carrie's first pregnancy

I set up the stroller (Baby Jogger City Elite) with the carseat (Graco Snugride) adapter this weekend, but something wasn't right. The way I set it up, makes it look unsecure... and of course the directions just show you how to put the adapter on the stroller, NOT the carseat in the adapter:



I scoured Google and both manufacturer's websites for a photo or instructions, but finally found help from another mom in my neighborhood with the same setup (from the moms on the hill group). Turns out I had forgotten to remove a middle bar on the adapter (click the photo to see my notes on Flickr)... and once I did that, voila, it fits much better :) So yay, one less thing to worry about!

Next doctor appointment is tomorrow... hopefully we'll see more progress! :)

37 weeks 2 days

Posted by carrie at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

My official prediction: baby will come early. Not because I dearly want him to, but I was reading my 1st trimester posts this morning for fun, and I had forgotten that early on they had said that baby was "measuring ahead" by something like 10 days (and then reversed that comment when the ultrasound technician didn't note it on my chart)... and at the last ultrasound, they said he was measuring ahead by a few days, but it could have just been his above average size. So my guess, he's coming out somewhere between the 9th and the 12th. If by the 13th he's still not here, then I can get the "I told you so's" from folks who swear he's coming late... but I'm placing bets on those dates! :) Now watch, he'll come on Christmas Day!

37 weeks

Posted by carrie at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well, I'm 37 weeks today, and baby is now full term, meaning he can come at any time and now be fully mature! So it's all up to him now, when he decides he's ready to make an appearance :) Here's what is going on with baby this week:



My eyes are a darker flat blue (more blue/gray), while Joe has bright blue (but often look more like light green) eyes! So our baby will have bluish/greenish eyes, and I'm excited to see how light they are :) Joe was a ridiculously cute baby, so if Benjamin is anything like his Dad, I should be able to snap some great photos without trying too hard :)

In other news, my friends out here in DC surprised me last weekend with an awesome brunch/shower! So a big thank you to Shaaren and Scott, Nadia and Jeff, Jeanne and Christian, and Buff and Brigid... it caught me off guard (again) and it was so thoughtful!! We had a great time, and got a lot of really cute gifts, and some really useful ones that I know will come in handy in a few weeks!

I spent some time this week getting more things ready, but it's getting harder and harder to move around. I packed my hospital bag and baby's diaper bag is fully stocked for his coming home gear, and I am just missing a few items that I hope to get at Target this weekend. I put the stroller together with the carseat adapter, but that was a challenge, since the adapter didn't come with instruction on how to use it with the carseat. So I'm just guessing that it's installed correctly. Now I just need to organize a few things around the house (like the big stack of papers to get filed away) and make sure the pack and play has been de-furred from the cats who discovered the perfect sleeping spot inside it last week. Other than that, we have our carseat inspection tomorrow to make sure they are both installed correctly, and that's it! Joe needs to pack his bag, but since he can leave the hospital to come home at any time, I'm not too worried about his stuff.

So now it's just wait and see, and hope I can survive these last few weeks. I'm so sore all the time... it constantly feels like I worked out way too hard the day before, and every single muscle and joint in my body HURTS. My walk into work this morning left me with shooting pain in my calves, and then my shins when I tried to adjust my walk due to the calf pain. *sigh* I'm still not sleeping for more than 2 hours at a time, so my forgetfulness has risen and my overall energy level has been zapped. Joe wanted to go Christmas shopping out in Annapolis tomorrow, but I swear I don't think I could handle shopping in a normal store, let alone around town all day :( Going up and down the stairs is a huge chore... times like this I wish we had a bathroom on the 1st floor.

