30 weeks!

All I can say is Wow! I still can't believe that I have reached 30 weeks. It still seems like just yesterday that I was crossing my fingers and praying for a positive pregnancy test. Now I am 3/4 of the way done... the end is in sight!

I haven't posted any pictures in a while, so I decided I would play a little catch up. The nursery is still rather pitiful (more like a disaster zone), so I will wait to post pictures when we get it cleaned up a little bit.

Here is my 30 week belly (sorry for the pajamas, I am having a lazy day today!)

These are signs I had made for Kael's room. Jenni Silverman from A Beautiful Blessing made these for us, and I could not be happier with how they turned out! They are so special and make me tear up every time I look at them.

This is just a potion of Kael's clothes. We actually got these from another Coast Guard family. The bulk of them are newborn, 0-3 months, and 3-6 months. We have more clothes than we know what to do with!!

And for all my fellow Texans... a snow shot! This is our front yard. The mountain in the background is called "Old Woman" and that is what our awesome little coastie 4-plex looks like. I really hate our house, but I keep trying to make the best out of what we were given. But I have learned very quickly that I was not made for the snow! It is nice to visit and play in for a week or so, but living in it is a completely different story. It is way too much work!

So there you have it... my little photo update. Hope you enjoyed!

Now onto what has been going on with me:

1. I am fed up with my doctor! I am currently looking into switching doctor's offices. I STILL haven't received the results from my glucose test which was taken over a week ago, and after my last appointment I have just been very frustrated with the lack of time and information I am receiving.
   
2. I am sleeping so much better! I have actually ditched my maternity pillow too. It is just too big of a hassle when it comes to my tossing and turning. Not to mention, it takes up half the bed and Kevin really doesn't appreciate hanging on for dear life all night long. I'm not sure if it is just the fact that I am feeling more tired these days, but I am sleeping through the night for the most part (except for when I get up 1-2 times to go to the bathroom), and I am not tossing and turning very much either. I think the lack of tossing and turning has to do with the fact that it is so hard to roll over!
3. I am up 18 pounds- yuck!!
   
4. The nursery is slowly but surely coming together. We have ordered nearly every "big" item we need and within the next week or two, we should have it all. We got our dresser this past week, and are just waiting for the hutch that will attach to it. Kevin's mom is ordering the crib this week, and we already have the mattress. Our bedding should be arriving this week as well. Once the bedding arrives, we will pick our paint and get that on the walls next weekend! :)
   
5. I have started to have some major anxiety. I seem to worry about the same things over and over again. Labor, maternity leave, and money. I am really starting to freak out about having to get this little guy out!! I also wont get any pay while I'm on maternity leave (my vacation time was drained when we took our trip to Texas) so I continue to debate on if I will take 8 or 12 weeks off. And then of coarse- our finances. Getting by during my maternity leave without my pay, the $600 we will be paying for day care once I go back to work, all the added expenses of having a baby, and still trying to save for us and set up a college fund for him. I have read this is very common (to worry about money), but I hate feeling like this. It takes away from the fun of buying all the baby stuff,and replaces it with worry.
6. I am still having lots of braxton hicks contractions. I drink as much water as I possibly can, but still have them all day long. I'm ready for my next doctor's appointment so I can get some questions answered.
7. The birthing class we were supposed to take next weekend got canceled! boo... so now we wont be able to take our class until February 20th.
   
8. I was chosen to attend a conference in Anchorage the first weekend in February, and I can't wait to be able to eat some real food!! And not to mention I will finally be able to go to Target! It will be nice to pick out some last minute baby items in person, rather than online. AND I will get to get some maternity clothes. I need to find a few tops for our maternity pictures, and want to get some nursing tank tops and more bras that might actually fit!
9. I find myself more and more anxious for Kael to get here. I am constantly wondering what he will look like, what her personality will be like, how Kevin and I will be as parents, and on and on and on. More than anything I'm just ready to finally hold him in my arms!
10. Last but not least is just a little funny story. Kevin and I went to have Chinese food the other night (January 9th to be exact). Kevin's fortune stated, "Remember today's date. 3 months from today you will receive a nice surprise." Well.... 3 months from that date would be April 9th. My doctor's office still considers my due date March 30th, and wont induce until 10 days past due- which would be April 9th!! CRAZY!!! So Kevin is now convinced that Kael is going to be very late. I guess all we can do is wait and see!! :)
    

28 Weeks

Hey... better late than never, right?!?

