Thursday, July 28, 2011

Attention Mommy's-Advice needed

As an avid reader and a new mommy I have been looking for some books to read regarding parenting and just about raising a baby in general. You know what milestone's should be reached when, how to go about getting them on a schedule, what's normal and not normal for babies to do or not do, that sort of thing.

I have What to Expect the first year and Baby 411. My mom gave me the Happiest Baby on the block but I found that one kind of useless. Any other good reads out there. Now that I am officially a stay at home wife and mommy I have a lot of reading time on my hands.

So tell me what you recommend. What helped you during the first few months or year after your baby was born. I would appreciate all thew suggestions

And another question- For those who breastfed. My Dr told us not to give Lovebug a paci until she was 6 weeks old. However she has started to us me as a human pacifer! Is it right to wait or is it ok to give them a pacifer.

Thanks Ladies!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Birth Story Part 1

Lovebug is sleeping so I thought I'd take the opportunity to share her birth story. As I had written about previously, we found out Gianna was breeched when I was 36 weeks along. We had a schedule version to try and flip her but decided not to go through with it, instead scheduling a c-section. I went back and forth about this decision but in the end felt it was the best choice. The section was scheduled for July 22nd, when I would be 38 weeks. Until then I needed to be seen twice a week and have a non-stress test done each time to confirm baby's position and to make sure she wasn't it any distress

I went in Tuesday July 12th to meet with the Dr who would be preforming the section. She did a bio-physical profile on Gianna and confirmed she was still breeched but her movements were great and she wasn't in any distress. She also measured my amniotic fluid and it measured at 6.5 which the Dr said was good. I was to come back that Friday the 15th for another Dr's appt and non stress test

I showed up Friday for my appt at 9:30am. However somehow my appt had been accidentally cancelled. After waiting for awhile while the receptionist tried to get me another appt, another Dr finally agreed to see me. And thank god for that. I entered the room and he told me to hop right up and see if baby was still breech. She was and he confirmed that we did the right thing by not going through with the version. That made me feel a lot better about the decision we had made. He was probing around with the ultrasound and all of a sudden his facial expression changed. He looked at my chart and went back to the ultrasound. My amniotic fluid had dropped to 2 something. He excused himself to call my dr, who luckily was the attending Dr up at labor and delivery for that day. He walked back in, handed me my chart, told me to go home and get my bag and husband and to be back asap. We were going to meet our daughter today

I walked out of the office and maintained composure until I got to my car. Inside I started crying hysterically and shaking. I was nervous about having the surgery, I was scared she wasn't ok and I didn't feel ready, Yet at the same time I couldnt wait to meet her.

The hubs was at work and when I called his phone went straight to voicemail. One things us wives of his unit aren't allowed to do is call their office. Wives have abused that privilege in the past and we are all under strict order's not to call unless it's an emergency. Most of us don't even have the office number. I only had it because my due date was fast approaching. So when I called and asked for M, he of course wasn't there. So as not to be that annoying wife I blurted out can you find him, I have to have an emergency c-section today. The guy who answered immediately got off the phone and 5 minutes later the hubs called and said he was on his way home.

I met him at home, we grabbed our bags and asked the neighbor's to check on the dogs. I gave the dogs one last big hug and kiss and we walked out the door. I managed to stay calm that 20 minute drive to the hospital. People were texting and calling but I didn't want to talk to anyone. I just sat there and held the hub's hand thinking that shortly we would become a family of 3.

I will continue with Part 2 tomorrow!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Guest Blogger-Skinnie Piggie

I am so excited to have one of my favorite milspouse blogger's Skinnie Piggie blog over here today. If you have never read her blog before you are missing out!

I couldn't be more excited about the post she has written for us today. It is something everyone can relate to, especially all you mil-spouses out there. After just making our first PCS move, but my second move to be with the hubs in 3 years, her post really hit home. So I will let you read what she has to say!