But I'm almost there... taking it day by day and getting excited that I get to meet him SOON!! :)

37 weeks

Posted by carrie at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

I'm now at my weekly doctor appointments, and today she confirmed that I am carrying very low, and that baby is head down, and in a good position. Blood pressure is still normal and no protein in the urine (so no pre-eclampsia, aka high blood pressure risk), which is all great, even though I'm still swollen :) For those that know/care about how labor progresses, I'm "fingertip dialated"... which is good, it means I'm making progress, but it does nothing in the way of telling me if baby will be born sooner than later. I can stay this way for weeks, so it really just means things are going as they should. I'm still on target for my due date, however, the doctor also re-emphasized that they think this will be a BIG baby, and they are going to see how I handle the next few weeks. If they begin to suspect that he will grow to over 9lbs, they will start giving me options. I'm still going to try for a normal labor and not induce (of course, unless there would be harm for the baby), so wish me luck that he's healthy and doesn't cause me too much grief these next few weeks :)

My leg cramp is slowly subsiding, but was still really sore this morning. I've been downing water like crazy, and started trying to stretch through the pain. I think the stretching is really helping, but I still asked my doctor what her thoughts were. She said that since it's been sore for multiple days in a row, even though the area isn't swollen, she still wants to rule out a blood clot, and have my leg scanned via ultrasound. It feels a lot better this afternoon though (I've been stretching on and off all morning), so if it still hurts tomorrow, I'll schedule an appointment, otherwise if it disappears, I'll just bring that up again at my next appointment on Monday morning.

Hard to believe that next week at my appointment I'll be able to say that we're having a baby THIS month (since it will be the 1st of December)... how crazy is that? :) We also finally decided on "Benjamin James" for sure as his name. We talked it over, and we both really love it, so baby Benny it is :) Or "big Ben" if you talk to my doctor :)

Other than that, Joe installed the carseat bases in both cars on Sunday, and they are scheduled to get inspected to make sure we did it right on Saturday morning. I have to attach the sunshade thing to the carrier part, but it's ready to go! I didn't pack my hospital bags yet, but baby's bag is ready to go, and I did print out the list for what I need, so I just need to assemble it all (and get the travel size shampoo/soap stuff from the store). Since I'm not in immediate labor danger, I plan on doing a little each night, and also take some free time on Thursday since we're home for the holiday to finish it up.

25 days and counting!

36 weeks 3 days

Posted by carrie at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

To use for comparison for after baby is here... I took some photos of my swollen hands and feet. Normally my feet are both swollen, but this morning my right was more swollen than my left (which is normal in pregnancy). Either way, they hurt, and I am sad I no longer see my knuckles and my ankles are disappearing. I can't wait to have normal hands and feet again...







36 weeks 1 day

Posted by carrie at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

We're in the home stretch! This is the last month of pregnancy, only 4 more weeks to go (28 days), and next week I'll be at full term, meaning baby can come any day and still be fully developed :) I'm feeling it this week... my back is super sore, my whole body just ACHES, and I'm so tired that I fell asleep at my desk at work yesterday morning (and got caught, oops!). Luckily I have an understanding boss and coworkers, but I'm working hard on trying to find ways to keep my energy up. It's difficult without drinking coffee or soda. Chocolate works since it has small amounts of caffeine and lots of sugar, so lucky for me Joe got me a ton for my birthday :) My hands and ankles are super swollen... I should take photos just to show before/after baby comes. I've also been having crazy nightmares lately, which doesn't help my sleep problem, but I read that they are normal. The nightmares don't involve baby, but I think I'm channeling any stress and worry into my dreams, and it's coming out in bizarre ways (like one dream on Wed night, where I was being chased by crazy ghosts and dead people in a strange house, and they kept moaning that I was going to die... terrifying!!).

But outside of my aches and pains and general discomfort, we're getting more and more excited to meet baby. Benjamin James is still at the top of our name list (I keep calling him baby Benny in my head), and it looks like this one may stick around until he's born :) But I'm still not going to place bets just yet... we may take one look at him and decide something else at the last second. My mom has decided that since I have a two night stay in the hospital after delivery (hospital policy), that will give her enough time to fly down and see baby right away when I call and tell her I'm in labor (hopefully while we are still admitted). She'll stay for a day or two and then fly back home to celebrate Christmas with my family. Then she and my Dad are going to drive out here the day after Christmas, stay for a few days, then my Dad will fly back home and leave my mom out here for about two weeks. That way she has her own car, and she really wants to be here to help out. Joe's family has said they will want to come for a long weekend, so we'll work out those details once baby is actually here.

