Today is my due date

Well, here we are, it's January 20th and I am not yet holding a beautiful little (yet to be named) baby girl in my arms.  I had a feeling this would happen and I know it's not quite 4pm here in central Ohio but I can pretty much assume she won't be born today.

I haven't felt any different, though I've nested a little.  I cleaned and sterilized all the bottles that go with my breast pump, cleaned the kitchen, tidied up the living room and finished the laundry.  I still want to organize a few things in the nursery, maybe after dinner.  To be honest, I've been feeling a huge mix of emotions today.  I feel thankful to have made it full term with my pregnancy as I know many mom's who have not, I'm glad I've had a fairly easy pregnancy and that there was no medical need to induce me as of yet. 

But I'm sad that I was told on Friday I was still only 1cm dilated and 80% effaced, I'm sad that I had a false alarm and thought I was in labor on Thursday only to go to the hospital and find out that was not the case and I'm sad that I am still not holding that little baby in my arms.  I've tried some of the old wives tales to induce labor to no avail so I've spent most of today tidying things up around the house, relaxing and waiting for Andrew to come home from an unexpected day at work. 

Everyone keeps calling to see if I'm in labor, my phone hasn't stopped alerting me of calls and texts all day.  My mom has called no less than four times trying to get me out of the house but I'd rather just stay home.

I am glad that I went the midwife route with my pregnancy and that she isn't forcing me to have an induction for her own convenience.  I go back to see her on Friday and if I'm not in labor or if things haven't progressed I will be induced early next week.  I know that life is what happens when you are making other plans, but I really hope I don't have to be induced.  I want so badly to have a natural labor and delivery and I'm so afraid that's not going to happen now.  I feel extra bad for Andrew having to put up with me these last few weeks.  I've been emotional, crabby, hard to deal with, tired and so unmotivated.  I haven't cooked an actual meal in almost two weeks, we've been eating canned food and frozen dinners and snacking.  I hope that I snap out of this funk soon.

All I can really do at this point is pray and wait for baby girl to make her arrival, which I hope is sometime this week.  I'm planning on going into work tomorrow to wrap up a few things (assuming I'm not in labor) since I was out Thursday and Friday due to my labor false alarm.  I'm glad that my boss has been super understanding as well as everyone else in my office.

So here's to the due date that has come and gone - mommy and daddy are ready to meet you little lady!!! 

Memorable Pregnancy Moment

Now that I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy, I've been thinking a lot about memorable pregnancy moments or just things in general have made me smile throughout this process.  There have been a lot of up's and down's but I would like to remember the fun moments for a while:

• Not being sick: I feel so lucky that I felt pretty good for most of the pregnancy.  I never once had morning sickness just a touch of nausea, 
• All of my interesting cravings: the constant need for Mexican Food and ice cream pretty much lasted all summer and then moved onto cheese and really cold drinks.  I also had weird cravings like Fruit Roll-Ups, peanut butter straight from the jar, all kinds of candy I hadn't eaten in years like Smarties and Sour Patch Kids and Sour Cream and Onion Pringles (they had to be pringles, no other chips had the same taste). 
• Feeling the baby move for the first time: I was at work and felt a very violent kick in my belly.  I never had too many "flutters" so that kick was something else.
• Andrew feeling the baby move for the first time: We were on vacation which made it even more memorable!
• Our babymoon: I think about our trip to Florida all of the time, we had so much fun and made so many memories.  Having that week together to relax was fantastic in so many ways and I often dream of our daily walks along the beach hunting shells and shark teeth.  I can't wait to take our daughter to all of those places one day and share the memories with her.
• My baby showers: Both of them were wonderful and I could not ask for better family and friends!  My cousin and aunt planned a beautiful and intimate shower for me in PA with my aunts and cousins and my mom and good friend Laura really outdid themselves with my shower here in Ohio.  Both were amazing and such a blessing. 
• Our maternity photos: Not having to hide my tummy was nice and being able to take photos at Andrew's parents farm was lovely.  Our engagement and wedding photos were taken there and I love having so many memories of their place.
• Sharing my pregnancy journey with three of my close friends: I have friends due in March, May and June so it's been fun talking about our pregnancies together and sharing stories.  I can't wait for our little ones to grow up together!
• The anatomy scan: I was so convinced from day one that we were having a boy and man were my maternal instincts wrong!  When we got to the gender portion of the ultrasound I was pretty cocky thinking she would say, well it's a boy but it was quite the opposite!  At first I didn't even believe her and then when I looked up at the screen it was pretty evident!
• Preparing the nursery: This little girl has more clothes than I can even fathom and she is so loved already.  Her room is pretty girly with lots of pink, white and sage green and little birds on the walls.  I had a lot of fun getting everything organized, picking out different pieces and making the room look like the rest of our house, what I like to call eclectic antique shabby chic!  
• Watching my body change: This has been both an interesting and scary process.  I remember at the beginning my boobs and butt got really big and I felt super self conscious about both.  As I started to get a bump, I felt a little better because then people would know it was all because I was pregnant.  I was lucky that I didn't really need maternity clothes till about 15-17 weeks thanks to my belly band.  I've gone up two bra sizes already and I'm afraid for what might happen to my chest later on down the road.  The stretch marks were a little scary at first, but I'm used to them now.  I did find a few new ones on my hip this week, but at this point it's the least of my worries.  I never really had the full round belly until about week 36 and I get a lot of interesting looks from people as I waddle around!

