Fuzzy Ultrasound Videos [34w6d]

Sorry, YouTube made them quite fuzzy. I have not made DVDs yet....man I hope they start making DVDs instead of VHS sometime in the near future....

First Ultrasound: 7w3d - April 16



Second Ultrasound: 20w4d - July 17



Third Ultrasound: 27w3d - September 3

Last of the 2 weekers [34w5d]

Yesterday's dr. appointment actually taught us new things! We still had to wait a half hour to get in, but we also spent a little time chatting. Apparently there is still a slight risk that I would have to deliver at the icky old hospital. Dr. was telling us about how another dr. was at the old hospital with a VBAC and because it's a more risky birth, he couldn't leave the hospital. As a result, he had to deliver three other babies at the old hospital instead of the new. Poo on that idea! I don't like the old icky hospital! I want the new one with the giant rooms and flat screen tvs! : )

Everything is still right on track. Weight, bp, urine are good, baby's hb is good, fundal height is 34cm. Also, dr. figured out how snowp is chilling out in there and I was exactly right! I'm so proud of myself. sniff sniff. He is most definitely head down (as I knew from hiccups in my tailbone...) and she grabbed his head...through my skin! Strange strange things happen at these places called doctor's offices. Oh yeah, but continuing with the description: His head is down, he's lying with his back along my left side (which is why I have a large hard lump on my left and not my right), butt up by my ribs, and feet that enjoy kicking my on the right side. And although I swear the other night he was trying his darndest to turn himself completely in a circle, dr. says that is very unlikely to happen now. Hear that snowp? You may try but will not succeed!!! Or better not.... ok time to stop taunting the unborn child now.

In two weeks, we have another appointment which will start the beginning of the scary internal exams! Eek! To repeat the words of the dr., those aren't comfortable when you're not pregnant, so it's not that fun. After the first check, I have the choice to get checked every week or every other. We'll see how the first one goes before I decide. Anyway, for those of you who are wondering about why I would get internals, let me briefly explain: boys beware. Since I will then be 36 weeks (plus some days), the dr. is going to start checking to see if my cervix has dilated or softened at all (which is what it does when you have a baby). ; ) Since 37 weeks is technically golden brown, snowp could decide to make his appearance as soon as Nov 9! Craziness! (Of course I know he could make an appearance whenever he darn well feels like it, but I'm just telling you the dates here, people!) He could also decide to show up on the 16th (38 weeks), which is the day Brian and I went on our first date. Or if he decides to be a little butt, he could very possibly wait until December and be a painful birthday present for me. Who knows.... my mom apparently, who is convinced that he won't make it to his due date because I might explode or something. So far, I am happy to say that I am not so uncomfortable that I'm cranky about the bun still baking....he supposed to still be baking!....but once 37 weeks hits, I might be whistling a different tune.

Well, that's pretty much it. I have to figure out a halloween costume this weekend (I have some ideas) and carve my jack-o-lantern! (Brian doesn't want to carve one, because I just fix it anyway...)

Finally another belly pic [34w2d]

Greetings blog readers! I come to you this afternoon bearing a new belly picture. Since I refused to stand up every time Brian has suggested taking a new picture and I was finally awake enough today, I decided to try a few shots myself (Brian's at class). I'm hoping that we might be able to get some nicer outdoor pictures of us and the snowp belly sometime soon. The fall leaves here really are a lovely sight....and we still need a pumpkin....hmmm....

We spent the past weekend in Bloomington (as you can read about on our other blog) and since we stayed at the motel 6, which advertises internet access but really just has two phone jacks, I didn't have the internet to entertain myself while Brina rode bike. As a result, I found a lot of shopping. :) I bought Christmas presents (nearly done now I think!), found myself a nice new scarf on sale at Kohl's, and got some baby stuff! I finally bought a baby book, got a cover for the changing table pad, found some side-snap t-shirts for those first days after birth, and a new cross-stitch kit to make a new baby stitching (I'll work on it beforehand and then only have to fill in the birth data afterward). I'm still working on crocheting - it's just kind of transitioned from baby stuff to items hopefully good enough to work as christmas presents for some little rascals I know.

I plan to get the car cleaned out this weekend and get the base of the carseat set up in the backseat. I might even go so far as to make a carseat check appointment since I'm a little anxious about the fact that we have a used carseat. If I had the decision to make over again, I would have bought one new, but since we've already spent the money and Brian keeps reassuring me that it's fine, I'll deal. Also in the plans for this weekend is to start getting together stuff for "the hospital bag." Yes, it is finally time for my over-prepared self to go into crazy mode and start getting stuff ready. All that's left on my list of stuff to have ready for snowp is a bouncer, so I obviously have to move on to something even scarier like the hospital bag. :)

Well, that's all for now. Dr. appt on Thursday, then we have another two weeks from then, then we're onto the weekly schedule!!!

