36 weeks pregnant/ Curse of the one legged cankle

36 weeks down, 4ish to go!

Are we ready? Yes, super ready. 

(Note: I am actually almost 37 weeks. I wrote most of this post last week. Also, my swelling issues that I write about in this post are much better than last week. I also took ALL pictures with my phone.. so they kind of suck. Sorry! >.>)

Weight- Thanks to tremendous swelling and water retention, weight gain is a lot..like 10 pounds in 1 and 1/2 weeks! What?! Good news, though I look like a puffy marshmallow lady, a lot of it is in fact water which I will loose rapidly after Miss Lily makes her debut. We will discuss this more after I have baby and am able to actually do something about the weight. Until then, I am going to try not to think about it. >:(

Symptoms- Feet swelling! Leg swelling! Hand swelling! Oh my. My right leg is particularly swollen and has become a dreaded cankle leg. Also lots of vagina head butting from baby. Yeah, that is kind of painful and yes, I said vagina. 

Right foot= Boo.

Stretch Marks- Still none! 

Movement- Very move-y and kicky lately. Have felt little feet :)

Belly Button- Half and half. It is a weird alien belly button, which should go ahead and pop out, but is too stubborn to do so. 

Food cravings- I wants me some chocolate. I was craving Chipotle, and I met that need Thursday. Mmm, burrito. (Please note: I have met the chocolate craving as well, so no need to worry.)

Looking forward to- Baby! We are ready for you any time, Lily. 

Least favorite thing- Cankles, clearly. And moving in general. 

34 week ultrasound

At 34 weeks we had an ultrasound. Bad news, she is too big for cute ultrasound pictures, so I don't really have any to share. :( But lots of good news! She is head down, and anterior (facing my spine) which is all good for delivery purposes. She is averaging right around where she should be, plenty of amniotic fluid, good heart beat, and basically healthy in every way. 

Fun facts~
-Her head is measuring 3 weeks ahead :O 
-She has a lot of hair already, so we are expecting lots of pretty hair

-She was grabbing her feet during the ultrasound= cute! 

36 week appointment

With the swelling and rapid weight gain, I went in early for my appointment to make sure everything was OK.  My blood pressure was great and no protein in urine, so not pre-eclampsia so far. Had an ultrasound of my swollen leg down, and it is not a blood clot. Doctor said basically some women just have tons of water retention at the end, and it is unclear why. But basically nothing to be worried about right now, just super sucky. 

Fun fact~
-1 and 1/2 centimeters dilated, and 60% to 70% effaced. 


Nursery

        

Maternity Photo Shoot-

I posted most of them on Facebook, but wanted to share a couple on here as well. These were taken at 32 weeks. 

Photos by Ava Hill  http://avahillphotography.blogspot.com/

We're almost there!

Shayla

32 weeks

Weight- 157. Starting at 129.4, so about 28 pounds. Yikes!

Symptoms- Cramping, having to pee a lot, getting out of breath very quickly, etc.  Third trimester is definitely uncomfortable, but it is manageable. Some of second trimester's symptoms have gone away, such as frequent heart burn. I am still walking those doggies! Thank you, cold weather! ;)

Stretch Marks- None yet, but I am still rather pessimistic on this point.

Movement- Less frequent, but stronger, similar to before. I read somewhere that babies sleep 95% of the time at this point, and I also read I should feel baby movement 10 times an hour. Yeah, that makes sense :P (insert sarcastic tone here).

Food aversions- Nothing really

Belly Button- Innie-ish. It is definitely getting stretched out and less deep, but has not popped out.

Food cravings- Looking forward to Thanksgiving foods!

Looking forward to- Maternity photo shoot this weekend! But hoping I don't look fat in them.. >.> Considering wearing the striped dress in the picture up top. Thoughts?

