Day 44

What I feel like doing

What I am going to do instead

Reasons to celebrate:

#1 - Amazing husband that loves me soooo much and works hard to

show me just how much he cares even as we are miles apart

#2 - Our miracle baby girl on the way

#3 - Awesome family and friends surrounding me with love and craziness

#4 - Chocolate...a little bit of heaven on earth



35 Weeks - Prego Update

STATS:

How far along: 35 weeks and 0 days.

How big is Baby-A: 5.5 lbs and 18.5 inches long.

Total weight gain: No weight gain these past two weeks.  Still at 162 with a total gain of 25 lbs.  I thought for sure I was going to have gained at least 5 lbs with the midnight carb cravings I've been having. 

Sleep: I usually go to bed around 7 or 8am and then wake up from discomfort, thirst, or food cravings around midnight, 2pm, and 5am.  

Best moment of the week:  When my swollen feet were no longer swollen...and have stayed that way since! 

Food cravings: Chocolate and carbs (oatmeal, cream of wheat, plain pancake, frosted mini wheats, etc.)

Symptoms:

Nausea - Only a few times a week.  I just watch what I eat, keep it simple, and don't stuff myself.  

Hunger - Midnight carb cravings.  Weird!   

Heartburn - Not bad.

Swollen feet - As long as I drink a cup of red raspberry leaf tea about once a day, my feet don't swell up.  They look like normal non-prego feet!  Soooooo happy.  

Contractions (Braxton Hicks) - Yep.  It's funny watching my belly contract.

 

 

Clothes: I'm bringing belly shirts back.  Even prego shirts aren't keeping my lower belly covered.  

Exercise: Stretches with the exercise ball.

Movement: Both my mom and sister said Baby-A has dropped.  I read it's normal for first time mom's to drop early on.  Boo....I thought it meant labor was going to happen soon!!!

Day 40

To the families of the recently fallen soldiers of the 173rd,  I pray that God wraps His arms around you and showers you with love and comfort.

To the soldiers still serving overseas, I pray that you will continue to stay strong, be vigilant, and come home safely.

To the families of soldiers deployed overseas, I pray that God gives you the strength needed for each day as you hold down the home front. 

And to my soldier overseas...never forget that I love you with all of my heart and know that I think of you and pray for you with each passing moment. 

Day 39

My mind has been playing war with itself and I'm getting a little frustrated...but yet I can't help the thoughts raging in my head.

I'm tired and DONE being pregnant, yet at the same time I'm hoping Baby-A stays inside me as long as possible because I'm not ready to be a mom yet.  I'm terrified and overwhelmed at the thought of all that is about to change and take place. 

I miss Hubby terribly and just want to have this whole labor and delivery thing started so I can finally see him again, yet I know that our time together after Baby-A is born will be short and I can't see myself going through another goodbye.  Not yet at least.  I'm still trying to grow a set of balls and get through the lonely nights as is...and it's only been 39 days. 

But some of the good things:

I don't freak out anymore about where I'll have to deliver or what doc will be on call. 

I am so lucky to be able to spend all this time with family and friends, and have their support and help. 

I have enjoyed going shopping for Baby-A.  Shopping online is not a pleasant experience for me.  It's hard to know what you want.

I love going out shopping...even grocery shopping or just window shopping.  If one store doesn't have what I want, I can always find it somewhere else! 

I love eating fresh (SOFT) bread that isn't frozen when I first buy it and then having gone bad one week later.

I love being able to bake things without having to kick at the oven to get it to turn on.

I love being able to wash AND dry laundry in under two hours.

I love seeing the American flag hanging everywhere. 

I love hearing (most) everyone speak English.  I don't have to google translate to order food at a restaurant.

I love being able to plug electronics in without having to find a transformer first.

and to give you all a good laugh, even though I'm being completely honest.....I love being able to fit in the shower.  I'm no longer banging my knees, elbows, or belly in our little 2x3 shower in Italy.

34 Weeks - Prego Update

STATS:

How far along: 34 weeks and 1 day.

How big is Baby-A: Cantalope...yikes!  4 3/4 lbs and 18 inches long.

