He's Here!

Friends, meet Vincent Paul! He was born on March 7th at 9:52 PM. He weighed 7lbs 8oz, was 20.5 inches long and had a head circumference of 13 inches at birth. Things have been absolutely crazy since he arrived - mommyhood definitely keeps you busy! I am currently working on the birth story, which I will be posting as soon as possible! 

40 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 40 weeks! Today is my due date. Where's Vince? All comfy cozy in mommy's belly! I truly hope this is my last weekly bump update for this pregnancy xD Vince is estimated to be about 7 1/2 lbs. So pretty average! 

Total weight gain/measurements: Gained 16 lbs since pre-pregnancy

Maternity clothes: My maternity jeans are super tight! My yoga pants are definitely the most comfortable at this point. Shirts are pretty much the same except a few, which my belly will stick out of!

Stretch marks? >.< I feel like I get more every day! And they ITCH. They are all still below my belly button, so I can only see them when I look in the mirror. 

Sleep: I have not been able to sleep more than 4 hours per night in a week. And that's not even 4 hours straight with all the trips to the bathroom. I am exhausted, but my insomnia is so terrible, that I can't sleep. And acid reflux contributes to the problem on the nights that I have it. I think I'm going to actually listen to my midwife and just start taking benadryl every night to help me sleep. I want to at least try to enjoy sleep before the baby gets here and it's just impossible!

Best moment this week: A coworker of my mother in law's brought a huge bag of her son's old clothes to work for us to have! It was such an awesome and much appreciated surprise. :) I also got a few more clothes, a baby carrier and some diapers from my aunt and my friend Amber! I am so thankful for all the help we have gotten!

Miss anything?: Sleep. Need I say more?

Movement: Lots of sliding and lots of cervix headbutting. He is now at almost a 0 station, so if he were much lower, he'd basically be in the birth canal. My midwife literally had to push up his head to check my cervix! Because of how low he is, he hits a nerve in the left side of my groin that literally makes me drop to my knees. It is soooo painful! At the same time I feel bad for him because I know how limited his space is. 

Food cravings: Nothing this week really.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I am not sure exactly what is causing it, but similar to last week, I will start getting this really sharp upper back pain and feel incredibly queasy out of the blue. Since the false labor and vomiting episode last week, I've been taking Zofran again. My midwife suggested I take it as a precaution when feeling, even if I don't quite feel like I'm about to hurl, just to avoid that happening again. They are thinking that the vomiting episodes could have been the cause of my false labor both times.  

Gender: Boy! :)

Labor signs: Been experiencing contractions on and off, but not incredibly strong and difficult to track. They are definitely not braxton hicks, because no matter what I do, they won't go away. They just eventually space out and go away on their own, usually right as I am getting ready to start timing them, funny enough!. I unfortunately did not make any progress this past week. So I am still 80% effaced and just under 2cm dilated.   

Symptoms: Regular contractions, braxton hicks contractions, acid reflux and fatigue. Thank goodness no vomiting this week!

Belly button in or out? Still either flat or out, depending on my position. I've forgotten what it's like to have a normal belly button anymore! Haha! 

Happy or moody most of the time: Been doing a lot better this week emotionally. I am so thankful for Mike, who has helped keep me sane and positive this week. So I've been happy most of the time. :)

Looking forward to: Meeting my baby boy!!