Least favorite thing- A lot of my clothes are starting to feel uncomfortable, especially my bras. But I am holding out on buying any new ones because my chest size should change once I'm breast feeding, and I don't want to have to buy bras again. But yeah, basically anything besides super stretchy clothes (dresses, yoga pants, PJS) aren't all that comfortable. My advice to any soon-to-be preggies is to not buy all your maternity clothes early like I did. I know it is exciting, but it sucks to have things not fit >:(

Baby Shower recap! We had a great time, and our families put so much love into making it special for us. We appreciate all the friends and family that were able to make it and celebrate Lily's impending arrival! 

Alison and her daughter Natalie

With Sean, Alison, and their baby Natalie

First baby Kyle ever held!

Bradley Method- Doing a separate post later today with more class by class details.

At our next doctor visit (34 weeks) we are getting an ultrasound to estimate baby size (though this is just an estimate) fluids, and baby position. So I will have some cute pictures of Lily for everyone soon! :)

27 weeks Pregnant

27 weeks pregnant! 

6 Months!

13 weeks to go!

Time for some fun comparisons. 

4 weeks     VS.    27 weeks

I would say 27 weeks is definitely the winner of the "looking pregnant" award.

Also, seeing this makes me appreciate how small I look in the early pictures. Ah *sigh*.

Also also, Yoshi is handling all of this like a champ.

Weight...-  150ish=Weight gain 21 pounds. 

Baby is about 14 inches long and 2ish pounds. Here is a fun link if you are somehow interested in every detail of Lily's growth this week like me. 

http://pregnant.thebump.com/pregnancy-week-by-week/27-weeks-pregnant.aspx

She can now open her eyes! And see all the darkness! (She is able to see light when available..)


Also, she looks something like this...

Movement- less frequent throughout the day, but stronger when moving. Some days are a lot more active than others. Doctor says this can be that she is in different positions that make it harder for me to feel the movement (like facing my back). 

Food aversions- none! 

Food cravings- As I write this, I am super full so it is hard to have cravings. Earlier in the week I was having cinnamon applesauce cravings. Weird.

Looking forward to- Baby shower and starting our Bradley Method birthing classes TONIGHT! I am excited and nervous at the same time. Hopefully they don't make me weigh myself in front of everyone. Or say any "definitely DON'T do this" to things I have actively been doing. Apparently the Bradley Method requires you to eat a LOT of protein to strengthen the pelvic floor and such. I do like protein-y things.

I will write a full post later about my classes for anyone who may be interested in this method! 

Prenatal yoga- So far, it is like easy yoga. You could definitely do this yoga as a total beginner, but having some experience helped me not have to look at the instructor as much, thus loosing balance and clumsily falling over. I'm glad it was easy yoga, I know I've lost a lot of my strength from before pregnancy... bad Shayla XD. At least I walk my dogs 5 times a week still! I need to start really doing those kegals... those awkward, awkward kegals. 

Also, the lovely granola ladies at prenatal yoga did a great job at making me feel like a lazy lard-ass. Spent about 30 minutes talking about their weight gains, low sugar maternity diets, which consists of even limiting the fruit they eat each day. Also all had midwives who were planning home births that actively monitored every thing they put in their mouths. When they asked if my doctor asks about what I'm eating, I said " Never, and I'm really glad for it!"

Thanks for reading :)
Shayla

23 and 24 weeks

Woohoo! 5 1/2ish months down, 3 1/2ish to go

23 weeks

24 weeks

Weight...- 147. Woohoo? I will continue to shamelessly post my weight, for I will be that much prouder when I loose it all after baby is born. My plan? Breastfeeding, dog walking, yoga and pilates. And no more tasty sugar sweets.. :*(

Movement- Similarly active as usual. She is still very responsive, and it is particularly sweet when she kicks just because daddy is touching my belly. I think she is very excited to meet him! :) I predict she is going to be a bit outgoing, we will see. Oh, she also starting giving kicks straight to the Va-jay-jay. Those.. are less amusing. XD

Food aversions- Hmm nothing really at the moment. Chicken, you're OK. 

Food cravings- Always sugar. And some ravioli. Like the bad, Chef Boyardee I loved as a kid. 

