4 weeks

I can't believe she is already 4 weeks old. She is growing pretty quick. It is amazing to watch the changes how she started out just crying and sleeping and now she is awake for hours at a time and reacts to us with facial expressions.  She just gets cuter and harder to take care of :) She is much more clingy during the day eating every 2.5-3 hours and does not want to be put down unless it is right next to you so she can stare at the plaid design on the couch. At night she usually goes about 5 hours in between feedings which is nice. I find it hard to go to sleep before the feeding between 10-12pm so when she decides 5am is time for mom and her to start the day it is a very long morning until Doug gets home around noon. He is very good about taking her and giving me time to do other things most of the time and he takes the early feedings on his day off which is awesome. 

I am finally over the majority of the emotions I think. I have felt pretty good besides the tired for the last week or so. I don't worry quite as much as I did when she first got home. It was awful, every thing that can possibly happen to a person I worried would happen to her and I hated that there was absolutely nothing I could do about it besides teach her how to be cautious and strong. 

I think so far the hardest thing (again besides the tired) is watching her struggle to go to the bathroom. It is completely normal I hear but it is so sad to watch her struggle and scream. 

Anywho, I hope to keep this up weekly at least so that I can keep track of the new things in her life hopefully I will actually do it. 

She's here

Zatanna made her arrival on March 4th at 4:13am. Labor was different then I expected. The epidural made it seem pretty easy at the end. The contractions leading up to it were painful but seemed more like an endurance test than a pain issue that may sound odd but it is how I felt. Either way there were moments I was craving the epidural and it came just in time after I got it those contractions spiked pretty crazy on the monitor and I felt none of them it was awesome. Doug loves to tell people that my water broke on the nurse while I was pushing. He thinks it was pretty gross. He did awesome in the room I was so surprised he left for a few hours to get some sleep while my family came to sit with me since we had no idea how long it would be and the doctors said it could be at least 24 hours. However, she was not having it when I came in I was 2 cm. 4 hours later still 2. I decided on being induced because who wants to go home and worry about what stage of labor they are in for possibly another week. After the decision I had dinner they checked me and boom I was at 3cm. They put in the cervidil which is just supposed to finish softening the cervix and the contractions just kept going up the nurses said they thought I would have the baby that night and although it was the next morning. It went pretty quick. I didn't even need the pitocin so the nurse said she wanted me to know that was all me so to the doctor who was grumpy at me for choosing that I say "Bite me" :)

The crib is up!! Yeah!

It is finally set up which is awesome and the craziness of how our lives are going to change in a few weeks hit me like crazy when it was done. To see that little bed sitting in the other room waiting for a little tenant to inhabit it well it was an interesting moment I can't quite explain probably much like the first moment I see her a mixture of complete awe and absolute fear :) I have been on the verge of tears all day the reasons change constantly. Probably due to the fact that I woke up at 5 am, have been cooking goodies all day long and feeling like most ladies due in the last month huge and yucky. Banana Chocolate Chip cookies are pretty good though and so is Fazzis restaurant in Cville. Anywho, as soon as the rest of the room looks presentable I will try to post pics...

Later

Full Term

We are starting week 38. I am actually feeling pretty good today although every now and then I notice the back pain or just discomfort. She is moving around a lot and today I got to do the plate on the tummy thing which made me laugh. Doug keeps telling Zatanna to come out already and blaming me for not having her yet. He is such a pain :) but it is cute. We settled on a middle name Caroline it is. We were debating between that and Coraline and Caroline just sounds better. "Zatanna Caroline Penny". I wanted to spell it Caraline but Doug was not having it. Oh well it is what it is. It does take two to make a baby I guess it is the same for naming her. 

This morning I did find that the house being dirty almost made me have a break down but now that it is semi clean I am good. Basically today I have eaten a bunch of pizza and chocolate... went to Walmart and cleaned. I am trying to get back into General Hospital so I have something to look forward to on  Tv during the day since usually it is a bunch of crap not that GH is great but I tend to get hooked easily and now that I have DVR if that is baby tending time I will jsut watch it when I can. 

Anywho, everything seems quiet but I guess that could change at any moment. 

35 weeks...

