35 & 36 Weeks

I can't thank you all enough for all of the advice & encouraging comments about little G being breech. It has given us lots to think about & I really appreciate all of the personal experiences that you all shared. I love all of your suggestions & it is so great to hear about successful c-section experiences with great recoveries!

I went to my chiropractor on Friday who practices the Webster Technique & followed along with the recommended tips on the Spinning Babies site over the weekend. This included my husband sitting on the bottom step, with my head in his lap and my inverted body up the next five steps with the cat staring at us like we were bat shit crazy. Needless to say, she has not budged!

After much research, we have decided against the version procedure. While many people have had painless, successful procedures, we just don't feel 100% comfortable with the potential risks associated with it. So, I will see my chiro this week again & continue to do what I can at home. Then we will have another ultrasound Thursday to see if she has turned & go from there.

Until then.......... 

How far along? 36 Weeks

Total weight gain: up 27 lbs.
Maternity clothes? yep - literally leggings & maternity shirts from here on out!
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: the physical activity of sleeping is still pretty good.. turning my mind off to get there is where I am struggling
Best moment this week: seeing baby girl at my unexpected ultrasound... even if she is breech it is still so sweet to see her little face & watch her snuggle her hands up under her chin
Miss Anything? I miss a lot of things..but this experience has been pretty darn amazing & I'm a little sad that it's almost over.
Movement: still lots of movement.. hoping to feel her momentous partial somersault any day now......
Food cravings: I am literally to the point where I want fruit for every single meal.
Anything making you queasy or sick: still meat - sure hope this goes away!
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: overall feeling pretty great, other than lots of pressure in my belly as it continues to grow & some pain in my hips & ribs.
Belly Button in or out? out
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Had a roller coaster of emotions this week... but so very happy.
Looking forward to: baby's arrival of course! Looking forward to meeting with the doctor this week to hear more about options we have. ALSO, can't wait to share the nursery with you all very soon! :)

Planned to post this last week but we have been a bit preoccupied! :)

How far along? 35 Weeks

Total weight gain: 26 lbs. gained at my 35 week appointment
Maternity clothes? oh yes
Stretch marks? none yet, still going strong!
Sleep: sleeping still
Best moment this week: celebrating ONE month until baby girl's due date! the celebration included chipotle, fro yo & a foot massage... BOOM!
Miss Anything? breathing, sitting & laying normally.... and tuna sandwiches.
Movement: mostly wiggles these days along with a random karate kick here & there
Food cravings: strawberry EVERYTHING still
Anything making you queasy or sick: still meat
Gender: sweet baby girl
Labor Signs: nada
Symptoms: immobility like no other
Belly Button in or out? out
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: meeting our sweet baby of course... excited to start calling her by her name!

Baby Girl is BREECH.

Went in for my 36 week appointment today (I know, I am a bit behind on chalkboard posts, coming soon!). My midwife wanted me to have an ultrasound because she thought I was measuring a bit small. Hopped over to the ultrasound room, where the tech revealed that she certainly appears to be a tiny thing but not in the danger zone... but that the reason I was measuring small is because the baby is now breech and tucked into the right hand corner of my belly. FRICK!!

I am frustrated that this wasn't caught sooner.. but I guess that's what happens when you only get ultrasounds when something seems off. I had a straight up panic attack when they threw out the word "scheduled c-section" followed by tears when they offered a procedure called a "version" where you would come into the hospital & the doctor would manually try to flip the baby around by pushing on your belly. HUH? That would need to happen on 37weeks1day... so next Thursday.. if we decided to do it. They then mentioned that there are complications associated with this - therefore we would need to be prepared for an emergency c-section if something went wrong. Hold the fuckingphone. 

Now what? I am going to see my chiropractor tomorrow who practices the Webster Technique... as well as spend a little time crawling around on my hands & knees (making farm animal sounds just to add to the fun) over the weekend.  I was also told to check out the Spinning Babies website for more information & techniques to encourage the baby to rotate. By the sound of it, I need to be hanging upside down propped up on an inverted ironing board... holding a cold compress (frozen peas?) at the top of my stomach & playing music at the other end.

I'm sure it goes without saying - but I do not plan on attempting any of these acrobatics at home.

Not sure where we will go from here but I just had to vent. Thoughts? Anyone done a "version" before... or any of the other recommended techniques? I am slightly terrified of having a c-section ..in case you haven't gathered that already.