Reaching Out


I hate being the "new girl" but inevitably I am every few years. New state, new city, new base, new roads, sometimes (like here) a new language, and always... always... new faces. I remember packing, well cramming, everything I owned into my Mazda 3 and making the grueling drive across the country with my dad. It was great for us, we bonded, stayed in crappy hotels, saw amazing things, and even went up inside the St. Louis Arch. The trip didn't change me, the day my dad left did. I was alone... my soon-to-be husband was at work, and I wasn't in Arizona anymore!

We flew back to get married but afterwards it was the same old story. Lucky enough for me one of my husband's friends had a great wife! She invited me over, we went out to lunch, she let me get us completely lost then pointed me in the right direction, she went to the commissary with me for the first time, and we bonded really well. Later they threw a BBQ and there I was introduced to a bunch of the other wives... now everyone didn't welcome me with "open arms" to say, but eventually I became good friends with most of them, which is quite a feat with a group of women, can I get an "amen?" Haha!

About 5mo into my time in Maryland a new wife from my husband's company arrived, she actually moved in one street away from me. I went over to say hello and from there I became the girl who invited her over, took her out to lunch, etc. She was also pregnant and when I found out she hadn't had a baby shower... that just wouldn't do, so I opened my home, planned the whole thing, and threw her a shower.

All of us have now left Maryland... we are in Wisconsin, Texas, and Hawaii... but we'll never forget each other and the things that were done for us. I tell you all of this to say- reach out! Don't let the "new girl" mope around in her house, be alone, and have to learn everything all by herself. Honestly, who wants or should have to do that? Who knows, your next best friend or deployment sister could be waiting.

Thanks so much for this awesome guest post! To visit Skinnie Piggie's blog click here

Sunday, July 24, 2011

OOTD

Baby girl has soo many cute clothes


Happy Sunday everyone!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, July 22, 2011

1 Week Old

Gianna

You are one week old today! I can't believe how fast this week has flown by. Everyone says that once you have a baby your life changes forever. We agree, it does in the most wonderful way possible. Mommy and Daddy love you very much. We joke that we want you to stay this little forever but we can't wait to watch you grow and develop into your own little person.

Your original due date was July 29th. But since you were head's up in mommy's tummy we had a c-section scheduled for today, July 22nd at 7am. However you decided you wanted to meet Mommy and Daddy early and were born July 15, 2011 at 2:31pm via c-section.

Your daddy cried when he saw you and as I predicted you had him wrapped around your finger from that first moment on. When I saw you I couldn't get over how tiny and perfect you were. I spent that whole first night in the hospital watching you sleep. You are the love of our lives and have made our world that much more complete

Now onto some Baby Stats
Birth Weight-6lbs5oz
Current Weight- Just under 6 lbs
Length-17inches
Eye Color-Bluish/Black
Hair Color-Light Brown

You are currently breast fed and feed on demand. Usually this amounts to every two hours.

You love to be held and would probably only sleep in our arms if we let you. Ok so we might have given in a few times but hopefully that doesn't become too much of a habit

You are becoming more and more alert. When you open your eyes and look around at your surroundings it is just the cutest thing

You love your little lamb vibrating chair and your swing.

You are currently wearing size premie diapers

Most newborn size clothes are too big so we are making due with what we have. Mommy may have just ordered you quite a few more outfits yesterday

You love to sleep with your hands up over your head and your feet tucked up.

You are def more active and alert at night. During the day you are a sound sleeper but once 3am rolls around it is party time for you. Taking after your parent's already

Mommy tried out her moby wrap the other day and you fell right asleep. I took that as confirmation that you liked to be all wrapped up. However I am going to wait to use it until my incision has healed. Dr's orders

Next week you get to meet your grandparent's and great grandparent's on Mommy's side. They can't wait to meet you

Mommy and Daddy love you so much. We are so blessed and thankful to have you in our life

And what would this post be without a few baby pics




Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Maternity Pictures-Photo overload


I had my maternity pics on June 18th. I found a great photographer here in the Destin area and couldn't have been happier with the way they turned out. I just booked her again for Gianna's newborn pictures in two weeks!

