32 Weeks/8 Months pregnant and 8 weeks left!

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 32 Weeks

What fruit are you? Jicama

Total weight gain/loss: 35lbs
Maternity clothes? Only maternity clothes, Nate's t-shirts and I can finally wear my maxi dresses with the weather warming up! 

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Mini wakes me up kicking and Sunday night I felt her hiccuping
Miss Anything? Sleep. Beer. Traveling.

Exercise: Bike rides and dog walks

Movement: She's getting into more of a routine and she'll definitely be a tough one to calm down at night because it's her favorite time to kick out all the energy

Food cravings: Anything but food with iron in it...which I"m deficient in, this is convenient.  

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? Flat Inny

Happy or Moody: Happy but nervous that my Iron is too low :/

Looking forward to: The 3 day weekend, music festival in St. Pete and prepping the house and decor for our baby shower!
Best moments last week: What a good week of fun!
1. First bike ride on the Linus!

2. Our maternity photo shoot with the talented Ashlee Hamon Photography :)

The Kitchen Picture: We're truly laughing really hard because I was listening to Ashley say, "put some batter in his mouth" and my one track mind was thinking just that and not how gross it actually tasted. So before this laughing you see, Nate made a really grossed out face which made me laugh and realize what I did so I'm standing like this trying not to pee my pants. You're welcome :)

3. Megan's Baby Shower! (Follow up post coming soon!)

4. Ending our four month search for our dog area storage furniture piece!

5. Carli NOT having bloat; she was drooling, dry-heaving, throwing up her food and going to the bathroom (horse shit, literally) in the house. Not to mention, we came home one morning from getting coffee and as we looked through the front door window we watched roomba monster truck it over her horse shit and leave tire marks all over the kitchen floor. Great start to a day. This was a best moment because although she had symptoms of bloat Carli decided to eat a pair of Nate's undies, whole. Which she later yakked up, whole.

Her head sounds hollow if you knock on it, we don't expect a lot from her but she's a sweetie :)

30 Weeks

This weeks photo is in front of my favorite piece in the house but it's also the most difficult to decorate, it changes all the time! That is all... most of my updates are below.

Due date: April 8 - 15, 2014

How far along? 30 Weeks

What fruit veggie are you? Large Cabbage

Total weight gain/loss: 28lbs
Maternity clothes? Only maternity clothes, Nate's t-shirts and on nice days I can wear my regular maxi dresses.

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: My internal temperature is rising so I wake up hot, thirsty and feeling mini kicking on the drum line.
Miss Anything? Beer... so soon.

Exercise: Prenatal Yoga

Movement: So much and everything is on my right side under my ribs!

Food cravings: Oatmeal in the mornings. Tacos. Milk. Chocolate, always.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: She

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? Fat Inny, I'm not sure if it will actually come all the way out?

Happy or Moody: Emotional but happy about organizing. Iron is still low which makes sense for being really tired and moody.

Looking forward to: Class 4 tonight & this weekend = hair appt, chiro appt and ladies night out!
Best moments last week: My maternity boudoir photos with Ashlee (www.ashleehamon.com) and Stephanie (www.bmooreartistry.com). These ladies did an amazing job and it was so much fun and we're doing round two in a couple weeks for our regular maternity shoot!
We went to an art show Saturday evening that featured the artist, Cory Robinson at Workspace in Seminole Heights and collected two more small pieces; photo on the left in the middle with the lamb and little girl.

Here's a video from the show! 

[we made a cameo:)]

Workspace - Best Friends from Harbr Co. on Vimeo.

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Push it. Part 2 of Birthing Classes

We just had the third class of our out-of-hospital birthing class series. The basis of this class revolved around what happens after active labor = PUSHING; when to push, what happens before, methods and what happens after. After pushing? duh... but there's actually more that happens than I thought!

Before Pushing
A method of pushing that was personally recommended to me by a friend who had a water birth at home which I intend to take a class on is called Hypnobirthing. It's basically focusing, internalizing and breathing out your pushes instead of actively (like, blue in the face) pushing which can lead to exhaustion and potentially hurting your baby and sweet vagina.

Relaxin is what causes your uterus to soften and allow baby to journey through your canal. This hormone is released in extra doses when you go into labor and it's what also causes 'the waddle' late in pregnancy. I hope I'm a damn good waddler in a couple months!

