Tuesday, January 31, 2006

27 weeks!

Everything went well today at the Dr's. Ultrasound looked good---we'll do one more much closer to the due date. Baby is still breach, but there is plenty of time to turn yet. Heartbeat sounds good--all my vitals are good too (my blood pressure went back up a little...it was 96 last time and is up to 104---(top number)---so that is better.)

The sugary Orange flavored stuff wasn't too bad---tastes like Orange Crush with a couple of extra tablespoons of sugar. Hopefully that little test comes out ok, because I hate having my blood drawn.

We preregistered our paperwork to be checked into the hospital in May...or maybe April now. They don't actually change the due dates, but Dr. Crider says the baby is measuring to be due around April 23 instead....now, that doesn't mean the baby will be ready to come out then so we're maintaining a May 2 due date. Of course, this may mean we have a bigger baby. yikes! Thanks a lot Adam! (Just kiddin'--although he WAS 9lbs 6oz taken out a week early).

We will see him again on Feb. 21 (3 weeks) which will be the 30 week checkup. After that, we'll see him every 2 weeks until baby is born.

After the appointment, we dined on some fantastic Pizzeria Uno deep dish tonight while mulling over names...again.

All in all, a great day!

Worth Passing On...

Alison had this poem on her blog today, and I feel that it is worth posting on mine as well. It makes you remember what is truly important....family, CHILDREN, friends....take time for them. The other stuff will still be around later!

"Mother oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread
Sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo)
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo)

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the hard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow
For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow
So quiet down, cobwebs; dust, go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."

Monday, January 30, 2006

Ok, baby completely shifted position...

Yikes!

Baby has been sitting pretty far back inside...not too "out front" yet. Well, maybe baby got bored with the current living situation, because all of a sudden during my 8th block class today, baby moved COMPETELY out front---you couldn't imagine how hard my tummy got and how fast. Wow! That's new!

We're lovin' the feeling of baby's movements...he/she especially loves the relaxation/breathing techniques we've been practicing. It is one of his/her most mobile parts of the day! (Adam likes the relaxation stuff too---it's wonderful on stressful days!)

Names...names...names....

Ok,

Boys---Darren, Erik, Gavin or Hayden (middle names---Grant, Seth, James)

Girls---Hannah Grace, Megan Elise, Kira Ann, Ava Claire, Heather, Mia, Abigail, Kari, Haylie...

We painted the baby's room this weekend...what color? I CAN'T TELL YOU BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T KNOW BABY'S SEX! (But, it is absolutely PERFECT!)

Doctor's Appointment tomorrow---hopefully a good update!

Friday, January 27, 2006

Ok, so I like
Ava Claire Rosenbaum....

Is it really too close to the whole Adam and Eve thing?

A Parent's Promise...

I promise to love you-unconditionally

I promise to protect you-for your pain hurts me more than my own

I promise to guard and to guide you-materially, mentally and morally

I promise to foster soundness and strength-in your health, your head and your heart

I promise to catch you doing things right and let you do things your way no matter how messy or or asymmetrical

I promise to applaud your accomplishments-whether they be anonymous for nobody's eyes, or world famous for the Nobel Prize

I promise to be a good example always-for there's no telling what act ot attribute you might emulate

I promise to be honest, open and direct

I promise to be a pillar of courage and a pillow of comfort

I promise to explore the world with you, explain the world to you, and expect the world of you

I promise to be a fortress in which you can hide, a friend in whom you can confide, and a parent in whose heart you'll find love and in whose eyes you find pride.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Our baby...the contortionist!


A foot! Does it look like Adam's narrow feet????

We had another ultrasound today...but didn't get any other good pictures of Baby R. I just love this little foot though! Somehow, the baby had his/her hands and feet curled around by his/her head (picture a baby folded in half). So, once again...not too good of facial shots. I can't believe a baby would actually be comfortable in that position, but baby slept soundly through the entire ultrasound. The U/S technician tried bouncing the baby around so that she could get a good spinal shot which was the whole reason why we had this ultrasound in the first place...we hope the ones she got are good enough...