Everyone keeps telling me that I look like I could go any day now, and that I am definitely coming early... except my coworker Matt, who I agree with when he says that first timers usually go past their due date. I'm still rooting for the earlier the better and farther away from Christmas though! :) Monday is my next doctor appointment, and I now go every week to see if I'm making any progress. So Monday's appointment will give me the first glimpse at if the doctor's predict his arrival will be sooner than later.

Here's what is going on with baby this week:



We have a good chance that our kid will be born with reddish hair since I carry that gene (and have reddish hair) and Joe's family also has the Irish strawberry blondes... but most likely it will just be a light color, like both Joe and I had growing up. He's also destined to have blue or green eyes... I really can't wait to see what he looks like!! :)

This weekend we are installing carseats and packing bags... then we're done! I have one more pediatrician appointment today, but I'm fairly positive we'll go with this one out near our hospital. Much easier to get to, less of a headache to get seen, and all the doctors are in the Washingtonian's Top Doctors of 2008 :) So another thing to cross of our list... we're almost there!

36 weeks

Posted by carrie at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments

So we finished the nursery :) My mom did a great job, and I'm super happy with how it all turned out. We still have to order the alphabet poster and hang the frame above the dresser, but hopefully by next week we'll get that done. But it looks like a real nursery now! We replaced the futon cover and pillows, hung the framed posters, mounted the Peter Rabbit wallies on plaques that we also painted green to match the dresser, and my mom also added the wallies to the top of the closet. It looks very cute!:













I also took some updated belly shots, and I can't believe I still have four more weeks to go! No wonder everyone thinks I'm going early, and asks if I'm expecting any day!











I laugh when I look back at the first photos of me at the beginning of the pregnancy.. I can't believe how small I was, compared to how I am now! I can't wait to get back there again someday :) 9 months on, 9 months off, right? So by next October we'll see where I am ;)

35 weeks 5 days

Posted by carrie at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

I turn 30 today (woohoo!), with exactly 30 days to go til my due date :) It's been a great birthday so far, with a very thoughtful husband who made sure I started my day off with a plate full of really good blueberry muffins (my favorite). I got a lot of great presents, and my mom took us out to dinner last night, as she leaves back for home this morning. We finished the nursery, so I'll take photos tonight and show how much of a difference she and Joe's mom made :) It looks great!

This weekend is carseat installations and bag packing... then we're all set! I'm still chugging along... the back pain is getting better, but the hands and feet hurting are getting worse. I'm still ready to be done, but I can hang in there for a few more weeks. I'm getting more excited to meet baby, and I hope I can remember everything I've learned over the past few months.

Almost there!

35 weeks 5 days (30 days to go!)

Posted by carrie at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments

I met with the daycare provider last night (my mom came with me just for a 2nd opinion), and I loved her. So after talking it over with Joe, we decided to take the opening, even if it means paying for care for Dec/Jan just to hold our spot. I'm so excited!! She's a wonderful person, and I know she will take great care of our baby. She even told us how she likes to take photos with her blackberry and send them to parents during the day :) She has two kids of her own (in school now), and said she understands what it is like to be a new parent.

So that's a HUGE relief for me, knowing our kid will be secure in a daycare spot and I don't have to stress during my maternity leave wondering where our baby is going to go. We're signing a year contract, and if we manage to get into a daycare center at the end of the year, we'll reevaluate if we want to stay with her or not. I eventually would like to get him in to a center with a structured schedule and learning opportunities, but I think having more one-on-one interaction during the early years will work better :)

Today I also ventured back out to the pediatrician's office, only this time I knew where I was going and actually met with the doctor to ask some basic questions about their practice. Overall, I wasn't that impressed, especially with how crazy the building setup was. Parking was inside a garage (and so I'd have to pay each time). Then the office is inside a huge complex, right next to the hospital... so it just seems crazy to have to deal with that any time the baby is sick or has an appointment. The doctor herself was fine, and I'm sure she's very competent, but I wasn't blown away and not sure it's worth fighting all the traffic to get to her. I have one more pediatrician to meet with on Friday, and I'm hoping that visit goes better. This practice is out in Virginia, near to the hospital I'm delivering at, and so far I've heard rave reviews. So here's hoping I can cross that off my list this week, too! :)

Only 31 days to go!