Sneaky, whiney people! [33w4d]

I knew that announcing we had picked a name but withholding the gem from y'all would promote some subversive tactics, but geesh people! :) My mom has now tried to trick me (twice!) into giving away any hints, darling sister-in-law has tried to convince me that since she's my "favorite person," I should tell her, and I've received other notices that people are just curious. Not that I mind, of course, because none of you are going to be told the name! mwa ha ha! I told Brian last night that he is not allowed to tell anyone what the name is either. He questioned this rule, pondering what might happen if he did happen to tell someone. My reply involved bodily harm, ridiculously inappropriate emotional responses, and that I would change the name and he would not find out what the boy will be called until he is born. So now you see, I'm serious here. No one will know the name!!!! :)

In other strange and should-be-private pregnancy news, I've now developed some kind of tender spot right under my sternum and ribs. It kind of hurts to touch and doesn't feel so great when a certain someone decides to stick a pointy body part up in the spot. I'm sure it's just another of my whiney complaints (ribs hurting, back sore, running into things with balloon-like body, stretching skin, etc.), but it is particularly grievous to me that playing too much guitar hero now causes physical discomfort somewhere other than my poor little fingers that can never manage to get from green to orange and back quickly enough...

Tomorrow we leave for Bloomington so Brian can leave me sitting in a smoky motel room all day while he enjoys the fresh air, riding the Hilly 100 with his grandpa and Ron and Katie. (yes, there were two "and"s in there, but it's because I say "Ron and Katie" as if it were one word.) Of course, now that riding a tandem for 100 miles would be true physical torture, I can admit that the ride was quite fun last year. And just for fun, here's a picture of us during a rest last year:

Finally some pictures [33w1d]

Okay, here I am! And I come bearing pictures! I know, I know, I might have been attacked by angry mobs had I dared show my face here without providing a peace offering of photographs. Since I don't care much for angry mobs, I just decided to prevent this problem altogether.
On Saturday, we returned the breast pump we had bought from Target (because mom found a double Medela for $20 at a garage sale in Ashland!!!) and used the money to get more necessary baby things. It was a bit expensive, but I'm feeling much better about life now - you know I can't feel good about life unless I feel adequately prepared for things.
On Sunday morning, Brian went for a bike ride with some of the tri club, and I thought, "hmm...maybe I shouldn't be entirely useless today and actually do something with everything we bought yesterday..." So, I worked on The Nursery. (Capital letters show scary emphasis.)
Here is the valence we found at a garage sale this summer. Brian actually put this up a while ago after we bought a curtain rod on another trip to Target. We also found the little lighthouse window hanging at a different garage sale and since I'm vaguely attempting to create a nautical theme for the kiddo, it's now in the window. (We still need to take down old stuff from the walls like those seen in this picture).

This is a bookshelf that we bought at a garage sale last year and it has been a long battle to get things off of it to use for baby stuff. I finally stacked things better and removed some books to free up the top two shelves. The lighthouse lamp was Brian's from long ago and we bought a nice new plain white shade for it (the one before was bent and had yellow ships on it...not my style...). The shell is also Brian's, but I don't know if it will remain there. On the top shelf is also a pile of fuzzy blankets! One I made, one Nancy made, and one I bought. The second shelf is currently holding the basket full of onesies and two bins of random stuff that will probably be replaced by other, more useful stuff later. (You'll also notice the swing and carseat on the floor.)
Here's a picture of our new changing table! Although it isn't white, it was too cute to pass up. While at Target, we bought this nice new changing pad (yes, there is a strap and buckle attached). This thing is now loaded with necessary items, i.e. diapers, receiving blankets, wipes, thermometer, comb/brush, clippers, aspirator, and desitin. Within those lovely doors are baskets and bins of socks, bibs, burp cloths, bath stuff, bottles, and other random items.

Here's another exciting picture for you! This is the most recent blanket I made, and I must say, I am quite proud of myself. I discovered this technique called "intarsia" which immediately struck me as a fascinating combination of knitting/crocheting and cross stitching! I only made the preemie sized blanket because the regular sized one would have taken a whole lot of yarn. You will notice a large white square in the middle of the picture. It does not look this way in real life. Snowp's initial is in this square, and of course, I don't want you to see it!
Here's a closer look at one of the stars.

Well, that's it! Nope, no belly picture this time. It's been hot and sticky and I refuse to let Brian take any pictures until it cools down. :)