These photo's are copyrighted by Amanda Eubank of Jubilee Photography.
























Guest Blogger-Mrs M from Diapers, Dogs and Deployments

Hello everyone!

I am excited to have Mrs M from Diapers, Dogs and Deployments as my guest blogger for the day. Since baby girl came earlier than expected it is nice to have some guest posts set up for y'all. And this is one I'm sure a lot of you can relate to. Mrs M is also a military spouse and new mom.


First of all, I would love to congratulate Katie and her husband on the arrival of their daughter! Enjoy every moment and take lots of pictures, it flies by way too fast.

I'm Amanda (or Mrs. M) and I blog over at Diapers, Dogs and Deployments. I'm the wife of a Marine and mommy to our three month old, JR and our two year old pitbull mix, Jethro. I'm a SAHM currently and I enjoy horseback riding, scrapbooking, photography and couponing! We're stationed in California until next year when my husband reaches EAS and we plan to move back east. I blog about my adventures in being a mom, a military spouse and everything in between. Sometimes I come off as snarky or sarcastic, I'm pretty opinionated, but I have my lovers and my haters.

Katie asked me to blog about being a new mom and a milspouse. We all (well most of us) know how hard it is being a milspouse. Crazy schedules, training, and deployments. The household duties of cooking, cleaning, managing the finances and trying to keep up with everything all while attempting to hold yourself together.

When you throw babies in the mix, things go from crazy to chaotic!

My husband deployed to Afghanistan in August of last year. Five days after he left, I got a big fat positive on a pregnancy test. I was overjoyed and overcome with sadness all at the same time. We were trying for a baby, but after a miscarriage just a month before, I was unsure how to feel. I was also sad because my husband was in the middle of the desert and not here to share this moment with me. I told no one until I spoke to him, he had to be the first to know. He was happy and excited at first, but as the deployment dragged on, he seemed to regress and wasn't really happy anymore. He was happy, but he was upset that he wasn't there to experience any of it.

Being pregnant alone was hard, but I handled it. I went to my appointments, and made a point to share anything I could with my husband. I went as far as buying a fetal heart monitor so I could record the heartbeat and send it to him. I mailed him ultrasound pictures, anything to make him feel closer, feel more connected. My husband was expected home in January, so I convinced my doctor to delay our anatomy scan until he got home, and she agreed. Well once January rolled around, he was not coming home yet, and the doctor said that it would be unsafe to wait any longer (I was 26 weeks along) so I had the scan, but had the doctor write the sex of the baby on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope. I had to go take my glucose test after and my husband called while I was waiting to have my blood drawn and said he wanted to know and to open the envelope. We then found out we had a son. He was completely overjoyed and jumped back on the daddy bandwagon.

My husband arrived home when I was 30 weeks pregnant and it was incredible, it was like he never left. Almost 8 weeks to the day later, my water broke and 12 hours later, we welcomed our son, JR to our lives.

If you're a milspouse with kids, you know that when the baby comes and your husband is home, they get 10 days of leave to spend with you and the baby. Well, after those 10 days, you're on your own again!

Three weeks after my son was born, my husband was sent into the field, and it was so overwhelming for me. I was used to having someone around, at least for the moral support and someone to talk to, whereas when it was just the two of us, a field op was like a vacation for me!

Being a SAHM has been hard for me, I feel trapped and like I'm going in circles, or going nowhere. I'm slowly warming up to it, but it's been hard. Dealing with everything that goes along with being the wife of a service member is even harder when you have to make sure dinner is made, the bills are paid and the diapers are changed!

My husband works long hours, and even though he comes home every night, and we have no more deployments in our future, sometimes I still feel like a single mom. Don't get me wrong, my husband is an incredible father. He helps out so much with JR. He always makes it a point to play with JR and to help out as much as he can when he gets home, but with his crazy schedule that changes twelve times a day, it's hard to make plans, or to stay sane sometimes.