35 weeks 4 days

Posted by carrie at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

So most of you know that daycare has been my most stressful part of this pregnancy to date. I've been on waitlists for centers since April (when I was only 5 weeks pregnant), and even when I checked up on where I stood in line last week, 4 out of the 5 centers I applied to had us listed with at least 50 or more people before us, and ONE center only had two people before us. So while there was hope for the last center, the director said she could not tell me for sure until at least late December or early January whether we had a spot or not. So not wanting to wait that long to find out and stress out while on maternity leave, I started looking for a backup plan in case we did NOT get accepted (which is very likely).

At first I started trying to find in-home centers near to us... only when I emailed all the neighborhood groups I'm a member of and asked everyone under the sun that I knew, NO ONE could tell me where to find them. Then I thought it would be easier to find someone in my neighborhood who would share the costs of a nanny with me. I sent out another email, and found a girl down my street who is due around the same time as I am, and she and I think we could work out the situation together. Once I started doing research about nanny-shares though, I realized there are a lot of hidden costs, including taxes and social security for the nanny, her vacation/sick time, making sure we provide food for her... and then extra supplies, like having to purchase a double stroller, extra highchair, etc. to accommodate two babies. It was adding up to more than we had hoped to spend, so I decided that I would try REALLY hard to make sure there really were no in-home opportunities around our house before I resorted to the nanny-share.

So for the past few weeks, I've been doing research online to find all the licensed in-home centers in DC, and then put them all on a Google Map:

DC In-Home Daycare Centers (Wards 1,2,5,6,7 only)

That way, I could literally see where they were in relation to our house, and figure out which ones were in shady neighborhoods, etc. Turns out, there are only about 6 that are close to us, so I started just cold calling them, to see if they had availability. One told me she may be expanding soon, and might have room by February. One turned out to be located within a scary housing project (so I crossed her off the list), and then one had no availability for February right now, but put me on her waitlist. I put out another email asking if anyone had feedback about those six centers, and the one that I put my name on a waitlist for got GLOWING reviews... but I wasn't holding my breath because she said she had no availability.

I was starting to get really discouraged, but knew I still had the nanny-share as a backup plan. Joe asked one night what would happen if we magically got into a daycare spot early, would we have to pay to hold the spot. I said it wasn't even worth stressing about, since we were so far down on all the lists.

So of course, as soon as I say that, what happens?? The woman who runs the in-home near our house that got glowing reviews and we were waitlisted for has an opening. The catch? We have to take it by December 1st, meaning we'd have to pay for Dec/Jan to hold our spot, even though we don't need care until February. *sigh*

Soooo... I'm going tonight to see the house with my mom and interview her. From what I heard from her past clients and other moms in my neighborhood, she's fantastic, and the moms and kids all love her. I need to find out specifics like what happens when she's sick or takes vacations, etc... but outside of those logistical questions, it sounds like we'd be crazy NOT to take this spot. I explained our situation to her, and she said that she could give us a slight discount since we won't need it for two months, but it will still be in the area of $2000 total that we need to pay for those two months.

So big decision time tonight... if I pass on her opening, I still have the nanny share and *maybe* (albeit a BIG maybe) that we get into a center. Or I could just say yes, and then not have to stress AT ALL for the next two and a half months :) I asked some ladies in the area what they would do if they were presented with this scenario... and every one of them said "daycare is tough, if you have an opening, by all means go for it".

So barring any crazy circumstances, I think we most likely will take this spot. Wish me luck though, it's been an INSANE stress and I don't want to jump into something just because we're feeling rushed. BUT... the in-home is a bit cheaper than any of the centers we looked into, and it's close to our house, so both of those things are also swaying me toward just going for it.