Total weight gain: Not sure.  Forgot to step on the scale this morning and I'm not about to do it now after drinking tons of water and eating spaghetti for dinner.  

Sleep: Was doing better, but I just got yelled at for turning the AC down so sleep is probably going to go out the way-side now. People forget I'm a human incubator.  I already sleep with the ceiling fan on and two small fans blowing directly on me.  Guess I'm going to have to go out and buy bigger fans.

Best moment of the week:  Saturday at my sister's pool with Mom, sis, niece, nephew and both brothers! 

Food cravings: Chocolate anything.

Symptoms:

Nausea - Not bad. 

Hunger - Normal.

Heartburn - Not much at all (fingers crossed that it stayes this way).

Swollen feet - I have to keep them up most of the time or else they look like fat bear paws.  It's so weird.  The fluid and swelling is only on the top of my feet and "jiggles" when I walk. 

Contractions (Braxton Hicks) - Only the REALLY strong ones catch my attention.  Otherwise I'm almost use to them.  The other night after some crazy driver nearly crashed into the side of me and gave me a good scare...contractions started hitting me every few minutes and I thought I'd have to drive straight to hospital to deliver!  But then the contractions died down and finally stopped after an hour.  Whew. 

 

Clothes: Everything is uncomfortable.

Exercise: Swimming at the pool or riding the stationary bike.

Movement: The intensity of Baby-A's kicks have died down.  And since some of my skirts don't fit anymore and I can breath alot easier, I'm guessing she has moved down and out of my ribs.

Day 34

Slept in till 10am this morning.  Heaven!!!

My niece came over and we watched cartoons and made princess castle cookies.

Rescheduled a few of my upcoming OB appointments.  Hoping that since I moved them to the first slot in the morning, or right after lunch, I won't have to wait an hour and a half to be seen for just five minutes!

Watched "Pregnant in Heels." Love that show.

Went to the Cheese Cake Factory with girlfriends.  Great time!

Day 33

It's hard to get upset at people when they say something stupid, because they meant well and didn't really mean to open-mouth-insert-foot.  Today at the OB office, I was asked two separate times when Hubby was going to get in for the birth of Baby-A. 

To the nurse that asked, I replied, “Not until I go into labor.”

“You mean they can’t send him home before you go into labor? Why can’t they send him around your due date?”

“It’s the military.  This is the way things go.”

“That sucks.”

No way…really?  I haven’t spent hours (and nights in tears) thinking about how sucky all of this is.  But thanks for the heads up.  If I had known all this, I would probably still be in Italy right now.

Near the end of my appointment the doc asked me the same question…”So when is your husband coming in.” 

“Remember?  We are going to have to send a Red Cross message so he can come.” 

“That’s the only way?”

“Pretty much.  The brigade is deployed and they aren’t letting anyone leave unless it’s an emergency or birth, and not until the Red Cross message comes through.”

“That’s such a bummer.” 

Again…thanks for the reminder. 

Day 32

Today I kept myself pretty busy.  Sorted out baby clothes, washed two loads of baby clothes, rode one mile on the stationary bike, hung up the newborn and 0-3 month sizes, made strawberry poptarts from scratch, made brownies (from a box), cleaned the bathroom toilet and (half) the floor, did two dishwasher loads of dishes, showered, and between all that I watched TV and tried to elevate my fat feet.

I'm just crossing my fingers that the dry heaving earlier (sexy right?!) isn't a prediction of how tonight is going to go.  At least the bathroom is ready for me just in case.  I've had two very good days with no puking...yeah!!!

Last night I lost precious sleep worrying about the Red Cross not accepting and sending the doc's message to Hubby before Baby-A is actually born.  Having the baby without Hubby by my side will be bad enough.  I don't want to be discharged from the hospital before Hubby even makes it here!

Been watching my feet swell up to scary proportions.  There are times that I can literally feel my flip flops getting tighter by the minute.  No matter how much water I drink or how long I keep my feet up, they still look three sizes too big. 

On a good note, I've found that sitting on the exercise ball that my mom is letting me borrow really helps with the sciatic nerve pain.  I struggle trying to walk normal, but at least when sitting on the ball, I get a break from the pain.  You take what you can get...right?!