Decorating the Baby

 Sometimes I accidentally tell my husband that I can't wait to decorate the baby. 

What I really mean, is to dress her up in festive outfits for every. single. holiday. I would literally wear reindeer antlers the entire month of December if it were socially acceptable.  I have been good about buying too many future holiday outfits... but I can't resist accessories!! I know some babies hate headbands & won't wear them ..But I have a feeling that Little G will love them as much as I do! :)

 Today, my most recent headband purchases arrived in the mail... and my heart burst with happiness knowing that they are for the next two holidays!! If Little G arrives a little early, she will have some Valentine's Day accessories waiting for her! But if not, St. Patty's Day it is!! 

 These headbands are from a blog sponsor, Jameson Monroe, on etsy. They are literally too cute for words! I have purchased SO many headbands (and baby legs..and bibs..) in the last 9 months from them .. I'm sure they're getting sick of me cleaning out their inventory! :) Might I also note, they did not ask me to write this post, I am just so very excited about the new headbands that I have to share!

Ooh how convenient.. one of the headbands even matches the coming home outfit (from the Gap) that we chose!

 

 Did your babes arrive early? I know Little G is going to come when she is ready, but of course I would love if she would maybe make her appearance maybe just a few days early on February 13th... Valentine's Day Eve! Am I allowed to hope for that? :) Hospital bag is packed... Nursery is FINISHED... All the strawberry jelly has been eaten... So excited for this sweet baby to come into the world! Ok wait.. just a few more weeks.. I'm not that ready

PS. Thank you ALL for the sweet comments about our maternity pictures!! We are so happy with them & so glad we could capture this fun time in our lives. I am already having anxiety about my baby bump going away.. although I have a feeling that I might like my baby better on the outside! :)

Maternity Pictures

After over an hour of braving the freezing cold weather... we have belly pictures! :) Here are a few of our favorites!

Always wanted this picture ...so happy with the way it turned out!

 

And my favorite picture of all...which is being framed for the nursery...

A huge thank you to Dezirae of Sugar Snap Photography in Atlanta, she was WONDERFUL! We can't wait to have her in our home to take pictures of the nursery & little G once she arrives! :)

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain: 25 lbs. gained
Maternity clothes? maternity & comfy clothes... so ready for spring dresses! I'm getting sick of dressing like a slob kabob.
Stretch marks? none - and onto tube number 2 of Mustela stretch mark cream!
Sleep: sleeping great again!
Best moment this week: finally took our maternity pictures!! so excited to share them!
Miss Anything? sitting comfy on the couch.. I can hardly make it through a 2 hour movie these days
Movement: still love feeling all of her hiccups & random wiggles
Food cravings: strawberry EVERYTHING. Eating jam out of the jar, half a container of cut up strawberries on my ice cream... I almost ate my strawberry flavored chapstick the other day.
Anything making you queasy or sick: still meat and chicken noodle soup.. I swear I ate some the other day and smelled it in the air for three days... so sick.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: the heartburn seems to have subsided (no more fire breathing dragon!) however, I am currently rocking the pregnancy waddle due to hip/pelvic/lower back pain every now and then.
Belly Button in or out? out
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: baby's arrival! Seems so surreal at this point, I can not wait to see her precious face & hold her for the first time.

Baby Brain Ramblings at 34 Weeks

 I can not believe I only have six weeks to go! Give or take... hopefully take. Not that it would matter much but I would LOVE to have a Valentine's Day baby... or even Valentine's Day Eve! I love holidays so much - mainly because it is an excuse to dress extremely festive. So you better believe Little G has a Valentine's outfit just in case. Will share some of her outfits & what we chose for her coming home gear in another post! :)

Speaking of holidays, here is hubby & I on Christmas day.. of course wearing red & green with a festive sparkly belt.

Baby Bump Wardrobe

 I had some comments asking about some of the things I've worn in past pics. My baby shower dress was from Asos Maternity. I was skeptical about it at first, but finally grew into it and I loved it so much. The gold belt that I have been rocking lately is from J. Crew along with the denim shirt from my 33 week picture. Like I said before, most of the stuff I have isn't maternity, just a size up from what I would normally buy. My maternity leggings are all from the Gap. The black sweater & grey sequined tank from my 32 week picture are both oldies from Express. 