As moms and milspouses, there is a lot on our plates, but I am strong believer that God never gives us more than we can handle. Somehow, at the end of the day, my husband is fed, my son is happy and my house looks at least halfway decent, even though I had to skip my shower to make sure it all happened.

I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have my family, and no matter how hard things get, know that this too, will pass and in the end, it's always worth it!

Thanks again for sharing Amanda! I love your honesty and advice! Be sure to head on over to her blog. It is super cute

Sunday, July 17, 2011

We're Home

On our way home!


We were released today! This is our last hospital picture taken before leaving to go home. Late last night Gianna developed some jaundice. For 6 hours they had to keep her until the bili lights and let me tell you she hated them. She kept ripping off the goggles they put on, so they had to tape them to her head and she was so upset she kept scratching her face. It was horrible to watch. As you can see from the pic above all the red blotches and marks are from either the tape they used to keep on her glasses or her scratching herself.

Her bilirubin levels dropped today so we were allowed to take her home, although we have to keep her under a bili blanket and come back every day this week for a blood draw. Poor little peanut.

So now we are home. Gianna in her bassinet and the hubs and I laying in bed and staring at her. We are so excited and happy that she is finally here. She is perfect in every way.

And what is a new mom to do right after bringing her newborn daughter home, yup order the angel care SIDS monitor since I am terrified of anything happening to her

And while I was placing my order on amazon I can across this book and had to order it. All I craved during this pregnancy was sweets, especially cupcakes. It was the theme to my baby shower and I have plenty of onesies with cupcakes on them. So this book is perfect


And then this one popped up so I added it to the cart as well.

Can't wait to get my angel care monitor in the mail and to read these books to my little cupcake!

Friday, July 15, 2011

She's here!

Gianna Isabelle was born today at 2:31pm via c- section weighing in an 6lbs 5oz and 17 inches long. We are so in love. more details to come!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Wanted-Guest Bloggers

Hey y'all
I'm about to walk out the door to go visit a friend and spend the day at her pool but I wanted to put it out there that I'm looking for some guest bloggers for next week and then the following!

Any one who is interested just send me an email and let me know. Any milie bloggers, mommy bloggers or moms to be! I'd love for you to come on over and share your experiences on my blog when I'm on "maternity" leave

So shoot me an email if interested! Katie.finn411@gmail.com

Thanks!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

DIY Home Projects

One great thing about owning your own home is all the project's you can do. We have become addicted to HGTV and the DIY network. Instead of renewing my shape and Cosmo subscriptions, I have subscribed to all these Do it Yourself magazines and home decorating mags. We are at lowes constantly and there are so many projects we want to get underway. One great thing about doing things yourself is that you can get the designer look you want for half the cost. One project we hope to do within the next few months is ripping out the counter tops in the kitchen and adding concrete counter tops. They look so awesome and according to a fellow blogger who did them only cost 400 bucks as compared to the 5000 they were quoted by professionals. Umm yes I would rather do them myself than pay to have them done

Though after our current project we may be done for awhile. Our current project started out as something little and turned into something huge. We bought one of those 16x16 pools from big lots. The box said lay it out and fill with water and the sides rise on their own. Not in our slightly downward sloped backyard. After moving it to two different locations and trying to fill it one end always overflowed.The hubs made a 16 x 16 frame in the backyard for the pool and we had a company deliver some dirt to help level out the backyard.


The guy who delivered the dirt overestimated how much we needed. Hence we had to rent a bobcat to spread out this huge pile

We now have dirt spread all over our backyard. Oh and have I mentioned the horrible storms we've gotten the last few days. Our backyard is now one big mud pit. I have a angry hubby who when asked if he needs help, mumbles to himself about all this crap for a pool! Poor guy. My 9 month pregnant self is not much help. Then today as he was moving some dirt around he had to open part of the fence to get the bobcat through. When he went to open the fence door it broke. So we had to repair part of the fence. Oh the joys of doing things yourself

So now our project consists of leveling out the foundation again, laying out the pool, filling it and then seeding and fertilizing the back yard to hopefully get some grass growing. Our living room opens to the backyard and we have wood floors so with all this mud in the yard the dogs make one huge mess when coming in. I only hope all this work actually pays off and the pool fills up with no problems this time. Otherwise the hubs may divorce me. Just kidding of course.