Baby-A is moving like there is no tomorrow while I'm typing.  Time to get out Hubby's recorded story book and get this baby girl to calm down. 

 

33 Weeks - Prego Update

STATS:

How far along: 33 weeks and 0 days. 

How big is Baby-A: About 17 inches long.

Total weight gain: 162 lbs. Total prego weight gain of 25 lbs at this point.  

Sleep: Very little...from about 1-4am.

Best moment of the week: When I'm at the pool.  It's the only time I don't feel like a whale. 

Food cravings: Chocolate pudding.

Symptoms:

Nausea - All the time.  Today breakfast stayed down for no more than 20 mins.

Hunger - Mostly mid mornings. Very little in the evenings. 

Heartburn - Barely there. Yeah!

Nosebleeds - None. Yeah!

Chest Pain - My poor ribs...ouch!  The other night Baby-A was kicking my ribs so hard for three hours straight and all I could do was bite down on a towel to keep from screaming. 

Braxton Hicks - All the time.

Clothes: This morning I was seriously considering joining a nudist camp until Baby-A is born.  Down to only two tank tops that are comfortable. 

Exercise: Swimming at the pool.

Movement: All the time. 

Day 25

As my no fly date keeps getting closer, I've been really struggling with the decision we made for me to come back to the states.  There are sooooo many nights that I feel like calling Hubby and asking him to book me the first flight back to Italy. 

Life isn't bad.  I enjoy the times I get to hang out with family, going to the pool, getting Baby-A's nursery stuff done (things I couldn't have accomplished in Italy because the stores just aren't there).

It's just that I miss Hubby so much.  No matter how busy I am, or who is with me, nothing fills the void.  Every kick and movement from Baby-A makes me think of Hubby...and she kicks ALL THE TIME.  Being a wash of pregnant hormones doesn't help either.

I use to have a saying, "No reserves, no retreat, no regrets."  It was so much easier to live when my heart wasn't involved.  Now that half of my heart is in Italy...I'm at a loss on how to get back to this.

On paper, our decision to send me to the states was the best, but trying to remind myself of this, nearly a million times a day, just isn't cutting it. 

Maybe when Baby-A comes, I'll be so wrapped up in taking care of her that I will have less time to think and I'll just run on autopilot.  Maybe my labor experience will be so great that I will KNOW this was the perfect decision.

But for now, I'm going to set my motto aside and borrow Dory's from Finding Nemo.

"Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming."

Day 23



Went for a walk, and Buddy was ready to go inside before we were!

Bought a few things for Baby-A.

 

Had rice for dinner.  Since "morning" sickness is back, I'm sticking to plain foods until I can figure out what works and what doesn't.  Thankfully I love rice and buttered bread.

What you aren't seeing in pictures (good thing too) is me breaking down early this morning and having a "Florida rains" moment after.... I tried to make toast and the toaster wasn't working, tried to get on the internet and email Hubby some car info he needed and the internet wasn't working, went to watch a favorite show of mine and that show isn't part of the cable package here, started to research baby bottles when the internet came back up again and got internet information overload as well as the internet crashing on me every few minutes, went to get in the shower and two spiders started crawling up my arm...

Hubby called and tried to console me by advising me not to stress the small stuff.  I shared with Mom just how awesome he is even though not stressing the small stuff is alot easier said then done.  Mom commented on how Hubby is just trying to do everything he can even though he is miles away and can't give me a hug or anything else...and that brought another Florida rains moment.  I do miss him soooo much.

So Mom gave me a hug, I helped her finish altering a shirt that she was struggling with, and both of our worlds were put to right for the time being. 

Now I'm going to waste the rest of the evening away by watching scandalous reality tv shows until I get tired and go to bed. 

32 Weeks - Prego Update

STATS:

How far along: 32 weeks and 0 days

How big is Baby-A: Weighs about 4 pounds.

Total weight gain: 160 lbs. Total prego weight gain of 23 lbs at this point. 

Sleep: Doing pretty good.  I'm getting around 5-6 hours of sleep a night.  Of course I would love to get alot more than that, but Baby-A kicks and wakes me up nearly every morning between 2-3am.

Best moment of the week: Finding the perfect fabric for Baby-A's nursery and being able to Facetime soon after shopping to show Hubby. 