The Endless To-Do List

With my baby baking days coming to an end, it's becoming more and more overwhelming to look at the things that we still need to do. Here are a few things that have been overlooked but now keep me awake during the wee hours of the morning.

Pack Hospital Bag

(still trying to convince hubby that I need metallic purple ugg slippers to put in here)

Hang Name Letters, Wall Art & Mirror in Nursery

(will have to be careful when sharing my nursery pics with you all!)

Wash, Dry & Fold 726 Baby Outfits

(beginning to feel like I may have gone a bit overboard)

Write Our Birth Plan

(or lack thereof)

Purchase Remaining Registry Items

(may need to have a bake sale first)

Wellllllll... that is overwhelming enough for today.  I can't even finish my list of things I need to finish. Fail.

Little G's Gear

It's so hard to make all of the big decisions on what major gear to purchase or put on your registry. After reading countless reviews & not getting over the fact that I don't like super "baby looking" items, here are a few of my favorite things that we've purchased. The City Mini Baby Jogger for long trips to the mall and my ambitious plans of getting some outdoor exercise...I am obsessed. The Crane humidifier - which I can absolutely say that I love already because we bought one in white for our bedroom this winter. And the Aprica Play Yard - I just officially cannot stand the look of other pack n plays, although we did get one for upstairs just because of the vibrating newborn napper station and all of the extras that we thought were necessary for the first few months of living in our bedroom.

Crane Humidifier - City Mini Baby Jogger - Aprica Playard

And our maternity pictures got canceled due to rain so now I have to exchange all of my clothes for the next size up since my belly is growing exponentially. Will be sure to share those as well if Georgia ever sees a little sunshine :)

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 Weeks

Total weight gain: 25 pounds gained at my 33 week appointment.... not sure how I got past Christmas without gaining a ton!
Maternity clothes? maternity & comfy clothes... jeans are officially out of the picture
Stretch marks? no
Sleep: sleeping so much better thanks to my new body pillow!
Best moment this week: listening to the baby's heartbeat at our doctor's appointment this week... my midwife said "what a happy baby!" :) so funny to talk about her that way.
Miss Anything? hot dogs
Movement: still love feeling all of her hiccups & random wiggles
Food cravings: still on my strawberry jam kick...along with strawberry banana smoothies!
Anything making you queasy or sick: still no desire to eat meat
Gender: Girl ..and no her name will not be Blue Ivy... or Turquoise Venus Fly Trap for that matter..
Labor Signs: No ..but holyshit ..so crazy to think this could be any day now?! I wonder if I'll be one of those people who's water breaks while I'm lurking around Target.
Symptoms: heartburn & lack of mobility - otherwise honestly feeling great
Belly Button in or out? It can officially be considered an outie
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: baby's arrival!! It's all I can think about.. baby brain is no joke. And neither is nesting.. I literally have never cleaned & organized so much in my entire life. Who knew that folding baby socks & helping put together a stroller could blow a night on the town out of the water?! :)

32 Weeks

How far along? 32 Weeks

Total weight gain: 25 lbs
Maternity clothes? yes. starting to feel like ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag.
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: sleep is good...body pillow is very good.
Best moment this week: rolling into 2012...the year our baby will be born!! it seemed so far away but now here we are!
Miss Anything? breathing normally and being able to curl up in a ball on the couch. oh the things we take for granted!
Movement: still lots of movement & baby hiccups.. I know I will miss this feeling so much.
Food cravings: strawberry jelly. I stooped to an all new low this week & ate strawberry jam out of the jar with a spoon.
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really..but meat doesn't sound at all enticing.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Heartburn, mild rib & hip pain and still some swelling in my calves/feet
Belly Button in or out? more out than in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY!
Looking forward to: maternity pictures this week!

Happy New Year to you all!! Thank you again to everyone for all of your sweet comments all the time... so encouraging & full of great advice! I hope 2012 is brings you all lots of love, happiness & strawberry jam! :)

My Baby Shower & "New Mom Survival Kit"

While we were in Iowa, I had my baby shower hosted by family at my favorite bed & breakfast. I had the most amazing time & loved seeing all of my friends and family. Accomplishment of the century... I wore a dress AND heels for two full hours. 

I also ate four jelly donuts.

