34 week appointment and random ramblings

I had my 34 week appointment yesterday and it was the same as usual. Weight, pee in a cup, blood pressure, doctor comes in feels the baby, we listen to the heartbeat, talk a little, ask any questions. It was quick and easy. We didn't really have any questions. He said Jackson is measuring about 5 pounds now, he's still head down and should stay that way. He said that after 35 weeks if I go into labor they will not do anything to stop labor, so that's Sunday! I don't think it'll happen for a few more weeks but crazy to think it could happen soon! My next appointment is in 2 weeks, that's when I'll start going weekly, and my dr will start checking my cervix! I can't wait to know what's going on down there! He said he'll be able to give us a better idea of when I might go into labor, if it could be sooner then my due date.
After the appointment we had planned on going over to the hospital to see if we could do a tour (the building my dr is in is right next to the hospital). So we went over there and it was so crazy walking into labor and delivery. It made it feel more real! We went into a little office first and pre registered and then went to see if we could take a tour. Well they didn't have any birthing/deliver rooms available for us to see, they were either all in use or waiting to be cleaned. They had 11 mammas in labor! Crazy! So we said we'd just come back after my next appointment! I have a feeling I'll be having a major "holy shit" moment when we go on the tour! It makes it feel so real! And like its going to happen so soon. Which I guess it is. I'll be full term in 2 1/2 weeks...my due date is in 5 1/2 weeks...OMG...I'm going to have a baby soon!!! After waiting so long for this it just doesn't feel possible that he'll be here so soon!
There are still a few things I want to get done before I have him. I'm planning on having these things done before I get to 37 weeks. I want to get my car cleaned inside and out and we're planning on doing that this weekend. Then we need to install the car seat base, we also want to get a second base for Josh's car, we have to decide whose car well put the carseat in. I'm guessing my husband will drive me to the hospital in his car so I'm thinking it'll be best to put the car seat base we have in his car until we get a second base. I'll probably just leave the carseat in the house with the hospital bags until I go into labor, that way we'll be sure to grab it when we leave for the hospital. I also need to get a few more things for my hospital bag and finish packing my bag and the baby bag. I want to put a little basket together for the nurses at the hospital (or possible 2 baskets-one for the labor and delivery nurses and one for the postpartum ones) just with little snacks and candy. I can't imagine being a L&D nurse, I'm sure its a rewarding job helping babies be born, but I know most women aren't at their best during that time! I'm sure those nurses put up with a lot and I really feel they deserve a little thank you for all their hard work! So I need to start stocking up on stuff for that and putting those together! I also want to make some freezer meals so we can have easy meals for the first few weeks.
At this point my mom is planning on coming here from CA on August 25 and staying until September 19, then she'll go back for my brothers wedding (sept 28) and after that she'll be here permanently! She's moving here! A lot is still up in the air as to when she'll actually be moving here, but its good to have a plan of when she'll be here! If I do happen to go into labor earlier I know she'll just change her flight and be able to be here! She's waiting to find out if my brother and his fiancé get a house that they put in an offer for, they've been waiting to hear for so long, its a short sale so that's why it's taken so long, they should hear within the next 10 days. If they don't get the house then they are going to buy my moms condo, if they get the house my mom will list her condo to sell it. If she does end up listing it it will probably sell REALLY quickly so either way she will be moving here really soon! I can't wait to have my mom here!
I also want to re do our little calendar wall we have by our kitchen. Right now we just have a whiteboard calendar with space to write notes next to it. I want to put a bulletin board there instead with a real calendar and 2 slot folder things below it for our mail (I'll add a third when my mom moves in).i already have everything so it should be an easy project for this weekend.
I also want to get the house clean before I have Jackson.
Somedays I feel like i still have so much to do and other days I feel like I'm pretty much ready for Jackson to be here!
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34 weeks!

How far along? 34 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: I lost 1 lb this past week so I've gained back 5 total, so still down 15 lbs from my pre pregnancy weight. That seems to be the magic number or something. I'll gain or lose 1 or 2 and seem to always end up back at 5 pounds. Lets hope it stays that way!!!

Maternity clothes? Mainly

Sleep: some nights are better then others. I have CRAZY dreams most nights, I wake up thinking what the hell! But I always forget them as soon as I completely wake up. And I also get up to pee SO many times. I think its natures way of helping us get ready to be up so many times a night to feed a newborn! Lol and last night was horrible! My mind was running a million miles a minute thinking about everything I want and need to do in the next few weeks!

Best moment this week: finding out that some of my co workers are throwing me a baby shower! I really did not expect that and I'm so thankful!