Food cravings: Peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches.  I could eat them for every lunch and dinner!

Symptoms:

Nausea - It's back again, but I'm doing pretty good at avoiding puking.  Mostly just feel sick to my stomach.  Stopped taking the anti-nausea medication because of the side effect of depression, which I certainly don't need. 

Hunger - It comes and goes, depending on the nausea.       

Heartburn - Not so bad.

Nosebleeds - Almost none.  Yeah!

Chest Pain - In full force.  I just keep reminding myself that this is all temporary. 

Braxton Hicks - All the time.  I'm almost use to them by now.

Clothes: Finally broke down and bought a maternity swimsuit.  I was soooo scared to try them on, but the one I bought actually looks amazing!  And it was a HUGE ego booster when I fit into a size small, considering the weight gain and the fact that I feel like a whale.

Exercise: Trying to walk as much as I can.  Feet and hands swell up big time after each walk, but I still try because I know it will make labor alot easier if I stay active.

Movement: Baby-A kicks and moves around all the time.  When I'm tired of my insides acting as her punching bag and I need a break, I pull up old voice messages from Hubby that I have saved on my phone and play them next to my belly, and INSTANTLY she is still.  Baby-A is definately going to be "daddy's little girl." 

Day 21

Went shopping for 4th of July decorations, now that the holiday is over and everything goes on sale!  Found a few things like streamers and other decorations for my grandpa's birthday coming up.

Of course I couldn't help but wander over to the fabric section, and it was a good thing that I did...found the PERFECT fabric for Baby-A's ocean nursery.  I'm going to return the sheets from our last shopping escapade back since the blue and the strips don't go with this fabric.  I don't have anything for my bed now, but it's okay.  Isn't this cute?!

Watched "Tower Heist" again with Mom.   Such a great movie.  It doesn't hurt that I love Alan Alda. 

Made homemade no bake cheesecake with homemade blueberry sauce.  Of course we couldn't wait till I set properly to eat a slice, but it was so good!  Mom had some Mexican vanilla that we used in both the cheesecake and the sauce, and what a difference that made.  I'm completely hooked on Mexican vanilla now and will have to find a way to buy some for myself. 



Day 20

The porcelain godess has claimed me once again in this pregnancy.  I've been taking anti-nausea off and on since the beginning, but my new OB here was concerned because he said it causes depression. So I stopped taking the med and now I'm back to paying homage to the porcelain.

Here I thought all the sadness and emotional mood swings that I've been dealing with were just a normal part of being pregnant.  Why didn't the Army docs tell me about this side effect of the medication they gave me?!?! 

This morning I went with Mom and brother to the O'Fallon 4th of July parade.  It was so hot outside that my shirt was soaked with sweat!  But the parade was pretty cool.  My grandpa was suppose to be in the parade, with the float of the Korean War Veterans, but he was unable to make it.  We cheered loudly for the "boys" when they passed. 

Got to Facetime with hubby this afternoon.  I LOVE talking with hubby.  He is my better half, best friend, and love of my life.

Spent the rest of the day taking a nap, watching TV, and relaxing in the AC.  I'm in love with two things right now (being 8 months prego in the middle of the summer)...the pool, and air conditioning.

Happy 4th everyone!

Day 17

Did alot of running around today.  Everyone here has been so generous sharing their things and letting me borrow everything from a bed to even closet hangers...but I still needed to go out and buy some stuff. 

Found 2 sets of full-size sheets that I'm going to make into queen sheets for me, and basinet and crib sheets for Baby-A.  Mom found them and I'm so excited!  I hope Hubby likes the colors.  From the very start, he has been doing most of Baby-A's room, including decorating it.  The only thing I wanted to do was the crib linens, mostly because I figured I'd probably have to sew them since no one sold anything I liked.

Toaster trays for pizza pans.

Made homemade pizza with two toaster trays.  Was at my sister's house, and no offense to my sis, but she has no baking utensils or things like baking sheets.  I don't know how she cooks all the amazing food she does without the basic cooking things. 

Hung up all of Baby-A's clothes today and she already takes up half the closet.  This girl has more clothes than me!