I feel pretty fortunate to have had a good pregnancy and I am so anxious to meet this little baby!  Cross your fingers for good news from the midwife on Friday or that I go into labor before my appointment!

Pregnancy Update

Sorry again for my absence recently, but here is an update on the pregnancy, instead of a bumpdate:

• As of today, I am 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant.  Yes, I'm over it and ready to have this baby.
• I am 1cm dilated and 80% effaced as of last Friday, my midwife said I could go into labor any day now.  I'm pretty sure I lost my mucus plug already but I haven't had any contractions other than Braxton Hicks.
• I've gained 23lbs throughout the entire pregnancy which I'm pretty happy about.
• The 3rd trimester insomnia started this week and it is something else.  I've been "sleeping" in our office/spare bedroom because the room is cold and the bed is hard which is more comfortable to me right now.  I am lucky to get about 4 hours a night and I know this is probably preparing me for the baby's arrival, but I still have to work this week.
• Speaking of work, Friday will be my last day in the office till the end of March, unless I have the baby before that date. 
• Monday the 20th is my official due date.  There has been little talk of induction (thank goodness) unless I go past the date, then it will be time for a non stress test and we will have the induction discussion at that time.  
• The baby continues to be pretty active in there and can really push hard into various places in my body now.  I can tell she's running out of room and have a feeling she will have long legs like her mom.
• My blood pressure has been consistent and low the entire pregnancy.  My last reading was 120/60 which is wonderful.  I'm thankful that I've had no complications.
• I'm waddling like a penguin.
• I swear my boobs have grown again.
• The nursery is completely done, the hospital bag is packed, the diaper bag is loaded and ready to go and the carseats have been installed....now all we needs is a baby!

Typing at work is becoming a little difficult with this belly in the way.

On my way to my 38 week appointment!

2013 Recap

It's hard to believe that 2013 is coming to a close, it's been quite the year!  We will be spending New Year's Eve with my parents, having a nice dinner and enjoying some time together.  I wasn't in the mood for going out or a loud party so this was a great idea. 

January

• I got focused on getting healthy and trying out Weight Watchers.  I was successful for a short time, but like most times I have tried to loose weight I lost sight of my goals.
• We made a trip to Amish Country with Andrew's parents.
• I made up with an old friend from high school and it was so good to have her back in my life again! 
• I started looking for a new job.

