Spring Break

Yipee. Spring Break!
It is both amazing and overwhelming at the same time.
I am definitely "nesting" and wanting to get things ready for my family to visit and for the baby to come. The problem is, I still don't feel that great and I need to pace myself- which is not something I am used to. I still sound like I have a head cold (my voice is nasal-y even though it doesn't seem like I have anything but a runny nose). I also have felt nauseous every day (after my pill wears off) around 3ish. I am sooo ready for this nauseousness to be OVER.

I have been waking up by 6:30am and when baby starts kicking I need to get up and eat something. Lately I have been getting stuff done for a few hours and taking a late morning nap. I will miss those naps when I return to teaching for 7 more weeks:) I have seen my stomach move a lot more now, but John usually doesn't see it.

Today we hit a record temperature of 82 degrees. I sat outside for a while and got too hot and had to come back inside! That's what I call Spring Break weather.

Monday I was hoping to get a ton done, but ended up being kind of frustrated. I got fitted for a bridesmaid dress (which is pretty impossible when you are pregnant) that I will be wearing 3-4 months after the baby is born. The place I was planning to get fitted at no longer exists, so I had to find another place. At least it is a beautiful dress that I can get it altered closer to when the time comes. Then I called MANY Target stores to try and find the crib and changing table I am looking for. None of them had it in stock. None of the stores know when they will be getting it in stock. I might be ordering it online later this week.
I hope to post more later this week.

My little monster

I haven't really loved any boy theme I have seen yet...until now. I was shopping at Kohl's (with my 30% off coupon) and stumbled across some items for a boys room that involve monsters. I have thought about a monster theme before- but then decided it might be too scary for a baby. Who wants all kinds of crazy googlie eyed things with sharp teeth staring at them? right? (Alleke wouldn't:)
Then I bought the "hug me" onsies I showed in this post: 25 wks.
After finding these really cute items, I think I like the monsters. They were 60% off the original price and I got an additional 30% with my coupon, but that still didn't make them cheap.
I'm bringing the growth chart thing back because it doesn't match well enough, but the bookends and the "my little monster" picture frame are adorable.
Here is a monster piggy bank and a "family" frame that was also on sale.

I found this "baby sleeping" pillow at Ross.
I wasn't feeling good tonight (again- it seems my nauseousness has returned in the evening hours and in the middle of the night:() but I was still very happy because I love my monster stuff.

27 weeks

So I made it to 27 weeks!
Here I am wearing my new drawstring skirt (new from Goodwill).
Getting bigger!

Yesterday I had a prenatal appointment. I had my glucose test which I was dreading...but it actually wasn't that bad. I ate regular breakfast in the morning, an apple for a snack, and ate crackers and cheese for lunch before my appointment (so I wouldn't have much sugar in my system already). When I went in they gave me a cup of lemon-lime flavored sugar drink (which wasn't as much, or as thick as I thought it would be). They let me drink water afterwards to wash it down, and my sister recommended that I walk around before they took my blood (rather than sitting in the waiting room). It was 60 degrees outside and I walked to the library about a block away. I just had to be back in time for my blood test an hour later which was easy. They sent the blood away for results- so I won't know until later this week if I passed, but I figure I did what I could do:)

I also learned at the appointment that I didn't gain any weight this month (which was probably because of the horrible cold I have had). Regardless, the baby is growing perfectly (he measures at 27 weeks), and as long as I gain weight for my next appointment in 2 weeks I should be fine.

My midwife didn't give me anything for my cold/congestion/cough, so I guess I am just toughing it out for another week (then if it doesn't get better I need to see my regular doctor again).

I think I have actually felt like me for a few days this week. (Besides the head cold). I think my nausea has gotten better (still not completely gone- but a lot better). I really hope this continues!!!
I have needed a lot more sleep- and have taken quite a few naps lately. I can't decide it it is because:
-I didn't have the sleepy/exhaustion earlier in the pregnancy and now it is hitting me
-My head cold is making me sleepy
-The extra weight/hormones are making me sleepy

Baby is moving a LOT more now. He moves a lot after I eat, and when I lay down to go to sleep. He hasn't kept me awake at night yet- but I'm guessing it will happen soon.

I'm trying to eat a bit more because of the lack of weight gain. My favorite snack this week has been strawberries/blueberries and yogurt or ice cream. Today I tried some "greek" yogurt I tried because I got for free (it was on managers special and I had a coupon which doubled.) It was good.
I also had a craving for carrot cake with cream cheese icing yesterday. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Luckily- one of the teachers at my school who is an amazing baker made cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and left a few in the teachers lounge for us. I got one- YUM!

