1 Month to Go

One month until Shawnna's due date and it is starting to set in that we are getting close to being parents. We are trying to enjoy these last couple of weeks and with Shawnna being told to take it easy she looks forward to getting out of the house every once in a while. The last couple of weekends we have headed to the mall for a little shopping but mostly just some walking and people watching.

There is something about an 8 month pregnant belly that brings a smile to people's faces. Shawnna had the four women working at Hallmark reminiscing about their children and grandchildren and of course they were so excited that we aren't finding out if it is a boy or girl. We also get a lot of smiles from people as we walk by, but sometimes the reactions are much funnier. As we were walking out of the mall yesterday there was a little (4 -5 years old) girl sitting on the bench and I saw her gawking at Shawnna's belly as we walked by for a good 30 seconds.

That's right, I'm so huge that kids can't help but stare !! ; ) It is nice to bring smiles to people faces. And even though they are complete strangers, it's nice knowing that people still get excited that we aren't finding out what we're having.

Pregnancy Progress

One more week down. Shawnna's weekly appointment brought a good blood pressure reading and therefore a very quick appointment. We never get tired of hearing the heartbeat but you would think that as the baby gets bigger it would be easier to get a good consistent beat. But, now every time the doctor finds it, the baby starts wiggling away from the doppler. I have enjoyed the last couple of week as the baby has gotten big enough that the baby's movement is visible. We enjoy sitting down for the evening and feeling/seeing the baby kicking (other than it seems to have a preference for kicking Shawnna under her left ribs).

So, a ways into the pregnancy we realized that we didn't do a great job of taking pictures of Shawnna thoughout the pregnancy. But by going back through our pictures we were able to at least get the general progression. See the slideshow here.

34 Weeks

Had my 34 week OB app this morning. Blood pressure was as good as we can expect at this point. Still under orders to rest. I'm sure I'll be on this modified bed rest the remainder of the pregnancy.

My New Favorite Song

Ok, if you watch as much TLC as much as I, you've probably heard this song featured on a couple of commercials. Specifically for TLC's Monday night lineup of family shows. For some reason this song speaks to me. I'm assuming it's because I'm pregnant and am in constant amazement of what's happening in my uterus, the fact that the commercials have all these cute kids, AND there is one commercial for Jon and Kate renewing their wedding vows in HAWAII on MAUI, my favorite place on earth.
So without further ado:

Beautiful Life, Fisher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL6hlyVAX2Y

Hey child up and go
Big world is out there waiting for us to
live in every day

Outside you will find
there is love all around you
Takes you, makes you wanna' say
That it's a beautiful life
and it's a beautiful world
and it's a beautiful time
to be here, to be here, to be here

The sky's blue
just us two
Side by side
we'll see the world that surrounds us
Hey, seize the day

Each road - every mile's a photograph in motion
to astound us,
carry us away
into a beautiful life

'Cause it's a beautiful world
and it's a beautiful time to be here, to be here
Leave all your cares behind you
The sun is rising
Turn around -it's right in front of you
and it's a beautiful life
and it's a beautiful time
to be here, to be here, to be here

And just a tidbit of information: The resort Jon and Kate stayed at while on Maui is the resort Dan and I went to for our massages.

Very Long Pregnancy Post

Obviously I haven't been writing the most regular or detailed updates. I just wasn't sure how much info was too much. And it seemed like things were the same week after week. But after reading a pregnancy blog of an acquaintance from Rose, I instantly regretting not keeping better record of the pregnancy. So, if my brain will cooperate, I'm going to do a 'catch up' entry.

Even before Dan and I were married, we decided on the Five Year Plan for children. It is pretty self explanatory. We'll wait 5 years before we start trying. Aside from giving us time to settle in to marriage life, enjoy one another and travel, it is a great response to the "so when are you guys having kids?" question.
We knew that 2008 would be it, but we opted to not really announce when we had decided to begin trying. We basically planned it around our trip to Hawaii. Mostly because I didn't want to be so sick that I wasn't able to enjoy it.
So April was our first month to try and we were off to Hawaii. While in Hawaii, it was in the back of my mind, but I really didn't think we would conceive on the first try. Looking back on it, there were a few signs that something might have been going on.

-I was very tired while were were there and needed to nap in the afternoons. But we both thought it was because we were so active, along with being out in the sun and water.

-There was the whole puking on Haleakala. Which we both thought was a combination of the ear infection, car sickness and fish that causes gastrointestinal issues.

-My inability to eat scallops or ceviche at the luau.

-The fact that I basically passed out on every flight home before the plane hit cruising altitude. Again we both thought it was because it was a very active vacation.

Once we got home and I realized I should have gotten my period on our last days in Hawaii. On Tuesday April 29th I tested and it was positive!! My reaction was, and I'm not kidding, I laughed out loud. The pregnancy was confirmed by the doctor on May 2nd and due date of December 30th.