February

• My brother purchased his first home and got laid off for a short time just three weeks later.
• My mom's stepmother passed away and I traveled to PA with my parents for her funeral.
• We hit a deer with my car on the way to Andrew's parents house on a chilly, early Saturday morning but thankfully the damage was minimal.
• Andrew and I headed to Hocking Hills to celebrate our 5 year anniversary and had a wonderful time.  Though the weather was a little crummy, we still managed to spend a lot of time together talking and relaxing and it was just what we needed.
• Our niece turned one year old.
• We filmed a segment on our local Metro Parks for the news and it was a lot of fun! 
• Andrew started on the diesel engine swap in our Dodge truck.

March

• Andrew and I headed to Detroit for his 2012 work awards and he was named Mechanic of the Year!  I was such a proud wife that evening, he works so hard and really deserved to win!
• My brother turned 24.
• I had several promising interviews for new jobs this month after several months of applying at various companies and organizations.
• I took my mom to see Bon Jovi as a belated birthday gift, we had a blast! 
• I went to Muncie, IN with my sister-in-law for a girls weekend, we had so much fun dancing, drinking and laughing.  It was just what I needed after a stressful start to the year.  

April

• I left my previous employer at the beginning of the month and started my new job.  The change was just what I needed and my mood improved drastically over the next month.
• I celebrated my sister-in-laws last night out as a single woman and man was it a night/weekend!

May

• My baby brother got married the first weekend of the month and it was such an amazing day.  I could not have asked for a better sister-in-law to join our family.  Little did I know the change that was about to come the next weekend.
• I discovered that I was pregnant the weekend after the wedding, Mother's Day weekend.  We only told close family until I went for my first doctor appointment.
• Andrew completed his diesel engine swap project.
• I celebrated my 28th birthday with a low key dinner of Mexican food with Andrew and some cake and presents with my family.

June

• After going to my first doctor appointment and confirming the pregnancy, we announced to our friends and the rest of our family that we were expecting.
• Our dog Bessie got really sick and we were scared to death that she wouldn't recover.  Thankfully our amazing vet and his vet techs along with my mother in law, were able to nurse her back to health.  It was a rough few weeks but she's back to her old self.
• I had my first ultrasound and it was pretty crazy to see that little bean on the screen in the doctor's office.

July

• We celebrated the 4th of July with a rainy and crummy weekend.  I was just ending the first trimester and still not feeling too hot.
• I had the ultrascreen for the baby to check for Downs Syndrome and Triostomy 18 and everything came back normal.  My best friend came with me since Andrew had an important work meeting and the ultrasound took FOREVER!  But it was so neat to see the baby moving and grooving!
• We celebrated Andrew's company winning region of the year with a hotel stay and party in Downtown Columbus.
• I did quite a bit of canning and freezing with my brother.
• I went to the Under the Sun tour with my good friend Amanda to see all of our fave 90's rock bands and we had a blast!

August

• I finally began the second trimester and was feeling worlds better.
• We planned our anniversary/babymoon trip to Florida.

September

• At the beginning of the month we were thrilled to find out we were having a baby girl after months of totally being convinced that little baby was a boy!  I was in complete shock but excited at the same time.
• We attended the wedding of one of my childhood friends and it was a beautiful fall ceremony with a lovely outdoor reception.
• I finally started feeling the baby move around and man it was so crazy and weird for the first few weeks.
• We traveled to Florida for a week in the middle of the month and had an amazing time.
• Andrew was finally able to feel the baby move for the very first time.
• We celebrated our one year anniversary on September 22nd, the day after we arrived home from vacation.  We didn't do anything to over the top since we had just been gone for a week, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and relaxed together at home.

October

• After a few very rough weeks dealing with anxiety and depression related to my pregnancy, I got some help from my midwife and started to feel worlds better.
• Andrew turned 31 at the beginning of the month, we didn't do anything too exciting and had dinner out together and celebrated with his family and mine the following weekend.
• We started planning the decor for the baby's room after I bought an adorable, gently used bedding set from Ebay (Pottery Barn kids woot woot).
• My dad turned 56 at the end of the month.
• My brother and his wife had their first ever Halloween party and it was so much fun!  Even if I couldn't drink, there was lots of yummy food and believe me I chowed down all night!
• I finally entered the third trimester! 
• Andrew painted the nursery after it took me FOREVER to get the room cleaned out! 