It was 60 and beautiful yesterday, now it is snowing and has already accumulated over 2 inches. I'm hoping for a snow day- but if it doesn't happen there are only 3 days until spring break which isn't bad:)

26 wk pict

I just realized even though I posted on my blog twice this week, I never posted a 26 wk picture. Here it is...a little late.
I was kinda bummed that my new Old Navy maternity jeans ripped a hole in the knee when I bent down to fix a computer at work. Oh well.
I still have my miserable cold, and I have my glucose test on Monday...Yuck!
I did get a lot of pregnancy/birth/after birth reading done during the standardized testing I proctored this week.

some pictures

Here is the nursery before paint:

Here it is after paint:


We don't really have any nursery furniture yet, so I included the pack n play to make it look more like a kids room. The furniture in the room is John's, and we can't afford a whole new set, so it stays:) I found some stuffed animals I had laying around and some kids books and put them on it.
I want to get a new curtain rod, and then decide what to do for curtains. Maybe black out curtains because the window faces east?
I was home for the last little bit that they painted, but I was too sick to take a picture.
Thanks John and Cherry!
Here is a classic "don't make me smile for a picture honey." pose from John. I bought him the shirt from a thrift store because he always drinks out of a mug that says the same thing on it at church.

My miserable cold

I have been sick for over a week with a miserable cold. It started last week with a sore throat, then coughing. Friday night I barely slept because of the coughing. I went to the doctor on Saturday and he said it was a viral infection (cold). He gave me some recommendations for over the counter medicine to try and a prescription for cough syrup. I tried Saturday day/night with some children's strength tylenol/mucinex. Sunday John filled the prescription but that didn't seem to help either. (I was getting some good practice for baby- getting up every 3-4 hours to cough/take medicine, and not sleeping much.) I got a huge cold sore from my lack of sleep and I still felt horrible. I don't ever think i've had a cold this bad before!!

This week it has been a lot more about mucus and snot. I feel like those people in the allergy commercials where their head is in a fog (only a DENSE stormy fog- not a nice transparent blurry one). My nose is raw and I went through a 130 count box of lotion Kleenexes in under 12 hours. Today I took a 1/2 day off of school and John and I went to get something stronger. I talked to the pharmacist and ended up with Mucinex D which should help with the problem. It seems to be lightening the dense fog in my head a little.

On the bright side, it's almost 70 degrees outside, and I fell asleep sitting up in the sun after I had taken the pills:) I also can't smell anything, therefore I don't get as nauseous.
Someone told me that when you are sick during pregnancy the baby doesn't move around as much. I have noticed a little decrease in movement, but he still moves pretty consistently- especially when I eat:)

John and his mom painted the nursery on Monday! (Thanks Cherry!). The color is great, and it really looks more like a boys room now. I'll try to post a picture soon.

I was so worried to start thinking about baby stuff or doing anything baby related before we got pregnant- because you never know if it will/what will happen. If I would have known how sick I was going to be with the nausea, and now how bad this cold is hitting me- I would have done a lot more research/prep before I got pregnant.
I've started a nice collection of clothes for the little man (mostly gifts), but I still need to get a lot of the big items (crib, car seat). Less than 100 days!!!

Another 25 week picture...

This is not a maternity shirt, but I like it just the same.

Here is a onsie that I bought that I can't stop smiling at:

On a side note, I have a bad sore throught and a cough. How do I know if it is bad enough to see a doctor? If I do eventually go to the doctor, do I see my midwife, or my primary care doctor at a different clinic (who hasn't dealt with my pregnancy at all)?
I don't plan on trying any perscriptions without my Dr./Midwife approval, but a friend told me about this website that lets you know how safe perscriptions are for the baby if you are pregant. If you are interested, check it out here: safefetus.com

25 weeks

Well I made it to 25 weeks!
I tried to not take my nausea pill on Saturday morning and...I puked. It was kind of a bummer (and it didn't feel good), but at least I know it's not just in my head and that I do still NEED it.

I'm reading the first book I have read since our honeymoon (over 4 years ago). Disclaimer: I am addicted to blogs and magazines, and reading is not a pastime for me although I have read a few chapters of books.
The book is called: "The Birth That's Right for You". It is written by a Dr. and a Doula. It basically presents a lot of options and lets you choose which you think would be ideal for you. It does state very clearly that things don't always go as planned, and that no two births are the same. It makes me want our childbirth class to start- but that isn't for over a month.

I had a great conversation with a friend who is a nurse at the hospital I will be going to for delivery. She reassured me of many things, and calmed some of my concerns about labor/delivery. She also informed me that they are a "serve the customer" type of hospital and I felt assured when she said..."If your not happy- pretend they won't take your coupon and fight to get your way":) I don't know that I will know what is best for me over the Dr.'s and Nurses there...but it does make me feel better.

Baby is moving around a lot more now. I still feel pretty crumby at night. I sleep with 4-5 different pillows so I am always comfortable but the nauseousness still gets to me. I guess I assume that a kicking baby is a healthy baby even if it makes me feel icky.

I think I may end up with a simple nursery theme. After thinking and debating and trying to make decisions about it...I decided to do some couponing instead:)

I might add more thoughts later, but that's all I can think of right now:)

Dear Caleb,

Thank you for being my example of what not to do to your brother: threaten him with your fire-blowing skills:)
Like always, your brother is not quite sure what to think.
I had a lot of fun teaching my students how to add fire to a picture in Photoshop today- and you are my favorite example.