 Dress from Asos, Sweater & Belt from J.Crew

 It was on New Year's Eve in the morning so we had a brunch theme with lots of glitter & champagne. Obviously I was a bit jealous of all who got to drink it... But I did learn that Perrier sparkling water tastes extra yummy with frozen strawberries in it! :)

 

 One of my favorite gifts from my shower came from my best friend, Whitney, who just had a little boy in June. She put together a "Survival Kit" - all of the things that she doesn't leave home without! LOVE!!! I always wondered how I would ever get started packing a diaper bag..and this was beyond perfect!! She filled a giant gift bag with all of the items & attached notecards to each explaining how/why to use it! So, for all of you expectant mothers out there... enjoy her humor & list of all contents!!

Disposable Diaper Sacks: For all of those greenish-yellow runny blow-out diapers you wont want to put straight in anyone's trash!
Pacifier Wipes: For those fussy times where she will throw her paci on the floor.
Dreft Stain Remover: For those runny blow-outs that happen in those "she will only wear this to a nice place" expensive outfits!
Brica Baby Backseat Mirror: So you don't freak out while driving becuase you can't her her making noise - then you don't have to pull over every five minutes.
Baby Nail Files: For those nails you will have to clip super fast while she sleeps - trust me, you won't get a smooth trim!
Portable Changing Station; For those inconsiderate places with no changing table OR for those long drives where she blows out & you have to use your car as a restroom.
Boogie Wipes: For all of those crusted boogers that you don't want to pick with your bare hands.
Nipple Cream: For your crusted, cracked, sore, raw, red nipples... you will be gobbing this crap on inside your bra! Also good as chapstick :)
Hand & Face Wipes: For all of the messy stuff she will get into & try to put in her mouth. Also good to sanitize dropped toys & cart handles!
Soothing Nipple Wipes: For those sore, raw, soon-to-be leather nipples she will suction onto several times daily.
Milk Feeding Bibs: For those super messy bottle feedings ...so the milk doesn't curdle in her neck rolls.
Swaddle Wraps: For the times when your baby won't stop screaming or go to sleep unless she is wrapped up like a friggin' burrito...the tighter the better!

A few other things that we got for little G from the baby shower include lots of fun outfits (a few shown below!), Peg-Perego Primo Viaggio Car Seat, pack 'n play, My Brest Friend Pillow, boppy pillow, baby bottles, My Little Snugabunny Swing, baby monitor, baby tights (my serious obsession) & countless other adorable outfits and goodies!

Worlds biggest thank you to all who could attend & for all of the amazing, thoughtful gifts! I have never felt so blessed & thankful in my entire life... I can't wait for little G to get lots of use out of all these goodies!

Also, in the last few posts there have been questions about where things are from. The grey owl in the crib is from Pier 1 (and they still have them!) but unfortunately I am not sure what the name of the gray fabric is called that the blanket is made of... I literally just stumbled upon it. The outfits pictured above are Carters, Swimsuit from The Gap & pajamas by Koala Baby Organics. Again, WHY don't they make these things in my size?! :)

31 Weeks

 How far along? 31 Weeks (this is a bit delayed, I'm 32.5 weeks now but just getting around to posting from Christmas)

Total weight gain: 25
Maternity clothes? lots of maternity shirts & leggings, still uncomfortably wearing my regular jeans with a hair tie around the buttons & trying to squeeze into my old yoga pants/tshirts
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: sleep is still good although I wake up often to roll over because of sore hips ..but I got a body pillow for Christmas so we'll see if that helps!
Best moment this week: got to go home for Christmas to see all of our family & friends! Had the most amazing time & got so many great gifts for babygirl... overall this trip just made us even more excited for her arrival!
Miss Anything? everything - I am officially at the "uncomfortable" stage, out of breath often & I am really missing being able to put on socks/boots without huffing & puffing
Movement: more like shifting around rather than kicking ...but hiccups sometimes 3 times a day!
Food cravings: still craving sweets... holy sugar cookie binge eating this week!
Anything making you queasy or sick: not much
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Heartburn, out of breath every now & then, starting to have a little swelling in my calves after doing lots of walking & still some rib pain
Belly Button in or out? top is starting to pop out! but it's still in limbo
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY!
Looking forward to: finishing the nursery & organizing all of the adorable clothes... I love looking at all of them!! Need to order newborn picture outfits/accessories this week too! Can't believe she will be here so very soon! :)