In other news, my mom is in town until Wednesday, and she has really helped pull the nursery together. She pointed out (as did Joe's mom) that a new futon cover would really help change the decor... maybe something in green or blue to replace the weird brown/yellow square pattern that came with it (we got it for free from a neighbor). I resisted, since I couldn't see spending more money on a futon cover when we didn't really NEED it. But she dragged me out shopping anyway, and voila, we found a yellow cover that matches our throw blankets and the peter rabbit paintings, and really brightens up the room. We then travelled out to Bed Bath & Beyond and Target to look for matching throw pillows, and found some blue and green ones that also match perfectly. She helped hang the frames, and now we're in the middle of painting a few plaques to put the Peter Rabbit "wallies" on, since mounting those looked infinitely better than just applying them to the walls. It looks really great, and I'll post photos when we're finished. It looks like a real nursery, and I could definitely not have come up with all the ideas myself :) It's great to have creative people in your family! :)

So things are wrapping up, and we are as busy as ever. I have two last appointments this week to meet with potential pediatricians, and then this weekend I'm packing my hospital bag, and installing the carseats. After that, we'll be all set, and ready for this kid to get here! We're really in the home stretch now, and I can't believe I'm going to be a mom soon! :)

35 weeks 3 days

Posted by carrie at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

I'm 35 weeks today... with 35 days left to go! One more week to get all the stuff done that I wanted (packing bags, installing carseats, and decorating the nursery). After that, I just want to concentrate on making sure we have the supplies we need. We're good on diapers for now, until we make sure we know what size baby will be. I have a bunch of newborn and size 1 diapers just in case, and they are stocked up and put away :) I started packing his diaper bag with his coming home clothes and receiving blankets, and even threw some wipes in there based on advice from other moms who claim the hospital wipes suck at getting that black tarry stuff off of baby. I still need to stock up on recovery supplies for me, so that we don't have to worry about leaving the house for the first 2-3 days. Here's what is going on with baby this week:



As for me, I'm feeling pretty crappy these days. My mild discomfort has turned to pain... I can't stand for more than 20 min without my lower back screaming. So by the time I walk home from the Metro at night, then walk Lily, I'm struggling not to cry and have to sit down for 15 min before I can think about standing at the counter to make dinner. Even then, I have to pick stuff to make that doesn't require constant monitoring/stirring, so that I can sit down while it cooks. Everything is super swollen, and my finger joints/knuckles hurt like crazy in the morning, until I start moving and getting the blood flowing. Even then, throughout the day they still hurt that I can barely hold a pen or make a fist. Baby is so low (I don't think he dropped, I think he's just always been really low) that I have to pee every 20 minutes and feel the constant pressure and pain when he punches my pelvis. Much like carrying around a bowling ball directly on my bladder, all the time. I can't sleep for more than two hours at a time, and if I try to roll over, the pulling/stretching/pressure from the weight of my stomach really hurts, and I sound ridiculous moaning and grunting. So as a result of not sleeping, I'm super groggy at work, and have almost passed out in my chair at my desk every day this week. I can't believe I have 5 more weeks of this... I'm SO ready to be done being pregnant. It was fun while it lasted, but I'm DONE. I really hope he comes early, if not for the sake of being further away from Christmas, but just to give my poor body a break!

My birthday is coming up this week, and I'm turning the big three-oh. So baby and I will be exactly 30 years apart :) I'm so glad we didn't plan anything big because I feel awful, and would be passed out by 9:30pm anyway. My birthday is not that big of a deal for me... I would much rather go out to eat and have a quiet time at home watching a movie with just Joe and I than I would partying it up at the bar, so I don't mind skipping a big celebration. My mom is coming to town tomorrow, and we're having dinner with my cousins (who moved out here last year). They also just had a baby boy, so I'm excited I get to meet him, too!

But despite my aches and pains, things are going well for baby. He's moving and growing, and we'll get to meet him very soon!! :)

35 weeks

Posted by carrie at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments

So we got rid of the yellow table and the rocking chair... now all we have left to do is assemble the stroller and the jumperoo, and put up the wall decorations. Then it's done! Joe's mom did a great job painting the dresser. She and Joe decided on a pale green, and it matches the crib bedding and decorations perfectly:













So no other major updates... hopefully my next round of photos will be of it all completed :)

34 weeks 4 days

Posted by carrie at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

First things first, I no longer have placenta previa, so I'm free and clear from that, and won't need a c-section :) Turns out I do have an anterior placenta, which explains why I didn't feel movement until MUCH later than other girls. That's no big deal, just describes the position, and is perfectly fine. He's also head down and crammed near my pelvic bone, which explains the ridiculous pressure there, and it's the exact spot I always feel him punching :) We got some fun photos, and even a 3D one, where you can see his chubby cheeks (totally from Joe):