So let's see. Where to begin? I guess the obvious and most exciting part about hitting 28 weeks is the fact that I am officially in my third trimester! Minus a few bumps in the road last week, I am feeling great. I still have a good amount of energy, and nesting is really starting to hit full force! I think more than anything, I am really starting to get that feeling. You know... the one where I am finally realizing that I am going to be a MOM! And what is even scarier is the fact that I know the next few weeks are going to fly by!

So here goes my attempt at a 28 week update on my symptoms and emotions.

1. I am starting to feel HUGE! I took a picture to compare to my 24 week pictures, and don't see much of a difference, but I know there is some definite growth.
2. My belly button has become a part of some strange alien! It has disappeared, and now is just flat with the rest of my belly. It has been doing this for a while, but now it is pretty much stretched to the max! If I push on the sides of it, it pops out- and it is not a pretty sight! It really grosses Kevin out, and the first time I saw it I screamed!
3. I still don't know my exact weight gain since my doctor's appointment isn't until tomorrow, but my guess is that I am up 15-16 pounds.
   
4. I am still having braxton hicks contractions throughout each day, but drinking tons of water really helps keep them further apart.
   
5. I have suddenly developed an obsession for pop-tarts... which are pretty much the most unhealthy food item on the face of this earth (but I can't stop eating them!)
6. I have my doctor's appointment and glucose screening tomorrow
7. I have become extremely emotional. I find that nearly anything will overwhelm me and set off the waterworks. I especially worry about how I will handle going back to work once he is born.
8. I have started doing my research on specific aspects of having a baby. The main three I have been focusing on are breastfeeding, making my own baby food, and using the book "Baby Wise" to develop a good schedule for him. I am still in the "research" phase of all 3, but I do know that I really want to put a large emphasis on these since I feel they will provide huge benefits for Kael.
9. Kevin and I have signed up for our birthing class, and it is January 23rd!! I can't believe it is already time to start thinking about this kind of stuff!!
10. I found out yesterday that the girls from work will be having a baby shower for me at the end of February. I am still in disbelief that they offered to do this for me. It just really means alot since we are so far away from family. It feels like I have a whole new support system that I had no idea existed before this week.

So there you have it... all the updates that I can think of at this point in time. I have my last "monthly" doctor's appointment tomorrow!! After tomorrow I will start going every 2 weeks! Ahhhhh... all of these "little" milestones make the end seem so close I can already smell that sweet baby aroma!

My New Best Friend

Why Hello 2011! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years Eve and is enjoying 1-1-11! Last night was the first night in a week that I have actually slept... and it was all thanks to my new best friend (pictured bellow)!
Thankfully there is a small children's boutique in town, which also sells a few maternity items. I went in desperate for some relief and this was the one and only maternity pillow they had. I immediately purchased it, and ran home to try it out. My nap was unsuccessful and I began to second guess my purchase, but I gave it another shot last night. I figured out if I fold the top part that is supposed to go under my head over and use my own pillows, it works perfectly! It is really an amazing pillow because it is easy to squish and move around to make it work exactly how you want it to.

Overall, it was amazing! I actually slept in 4 hour intervals, only waking up to use the restroom twice! My belly didn't ache, my hips didn't hurt, and it didn't feel like the springs in my mattress were digging into my waist and legs. And the cherry on top of a good night's rest is the fact that I don't feel sick to my stomach today! Thankfully the feeling must have been due to a stomach bug and not third trimester morning sickness (which apparently is much more common than people let on...).

Which reminds me... I will be 28 weeks tomorrow, but I feel like celebrating it today. Mainly because I would love to bring in the new year with a new trimester- which so happens to be my last! I still can't believe how far I have come, and that in just a few short weeks I will be holding my baby in my arms and no longer in my belly.

But before I get all sentimental, I better wrap this up! I will post again tomorrow with my "real" 28 week post, so for now, I hope you have a very Happy New Year!