Movement: yes. He still loves to have his feet up in my ribs, but this time he actually had them on the left side a few times. I know he's gotten big and I know about how big he is, over 4 lbs and around 19+ inches long, but in my mind I still picture him as the tiny baby snuggled in there that we saw on the ultrasounds, moving around without me actually feeling him yet...so now when I feel him kicking me in the ribs and punching me way down low on the opposite side it is just so crazy to me. Like "wow, seriously?! How can that be possible?!" Even though I now it is possibly!

Food cravings: peaches and pomagranate Popsicles still, watermelon

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: nope. Although the longer I'm on my feet an the more active I am I start getting more consistent and more intense contractions. I wouldn't exactly say that they are really painful (compared to what I'm sure real labor contractions will feel like) but the get more uncomfortable and border on being painful as they go on. When I sit for a while or even just try to stand still and relax for a little bit they seem to lessen. So I'm going to ask my dr about it at my appointment on Tuesday.

Belly Button in or out? In still

What I miss: being able to get a good nights sleep

What I am looking forward to: upcoming baby shower thrown by my friends at work. Finishing up everything to be ready for my baby boy, and meeting my little man in a few weeks!

Milestones: being 34 weeks pregnant! Every week, month, even day feels like a milestone when there was a time that I wondered if I'd ever even be pregnant!


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Feeling blessed!

We've lived in utah for almost 3 years now and while I consider some of my co workers friends, we are mainly just friends at work, between working different schedules at work, with different days off and having husbands and families outside of work it makes it hard to get together. We have a girls night occasionally after work where we go out for drinks after work, and a few of us tried to plan a weekend away to Windover (a small casino town) but it never worked out. Well one of my work friends messaged me last night saying that her and another friend are going to throw me a baby shower! She gave me to dates next month and asked if one of them would work! I did not expect or think I would have a baby shower here in utah! I thought a few friends at work might give me a little baby gift but that's the extent if it! One co worker gave me a target gift card this week for the baby!
I'm shocked and so thankful and blessed. Mainly to realize that these coworker/friends are there for me and are really friends, not just "friends at work" if that makes sense. Especially living away from my friends and family back home. It's not about getting gifts, although that's nice, I mainly have everything I need, I'm just so thankful and happy to have friends who want to do this for me!
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33 weeks!

How far along? 33 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: I gained 1 lb. So I'm up 6 lbs from what I lost in the beginning, so still 14 lbs under my pre pregnancy weight

Maternity clothes? Yes. My shirts seem to be getting shorter, not too short, just shorter. And they used to hug my belly then lay flat against my body under my belly, but now some of my shirts are just kinda hanging off my belly and not hugging under it and laying flat anymore, if that makes any sense

Sleep: not to good. I've been uncomfortable and having to pee A LOT

Best moment this week: being 8 months preggo!

Movement: yep, lots! His newest trick is kicking me in the ribs when I'm trying to eat! Which makes leaning over the table and plate pretty uncomfortable!

Food cravings: peaches still and pomagranate Popsicles. I was craving an ice cream Sunday but once I had one it wasn't that good :( I'm just not as into sweets as I used to be, which isn't a bad thing

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: no, but having Braxton hicks contractions

Belly Button in or out? In, becoming less so, but I still don't think it'll fully come out...maybe though

What I miss: today it was wine...I was sewing and thought how nice it would be to enjoy a glass of wine while I'm sewing like I used to! And sushi...I can't wait to have sushi

What I am looking forward to: meeting my baby boy in a few weeks!

Milestones: being 8 months preggo! 4 weeks until full term and 6 weeks + 6 days (48 days) until my due date! Yay!