So cute! We also got some estimates on his size, which was confirmed by my OB's measurements. Turns out baby is measuring big, in the 85th percentile for size (about 5 lbs right now, from the ultrasound tech's estimate). So yeah, he sounds like he will take after his dad! Not sure he'll reach the full 10lbs that Joe did, but he's a big baby! Other than that, my blood pressure is fine and everything else with baby checked out great. I have another appointment in two weeks, and after that begins the weekly appointments. I'm in the home stretch!! I anticipate that baby might be a little early, but he might hang on... who knows. I'm still hoping he comes around the full moon on the 12th :)

I'll post updates to the nursery later tonight, as soon as I finish putting everything away! Joe's mom left this morning but she didn't come with us to the ultrasound. My parents arrive this weekend, so we should hopefully be able to get everything done. Not much left to do! :)

34 weeks 4 days

Posted by carrie at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

On Saturday, Joe's cousin Ann invited us out to her house for the "November Birthdays" party, which is a party they hold every year out here to celebrate Joe's relatives with birthdays in November (which is the most popular month, how convenient for me) :) Usually it's held at Aunt Signe's house, but this year Ann said she would host it. I didn't think anything of it, so when we walked in, I was chatting away... and then after about 15 min I looked up and asked "Hey... why does it say "Baby Shower" above the fireplace?" Um... genius me figured it out in about two seconds that they had tricked me, and instead planned a baby shower for us! It was so thoughtful, and I started tearing, but held myself together :) We had a lot of fun... there were only about 10 of us, but we played two games, "guess the baby food" where we tasted jar food samples and had to guess the flavor (I got about 4/10 right, and Aunt Signe won), and "how big is Carrie's belly" where you took a piece of string and cut it to the length you thought would wrap around my stomach. Joe won that one, and he was within an inch! So a big thank you to Joe's family for organizing that, and being so thoughtful! We had a blast! :)

34 weeks 3 days

Posted by carrie at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

I'll take photos tonight when we have most of the stuff cleaned up in the house... but wow, did we get a LOT accomplished over the weekend! And my body is totally feeling it today. Joe's mom came in on Thursday, and in the short few days she has been here, she painted the white dresser a pale green (matching the hamper, crib bedding, and baskets around the room), took apart the bookshelf in the living room, sanded and restained it so that it looks brand new (it was falling to pieces and needed desperate help), cleaned and helped us fix our dryer vent situation, and weeded and cleaned up our back patio. She was supposed to take off for home this morning, but because we kind of left some things unfinished, she stayed an extra day :)

We went shopping at World Market and Home Depot to see if we could get a new lamp for the nursery to replace the black halogen one, and even though we didn't find one, we switched it with the silver and white one from our bedroom so that it matches better. We decided we'd just get a new lamp for us, with the gift certificates we have left over for Target :) We also treked all the way out to IKEA in search of lamps and possibly a new futon cover... but IKEA's futons are European sizes, so they don't have queen size covers in the store. So I'll search online for a new one of those, and once we get that and finish hanging stuff on the walls, our room will look great!

I also moved the cat litter into our room, since the new enclosure came last week, and so far so good, the cats use it without a problem! Joe's mom also convinced Joe to get rid of the yellow table AND the rocking chair... so we set the chair out on the curb with the word "free" taped to it (and it was gone in an hour), and she is taking the yellow table back home with her to store in case we find room for it in the future. So now the room looks MUCH more open and spacious. We also went to a few stores looking for wallpaper borders, but NO ONE keeps them in stock anymore. So if we go that route, we have to order them from a catalog, or online. Bummer.