Baby is certainly getting bigger--seems to take up the entire belly area now instead of just floating around. I haven't gained anymore weight though...in fact, I lost a few pounds since last visit. (Of course, that might have been due to the holiday binge eatingfest.)

Anyways, we DID find out if we'll be dressing our baby in blue or pink, so that was super exciting. It hit us like a ton of bricks tonight as we talked about the future with baby. Lots of fun--laughter, tears, joy!

Pep Talk...

The big day baby! Your time to shine in all your nude-ster glory! Don't be camera shy--the video will be rolling! Mommy and daddy are so excited to see how you've grown and developed--it's amazing how much love we have for you even though we haven't even met you! You've already got both of us wrapped around your tiny little finger!

Dr. Marcantel and Dr. Crider really need some good pictures of your face and spine, so be an angel and let them get some good shots. That might mean that you can't suck your thumb for a few minutes...ok?

We're struggling to find the best name for you, so if you could cooperate and point us in the right direction, we'd be grateful! Just let us know---dinosaurs or butterflies...?

We love you! See you later today!

Friday, January 20, 2006

Interesting Stuff...

We discovered so much at our class last night. The guys asked a lot of good questions---it is interesting to see what they are interested/concerned about....very different from us mothers at times! The instructor took us through all of the phases/stages of labor and what we should be doing at each stage, as well as what our partner should do.

Since our instructor is familiar with each hospital's procedures, we were able to ask very specific questions (such as whether they will allow us to eat/drink/etc or if they have bathtubs/showers) and whether our doctors would push for induction/meds./etc. Very helpful!

We also learned that it is not very hard to guarantee that your baby is positioned right for labor--basically, the head and spine are the heaviest on a baby, so you want the head down and the spine towards your front. (No sunny side up babies!) Anyways, there are very specific and easy things you can do to prevent a sunny-side up baby. One of them is to avoid sitting in reclining chairs all the time--gravity will push baby around to back. In history, women did not have sunny-side up babies at all.....they sat in straight back chairs and scrubbed floors on their knees! Gravity can do amazing things!

For more info...an interesting site is www.spinningbabies.com
It also tells you how to map where your baby is!

SOrry--probably not interesting to you already mothers and those who aren't expecting...but I find it absolutely fascinating how modern medical marvels actually impede the natural childbirth process!

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Names...anyone...anyone....???

Ok, we have boys names narrowed down (to 3 decent ones, although not sure from there). HOWEVER, we aren't very far on girls names...ok, so we MIGHT have some middle names, but are not satisfied with any 1st names. We'd like to have 2 of each so that we have some good choices based on what baby looks like (and what sex it is, of course).

Too trendy....too long....too old-ladyish....too little kid-ish....

We like Eve and Ava....Adam and Eve??? Don't think so!

Suggestions welcome here!!!!!

Monday, January 16, 2006

25 Weeks!


Time is flying by! Baby 'baum is doing well--not much new since the last blog! Baby seems to find my bladder as the most comfortable resting spot. I'm sure that will be more and more pleasant as baby gets bigger. By the way, baby is a foot long now! Wow! (Sounds like a sub sandwich!) He/She is weighing in at 1.5-2 lbs! The last few weeks have been spent acquiring fat cells underneath the skin, giving baby that little "chunkster baby" look! We can hardly wait for next Tuesday's ultrasound!

Friday, January 13, 2006

Hypno Class--1st session

AMAZING!

I love the little class (there are 3 couples). The whole philosophy behind hypnobirthing makes so much sense---scientifically and otherwise! What I like about it (besides that hopefully it will help in an unmedicated birth) is that the tools and techniques can be applied to most areas of your life. Ex: How to quickly relax when someone/something has you stressed or upset.