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32 week appointment

I had my 32 week appointment yesterday and it went great, as usual. The appointment are always the same and I only have one more like this! At 36 weeks I will start going weekly and my dr will start doing internal checks and we'll start talking more about labor and deliver! Craziness! So he nurse did weight, had me pee in a cup, and she took my blood pressure. I love that I always have the same nurse! She's really nice! Then the dr comes in, asks how everything is, says my weight, blood pressure and urine is good. Always tells me I'm very low risk and that I'm doing great! Then he feels the belly and we listen to the heartbeat. He says Jackson is about 4 pounds now! Holy cow! There's a 4 pound baby inside me! I know the doctors guess is just that, a guess, but wow. 4 pounds. I have a friend whose baby was 3 weeks early and weighed 4 pounds! We talked to the dr for a little bit. We told him that we found out I can deliver at the hospital right next to his office vs the one a few miles away, he seemed happy about that. Then we talked about going on a hospital tour. I did ask him about taking a birth class, if he recommends it and he tried to put it as nicely as he could (probably in case I really wanted to take one) that he doesn't really think its necessary. I told him I just want the baby out as painlessly as possible and I'm all for pain meds so he said he feels it really isn't necessary. I liked that since I don't feel it's necessary either! I mentioned that my insurance covers a breast pump and he said to try to remind him after I have the baby (um...might not happen, hopefully my mom or josh will remember, I think I'll have other things on my mind!) and he'll make sure to give me the prescription for it along with the prescriptions for pain meds and a stool softener...so glad he mentioned that because I've read horror stories about the first poo after having a baby! I also asked about taking a breastfeeding class which he also didn't really recommend. BUT he did say that its best to get help and learn once you have the baby and that the nurses and lactation consultants at the hospital are really great and will give me lots of help learning to breast feed. I was glad josh was there because he also said that breast feeding isn't usually as easy as it looks and that it is hard work at first. I think men just assume you put the baby to the boob and that's it, and for some it might be that simple, but not always and they don't think about holds, latch, and everything else that goes along with breast feeding!

So after our next appointment in 2 weeks we are going to see if we can go tour the hospital and pre register! I'm pretty excited about that. I'm hoping they will tell us what they provide there for us so I can finalize my list for the baby bag and my bag!


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32 weeks

How far along? 32 weeks!!!
Total weight gain/loss: same, down 15 pounds from my pre pregnancy weight
Maternity clothes? Mostly
Sleep: other then getting up to pee a ton and crazy dreams its good
Best moment this week: I finished washing all the clothes, blankets, sheets and towels!
Movement: yep. Getting stronger still, earlier today it felt like he was using my insides as a punching bag!
Food cravings: peaches, I eat at least one a day. And pomagranate Popsicles
Gender: boy
Labor Signs: no, occasional Braxton hicks contractions though
Belly Button in or out? Still in! I don't know if it'll ever be out
What I miss: wine, beer, cocktails...but it's worth it!
What I am looking forward to:
getting stuff on my to-do before baby comes list done! Meeting my little guy in 8 weeks (or less)!
Milestones: being 8 months pregnant!!!
My father in law will be in town this Sunday so today I spent some time cleaning up the babies room so we can show it to him when he's here! There were piles of laundry all over the room so I finished up the baby laundry today! I also hung paper lanterns but I need to get Pompoms to add to it and then I'll post a pic. I have a few things I want to do before Sunday, so I will be pretty busy on my next day off (Wednesday).
I ordered fabric to make the carseat canopy, boppy cover, and maybe the crib skirt! It should be here tomorrow, so I have quite a bit if sewing to do too! I also need to buy some nursing bras and nursing tanks and a few other things for my hospital bag!
I also want to schedule a hospital tour for sometime soon!
And there's tons more on my todo list! I have a feeling the next few weeks are going to be keeping my very busy on my days off from work. 8 weeks sounds like a lot of time, but it really isn't! Especially when you consider I get 2 days off of work a week, the days I work I'm usually too tired to do anything but cook dinner. And I get the most done on my weekends off, which is every other weekend. So I really only have 4 weekends off before my due date! And that 4th weekend is my due date! Holy crap! He'll be here before I know it!
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Breast pumps, birth plans, randomness

Yesterday I called my insurance company because my doctor had mentioned at my last appointment that depending on my insurance I might have to deliver at a different hospital. He delivers at 2 hospitals and I was planning on delivering at the one closest to home, his office is also in a building at the hospital. The other hospital is only about 5 miles farther away so its not really a big deal. I also wanted to ask my insurance if they cover a breast pump. Obamacare made all insurance providers cover breast pumps but reading the message boards on the bump and what to expect apps I was hearing that a lot of insurance companies had found ways to get around that and since my insurance isn't great I figured they wouldn't cover one.
So I called and the lady I talked to answered my first question pretty easily after putting me on hold for a few minutes, the hospital closest to home is in network so I can deliver there. Then I asked her if a breast pump is covered, it took her a few minutes to look that up and she said that yes it is and then I asked how I go about getting one...and she put me on hold to look up more info about it...I was on hold for over an hour! I was so pissed off. Then my call get put back into the queue of calls an answered by someone else who was able to answer the question within a few minutes without even putting me on hold! I was so mad. But what can I do? She told me that I can get a breast pump at the hospital after I deliver (I'm going to ask the hospital about this when I do a hospital tour) and she gave me 3 websites I can go through to get one. They are medical supply websites and I found one that seems the easiest to go through if the hospital way doesn't work out. The insurance won't cover it until after the baby is born but as soon as the baby is born I can call them and give them my info and order it and they verify it with my insurance and doctor and then send it to me. I won't beed it the first few weeks so i don't mind if I have to wait a few weeks to get it in the mail. The ones on their website are the ameda double electric, Medela double electric and a playtex double electric. I want the Medela of course. I'm so happy about this! It saves is about $200! So since I already bought the ameda purely yours double electric at babies r us I am going to return it tomorrow (90 day return policy). I used $100 gift card from my sister towards it so I'm just going to get the whole amount in a gift card and hold onto it until we get one through my insurance, just in case something doesn't work out right or we have to wait to long or something to get it that way, then we already have the money set aside to just go buy it. I don't see that happening, but my husband wants to do that just in case. And then once we get it through insurance we'll have that gift card to get stuff we need for the baby!