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False Labor

On Tuesday night at around 11 PM, I started feeling really, really sick. Just completely out of the blue! I started throwing up and I could not stop...it was beyond miserable. I hate throwing up so much. Pain, I can deal with. Vomiting - excuse my french but screw that. While getting sick, I was having severe stomach pain and cramping in my upper back. I put my heating pad on my back, which seemed to help. Finally around a quarter to 1, the vomiting stopped. I then started noticing pretty regular contractions, so I began to time them. They averaged about 3 minutes apart and a little over a minute long. After almost two hours, I decided to call my midwife, who told me to go ahead and go into labor and delivery.
When I got there, contractions were two minutes apart. I was so dehydrated from getting sick, that they wanted to get me on some fluids. I had to be poked four times before they were finally able to draw blood and hook up the IV! Apparently the dehydration was what was making the contractions so close together and stressful; they weren't doing anything to dilate me. After the first bag of fluid, the contractions began to space out a little and get stronger. I was checked again and I went from 75% to 80% effaced, but dilation did not change. I got a second bag of fluids after that and was sent home once it was gone. Since I had an appointment with my midwives set up for 11, they figured I could rest at home and then my midwife would check me again in a few hours. I was discharged at around 7:30 in the morning. 
Because of medicine I was given at the hospital for nausea, I was pretty drowsy and able to sleep for a couple of hours before going in for my appointment. I was still having contractions about three minutes apart, but they weren't as strong. My midwife checked me and there was no progress. :/ I was really upset. My midwife was beyond certain I'd be calling her in the evening in active labor. I was again sent home and just crashed out. When I woke up later, the contractions were gone. Needless to say, I was very disappointed.
Meanwhile, it was Mike and my anniversary and I was too emotionally and physically exhausted to even sit up on the couch to watch a movie. Mike was such a trooper. He was so sweet and encouraging. He made us some burritos and we got through half of the movie before we both went to bed. I think that the whole thing had exhausted baby boy to the point where he stopped squirming and slept, which allowed me to get a LOT of sleep, which I desperately needed. I got up this afternoon and forced myself to take a shower, put on some makeup and take my chalkboard picture. I feel a lot better now. And baby boy has been dancing around, so he seems just fine too. :) 
This is the second time that this whole thing has happened (last time was on the 15th) and it was so much more severe this time around. I am so afraid of it happening again and the contractions stopping. I was having them for 12 hours straight and they just went away. I'm afraid to experience the vomiting again...I am literally afraid of vomiting, as ridiculous as that sounds. I know baby boy will come whenever he is ready and I still have a little less than a week until my due date. But man, I am so ready to be done with the contractions, the vomiting, the acid reflux and the discomfort and just meet my baby!! The last few weeks of pregnancy are emotionally and physically exhausting. They really are. Hearing "Just wait until the baby gets here" does not help. I know that it won't be easy once the baby arrives. I know it will bring a new set of challenges. But I will focus on one word: new. I am excited for new challenges! I am excited to be a new mommy. I am excited about the entire experience of parenthood, even though I know I will struggle at times. Pregnancy is part of this journey. It's the first path. I am definitely ready to get off that path and onto the next one! 

39 Weeks Pregnant - Full Term!

How far along? 39 weeks and officially full term! Ready whenever you are, little man!

Total weight gain/measurements: No weight gain this week. 

Maternity clothes: Unless I am leaving the house, I only wear my stretchy yoga pants and hubby's big shirts. Otherwise pretty much all maternity! 

Stretch marks? Yeeeaaahh go ahead. Rub it in. xD Haha

Sleep: I can barely sleep if at all while baby boy is active. And that is mostly at night. Once he finally settles down, I can get comfortable enough to fall asleep. This is why my sleep pattern is a little different now, because if I want to get any sleep at all, it has to be when he is sleeping. I think the way he is positioned is the reason I am getting that sharp, shooting pain in my cervix. Every single time he moves, I feel like I am being stabbed, especially when laying down! It may sound crazy, but I see it as an opportunity to prepare myself for how it will be once he is here. I am already taking "sleep when the baby sleeps" very seriously!

Best moment this week: Honestly, it has been a really rough week. The best part was hearing Vincent's heart thumping away in labor and delivery. Words can't describe how calming that sound is to me!!

Miss anything?: Eating what I'd like! I hate that there are certain things I crave but just can't eat because they give me such bad acid reflux. I guess in a way it's a good thing, since those things aren't particularly healthy (chocolate, cheddar cheese....mmmm), but I really do miss it.  

Movement: Poor friend is totally out of room! He was stuck with his back to my right for weeks and weeks. I finally got him flipped over to the other side with his back to my left a few days ago. One of my midwives said it would be easier to deliver with him on that side. 

Food cravings: Nothing in particular - I will either just crave salt or sweet in general.

Anything making you queasy or sick? The nausea and throwing up I experienced on Tuesday night hit me right out of the blue. I really do not know what caused it!  

