get much better than that!

Day 200:

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Another Day, Another Appointment

The doctor’s appointments are coming fast and furious now… I am getting on the “every other week” cycle. Ryan was able to come with me today, which was so nice. I rewarded him with lunch and a movie date afterward!

Everything still looks great. My uterus is measuring fine and… great news! No Gestational Diabetes! I was relieved. I didn’t ask what my number was, but Nurse R said all my numbers look ‘very, very good… excellent’, so I just let that be. This will be the last blood test before childbirth, which was nice to hear.

One downer at the appointment? I gained 2 pounds too much this month. Nurse R attributed that to the holiday and the weather… too much salt and water retention. Even so, I guess I should watch it before it gets out of control. Katelyn just makes me want salty foods and sweet/sour treats! At least I am still in the “normal” range for weight gain, albeit on the higher side of normal (19 lbs gained thus far). Anyway, I’m going to try harder to be better.

Lastly, we scheduled our next 3D ultrasound. Just a few more weeks. :)

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Every Morning

Just about every morning, I wake up feeling normal, like my usual self, like the same me I've been for so very long.

Then I feel my daughter move or kick and I remember things are not the same. I become giddy because I just can't believe this is my life now.

I can't imagine the feeling I'll have when I wake up and actually see her face, to wake up every morning and realize I am finally a mother.

Every woman in the world deserves this kind-of feeling. I pray that those who desire it will find it soon.
FAITH IN GOD MEANS HAVING FAITH IN HIS TIMING.