Everyone always talks about their birth plan. Here's mine: get the baby out as painlessly as possible. While I'd love to be one of those woman that has their baby all natural with no drugs and its all peaceful and beautiful, that's just not gonna happen for me. I don't like pain and I want to enjoy my babies birth as much as I can so bring on the drugs. I plan on getting an epidural. I'm also not against pitocin (spelling) if its needed. But there is one thing I feel very strongly about and that is that once the baby is delivered I want him places directly on my chest and I want him to be able to stay there as long as he can. I want to do skin to skin right away in hopes of starting off on the right foot as far as breast feeding goes. I really want to breastfeed and I want to do whatever I can to establish that and be successful at it from the very start. I have read that a newborn is most alert and awake during the first hour or two after birth so its a really important time to establish breast feeding. I also want him to stay in the room with me and not go to the nursery. I know some people send the baby to the nursery so they can get some sleep before they take the baby home. But to me I want me baby right there. I've waited so long to meet this little guy I want to get to know him. It's also important for breast feeding for him to be right there. There are cues of hunger before the baby starts crying and its best to breastfeed at those beginning cues then to wait until the baby is crying. I just know that a lot of people in my family have struggled with breast feeding so I want to do everything I possibly can to make breastfeeding work!

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Weight

I finally remembered to weigh myself this morning. I gained a few pounds in the last few weeks, well I guess I maybe gained back the 2 pounds I had lost a few weeks ago. I'm still down 15 pounds from my pre pregnancy weight. We really indulged when we were in park city so hopefully that's what had me to back up a few pounds and hopefully since I'm back to normal eating since being back home my weight will stay steady right where it is! I really don't want to go over my pre pregnancy weight during my pregnancy, and I think that should be pretty easy since I've only gained back 5 of the 20 pounds I lost on the beginning. I'd REALLY like to gain no more then 5 pounds the rest of my pregnancy, so well see if that happens. And then once this baby is born I'm determined to get back in shape and get my old body back! I want to be as healthy as I can be for my son. I want him to have an active childhood and parents who aren't embarrassed to take him to the pool because their embarrassed to wear a bathing suit. I want hiking and biking and walking and playing sports to be a part of our lives as a family and I need to be in better shape to do those things! And I want to feel good about myself again. Feel sexy for my husband.


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31 weeks!!!

How far along? 31 weeks and 2 days today

Total weight gain/loss: not sure. I keep forgetting to weigh myself because I do it first thing in the morning before I take a shower. I'm pretty sure I've gained a few pounds though

Maternity clothes? Yep, but I tried on my jeans from before I was pregnant and they still fit, they are tight in the tummy but I can zip and button them

Sleep: pretty good, just having CRAZY dreams and having to get up to pee ALL night long

Best moment this week: feeling him move a lot more when I'm moving around not just sitting still

Movement: lots

Food cravings: cold fruit...like peaches, watermelon, Rainer cherries. And of course pomagranate Popsicles

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: no, but I'm having Braxton hicks contractions

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: being able to do things like bend over, get out of bed/off the couch without a struggle!

What I am looking forward to: meeting my little man in 2 months

Milestones: being 31 weeks pregnant!

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Baby clothes!

I started washing baby stuff today!

I sorted all the clothes into 3 piles, whites, colors and darks, I ended up throwing some white bedding in with the whites because that pile was so light. I only did newborn, 0-3, 3 months, and 3-6. I didn't wash anything 6 months or larger yet. Here's my piles:






This little boy has A LOT of clothing! I need to make sure anything I buy from now on is 6 months or bigger (I don't have nearly as much in sizes 6 months and bigger). And somehow I managed to lose 1 sock and 1 mitten (the little ones to keep them from scratching their face).