Gender: Boy! :)

Labor signs: I am going to make a separate post about this, because it's kind of a long story. But to make it quick, I had another false labor episode on Tuesday night. I had contractions 2-3 minutes apart for about 12 hours. I was in labor and delivery and had to be put on two bags of IV fluid to get re-hydrated. The contractions stopped yesterday. Everyone, including my midwives, thought that he was on his way! But I guess baby boy has another day in mind. I am emotionally and physically exhausted and I don't know how many more times I can do this with it leading to nowhere. But baby boy is healthy and that's all I can ask for! He will come when he is ready and I will do my best to be patient!

Symptoms: Regular contractions, braxton hicks contractions, acid reflux, vomiting and fatigue

Belly button in or out? Depending on baby's position, it's either flat or it sticks out to where you can see it through my shirt. It feels so weird xD  

Happy or moody most of the time: Honestly moody this week, but mostly hormone related. At this point I am just so ready to be done with pregnancy and meet my son that I'm on edge a lot of the time! And the contractions that have gotten my hopes up, then gone away have been so discouraging and frustrating. But deep down I truly am happy, especially knowing that my baby boy is healthy. :D 

Looking forward to: Holding my boy for the first time <3

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Midland.

Several weeks ago, I had mentioned making a drive down to Midland, Texas with Mike, which I was going to write about earlier, but wasn't able to find time for until now.  Making the trip down was a very last-minute decision and I normally wouldn't have made it at 34 weeks pregnant, with it being a 12 hour drive. (At least when you have to stop at every rest stop to pee haha!) But under the circumstances, I am very glad that we did. Mike drove the whole way there and back and we took our time, enjoying each other's company. Even though it wasn't our intention, we considered it our "babymoon", thinking of it as our last trip together before little man gets here. 
A few days prior to making the trip down, it became clear to us that Mike's job was definitely not working out. At all. He was beyond miserable, was constantly being put in dangerous situations and the work environment was hostile. He came home from work that day and I knew by the look on his face that things needed to change immediately. So we went down to check out the area and look for jobs. We stayed with his sister and her husband; they moved down there for work themselves about a year ago. We loved it! Things are booming down there and it would be a great place to raise a family. Mike would also be making enough to where I would still be able to be a stay at home mom.
So to make a long story short, we are moving at the end of March! At least that's the plan timing-wise. Unfortunately, things are a bit up in the air. We just don't know how things will be for both the baby and myself postpartum, so we are keeping an open mind. Mike was originally going to head down to Midland alone at the beginning of February to work, drive up for the birth, stay a few days and drive back down until having to come up again for the move, but because it's such a long drive, we did not want to risk him missing the birth of our son. There's also a very good chance that his work would not let him leave. So we decided that he would leave a few days after Vincent is born, to start work down in Midland. Meanwhile, my mom and I will finish getting the house packed up and the rest of our affairs in order here. Mike will be staying with his sister and looking for an apartment while he is down there as well. 
It's not the most ideal timing in the world, but hey. We have to do what's best for our family and after long discussions and weighing of pros and cons, this is definitely it. I am beyond thankful that our families have been so supportive and will help us get situated to the best of their abilities. I am so glad we have such amazing people in our lives! 
That's basically it! Right now, it's pretty much just getting light packing done and waiting for this boy to arrive! Until then, there is not a whole lot more we can do. We will be in a new town with a new baby and a new job - it's very scary, but it's also very exciting! And as anxious as I am about everything and uncertain about how everything is going to work out, I am very excited to be starting this new chapter. I will update more as things progress and we have a bit better idea of how everything will go! :)

38 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 38 weeks pregnant! Baby boy should be around 7 lbs and the size of a pumpkin! I'm not going to lie; I am not sure if I will be able to make another bump update with the way things are progressing, but we will see! :)

Total weight gain/measurements: Gained 15lbs since pre-pregnancy

Maternity clothes: When I wear non-lounge clothes, they are usually maternity pieces. Because I am at the point where I really don't fit into anything else unless it's a super stretchy shirt!

Stretch marks? They are getting worse :( Especially on the right side of my belly. And they ITCH! Good grief they itch so much. Just been putting lots of cream on them, because scratching will just make them worse. Not much more I can do, unfortunately!