But all in all, the room is *almost* done. My mom and dad are coming in this weekend, and I know they'll be a big help to finish it up :)

Tomorrow morning is our big ultrasound, and now that Joe's mom is staying an extra day, she might come with us. So that will be fun, since my mom got to see baby at 18 weeks, and now she'll get to see him at 34 :) I can't wait to see how he's growing!! I have the day off as a holiday, so I'll be sure to post the ultrasound photos when I get home :)

My body is NOT used to all that bending and lifting though, so I'm feeling it today. Nothing major, just really tired, sore, and achey... I definitely could use a nap! Only a few more hours left though, so I'll make it through :)

34 weeks 3 days

Posted by carrie at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

34 weeks down, only 6 more to go! Baby is still moving around like crazy, and I still feel him very, very low. I think that's why I don't have heartburn anymore, but my bladder feels like someone has put a 50lb weight on it. Sometimes I feel pinching and stabbing pain, and I just want to yell at him to knock it off in there! :) I'll find out for sure what his position is on Tuesday, when we go for our ultrasound and my next doctors appointment. Here is what is going on with baby this week:



I'm trying to nail down a pediatrician for our baby within the next week or so, and yesterday I travelled up to do a "meet and greet" appointment with a potential doctor in DC. However, their office was ridiculous to find... it's part of the Washington Hospital Center off North Capitol, and I got seriously lost even with my map. The buildings were not numbered, and the complex is huge, so I wound up having to turn around and come home, and miss my appointment with her. I even tried calling the office to see if they could help navigate me, but because they schedule the parent appointments during lunch when they are closed, the answering service picks up their calls, and they could not help guide me. I rescheduled though, and now I know which building is theirs :) However, I'm still not 100% that I want to deal with all the craziness near there every time I bring my kid in, plus parking is $5 for every visit. I found another pediatrician in Virginia that has their own office building, and parking is free. And bonus, they have rights to practice at the hospital where we are delivering, so I don't have to use the hospital's on call pediatrician for the first well visit in the hospital :) So I'm still going to visit both, and see which one is a) more convenient and b) whose personality I like better :)

In other news, Joe's mom is in town this weekend, and she is ready to paint! She might even talk Joe into wallpapering some of the baby's room, since if we move, all we'd have to do is tear it down, rather than repaint. She has some ideas on different things to do for the dresser and the table... I suggested brown to match the crib, but she pointed out that if you aren't staining it to look like wood, that it will just be a flat brown. Which isn't what I was going for... so this morning we talked it over with Joe, and we decided that the table is going back with his mom to NY to give us more room, and they are going to figure another color (pale green perhaps) to paint the dresser :) So that's today's project, and then tomorrow we might scour some craft stores for borders and wallpaper, to see if we can't figure out how to liven up the walls a bit. I'm really excited, the room should look great by next week!

I'm feeling mostly fine... my hands feel more and more sore each morning, but as the day wears on, they feel ok. I'm still swelling a ton, and I notice at night it's a thousand times worse. So I'm propping my feet up more, and trying to drink as much water as I can stand. I have to walk a lot slower, as I get side stitches and pulling in my abs and back, and I have a LOT of pressure in my lower abs. I know it's baby down there, but he's making it tough for me to keep walking! I'm also on the verge of not being able to tie my shoes... this belly is REALLY getting in the way! It's so frustrating trying to bend down and pick something off the floor, only to realize you can't get down that far. *sigh*

But overall, I still feel great. No major aches and pains, just annoyances, and once I get up and moving throughout the day, I feel ok. Only two more weeks to finish everything (I wanted to be done by 36 weeks), and we're almost there! After the room is done, the next thing to accomplish will be installing the carseat and getting our bags packed... then we're all set! Little things to stock up on still (like baby tylenol, motrin for me, etc)... but overall, we're almost ready to go! 42 days left... although, I did notice there was a full moon a week before my due date (on 12/12). So who knows, it *could* signal an early arrival! :)

34 weeks

Posted by carrie at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments

I'm used to the "wow, any day now" comments by now (got another one this morning), and the look of surprise when people hear that I have six weeks to go. But today a woman at work told me how another girl in her office is also pregnant, due on 12/15, but that she's "really petite and only gained 6lbs". Now, I'm sure she has no idea how much the other girl really gained and it was probably more than 6lbs (normal weight gain is close to 25 lbs by now) but regardless, that just made me feel like an enormous whale. So thank you random lady in the restroom... and let this be a word of caution to those of you that feel like commenting on a pregnant woman's size. Just don't, we already feel huge, and any comments about our size (though they may be well intentioned) really don't make us feel good about ourselves. Especially if we've gained more than the "recommended" amount... reminding us does nothing for our self esteem. Ugh.