One of the mothers in the group is from Barrington, IL---grew up 10 minutes away from me...graduated in '94 also!

The other mother is a middle school teacher and volleyball coach in Orange County (we're in Osceola County). All three mothers are die-hard Cubs fans. Can you believe it?!?!?!

Anyways, I have gotten many useful handouts and CDs already...I'd love to share more, maybe next week!

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Fun Pic!


Adam at the Hawaiian Christmas Party---say it ain't so....the macarena, Adam????!!!???!!!

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

A Soccer Player???

Kicky McSquiggles is doing great! Seems to like music, volleyball practice, football (always movin' during the games) and the sound of daddy's voice. He/She has a good sleep schedule so far (keep those fingers crossed) as he/she is awake during the day and sleeps well at night. (Of course, I could just be sleeping through baby's playtime!!!)

Still a little stinker though, as Adam has only felt the baby twice and they were weak little kicks. Baby LOVES moving as long as you don't touch the belly---then baby stops. Go figure....couldn't be OUR child doing that....nah....

We start our hypnobirth class tomorrow night right after volleyball. We're looking forward to it!

Friday, January 06, 2006

23.5 week appt.

We went to see Dr. Marcantel yesterday for our monthly appointment and to get the test results and u/s results.

All of the bloodwork came back fine :)

He listed off all of the wonderful little organs (heart, spleen, kidneys, etc.)...everything looked good on the ultrasound.

I've gained 14 pounds, which is right on target for 23 weeks, but the baby is measuring big right now. Actually, yesterday I measured 1.5 cm above what I should be at. Good news is that it is all baby....bad news is that it is all baby. The doctor mentioned that the most recent u/s actually shows a due date of 4/27 instead of 5/2 (which, we know is ahead of schedule because we know the exact conception date). Either that, or Dr. Marcantel said we might have a bigger baby OR baby just went through a big growth spurt and everything will even out eventually.

He said we have a very active baby---he had trouble following the baby's heartbeat 'cuz he/she kept moving so much. Good thing it's active during the day and quiet at night so far.

The ultrasound tech did not good still shots of the spine (because of baby's position) or the face (baby preferred to suck his/her thumb the whole time) so Dr. Marcantel scheduled us for another ultrasound on Tues., Jan. 24 @ 3:00. (Adam was excited because it also gives us a second chance to find out the sex----he was scheming on how to get the Dr. to request another one so we didn't have to pay....)

In summation, all is good--blood pressure is low (98/54). Next appointment we'll go over the most recent ultrasound results and I'll have to drink the sugar stuff for the diabetes test. Yuck. Is it gross?

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Oh what fun it is to go....back to work....

Well, it's January 3---back to the grind!

We had a wonderful two week break...saw lots of family, were constantly on the move, received some wonderful gifts, enjoyed way too much food and played lots of fun games!

Baby 'Baum made a haul this Xmas season---got Christmas gifts and shower gifts---the room is taking shape as a nursery now instead of just an empty room! (With some furniture, I'm sure reality will hit us!) Thanks everybody!

Some things we enjoyed:
1. Seeing family and friends
2. Xmas celebrations
3. Rockettes Xmas Spectacular in Minneapolis
4. The Vikings game
5. Deep Dish pizza from Chi-town (Lou Malnati's AND Gino's East)
6. Walking downtown Chicago in the cold/rain 8+ city blocks to see the light in our nieces eyes as we visit the American Girl Store.
7. The baby shower
8. New Year's Eve with friends in Minneapolis---lots of little ones this year and more next year!

There was so much more--too many blessings to list!

Baby must be a Vikings fan---VERY ACTIVE during the game (we'd like to think it is not just because of the noise in the dome...). Saw some cute Vikings gear but since we're not sure if boy/girl yet, COULDN'T buy anything! :(

We'll post some new pictures soon---belly is finally getting a little bigger...at least you can tell I'm pregnant now :)

Enjoy 2006!