Sleep: Not getting good sleep at night at all! So I get up in the morning, eat a bit and usually go back to bed for a while. I am trying to get as much rest as I can!

Best moment this week: As crazy as this is going to sound; hearing that I really was having contractions when I went in to labor and delivery! It was nice to know that what I was feeling was totally real and not just in my head.

Miss anything?: Sleeping on my tummy! 

Movement: Lots of rolling and hiccups and unfortunately also lots of headbutting in the cervix! It is downright painful when he does that. And for some strange reason, he doesn't do it unless I am laying in bed, which is part of the reason I am not getting good sleep. Ornery little sir! 

Food cravings: Something I can't have! A German cereal called Nougat Bits. (Basically little square cereal pouches filled with Nutella) I am kicking myself for not asking my mom to bring a box with her! :( 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not sure what happened, but I came home on Saturday night from visiting family and for no reason at all started to feel really sick and threw up a couple of times. I am still not sure what caused it. Other than that, nothing in particular.

Gender: Boy! :)

Labor signs: On the same night as I got sick, I ended up getting a wicked headache and started having contractions. What was different about these, was no matter what position I was in, even lying on my left side, they would not go away. I ended up going in to labor and delivery after an hour of timing, with contractions at about 7 minutes apart. I just was not 100% sure what it was I was feeling and wanted to know for sure. The nurse confirmed they were indeed contractions. She checked my cervix was checked and I am still 1cm dilated, but am now 70% effaced, so things are definitely progressing. She said there's a good chance baby could come within the next week! I have not had any contractions since then though. At my prenatal appointment today, I was almost 2cm dilated, 70% effaced and baby's head is at -1 station, so even lower. After the appointment, I experienced quite a bit of bleeding and still am a bit. I believe I lost the last of my plug as well. But it's nothing out of the ordinary.

Symptoms: Braxton hicks contractions, regular contractions and back pain. Also strong period-like cramps every so often, particularly at night. Occasional headaches and pretty much constant fatigue as well.

Belly button in or out? Out!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!! :) Ready to meet this boy!

Looking forward to: Meeting my son! There's just no telling how much longer I will be pregnant at this point. Hopefully not much longer hehe xD 

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What's in my Hospital Bag?

I've been looking forward to making this blog entry for a while! I've spent a TON of time in the past several months reading other mommy blogs for ideas, asking family members, friends and fellow March mommies for advice and asking my hospital how long a typical stay is, what is permitted and what they provide during that time. Hopefully this list will provide those of you, who will be packing your own bags soon, with some ideas and inspiration! :)
It seemed like it would be better to pack everything in a large bag, but this works best for me! This way, I can keep my things and baby's things separate, so that I can grab whatever I need quickly without having to rummage through a suitcase.
I packed pretty lightly, because I plan on having a natural birth and don't expect to be in the hospital much longer than 24 hours after giving birth. I tend to be one to "overpack" and really wanted to avoid doing so for this occasion. However, I'm aware that some things are beyond my control and I could end up in the hospital for several days if I needed a c-section. So I plan to leave a few outfits out on my bed, in case someone needs to swing by the house and pick them up. Thankfully, we are only 5 minutes from the hospital. 
I'll start off with Vincent's diaper bag. I got the bag (which is actually a purse) from my sister in law for Christmas and I LOVE it. It's very roomy and I think it will serve well as a diaper bag! 

Since Mike was just over 6lbs when he was born and I was just under 10lbs, I have NO idea how big this boy is going to be. So I packed both a newborn and a 0-3 month sized onesie with one little pair of pants each. I also packed one sleeper, a hat, two pairs of scratch mittens, two pairs of socks and his going home outfit. My mother in law and I embroidered Vincent's long-sleeved onesie and I painted the little shoes, which we plan to use as his going home outfit. They are newborn sized and I hope sooo much that he fits in them! :) I am also bringing the swaddling blanket my grandmother made. It's super soft and I desperately want to take a few pictures of him swaddled in it to send to her. 