Some Methods that help before pushing

• Vagina Massages: During your pregnancy your partner is encouraged to do perennial massages (I'll let you Google it), this is more effective BEFORE labor rather than during (you're fine to start around 36 weeks). This helps prevents tearing!
• Sitting and moving on an exercise ball: Doing this helps your relaxins do their job and open the uterus. It's also helpful to do this all through out your pregnancy because it drives baby's head down. Also, you shouldn't slouch back on a couch (which is what we all want to do...) because this creates a 'hammock' for baby and can put them in a bad position. So if you sit on the couch sit up straight!
• Double hip squeeze
• Essential Oils
• Pool of warm water
• People at your (natural) birth: The least amount of people at your birth the better, they say every extra person besides your main support person adds an hour onto labor if they're not supportive, high anxiety and medically minded. 
• Rebozo
• Cat-Cow

What does it feel like when you need to push? 
Pooing! It feels like this kind of pressure because baby's head is against the back of your pelvis and if you do poo, it's baby's fault :) If you're pushing and baby's head crowns and goes back in after a push this means your uterus is blocking baby from exiting. At this point you would just need to change birthing positions to either a cat-cow (just the cat...) position or a birthing stool so gravity can help baby exit easier. Depending on how your active labor is progressing, you can push for 15 minutes or two hours and pushing should begin when you're 10 cm. Unless you have a C-section, your baby will have a cone head. This is normal and it goes away :) Baby's bones form into a cone position so they can guide their way through your tunnel.

(I wonder if anyone has ever had Salt-n-Pepa 'Push-it' on their labor playlist...

I think I would laugh before I'd be able to push)

After Pushing
You have to keep pushing. No, it's not the same but your uterus still has to contract to deliver the placenta. Sometimes it will follow baby, the average time is 20 minutes but legally (for a midwife) it needs to come out within an hour. The size of your placenta is about 1/6 of your baby, so you probably won't feel it coming out. The contractions aren't strong like they are during birth so (i'm told) they're not going to be painful. Breastfeeding and of course, Pitocin (given in all hospital drug-births) help strengthen contractions. Pitocin also helps control bleeding after childbirth and I may end up needing to have since my iron is low but I'm still waiting for my updated blood results. I'm all for Pitocin as long as baby's out!

• Placenta Encapsulation: You've probably heard of people taking their placenta home to cook it, mammals eating it right after baby is out or even planting it to grow a tree. I'm not that granola, I won't be eating my own placenta or grow a tree just to have it die but I do want to ingest it in a powdered pill form. Think of it as a drug-free, cure-all; it helps stop the baby blues, diminishes postpartum fatigue, balance hormones, enhance milk supply and increase energy. Thankfully there's companies that do this for you so this isn't a DIY project. Here's a happy blog post I read about. 

Baby is out!

Those nine months of planning is here. As soon as baby is free they're placed (or you're placing, if you were catching) immediately on mom's chest because baby needs to feel your heart rate, temperature and breathing to keep baby feeling calm and comfortable. A non-crying baby is a happy one. Hopefully baby will try and find boob right away so you can start the breastfeeding!

24 Weeks

(Per usual, Carli is by my side)

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 24 Weeks 

What fruit are you? Size of an ear of corn

Total weight gain/loss: 20 lbs ... I told the scale the truth that it was really me gaining weight (see last weeks post); now every time I step on it asks. I'm definitely ones of those girls that's going to gain too much weight!

Maternity clothes? Since last week I outgrew most of my tops and my regular jeans are a tad snug on the thunder thighs. There's too many to name at this point but the essentials are the Tummy Tube, Jcrew Pixie pants and Matchstick jeans

Stretch marks? No... but if I eat too much my tummy physically feels like it's stretching and hurts!

Sleep: Nothing makes me sleep better than a night of prenatal yoga
Miss Anything? whiskey cocktails and champagne

Exercise: Yoga and waiting on my Linus Mixte 3 bicycle... soon :)

Movement: All the time and all over the place; I'm starting to feel her a lot in my lower pelvic area. 

Food cravings: Forever and always, dark chocolate, anything with caramel and peanut butter cups. Maybe this is where those extra LBs are coming from ... said the fat girl. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: Little Minnie :) 

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? Tiny, flattening Inny

Happy or Moody: Happy! 

Looking forward to: This work week going by fast because we're hosting a Gift exchange and Christmas Vacation Drinking Game party and one of 3 brothers gets in town!!
Best moments this week: Christmas parties, art show and Annual Christmas shopping with mommy! (bucket list, check!) Pregnancy brain highlight of the weekend: At 5pm in the mall, after a long day of shopping, I realized I only put one earring on :)

Christmas Party!

Art show purchase for the nursery! This quote from Emerson makes sense to us because if we were having a boy the name was going to be Emerson after this philosopher (Nate's favorite).

23 Weeks

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 23 Weeks 

What fruit are you? Large Mango and over 1 lb

Total weight gain/loss: 17 lbs, I've officially surpassed my freshman 15 college days and our scale this morning just asked if I was Nate or Lindsay...