I planned in washing the bedding, blankets, towels and washcloths too but I didn't get that far. Here's the blankets and bedding:



Plus 2 white crib sheets and a mattress pad that I already washed with the whites! We're set for blankets and bedding too! And there's another pile of baby towels and wash cloths, so many wash cloths that I ended up not even opening 2 packages that each have 12 wash cloths. I'll hold onto them to see if I need them but I don't think I will, and if I don't I'll "sell" them at the consignment store I like to shop at. I plan on keeping my favorite outfits for if we have another boy down the line, but I will probably "sell" some of the clothes (especially the ones I bought there or we're given to me used) to go towards buying bigger clothes there as we need them!

I know 31 weeks might seem a little early to wash everything, but I couldn't wait! I want to start get in the hospital bags packed and getting things organized and ready. Everyone I know who has had a baby recently has had them early, anywhere from 10 days to 3 weeks early! All first babies too. My co worker had her little girl about 2 weeks early with no warning. No sign she'd go into labor anytime soon until her water broke early one morning! Same with the friend who had hers 3 weeks early. My cousins wife was on bedrest for about 2 months before she had their son 10 days early. I'm terrified that I'll go into labor early and won't have everything done! If rather be washing the clothes again at 39 weeks, then going into labor early and not having anything washed! I think that my job might cause me to have him before my due date. I'm on my feet all day at work, not just standing, I'm pretty active, its retail, so cleaning up, putting stuff away, putting up shelves, putting out product. Some days I come home exhausted and sore from everything, but I'm careful not to so anything I shouldn't be doing, like lifting things that are heavy. But at the same time I think I might be siting here on my due date doing everything I can to get this boy out! Only time will tell. I kinda can't wait until 36 weeks when I'll start going to my every week and having cervical checks. My dr says once he does the check at 36 weeks he'll be able to give us a much better idea of if Jackson may come early or if things are still "locked up tight". I know a lot of people don't like the checks because you can be dilated for weeks before you go into labor, but I want to know! 37 weeks is full term, so he's welcome to come anytime after that! I just can't wait to meet my baby boy!

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Ouch!

Last night I had my first painful kick/punch/movement from Jackson. I was laying in bed falling asleep and feeling him move around a little and all of a sudden he did something that hurt. It made me wince like when you stub your toe or hit your shin on something! I can't believe a movement from someone whose only 3 pounds could be so painful! He's done other things that were uncomfortable, like sticking what I can only assume is his butt or foot (since the dr said he's head down) up right below my ribs on my right side. My right side seems to be his preferred side to be on lately! I don't mind though, feeling him move is so worth any pain!


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Photo organization

I love taking pictures, so I tend to take a lot of them. I have a decent digital camera and a nicer, more expensive digital Nikon (its on the low end of the nicer cameras, but its still a really nice camera), but I tend to use my iPhone for most of the pictures I take. I usually never have the other camera with me. When we were in Park City this past weekend I went to take a pic with my iPhone and got a message saying I couldn't because storage was too full. What?!?! I know I have a lot of pics on my phone, but that sucks! So I deleted some pics and was able to take a few throughout the weekend. I did have my regular digital camera with me, but I barley used it. It's just easier to use my phone.

So when I got home I decided to get the pics on my phone onto my computer. My laptop sucks. It crashed a few years ago and best buy was able to recover my pictures off of it and put them onto an external hard drive. My laptop also won't let me download the newest version of iTunes. After a lot of figuring out I was able to get the pics from my phone onto the external hard drive. I also moved some other picture folders over from my computer to the external hard drive that I hadn't moved yet. Well now I have a bunch of random folders full of pictures and a lot of the pictures are in multiple folders. I really need to find a way to organize all the pictures on my external hard drive. I really want to get that done before Jackson gets here! Just one more thing to add to the to do list!


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30 weeks

Not a great pic, it was in our hotel room


Here's another, horrible pic, horrible lighting but of well:




How far along? 30 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: haven't checked this week so I'm going to go with same as last week

Maternity clothes? Yep

Sleep: my cold is getting better so sleep is getting better each night!

Best moment this week: spending the weekend in park city for a little last weekend getaway before Jackson comes

Movement: yep, lots

Food cravings: not really

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: no, I'm pretty sure I'm occasionally having Braxton hicks contractions

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: sushi, wine and margaritas

What I am looking forward to: getting everything ready and meeting my baby boy in 2 months!

Milestones: being 3/4 of the way through my pregnancy!


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