I bought this medical kit at Walmart for just under $20 and it has EVERYTHING: a digital thermometer with covers, bottle medicine dispenser, nasal aspirator, brush and comb set, cradle cap comb, nail clippers with 5 emery boards, toddler toothbrush, 5 alcohol wipes and it all came in this really nice clutch case. I added a bottle of hand sanitizer, a tube of lanolin and about six breast pads, since they fit in there so nicely. I also got a pacifier thermometer and medicine dispenser that I added to the kit, just to keep everything together in one place.

A fellow mommy blogger made the suggestion to use Vaseline to cover baby's bum after diaper changes, so that especially those first meconium poops will wipe right off. It sounded like a good idea to me! So I added the little green mesh bag containing vaseline, diaper cream, a couple cotton rounds for application and baby lotion.

On to my hospital bag. I figured a backpack would work great, since it's roomy enough and won't have to be carried by hand. I will warn you - there are girly things in this bag. But, they are too important not to mention. ;)

I will be bringing my iPod, because I NEED music. It has helped me through depression, panic attacks and I am beyond certain that it will help me get through contractions. I've even created playlists specifically for delivery. (And I totally forgot to add it to the picture, because pregnancy brain. Derp.)
My great aunt got me the awesome blue fuzzy slipper socks, which are super comfy and will be perfect for the hospital!
The white square looking piece of fabric under the hairbrush and straightener are two copies of my birth plan and my post delivery belt. With my abdominal muscles being split, it was recommended that I use one after delivery to assist in everything going back to where it needs to be.
I also have a pack of my favorite flavor gum and my favorite pen, to fill out all the important paperwork. 

I love little travel sized toiletries! I have deodorant (not pictured), toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body cream and even some body mist. I happened to have an unopened toothbrush in a container under my sink and figured it would be perfect to pack in the bag, because I have a feeling I'd forget it otherwise. In the little pink q-tips container are q-tips, a few hair ties and some bobby pins. I packed my second hair brush and my extra hair straightener. Yes, yes, I know. But after drying my hair (especially at this length), I have to at least straighten my bangs to avoid looking like Bozo the clown. I saw they actually have hair dryers in the bathrooms of the hospital, so that's one less thing I have to take! I also wanted to pack my mirror, so can "take care of my appearance" in bed. Haha :P The maxi pads are pretty self explanatory.

I won't actually put these in my bag until we leave, but these are the two little makeup bags I'm taking. I tend to feel better in general once I've put on a little makeup and know it will be nice to do so for pictures once baby boy has arrived! I am keeping it pretty basic: lip balm, concealer, powder, blush, mascara and an eyelash curler. In the longer pouch, I have a few brushes, eyeliner, an eyebrow pencil, an emery board and nail clippers.

As far as clothes go, I am not bringing much. I have a pair of shorts, jogging pants, a tank top and both a nursing bra and nursing tank to wear once I am out of my hospital gown. Also two pairs of socks and granny panties (the uglier the undies, the less upset I'll be when they're ruined! Haha). I am just bringing a loose, comfy shirt and a pair of black yoga pants to wear home from the hospital.

Here is everything together that we will be bringing with us to the hospital: 

As extreme as the birthing ball may seem, it was actually recommended by my midwife, lamaze instructor and First Born counselor that I bring my own. Apparently our hospital only has one and it's first come, first serve. I really want to have one during labor and I don't want to take the chance of it being in use when I need it.  Since I was given my breast pump by a friend, who used it slightly before me, the lactation consultant at the hospital told me that they will replace all of my old breast pump parts (hoses, membranes, valves etc.) for free; all I have to do is bring my pump! So I definitely want to have it with me. I'll leave it and Vincent's car seat in the car until I need them later on.  The little black and red plaid blanket inside the car seat is the one my sister in law made for Vince. It's adorable and I thought it would be perfect to cover him up with once we have him strapped in the car seat, since it will probably be cold when we leave the hospital! Another important thing is the blue binder, which will eventually contain all of Vince's important documents and has all the paperwork from my pregnancy. I figured it would be a good idea to bring along to put all of his paperwork in.
My camera is in the other black DAKINE bag, which actually fits into my hospital bag (if it were empty).
And last but not least: this is the post-it note on our front door, reminding me of the last minute things to grab, since I use those items on a daily basis and can't pack them yet.