And a question for all those with wood, laminate or tile floors. What do you use to keep them clean. I am constantly cleaning them to no avail. Literally my daily routine is sweep, vacuum and mop then re vacuum to pick up any dog hair or sand particles I miss. The mop leaves streaks and even once the floors are dry, any footprint or paw print shows up. I can wash the floor in one room and sit with the dogs in another, waiting for the floors to dry for a good hour or so and the minute we step on the floor, there shows a foot print or paw print. It is exasperating and drives my OCD self insane. Any tips or pointer's?

Monday, July 11, 2011

Home Buying Military Style

As y'all know the hubs and I recently purchased our first home. As we are a military family I've had several people inquire as to how we decided to purchase a home due to the in-stability of the military lifestyle. We have also been warned that buying a home is pointless until the hubs time in the military is done.

Here are our reason's why we decided to buy. First, we were sick of living in an apartment. Second, when we looked into renting a house we were unable to find one that allowed dogs. Especially big ones. Third- the hub's move was due to a base realignment. His whole unit within the army moved and it's a permanent move. Unless he takes a different job we will be staying here.

However again the military lifestyle is unpredictable and you never know what will happen.We decided that since we wanted to buy we were going to go about it the smart way. We sat down and discussed the price we were willing to pay a month. WE paid out of our butts for our apartment in NC, much more than most of our friend's mortgages so we knew we wanted to pay less than our current monthly rent. We also took our lifestyle into consideration. We like to be able to go out to eat when we feel like it, or take that last minute weekend get away.We didn't want to become house poor and not be able to do things we enjoyed. We also were dropping down to a one income family and adding an addition. So we settled on an amount that we were comfortable paying. Don't let realtor's try and convince you to increase your price points. Only you know your finances and what you are willing to pay

Amazingly we found a steal. Due to the previous owner's financial situation we were able to find the perfect house we wanted at a great rate. There are so many deal's out there to be had. Lot's of foreclosure's and short sale's. It's a buyer's market out there, unfortunately for many seller's but it is what it is.

So we bought our first home. It's exactly what we were looking for. It was built in 06, has three bedrooms and two full baths and is 1800 square feet. The perfect home for us. The backyard is awesome which means we have two happy dogs!

Lot's of our friends that made the move with us went all out with their houses. Building these huge houses in brand new developments in town. Since I had picked out our house when the hubs was deployed I worried that he wouldn't like the one we bought after listening to his buddie's descriptions of their 5000 sq ft home, 5 bedroom house. I know the guys made comments to him about how our house didn't have granite countertops and this and that. Luckily he loves ours! That's always a plus since I love it too.

This weekend we had everyone from his team over for a cookout. And one guy kept commenting on how he couldn't live in a house as small as ours. Ugh how rude! Don't you hate how people have to turn everything into a competition. As much as it upset me when it happened I'm over it. We are so blessed, lucky and fortunate to have found the house we did. God has provided for us in so many ways and we are so thankful. No matter what anyone else says.

So my advice to military families who are looking to buy a house, make sure you decide on a payment that fits your budget. Take into consideration that you may not be there long. Research the housing market in the area you plan to buy. Do houses sit for a long time or do they sell or rent quickly. Don't make a rash decision. And look for the short sales and foreclosures. Just because it is a foreclosed home doesn't mean it's a dump. Trust me we looked at so many houses and the dirtiest, nastiest, outdated houses that needed the most repairs were some of the higher priced ones. So don't let the terms short sale, bank owned scare you.

Good luck house hunting

New Look!!