November

•  I had my first baby shower in Pennsylvania with my aunts and cousins.  They were so generous and I realized that our daughter would be better dressed than me!
• I had my glucose screening and passed with flying colors.
• My amazing sister-in-law took our maternity pictures.
• I made it through a huge event at work that I basically had to run by myself.  That was the first day my feet were swollen during the entire pregnancy.  It was a long day but a very successful event!
• I had my second baby shower a few weeks before Thanksgiving hosted by my mom and my good friend Laura.  Once again, I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of our family and friends as well as the great company and fun everyone had together.  
• The nursery project kept on going through this month as I put things away from both of my showers.  We brought over the crib from my parents house, the changing table from my in-laws which they painted to match the crib and got the room set up.  My mom very graciously volunteered to wash all the baby clothes, sheets and bedding which was a huge help.  
• We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and my brother held the celebration at his house. 

December

•  We bought our first fake Christmas tree because I was not in the mood to deal with a real one.  Plus I figured if I went into labor early or something happened, we didn't need to worry about taking it down.
• We finally got the nursery completed and started to anxiously await the arrival of the baby.
• This was by far the hardest month for me with the pregnancy.  I had a lot of pain and discomfort, nights with little to no sleep, awful heartburn and so many other not fun symptoms.  It was really hard to get into the Christmas spirit.
• We celebrated Christmas Eve at my parents house with our traditional Polish dinner, Christmas Day was spent with Andrew's family and the rest of my family came into town on the 28th for one last Christmas celebration! 

Here's to 2014, I can't even begin to imagine how our lives are going to change but I couldn't be more excited for the future!

Whoa, I have really been MIA

Happy Tuesday all!!!  Sorry for my absence.  For those who might be wondering, I am indeed still pregnant and 35 weeks and 1 day as of today (I hope to actually post a bumpdate soon, maybe tomorrow) but I just wanted to let everyone know what has been going on!

I have been pretty miserable for the last two weeks.  Last Monday I got to work and as I was waiting for the elevator, sharp pains started shooting through my groin all the way up through my belly.  It literally took my breath away and I got on the elevator and waddled to my desk.  I chugged down a bottle of water and waited to see if the pain would go away.  After about 15 minutes, the pains started again and I called Andrew to see what he though I should do.  My midwife's office didn't open till 8am and it was about 7:30 so I called to see if I needed to come in.  They made me an appointment for 10am just to make sure everything was okay.  I was taken back and weighed (I lost 2lbs somehow), my blood pressure was done and it was normal and I gave a urine sample to check for other issues.  Once I was taken back to the room, I noticed I was in one of the ultrasound rooms and was told to undress from the waist down for a cervical check to make sure I wasn't dilated.  Thank goodness Andrew had taken this day off work and met me at the doctor, I was pretty freaked out.

After my test results came back there was nothing abnormal other than the fact that I was slightly dehydrated.  The doctor came in (not my normal midwife, she was off that day) and checked to see if I had dilated at all, which thankfully I had not.  The baby however is still head down which was the cause of my discomfort that day.  She told me to take it easy so I headed home to try and relax for the rest of the day.

Since that appointment I haven't been feeling all that great.  I keep thinking how easy the beginning of the pregnancy was and what I complained about then; it is nothing compared to how I feel now.  I don't sleep well most nights between my unquenchable thirst, need to go to the bathroom and the inability to stay comfortable.  I can't eat too much in one sitting or else my stomach gets super hard.  I waddle pretty bad when I walk and getting up and down from a chair or in and out of the car are a daily struggle.  I have Braxton Hicks occasionally but they are usually at night and go away pretty quickly.  I feel like my stomach is getting higher when I thought at this time the baby should be starting to drop.  I have been whiny, needy, fussy and all out crabby which I am sure my dear husband really enjoys!

My next doctor appointment is December 27th and then I go to once a week appointments!  Part of me hopes that little one arrives maybe a week early, but I have a feeling that is not going to happen.  I really want to go to into labor on my own, but at this point with my level of discomfort I just want her to come out safe and healthy no matter what that might mean.