Maternity clothes? Yes! The Tummy Tube with regular jeans and loving my Jcrew Pixie pants and Matchstick jeans.

Stretch marks? No...

Sleep: Pretty well with the Bump pillow and Lavender neck pillow!
Miss Anything? Fancy holiday drinks & a real Buddy Brew coffee!

Exercise: Yoga and still waiting on my Linus Dutchi 3 bicycle 

Movement: All the time and all over the place; I'm starting to feel her a lot in my lower pelvic area. 

Food cravings: Sweets! I still look forward to gelato every night... 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: Madame :) 

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? Still a small, flattening Inny

Happy or Moody: Happy! 

Looking forward to: The weekend! Holiday parties, shopping, art show and more crafts :)
Best moments this week: I filled Templeton's water bowl and started walking it back to the bedroom forgetting what i was doing. The Nutcracker and lunch at the theatre with my mom!

2012 vs. 2013

(I like blue :) My dress this year is from Old Navy's maternity line but currently out of stock)

 

22 Weeks & 1st Nursery Purchases

Carli follows me everywhere :)

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 22 Weeks 

What fruit are you? Spaghetti Squash and 12 to 16 ounces (We're measuring on schedule again)

Total weight gain/loss: 14 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes. The Tummy Tube, Jcrew Pixie pants are ordered, holiday outfits from Gap and my first pair of maternity jeans which I'm returning. Right now I still prefer leggings and the tummy tube with my own jeans. That British pudge has kicked in so the booty and boobies have grown and larger undergarments are now in rotation :) 

Stretch marks? No but I'm seeing the start of varicose veins on my shin! Ahhh. Old Woman.

Sleep: Loved sleeping in during the holiday break! I'm sleeping better after a couple acupuncture sessions for my sciatica and also falling asleep with this pillow!
Miss Anything? Fancy drinks during Thanksgiving & a real Buddy Brew coffee! :( 

Getting measured for my new bicycle :)

Exercise: Walking the dogs and soon to be bike riding on my new Linus Dutchi 3 bicycle Nate bought me as a late anniversary gift!! I'll post it on the social medias as soon as we're able to pick it up :) 

Movement: I'm pretty sure I've felt her all weekend unless we're both having gas. Tacos, beans and rice were had this weekend...

Food cravings: Sweets! I've never been an ice cream eater even when Nate buys it (he eats it like he's pregnant) but I eat it almost every night now with whipped cream and chocolate syrup :) 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: Lady :)

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? It's looking real tiny and barely has a hole but it's still an inny

Happy or Moody: So calm but the princess-syndrome can come out when I'm hungry.

Looking forward to: Christmas parties starting this weekend and seeing The Nutcracker with my mom (Bucket List -- check!)
Best moments this week: Thanksgiving, Sleeping, Small Business Saturday shopping, Christmas decorating and choosing a theme for the nursery!

While we were shopping at our favorite local shops this past Saturday we found a couple pieces at a vintage shop, Yesterdazed. These were officially our first baby purchases, a stool/chair that Nate use to have as a little kid and a cute Norman Rockwell piece. I LOVE Norman Rockwell and after visiting the museum as a kid my parents bought me my first piece; its followed me to college and in my (our) bedroom today. SO, our 'theme' for the nursery is going to be vintage items of our favorite childhood memories. The walls will be (of course) a very light grey with white accents and filled with our awesome memories of vintage items, pictures and useful things.

Topping the tree off with the star!

Thankful for Pregnant Girlfriends

Thanksgiving is for being thankful. This year I'm thankful for having a bestie that's also pregnant so we can share what the hell is going on with our bodies :)

My friend Megan is two weeks and 2 days behind me, I'm at 21 weeks and she's at 19 and this was in no way planned. As in, neither of us planned on being pregnant right now, at all. My brief 'how we found out' story is here (it may help make sense for the rest of the story) and Megan is the one who told me to take that first pregnancy test. We pretty much talk everyday during the week on Google Talk at work (when we're obviously not busy...) so we're aware of the most up-to-date facts on our lives and clearly, questionable periods.

Once I told Megan my first test came back positive (and I still wasn't 100% convinced because i had a very light period and thought it might be a false positive) she was very excited and quizative on the details and how I was feeling. She and Nate were the only people that knew and I'm happy she was there because I'm a google-er and read every situation that could possibly happen so when Nate would take Google away from me I would freak out to her about what I read. Part of my freaking out and just being a worrywart was because we had a miscarriage two years ago (weirdly, we got pregnant both times in July) so Megan helped smooth out my worries and google my questions since she was concerned and wanted everything to turn out okay this time around.