Looking forward to- Baby shower next month! Our moms are going all out and I am truly excited! Thanks moms! Oh and starting Bradley Method classes in 3 weeks-ish. Will post about how that goes!

About to go to my first prenatal yoga class. My flexibility is now shameful. Hopefully this will remedy that. I will let you know how that goes as well! 

Things are getting exciting! :)

Thanks for reading,
Shayla

21 weeks & 20 week ultrasound

Firstly, we had our 20 week ultrasound on Monday.

Lily was very sleepy and shy during the ultrasound, and wanted to face her back to us for most of it. But we managed to get some pictures of her in different poses! But it was once again confirmed that she is, indeed, a girl! ;) 

Back and back of head

Profile, leg, and hand

Foot :)

She measuring 3 days big overall, and a week ahead for weight. Signs leading to a big baby like her mom (9 pounds, 3 ounces.. >.>)

21 weeks

21 weeks

Weight...- 1..4..2 XD From 129.4. I don't want to talk about it..

Movement- TONS. She is a very strong, active baby. I began to feel her move at 16 weeks, but quickly turned into little punches and kicks. It is getting stronger and stronger, and sometimes so often I take it for granted (but I usually stop everything I'm doing and giggle in delight to feel her move around!) Kyle has also started being able to feel her a couple of weeks ago. The best method I found for others to feel is laying flat on my back on the couch. But recently he can feel it from a sitting position too. 

Food aversions- Chicken still. It has been chicken the whole time..

Food cravings- Nothing this week that I remember.. trying to be healthy this week!

Looking forward to- Getting more things for the nursery. We ordered a crib this week, so I can have a project to do soon. Need more baby projects, haha. 

Despite the wonderful ultrasound, this week has been tough. I have had a cold since Monday, and my ever growing body is more difficult to handle mentally than I thought. I love the bump, but the other stuff growing? Not so much. *sigh*. Yes, it is worth it. Of course it is. But still, tough for a slightly vain mamma to handle. Not being able to exercise this week at all from being sick doesn't make me feel a lot better about it, either. 

Sorry I don't post more often, but I don't think enough changed week to week to be interesting! 

Thanks for reading,
Shayla

What pregnancy means to me

I know women have different views on pregnancy, from joy, to terror, to somewhere in between.

For me, pregnancy is empowering, completely amazing, and quite possibly the coolest, most meaningful thing I will ever do in my life. I say this with a feeling of complete joy. 

My body is growing, nurturing, and protecting a brand new life, a life that was created from the love my husband and I share. Not only do I get the honor of taking on such a role, but I also get to teach, love, and impact this life in a very important way as she grows up. This is also very intimidating. I know at times I will mess up, but I also know for you, my sweet baby, I will strive to be the best person I can be; a better person than I have ever been. 

So thank you for giving me such an important role. I can't wait to meet you, I literally count the days!

Your mommy,

Shayla

Week 15 and 16

Hello!

Well, I am well into my 2nd trimester, and have had some subtle changes.

15 weeks

16 weeks, new found respect for people who take pictures in this fashion. Harder than I thought..XD

Weight- starting-129.4/ now-136! AH! 
Baby girl- Size of an avocado, 4.6 inches long and 3.5 ounces. This week baby can hear my voice! I am singing in the car to her every chance I can. 
Baby name- Lily Annette :)
Symptoms- 
-Nausea is mostly gone now! I still get it in the mornings and right before dinner, but a huge improvement. 
-mild cramping
- Maybe it is wishful thinking, but I think I felt some flutter movements when I was lying down. It might have been Lily moving around! Either way, these flutters should become stronger in the weeks to come, and feel like distinct kicks. Can't wait!

My body is just now starting to look somewhat pregnant. I am still in the "is it a beer gut?" stage, big enough to not look normal but not big enough to be clearly pregnant. I am looking forward to the clearly pregnant size. I already bought some cute maternity things and am looking forward to wearing them!

I am starting to get my energy back this week, though I definitely do not have the super energy I have been promised from countless websites. Boo.