Check out my new look! Isn't it awesome! I have been wanting a new blog design for awhile but never wanted to fork out a hefty fee for one.. A few weeks ago I saw two of my favorite blogger's had awesome new design's. When I asked each who they went through they both said Utterly Chaotic designs. So I headed on over to the site to check it out. It just so happened that in honor of the 4th coming up she was running a special for milie blogger's.Not only was she reasonable, her work was amazing. I immediately submitted an order.

Brea was awesome to work with. Her order form is very through and she emailed me back right away. She gave me a variety of color scheme's to chose from based on what I had told her I liked and once I picked one my design was basically done. And I love it! It just fit's me and looks so polished and professional

So anyone looking for a new design head on over to Brea's site

You won't regret it. Her prices are great and I've stalked her blog and design's she has done and have not come across one that I didn't like! I loved working with her and can not say enough good things about her and my new design. So for those looking for a new look def check Brea out. You won't regret it.

Hope y'all like the new look

Friday, July 8, 2011

Nursery Reveal

I finally have the nursery set up. Well for the most part at least. There are still some finishing touches that need to be done but those will have to wait until we get our maternity pictures and then her newborn pictures back. So here is our grand nursery reveal


Walking into the nursery


She has a ton of books already! We have a glider we are waiting to set up right in that corner. We just haven't done it yet. I can't wait to rock her and read to her in her little book nook


Her crib. We had to hang the mobile from the ceiling. We bought two different mobile arms and none would fit over the crib. I also purchase big white frames that we are going to hang on the wall in a collage style which will hold some of our maternity and her newborn pics. That way the wall doesn't look so plain


Her dresser/changing pad table. And as you can see this girl has a lot of hair bow's already!


Dresser, closet and stroller. The stroller needs to go out into the garage but we have been setting up all of her baby things such as her swings and vibrating chair's so that the dogs get used to them. My dogs are afraid of everything that moves so the more exposure the better



And that's all. I am starting to think that my iphone takes better quality pictures than my camera. Can't wait until we get a new one!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Just call me a chicken-Why I opted for a C Section

Today was my scheduled external version. When we made the appointment I wasn't too nervous. The hubs and I both felt we needed to do what the doctor suggested and trust in the people performing the procedure. Yesterday night however I made the mistake of reading up on an external version. When I read that sometimes the medicine used can cause problems I started to get nervous. Dr's and hospital's make me anxious in general. The minute I walk into a hospital my heart races and I feel faint. I was afraid that the meds used would accelerate my heart rate even more. Needless to say I didn't sleep a wink last night

This morning we arrived bright and early at 7am. Shortly after hooking baby up to the monitor's they administered my iv. Now I hate iv's. I have such tiny baby veins that it's always hard to get blood drawn or an iv put in. The nurse had to sit and pinch and plump my veins trying to find the perfect one. She found one on the side of my wrist, a little below my thumb. Talk about uncomfortable. Then she attached a bag of sugar water to help keep me hydrated since I had been told not to eat or drink since last night. Not going to lie I cried when she put the iv in. She also had to draw a ton of blood which was not fun. But after that was done I was able to calm down.

We waited three hours for the dr to arrive. The nurses were awesome! Constantly coming in to check on baby and I and to make sure we were comfortable. Finally at 10am the dr breezed in. Apparently she had lost power at her home which made her late due to her alarm not going off. She then started to discuss the risks of the procedure and go over the consent form. Some of the risks's included abruption, bleeding, labor being induced and pain to the mother and distress to the baby. All of which could lead to an emergency c-section. She also explained I would get some tribulitine which would make my heart race and make me feel anxious. That worried me since my heart was already going at a higher pace and I was feeling anxious. When my heart rate picked so did baby's. I was afraid of stressing her out.

The dr first conducted an ultrasound. Baby's head and back are snug against my left rib cage. Her butt is in my pelvis and her legs are straight out in front of her. After seeing the ultrasound the hubs and I wandered if this procedure would even work. So of course we started asking questions. Basically there was no guarantee that baby would flip, or that she would stay head down if they were successful. She also explained that if this procedure didn't work they usually would have me come back in at 39 weeks, give me an epidural and try to flip her again. However I didn't qualify for that option because due to my high blood pressure they were planning on inducing me at 39 weeks.One thing I didn't want to do was be induced. Obviously if that would have been the case I would have dealt with it because my ultimate outcome is a safe and healthy delivery for baby and I. But it seemed that regardless if the procedure was conducted today we would most likely be having a c section anyway

The hubs and I asked for a moment to ourselves to decide. We decided to not go through with this procedure and instead schedule the c section. I immediately felt like a failure. I felt like I was opting for the easy way out. I had wanted to try and deliver naturally and vaginally but in the end I had to put baby and myself first. Was it worth it to try and press on her, putting distress on her and I. Was it worth it if the procedure didn't work and we ended up doing a c section, possibly today. We just didn't think so. Once we made the decision I felt relief wash over me. I knew it was the right one. Too be honest I know my anxiety would have played a huge part during this procedure and delivery and I didn't want to stress out the baby. I feel calm knowing that we have a due date set and that I can plan or try to plan for her birth. Plus we are beyond excited to know when she will be here. I know that there are risks's to c sections and they aren't worry free but I feel comfortable in our decision and know we made the right one.

So lovebug will be here July 22nd! Two weeks from tomorrow! So again if anyone wants to share their c-section experience share away!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

36 Week Bumpdate


I can't believe it's been awhile since I last posted a bumpdate! I also can't believe that I am already 36 weeks along. Lovebug will be here shortly

How far along: 36 weeks!

Total weight gain: 27 lbs

Size and growth of the baby: Baby is now almost 6 pounds and is the size of a melon

Maternity clothes: All the time except for my summer dresses. It's getting harder and harder to find clothes that fit around my expanding belly

Sleep: I am constantly changing position. Nothing is comfortable anymore! This also keeps the husband up all night. Poor guy


Best moment(s) of the week: Hearing her heartbeat at yesterday's appointment and reaching 36 weeks! My mom had all preemie's so I was worried that genetics would come into play and lovebug would come really early. Thankfully that's not the case

Food cravings/aversions: Still on a sweet kick but other than that nothing out of the ordinary

Morning sickness: None thankfully!

Symptoms: Braxton hicks

Labor signs: Mild abdominal cramping and an increase in mucus discharge

Belly button in or out: It's def not in anymore but it hasn't pushed completely out

What I miss: Clothes that fit and being able to sleep comfortably.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting our little one

What I'm not looking forward to: My external version tomm. I hear it hurts horribly and I'm also worried that the meds they give to relax and thin out my uterus will make me also go into labor. Although that wouldn't be a horrible thing since in a few more days she would be considered full term.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

One Stubborn Baby

Yesterday morning I woke up to some slight spotting and minor cramping. The hubs was convinced I was going into labor. I however did not think that was the case. In fact I suspected that we had a breeched baby on our hands!

So when I went in to my drs appt this morning I was anxious to see what they had to say. They couldn't fully confirm the position she was in by feeling her so they bought in an ultrasound machine. And my suspicions were confirmed. Baby girl is breech. Her head is in my rib cage. Perfect

So now I have to make an appt with labor and delivery for sometime this week. I will go in, get an iv full of meds that will relax my uterus and they will attempt to manually move her into the correct position. If they can not do that I won a c- section.

I have mixed emotions about this news. I always used to joke I'd rather have a c-section since it seemed easier than labor. That was until I went on the labor and delivery tour and saw the or room. Terrifying! Plus I don't like the thought of having my arms strapped down nor the fact that I can't hold lovebug until I'm all sewed up and stuff. But I also want to deliver her in the best way possible, which ensures the health and safety of her and I so at this point whatever the dr says goes.