The next week Nate and I were on our trip and Megan was still checking in with me and asking very concerning questions on how I was feeling and what weird things my body was doing. Half way through our trip I received a text from Megan's boyfriend asking what my plans were on a certain Saturday because he had a surprise planned. Nate and I were relaxing in a coffee shop reading on our smart devices (yay... decaf on vaca) and I looked at Nate and said, OMG TRAVIS IS PROPOSING!

Fast forward another week after our trip Nate and I are lying on the couch watching a movie and I get a text from Megan that said, "Well it looks like you won't be going through this alone!" with a photo of a positive pregnancy test. I looked at Nate.... and said, HOLY SHIT. Nate and I just stared at each other, giggled and we couldn't think of anything else to say because she had no idea what other surprise lied ahead.

Remember all those detailed questions she asked about how I was feeling and what my body was doing? This all makes sense now :) Megan kept telling herself during these weeks that there's no way she's pregnant because I was but her body was definitely telling her, yes way! There's so much to this story and the next couple weeks leading up to her engagement but this post would be a novel after I tell you how many times I had to tell Megan not to tell her parents, friends and the world (at 6 weeks pregnant) since I and very few others knew she was getting engaged. Sorry, Mary :)

BABY BUMPS IN COMPARATIVE WEEKS

21 Weeks

This week's photo is from our brand new kitchen floors that have been ripped apart since July (my entire pregnancy!) This is also how expensive a Great Dane can be :) For about a month Carli went through a little emotional outbreak and peed in the kitchen at least once a day. A Great Dane's piss is like a bucket full! She would pee on a rug in front of the fridge but it would overflow all the way to the cabinets and sit there until we got home from work or when we woke up in the morning. Carli's pee ended up soaking the material underneath the wood and started to darken the wood in the entire area her piss was spreading. So, Nate's testosterone came out one evening and he started ripping up the floors thinking he could replace it with the extra pieces of wood we had in the shed. Long story short, we chose to replace the entire kitchen along with the back bathroom and foyer with black and white checkered tile to match our bungalow's original appeal. Thank you, Carli for adding value to our home :)

  

Before & After

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 21 Weeks 

What fruit are you? Carrot to Spaghetti Squash and "the books" say 12 to 16 ounces
(We're measuring 1 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule since last sono so I'm doing a range until the next update)

Total weight gain/loss: 12 lbs, right on track!

Maternity clothes? The Tummy Tube, an array of items from Gap and the Jcrew Pixie pants are still on order, I'm waiting for the holiday online discounts to start!

Stretch marks? Nope and of course I'm slacking on using the Mustela cream

Sleep:  I could sleep through the night if my lower back didn't wake me up constantly. Although, since I'm on track with my weight gain and I'm average weight in general, it's okay to sleep on my back still :)
Miss Anything? Acupuncture has started and since I can't lay on my stomach or have needles in the exact spots I REALLY need them, I'm missing the luxury of the ability to relieve the pain quicker. 

Exercise: Walking the dogs :) 

Movement: Little movements on the side. My Placenta (sorry if that grosses you out!) is in the front of mini so her kicks aren't strong enough for me to feel her.

Food cravings: Sweets

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: still a Lady :)

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? It's looking really tiny but still In

Happy or Moody: So calm but the princess-syndrome can come out easily

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving and sleeping in!
Best moment this week: Dinner with My Megans' & finally having a complete (and new!) kitchen floor. 

Naked Lindsay, Black Megan and Skinny Bitch

20 weeks, HALF WAY and Mini is a...

The Video Reveal

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 20 Weeks - HALF WAY!

What object fruit are you? 'The Books' say 10 1/2 but we're 12 ounces (a can of beer!) We're measuring 1 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule so SHE could possibly come early. 

Total weight gain/loss: I think I finally popped and mini had a growth spurt, 10 lbs! 

Maternity clothes? The Tummy Tube, Gap's Leggings, tanks and T-shirts. Jcrew Pixie pants are on order, I live in the regular ones during the winter and they're available in maternity now! :)

Stretch marks? Nope, lathering on Mustela cream though just in case

Sleep: No more lying on my back, mini is directly on top of my vena cava blood vessel so it's best if I don't pass out while I sleep! The Bump Nest body pillow is arriving today!
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back :) 

Exercise: My acupuncturist says no more Pure Barre because of my low back pain & sciatica but prenatal yoga is booked this week :)

Movement: Not yet ... but on the sono mini is movin' :) 

Food cravings: Mocktails :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In ... if I push my stomach out it starts to flatten! :/

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy :)

Looking forward to: One less curiosity to wonder about and planning!
Best momentS this week: The Gender Reveal & The Mother of all Baby Showers