33 weeks 6 days

Posted by carrie at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

I posted this on my family site, but felt it was worth repeating over here.

My parent's neighbor, Shirley, passed away yesterday. She watched both my sister and I when we were younger, until we were old enough to stay home alone. She still remained an active part of our lives, and every time we had a big announcement to make, we made sure we got down to tell her in person :) She battled cancer for the past few years, and after going through a harsh round of chemotherapy, her cancer was finally announced to be in remission. However, last week she caught viral pneumonia, and despite the hospital's best efforts, she was unable to win that fight with her weakened immune system.

I'm very sad, mostly because I had hoped that she would be here to meet our baby, and he would get to know someone who was so influential in my life. She was a wonderful woman, and will be so, so missed by everyone that knew her.

We love you, Shirley, and I hope you have found an end to your suffering. We all miss you.

33 weeks 5 days

Posted by carrie at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

I'm voting for Obama today after work. I think it's fun that baby will be born during such a historic election year... don't forget to get out the vote today, regardless of who you are voting for! :)

33 weeks 4 days

Posted by carrie at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments

The two groups I use the most out here in DC are Moms on the Hill, which is my local neighborhood moms and dads group, and DC Urban Moms. Both of these have given me invaluable advice about where to find things in DC (schools, daycares, pediatricians, supplies, free stuff, etc)... so I wanted those ladies who are also in DC that run across my site to definitely check them out! I added links to their website on the right (one is a Yahoo group and one is an online forum) but I receive both as daily emails. I definitely couldn't have survived without them!

33 weeks 3 days

Posted by carrie at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments

We're getting there! All we have left to do is a) paint the table and dresser b) hang stuff on the walls c) move the cat litter once the new enclosure gets here, and d) move everything to the living room (like the swing, stroller, and activity mat). Everything else has been put away and organized. So now I'm making a list of the supplies I need to stock up on (like more diapers, wipes, creams, lotions, etc) and then packing our bags to get ready for the hospital :) We also set up the pack and play in our bedroom, since I wanted to keep baby in our room for the first few weeks while I recuperate. After that, we'll move him into his crib, and the pack and play will go downstairs so that we have a place to change him and let him nap without having to trek all the way upstairs (excuse the unmade bed):













Almost there! Time is going by fast though, so I hope we get it all done!

This week I have a free breastfeeding class offered through the Breastfeeding Center on K Street downtown. I already took one through the hospital, but I can't turn down free information :) Plus they give discounts on supplies, so I wanted to make sure I have everything I need. I have my breastpump already, and I took a class on the best way to use that. I know I won't need it until I'm ready to go back to work since I need to establish my milk supply first, but I am trying to use my free time now to learn about that stuff, since I know it will be scarce when he arrives.

Joe and I also are meeting with a potential pediatrician on Thursday, for a "meet and greet". If we like her, that's one more thing I can check off our list :) I have a list of questions for her, but she comes highly recommended from moms in my neighborhood, so I'm pretty confident we will choose her.

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday! We're Obama fans over here, and we are going to the infamous "Hawk 'n Dove" bar on Tuesday to watch the results flow in. However, since that's THE place to be, if it's too crowded where I can't sit down, we will definitely move over to our other favorite place, Argonaut on H Street, and celebrate the win over there ;)

33 weeks 2 days

Posted by carrie at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here are a few Halloween photos from Friday. Joe was "Joe the Plumber" complete with McCain/Palin button, and I was the "hockey mom" :)





So I've grown quite a bit since my shower 4 weeks ago, and I still have 7 weeks to go. Yesterday and especially today I've woken up feeling awful... back is really, really sore, abs feel like someone bruised me, my hands ache, and I'm exhausted from not sleeping. Seriously, now I know why women feel the "get this kid out of me" feeling. And I think it only goes downhill from here. Let's hope time keeps going by fast... and I hope I can muddle through the rest of the stuff I need to get done in the meantime. Still no paint for the dresser/table, but that's more due to lack of funds than time. This weekend if we don't get it done, I'm not doing it... so we'll see what happens :)

33 weeks 2 days

Posted by carrie at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments