I know my due date is officially tomorrow (weird to write those words) but I made and uploaded a video today.
Click HERE to watch the video.
I hope to be too busy having a baby to post tomorrow. But we'll see! I've had a few encouraging signs of progression today so cross your fingers! Also, I'll have to try to remember to write a post about my first acupuncture experience. That's a story for another day.
Happy weekend!!! xo :)
Friday, November 21, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Picture Dump 11.19.14
It's been a long while since I've done a decent picture dump, so I just went through my camera roll on my phone and chose a bunch for you! They're not in any order, but they're all captioned so they'll make some amount of sense (I hope!) They go from Halloween until now, so I apologize if there are any repeats because I can't remember what I've posted LOL!
Halloween makeup. Took me forever!
One of my closest friends and me. I LOVE HER!
She is so rad.. and her Halloween costume was
creepy as f*ck. <3
My jack-o-lantern
Me and my no-feet, ready to go to Zumba
a few weeks ago.
This is an old picture, from February 2014.
It's of me and my bestie at ZIN Night
at Pulse PDX (in Portland) I am posting
it here for 2 reasons. The first reason is because I think
I look pretty decent in this pic, and I love
my hair that color and am thinking about dyeing it that
way again in a few months. The second reason is because
this picture makes me laugh - it was taken February 15, 2014.
The reason that's funny? I apparently wasn't the only one who thought
I looked decent this night, Corky agreed... this was the night I got pregnant.
On 11/10, Abigail had surgery on her knees. They
had to shave her poor little legs. Doesn't she look like
a little turkey?? Look at her drumsticks.
Trying to take selfies with Jax but he felt the need
to do some extreme sniffing just then.
Part of the mural my mother in law and I painted on
the wall of Mara's room. <3
This one needs no explanation.
Here's a close-up of Abby's cute little nose to
brighten your day :)
Tastes vaguely like licorice. It's Red Raspberry Leaf,
supposed to help tone the uterus and make
labor easier when it comes. (Also
supposedly helps with menstrual cramps)
Feeling somewhat festive (and very very tired)
11.16
39 weeks (November 15th)
I celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas, as I've
probably mentioned 100 times on here. But this
picture cracked me up!
My baby boy snuggling with Hailey <3 :) Doesn't
he look like a little old man??
Jax.
NO this picture is not altered at all. Pardon the stretch marks.
Mara moved in a weird position right as I had a very
strong Braxton Hicks contraction, and this was the weird
result. It was like a shelf! I could set stuff on it.
Taken yesterday, 11/18
The Christmas section of my house. Normally I'd never decorate
this early (never before Thanksgiving!) but this year I don't know
when Mara is coming and I wanted to make sure we got the
decorations up! The Hanukkah section is almost complete. I
will post a picture of it soon. :)
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Expiration Date
On Tuesday night I went to the grocery store and bought a gallon of milk. It was surreal because, for the first time, the expiration date on the milk was the same as my due date. The idea that, if I could make this gallon of milk last until it's expiration date, the milk would expire on the day my daughter is due to be born was a little hard for me to grasp.
Truth be told, it's a little hard for me to grasp that I'm a mere 9 days away from my due date (8 if you don't count today, which I shouldn't since it's almost 10pm!)
I've been having little breakdowns and freak-outs over the last few days. Mostly hormone based. Just a little stressed out and anxious and SO ready to have Mara be born. I'm terrified about that, but I understand that in order for things to get easier they have to get harder first. I'm fine with that.
Truth be told, it's a little hard for me to grasp that I'm a mere 9 days away from my due date (8 if you don't count today, which I shouldn't since it's almost 10pm!)
I've been having little breakdowns and freak-outs over the last few days. Mostly hormone based. Just a little stressed out and anxious and SO ready to have Mara be born. I'm terrified about that, but I understand that in order for things to get easier they have to get harder first. I'm fine with that.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Try and Keep Your Stupid to a Minimum
Corky is watching a TV show (I can't remember the name) and one of the characters just said, "Try and keep your stupid to a minimum." I think that's hilarious -- and very good advice!
In the USA Thanksgiving is coming up in just about 3 weeks. This particular holiday has been getting more and more irritating to me over the past few years. Well, actually that's not what I mean at all. The holiday itself is great. I actually love Thanksgiving! It's the things people are saying surrounding Thanksgiving that are getting more and more irritating.
Last year about this time I made a video on my YouTube channel. Something about STOP HATING ON THANKSGIVING! Actually it's called "Thanksgiving and Eating Disorders. (Click HERE to watch the video.) Basically it just gets on my nerves when people are talking about the calories in Thanksgiving food and promoting feeling shame for eating it. Kind of ruins the holiday to an extent, in my opinion. Anyway, you can watch the video and see what you think.
I wish more people would "try to keep their stupid to a minimum" about food and calories and fat and shame. You never know who is around you and being affected by your words. (I don't mean YOU each literally.. just.. you know... "you" in a general sense.)
Happy weekend!! :) xoxoxo
In the USA Thanksgiving is coming up in just about 3 weeks. This particular holiday has been getting more and more irritating to me over the past few years. Well, actually that's not what I mean at all. The holiday itself is great. I actually love Thanksgiving! It's the things people are saying surrounding Thanksgiving that are getting more and more irritating.
Last year about this time I made a video on my YouTube channel. Something about STOP HATING ON THANKSGIVING! Actually it's called "Thanksgiving and Eating Disorders. (Click HERE to watch the video.) Basically it just gets on my nerves when people are talking about the calories in Thanksgiving food and promoting feeling shame for eating it. Kind of ruins the holiday to an extent, in my opinion. Anyway, you can watch the video and see what you think.
I wish more people would "try to keep their stupid to a minimum" about food and calories and fat and shame. You never know who is around you and being affected by your words. (I don't mean YOU each literally.. just.. you know... "you" in a general sense.)
Happy weekend!! :) xoxoxo
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Are We THERE Yet????
The time has flown by. Really... it has. I can't believe it's already November 5th (the end of November 5th, I might add!) But "waiting is the hardest part" is such a true statement it's not even funny.
Currently I feel:
-Fat (and anyone who says "fat is not a feeling" is fucking wrong, I'm sorry)
-Impatient
-Excited
-Grateful
-Frustrated
-Anxious
and
-Sad
Not in that order necessarily.
The fat feeling... well... I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant. I think that's pretty self-explanatory. Nothing fits, everything looks weird and wrong on me, my feet and hands are slightly swollen which just adds to the feeling... I know, I know, #firstworldproblems but it is not easy. That's just the reality.
Impatient. That one should be self-explanatory too. I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant! Just want to meet this little baby already!
The excitement goes along with the impatience. I can't wait to see Mara. Who will she look like? What will her personality be like? Will I love her right away or will I have to get to know her? Of course I love her already but will I be IN love with her right away? And perhaps the most important question right now: when will her birthday be??
I am so, so, so grateful because I know how lucky I am to even be pregnant in the first place. There are plenty of women out there who long to be mothers but, for whatever reason, aren't able to conceive naturally. Then they have to go through a lot of unpleasant, stressful, expensive things to try to get pregnant. And sometimes that doesn't even work! Doctors told me for a long time that I'd never be able to have children, probably. Not only did I get pregnant, but I got pregnant fast. Clearly, little Mara was meant to be with us because here she is now, despite her rocky start, at 37 weeks 4 days, strong and kicking, healthy as can be (as far as we know.)
Frustrated. I feel frustrated because I can't do the things I usually do. I haven't been to the gym in like 3 weeks now, maybe more. Everything tires me out. The hormones make me snappy and irritable sometimes. Mostly I'm just frustrated because I want to be done being pregnant, but there's no way to know when that is going to happen. Every day that goes by with no sign of labor, I get a little more frustrated. Oh well, I'm near the end anyway.
The anxious feeling has mostly to do with labor. For those of you reading this who've never been pregnant, imagine being blindfolded and knowing that someone is going to hit you. You don't know what they're going to hit you with (it could be a feather or a baseball bat) and, perhaps most importantly, you don't know when they're going to hit you. You just know it's coming. That's what it feels like waiting for labor to start. I know it's going to hurt like nothing I've ever experienced, and I know things are going to get harder before they get easier, but yet I find myself wishing for it. Just to get it over with, because I know it'll be SO worth it.
And sad.... oh sad. I feel sad because I miss certain things about my life pre-pregnancy. It doesn't mean I want to go back or undo anything. For example, I miss having a stomach with no stretch marks. I miss having a waist! I miss weighing less, to be honest with you. But it's not that bad because Mara is worth every single fucking pound I've gained, every single stretch mark on my stomach. I know she is worth it. But I still feel sad. That's allowed, isn't it?
At any rate, whatever day Mara decides to come, I'm almost done. I've been counting down since around the "6 month to go" mark, and now my due date is in 17 days. That's really no time at all.
Currently I feel:
-Fat (and anyone who says "fat is not a feeling" is fucking wrong, I'm sorry)
-Impatient
-Excited
-Grateful
-Frustrated
-Anxious
and
-Sad
Not in that order necessarily.
The fat feeling... well... I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant. I think that's pretty self-explanatory. Nothing fits, everything looks weird and wrong on me, my feet and hands are slightly swollen which just adds to the feeling... I know, I know, #firstworldproblems but it is not easy. That's just the reality.
Impatient. That one should be self-explanatory too. I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant! Just want to meet this little baby already!
The excitement goes along with the impatience. I can't wait to see Mara. Who will she look like? What will her personality be like? Will I love her right away or will I have to get to know her? Of course I love her already but will I be IN love with her right away? And perhaps the most important question right now: when will her birthday be??
I am so, so, so grateful because I know how lucky I am to even be pregnant in the first place. There are plenty of women out there who long to be mothers but, for whatever reason, aren't able to conceive naturally. Then they have to go through a lot of unpleasant, stressful, expensive things to try to get pregnant. And sometimes that doesn't even work! Doctors told me for a long time that I'd never be able to have children, probably. Not only did I get pregnant, but I got pregnant fast. Clearly, little Mara was meant to be with us because here she is now, despite her rocky start, at 37 weeks 4 days, strong and kicking, healthy as can be (as far as we know.)
Frustrated. I feel frustrated because I can't do the things I usually do. I haven't been to the gym in like 3 weeks now, maybe more. Everything tires me out. The hormones make me snappy and irritable sometimes. Mostly I'm just frustrated because I want to be done being pregnant, but there's no way to know when that is going to happen. Every day that goes by with no sign of labor, I get a little more frustrated. Oh well, I'm near the end anyway.
The anxious feeling has mostly to do with labor. For those of you reading this who've never been pregnant, imagine being blindfolded and knowing that someone is going to hit you. You don't know what they're going to hit you with (it could be a feather or a baseball bat) and, perhaps most importantly, you don't know when they're going to hit you. You just know it's coming. That's what it feels like waiting for labor to start. I know it's going to hurt like nothing I've ever experienced, and I know things are going to get harder before they get easier, but yet I find myself wishing for it. Just to get it over with, because I know it'll be SO worth it.
And sad.... oh sad. I feel sad because I miss certain things about my life pre-pregnancy. It doesn't mean I want to go back or undo anything. For example, I miss having a stomach with no stretch marks. I miss having a waist! I miss weighing less, to be honest with you. But it's not that bad because Mara is worth every single fucking pound I've gained, every single stretch mark on my stomach. I know she is worth it. But I still feel sad. That's allowed, isn't it?
At any rate, whatever day Mara decides to come, I'm almost done. I've been counting down since around the "6 month to go" mark, and now my due date is in 17 days. That's really no time at all.
Monday, November 3, 2014
36 and 37 Week Check-Ups
Last Monday (October 27th) I had my 36 week OB appointment. That's the one where they do the group B strep test. I won't go into detail on that test but suffice it to say I'm relieved that it's over. No it doesn't hurt. Yes it's a little embarrassing. Anyway, the results were negative, so that's good! The doctor also checked my cervix. No dilation. Boo! :(
Today I had my 37 week appointment. After 36 weeks the appointments are weekly. Today's appointment was much easier. After my usual run-in with the scale in the hallway (they never tell me my weight, for which I'm ever so grateful) and pee-in-a-cup session, the nurse, whom I really like although I strongly suspect she has an eating disorder too, took Corky and me into Exam Room 15. She tested my pee for protein (just a trace, increase fluids) and asked me all the usual questions:
"Any nausea or vomiting?" (Nope.)
"Swelling of the face, hands or feet?" (Just a little.)
"Baby is moving okay?" (More than okay!)
"All your medications are the same?" (Yep!)
"Any other concerns I should let the doctor know about?" (Just a little pelvic pain.)
Doctor came in. My OB is a guy, which is totally fine with me. He went over a few pages of information about breastfeeding, postpartum care and when to go to the hospital. That last part scared me! He said when my contractions are 5 minutes apart, last at least a minute for at least an hour and are so painful that I can't speak... that's when I should go in. Oh god! What the hell am I doing??
He listened to Mara's heartbeat with the Doppler. Bless her, she didn't kick it today. She was wiggling around though. The doctor even commented on how far out she sticks! He said it looks like she's doing a downward dog pose on my spine. LOL! He measured my fundal height with a tape measure and told me everything looks fine. And that was the end of that.
Baby stats: Week 37
Estimated length: 19-22 inches
Estimated weight: 6.5 lb
Uterus measurement: 38 weeks
Today I had my 37 week appointment. After 36 weeks the appointments are weekly. Today's appointment was much easier. After my usual run-in with the scale in the hallway (they never tell me my weight, for which I'm ever so grateful) and pee-in-a-cup session, the nurse, whom I really like although I strongly suspect she has an eating disorder too, took Corky and me into Exam Room 15. She tested my pee for protein (just a trace, increase fluids) and asked me all the usual questions:
"Any nausea or vomiting?" (Nope.)
"Swelling of the face, hands or feet?" (Just a little.)
"Baby is moving okay?" (More than okay!)
"All your medications are the same?" (Yep!)
"Any other concerns I should let the doctor know about?" (Just a little pelvic pain.)
Doctor came in. My OB is a guy, which is totally fine with me. He went over a few pages of information about breastfeeding, postpartum care and when to go to the hospital. That last part scared me! He said when my contractions are 5 minutes apart, last at least a minute for at least an hour and are so painful that I can't speak... that's when I should go in. Oh god! What the hell am I doing??
He listened to Mara's heartbeat with the Doppler. Bless her, she didn't kick it today. She was wiggling around though. The doctor even commented on how far out she sticks! He said it looks like she's doing a downward dog pose on my spine. LOL! He measured my fundal height with a tape measure and told me everything looks fine. And that was the end of that.
Baby stats: Week 37
Estimated length: 19-22 inches
Estimated weight: 6.5 lb
Uterus measurement: 38 weeks
36 weeks
October 25th, 2014
37 weeks
November 1st, 2014
Saturday, November 1, 2014
New YouTube Video!
Fiiiiinnnaaaallllyyyyyyyyyyyyy I made a new video. Sorry it took me so long!!! 36/37 Week Update video now up.
Click HERE to watch the video.
Happy Weekend :)
Click HERE to watch the video.
Happy Weekend :)
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