Spreading the News:

I tried to find a cute 'Daddy' onesie or bib to give to Dan as a gift, but didn't really find anything.So I just showed him this when he got home

We were going to wait until after the 12 week mark to tell everyone. But Dan's mom and dad were going to be in Indy for Mother's Day weekend and we thought it would be really special to tell his mom on Mothers Day. Of course we couldn't stand to wait until Sunday, so on Friday we gave her a "Grandma" Mothers Day card. We did wait until 12 weeks to tell everyone else though. My 12th week happen to coincide with the week following Fathers Day. I traveled to Terre Haute to see my Dad under the guise of wanting to give him his gift in person. It was a "Grandpa" Fathers Day card. I told my sisters by saying that I had gifts for them from Hawaii. But I had actually wrapped up a box of Tampax for each of them. They were quite puzzled until I said that I wouldn't be needing them for about 9 months. : ) And the rest of my family we told

like this:

Changes:

July 17, (16 weeks 2 days) I felt movement for the first time

Aug 17, (20 weeks 5 days) I was able to feel and SEE movement on the outside.

Around 24 weeks I noticed a definite sleep/wake pattern. As the baby has gotten bigger, I feel more rolling movement than kicks.

In early October I felt hiccups for the first time. Dan and I were laying in bed when it happened, so he was able to feel it too. We both thought it was very neat and it remains one of my favorite parts of pregnancy.

I had a pretty easy first trimester. I was extremely tired and was nauseated through out the day, but only threw up a few times.

I craved (and still do) ice cream and pizza. Thankfully not at the same time.

I had major adversions to chicken, mexican food and spice smells, and veggies. I can eat veggies now, and chicken sometimes, but only a fried version. I haven't even attempted mexican, nor do I want to!

I have been slightly more emotional than usual. Especailly when Brett Favre did that first press conference as a member of the Jets team. My husband came into the room and found me with tears streaming down my face. I'm pretty sure he thought I was crazy!!

Lately I've been a more grumpy and cranky than usual. And would really like not to be, but I just can't help it!! And when Dan says things like " You just need to chill out" I honestly want to ring his neck.

We have had alot of people ask of how we think the pets will react once the baby is here. We aren't sure. The cats have reacted to pregnancy. Moxie is much more lovey to me and wants to me near me. He is even letting me hold him, which he barely tolerated before. Lance on the other hand has quite literally became a pissy cat. As soon as we were home from Hawaii he started spraying in the house. It has progressively gotten better. Only about once every two weeks at this point. As for the dogs, time will tell. But I think they'll be fine.

Right now I am at 33 weeks and things are going well. I am measuring 2 weeks ahead, which means we don't have a small baby : ) The blood pressure is still an issue that we're dealing with There is still a possibility of the early induction.

33 weeks and Counting

My husband has been hounding me for two weeks to do another pregnancy post, so I thought I'd indulge him.
Last month we completed the "Expectant Parents" class at the hospital. It was the typical child birth class educating parents on labor and delivery. From the beginning, when asked about pain management, I was all for the epidural. But we were taught some great techniques for natural pain management and after learning about how the epidural may affect the progression of labor, I've opted to wait as long as I can before asking for the epidural, if at all.

At my 30 week OB appointment, my blood pressure was very high. So in an effort to keep this little one incubating as long as possible, I've been instructed to take it easy. I'm not on strict bed rest, but I do have to make sure I take things easy and rest during the day. There has been discussion of a 37 week induction. But nothing is set in stone. We just have to wait and see how my blood pressure goes.

Other wise, things are progressing well. At this point I'm still enjoying pregnancy, but am torn between ready to have this baby here and a little anxiety about becoming a parent.

Because we aren't finding out the sex, everyone has an opinion on whether it is a boy or girl. Currently we have more guesses for girl. . And a handful of family members have said I'll probably have the baby before Christmas. Make your own guesses at right for both the sex of the baby and when he/she will be born.

Nursery..... Check

So after a couple of baby showers and some trips to Babies R Us, we had accumulated most of the stuff that a baby would need, but one thing that we had not finished was the nursery. Anyone that knows our house, has been shown the "pink" bedroom, one of the two rooms in the house that we swore would get painted immediately (only took 5 years for both of them).

The "pink" bedroom was of course a bright Pepto Bismal pink color, that would work if you were a 5 year old girl... maybe. So it of course had to be painted since we are not finding out the sex of the baby.

Shawnna had already decided on a farm scene for the crib so it was a matter of finding a color to match. We didn't really like any one color so we decided to add a chair rail to break up the room and paint the top and bottom two different colors.


Two weekends ago I got the room taped, primed and chair rail cut and then last weekend I got it painted while Shawnna went to a baby shower. We then got the furniture put together and the room situated.

We think that it turned out really nice and is now ready for baby.