I did tell the hubby he better get off work and come with me when they manually move her. Iv's are on of my biggest fears so I def will need him for moral support. Plus I hear when they try and move babies it hurts big time!

So now it's just a waiting game. Has anyone had to have their babies manually flipped. How bad is it? What about a c section. Any advice or comments you want to share in regards to those.

Tomorrow I will post my 36 week update and later this week I will share pictures of the finished nursery


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Monday, July 4, 2011

4th of July and Weekend Recap

Happy fourth everyone. I am so thankful to have my hubby home this year with me! Although as excited as I was for this weekend it def didn't turn out the way I wanted!

I was so excited the hubs had a four day. Friday we kicked off the day by heading into Destin and doing some shopping. I got the rest of my items for my hospital bag and hubby caved and bought me a pool! I don't know how anyone lives in Florida without one. My parents have one and we live in WI where suet occurs for three months outta the year. I need a pool. So we got one of those 15 feet around, 3 feet deep fill up ones. I was so excited! Then we went to see Transformers 3. Seeing parts of downtown Milwaukee and scenes held in the Milw Art Museum made me really homesick for home. After dinner we went out to dinner and headed home

Saturday we planned to stay in and fill up the pool. Only problem was that our backyard is on a slight slope downhill. So no matter where we moved the pool the back end would collapse and overflow. After trying for 8 hours to fill up the pool, literally having 8 hours worth of water go into the pool the hubs became frustrated and decided to stop trying. I became upset because I really wanted to set up the pool abs of course we started to bicker. Oh did I mention we locked ourselves outta the house. Yup so off we went to sit at a neighbors and try and call a locksmith. Let's just say we ended the night on opposite ends of the couch barely talking. It had been a long day

Sunday- I got up and cleaned since we were having our good friends over for a cookout. My bestie from NC hasn't made the move down to FL yet. Her hubs is in the same unit as mine and although he just moved this month, he has to report back to NC in september for a three month class. They still have their house on the market so she is going to stay and work on selling the house and he is just trying to find temporary lodging for the next month before going back to NC. She has brought down all of his stuff this weekend so we had them over. It was so nice to see them. I have missed her a lot. I only know the fellow wives on my hubby's team and with everyone getting settled and having kids of their own get togethers have been few. So I really enjoyed having my bestie in town

Today- M's captain had invited us to their block party. They live in a new housing development that is either guys from my
Hubby's unit or from the airforce so we thought it was going to be one big party.

Before we moved to Fl a group of wives crested a Facebook page for the unit regarding the move and all that good stuff. One of the captains neighbors had posted about this block party inviting people to come meet one another

So when we arrived we were shocked to see no one outside. Instead it was all at this one couples house. The same girl who had sent out the mass Facebook invite to people she didn't know. My friend Rose, the captains wife had told me to being along some dessert. So I made cupcakes for the occasion. While her and I were walking down to the house that was hosting the party, M was following with my tray of cupcakes while I was just carrying some big platters to hold the food. I walk into this house and the host takes the platters and says oh thanks for bringing nothing to my party. When M handed her the cupcakes she was like gee, thanks.

I was shocked. I felt like we were intruding even though I had been invited. Fortunately her next door neighbor overheard and pulled me aside to introduce herself and explained that this girl had taken over the entire block party and things weren't working out how everyone had planned. I just went with the flow although the host kept making Nasty comments about not introducing people since she didn't know half the guests. When I asked Rose if she knew everyone there she said only four people were her neighbors and the rest she didn't know. My husband knew all the guys except the airforce ones so I don't know why this girl was being so nasty.
So we left shortly after arriving. My pregnancy hormones didn't have the patience to deal with a rude, snotty army wife. If she didn't want people to come to her house she shouldn't have taken over the block party or invited people on Facebook that she didn't know. End of story

So now we are relaxing at home before going to the fireworks I hope y'all had a great fourth. Even though the weekend didn't go as planned I am
Once again grateful that the hubs is home this year instead of deployed.


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