Thank you all for your interest and support! 24 weeks to go!

~Shayla

Baby girl clothes..

Of course I shouldn't have.. but I couldn't help it. To celebrate our baby girl, I bought just a couple of things! Really, just like, 4 or 5, or 6 things. ;)

Today I received the first item. 


Bathing suit from Janie and Jack

Normally, I will not buy from this store because it really is too much for tiny clothes, but this was on sale and I only bought the one thing.

Anyway, VERY cute and so tiny! SO TINY! :D I ordered it in a 6th month old size, so hopefully she will be this big at some point during the summer. We have a pool in our backyard so it will definitely get some use!

Yes, I do have issues with planning too far in advance. Whatever. :P

Thanks for reading,
Shayla

Baby's Gender.....

IT'S A GIRL!!!! :D

All results came back normal as well, so it is a healthy baby girl. Hooray! 

We found out early by doing a Harmony test that finds the baby's blood in the mothers blood, just had to have blood drawn. It does various genetic testing for down syndrome, etc. but can also pinpoint gender. 

13 weeks on Thursday!

Symptoms: 
-STILL queasy. Hoping this will pass within the week as all of the websites I have read promised and as I enter the 2nd trimester. 
-having some round ligament pain, which is periodic sharp pains in the lower abdomen. 

No photos this week, sorry! Will include some in the next post! I need to go immediately shop for girl clothes now ;)

Week 11- Surprise ultrasound!

So we weren't supposed to have another ultrasound until 20 weeks, but the Doc. couldn't hear the heartbeat through the abdomen check yet. So I got to have another ultrasound to hear the heartbeat and see the baby! Wow! What a change in 3 weeks!

Little nose and eyes and feet... SO CUTE! *gushes*
Baby is almost 2 inches big! Healthy heartbeat and size for the age. Baby was also wiggling around this time. 

Also today I had blood work done.. 7 vials of blood! Wow, it seemed like an awful lot. But apparently it is a lot less than giving blood. 

Pregnancy symptoms are somewhat the same. My weight is the same as well. Only 2 weeks left of the first trimester! 

10 weeks pregnant

Hello all!

Sorry for the late post, we have been very busy and just got back from a trip to Hawaii :)

How far along? 10 weeks

Baby's size: Cherry! CHEEERRY... CHEEERRY BAABY (Ya know, like Sherry baby..?)

Weight: Starting: 129.4/ Current: 132 :O (this is partly thanks to Hawaii overeating XD)

Maternity clothes? No :P

Symptoms: 

-Still with the queasiness! Tuesday was pretty awful, but overall it is mild and worse before meals

-Had some sharp pains, though not frequent. Apparently this is my body "beginning to move and expand". Basically my joints and muscles are going to creepily distort themselves to make room for our cutie Koerber :)

-Will spare you all the details, but have had an upset stomach for three days straight. Somewhat troubling, but trying to work my diet to combat this problem, including bananas, rice, applesauce, and such. 

-I do have food aversions, but usually not to foods I love. After a couple of days in Hawaii fish started to make my stomach churn. Sometimes meat in general is less appetizing. 

Miss anything? Jeggings. 

Food cravings: This week I was really craving apple juice. I gave in to this craving. I also really want some toaster strudels but I am trying to ignore this one :( 

10 weeks

At 8 weeks we had our first ultrasound! Baby was a healthy size and I got to hear the heart beat! It was so fast and a truly awesome sound.

The picture isn't very good, and the scanner is giving me problems. So I took a picture of the picture.. 

Sweet alien baby at 8 weeks

Starting on left, big black circle is head and brain, little arm on top, etc. Ok so baby didn't look like much yet, but it was only the size of a kidney bean, so cut her/him some slack :)

I am really looking forward to the end of the first trimester and beginning of the second. Then I will feel like baby is going to be  alright, and the queasiness will hopefully be gone. I'm actually looking forward to the cute prego bump :) 

I will update again soon! And Happy Birthday to my husband today! :)

Thanks for reading~

Shayla