 The weeks seem to be flying by even though I find myself rather uncomfortable and unable to sleep restfully most nights. There is no doubting she is in there anymore even if all the ultrasounds were inconclusive the little person moving and kicking at my internal organs is hard to ignore. I am most comfortable standing up since I tend to slouch when I sit and she doesn't like the lack of space available when I am slouching. However, I get too tired just standing or moving around constantly. I am starting to throw up a bit again mostly at night so I am trying to stay up long enough for my food to digest which is difficult with a husband who likes me to at least be in the room when he goes to bed at 6/7 and we normally eat about 5:30. I think the poor girl just doesn't have enough room and me adding food doesn't help anything. All my showers are coming up this week. I have my work shower thursday and my family shower on Sat. I am excited but nervous I hate things centered on me I prefer to blend but I am excited for more baby stuff so Doug and I can finally put together a list of things we have to get before baby arrives. We have a crib so she will at least have a place to sleep. 

I had an insane dream the other night. Zatanna was born but I was in such a hurry to get things done. I kept forgetting her places, forgetting to feed her and putting her on surfaces she would fall off of like the fold down baby changers at the store or just the kitchen table. Now I know that I wont do those things in real life but it was weird to dream either way. I woke up oddly enough wishing she was born. Maybe to prove to myself there is no way I would do things like that. 

Anywho, the super bowl is tomorrow I really don't have a team although Doug says if I pick the Cardinals he will kill me. Yes he used those words lovely right..:) He absolutely hates Kurt Warner. Truthfully i will probably only watch for the commercials and being constantly uncomfortable I don't know how much I will pay attention to those. I am a little ADD lately. 

I am torn between wanting her born and not feeling ready. I wouldn't mind my body back to myself. I would love to go to the gym and just feel like I can move again but I definitely want her to be healthy and we are not ready for her just yet so at least a few more weeks I can deal with the uncomfort I think...:)

33 weeks

We registered at Babies R Us today so Finally our registers are in place...There is some totally adorable stuff out there and then there is also way to much stuff out there sometimes you stand in the aisle and go uh...which one do we need. There are some things that just did not hit the list because we have to know more about her before we can say what we need:) 

I am feeling pretty crappy physically but emotionally I am pretty good. I would love to feel good physically which is a little draining but what can I do there is only two months left. I would love to sit in bed and do nothing all day just because then I wouldn't have to feel winded when I walk from the car to the house :) And You gotta love when you have to go the bathroom every little while and then it takes a bit of effort to get up due to extra baby weight in the front but again I am just being whiny it could be worse, I am doing really very good just whiny.

Doug is of course being adorable. He loves to shop for things for her, he just took the register gun for the clothes and started scanning stuff so I am not sure what all is on there for her but so far he has pretty good tastes. He also is going to sand down the dresser he had when he was younger and get it painted so we can use it in her room. I think that is very neat to have something that he used when he was young that he wants to renovate for her. I am excited to see it completed. 

Anywho, I am trying to put off going to sleep until I get more tired so I don't just lay there for a while. 

Zatanna says hi to everyone she is very squirmy right now I think cuz I am slouching at the computer and she doesn't like that position. Poor thing is probably getting squished. Night all!!

32 week ultrasound

So, here is one of the ultrasound pics from today. She was kicking like crazy and the tech said she could tell she would be a girl "who knew how to tell you what she wanted" which is a little scary but I was pretty sure of that before she told me. Every day at lunch she kicks into my ribs if I slouch too far forward. She definitely has her way. She also started to cut off my circulation while I was laying on my back during the ultrasound which almost made me pass out but luckily the tech caught the signs and stopped it before I went. I felt really yucky for a while though and I still have a crazy headache but I haven't hit the floor so yeah! I saw the doc yesterday since they couldn't get both appointments on the same day. Everything was good although I am only measuring 30 weeks at 32 but the tech said today Zatanna is fine and 4lbs 1 oz so no worries. And the doc was awesome enough to tell me I could use pepcid instead of tums and even wrote a prescription for the strong stuff YEAH!!!! I feel much better when I don't wake up choking on the acid rising in my throat. Anywho, I think that is it. If you want to see all the photos they are on facebook or you can email me and I will send you the photobucket album. Love to everyone!!

32 weeks

wow, third trimester has arrived. In approximately eight weeks we will be bringing Zatanna home from the hospital...There is soooo much to be done. I have a hard time sleeping there is just so much on the brain and if I get cleaning well I am pretty much in a zone until I have to sit down. So safe to say nesting is a check. Here is my to do list this week...

1. call dr. to set up ultrasound for Wed with reg appt. since my insurance said they will cover it

2. call benefits to set up FMLA leave

3. finish registering at Target and register at Babies R Us

4. Call my mom and Aunt about dates for the shower

5. write guest list for shower

6. call L& D to pre register and take a tour

7. find a baby class to take

I think that is it right now my brain is on overload and I can't sit properly. At night I have all this energy and can't sleep and the next morning I am so drained I don't want to move from bed. I feel completely unprepared. I know that is normal and there is no use stressing but sometimes a girl just has to stress :) Plus I am experiencing the "she keeps kicking and I can't sleep through that" that others have talked about. At least she is moving though and that is a good sign. 

The holidays were good and I am glad they are done.

Sadly, one of my coworkers passed away from an aneurysm on New Years Eve which I did not find out until Friday so that could be part of the stress issue and thinking there is no time. It is amazing how fast things can end. She was 39 and always so full of enthusiasm. She left at 3pm on New Years Eve and I remember thinking how happy she seemed and was gone at 4:30pm...I am a little in denial I expect her to show up tomorrow for work. I am glad I got to come back and work with her before she passed. She gave great advice about being a mom. She loved her children so much. I will miss her a lot our shift will not be the same without her. Her funeral is sometime this week my guess is Tuesday but I am not for sure. I guess I will find out tomorrow. 

I need to go finish folding the laundry. Good Night all!!

Christmas Eve

I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas. This pregnancy is flying by I keep thinking about how different things will be next year with a 9 month old. I am pretty excited and I am hoping she doesn't turn out as grinchy as her dad :) He said he liked Christmas when he was young so I figure I have at least a few fun years before I have to worry about that. I hope he will like it more when she is here I think it means something different when there is someone small to make the day about they tend to bring out the best in the season I think. Grownups are hard to buy for and they rarely seem as excited as I think the day warrants  but kids are all about the magic of Christmas. Plus I miss Christmas mornings with just my immediate family waking up early with my brother and sister, yelling down the hall to the parents because we never were allowed out by the tree until everyone was together. Then spending the day playing with whatever we got. I still remember being in the new coat my parents got me sitting at the table playing a new board game with my family and listening to music. I miss it being special not just a day to buy gifts and drop them off to people. Don't get me wrong I love being with family but well there is just something missing and I need it back. I told Doug next year Christmas day is about OUR family. In the morning we will have family over that want to come and do gifts and maybe some breakfast/lunch but other than that it will have to be on another day. The days of splitting up my Christmas day are over after tomorrow. There may be some Christmas nights that I go somewhere but in general I am done. The only part about Christmas I disliked was having to leave my toys to go somewhere else...I have decided if it is important for people to see Zatanna they know where we are and they are welcome to see her anytime but we aren't leaving the house :)

Anywho, I am going to stop being emotional :) We had our 30 week appointment yesterday afternoon. Everything is great. Zatanna's heartbeat is 154 which they said was perfect and my uterus is measuring perfect. Everything being said Zatanna is great and all my tests came back good, no syphilis (I know... this is mandated by the state)  blood sugar was 116 after the test, I got my rhogam shot. All is good and hopefully it stays that way. She moves around a lot lately. Sitting in the passenger seat in the car is always interesting she must not like the position because everytime I sit there she moves right into my rib area and pushes up :) Oh and the heartburn!! I should have asked for tums for christmas. 

So, I am sitting here in the new robe my hubby got me watching Miracle on 34th street and now I think I am going to go wrap the rest of the gifts. I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas!!

almost 30 weeks...

Yesterday and today have been a little hectic I had a holiday party at work and was totally unprepared. I was glad I got everything done I needed to. I had to buy a gift, bake a cake and not party related try a new potato soup recipe all between 6-9 yesterday. It was a little crazy matter of fact I need to go to the store but I am putting it off until tomorrow morning because I just want to veg. I am having tummy pains but the normal kind. The "tummy growing" kind. So, I deserve a rest :) I can tell I am growing a lot since my maternity pants are getting tighter. I need to get some photos but I have to find someone to take them. I think I will make my dad do it this weekend. 

Anywho, everything is good baby wise except the tummy issues. I have decided to take off next week after my Tuesday appointment just because well if the boss lets me anywho so that should be fun and relaxing. 

29 weeks!!!

Wow, I don't even know if anyone looks at this anymore since I rarely update it. I can't believe I am in my 29th week...I feel extremely unprepared, I clean a bunch. I woke up at 3am on Friday because I could not stay in bed I just kept thinking of all the things I have to do. It is not usually that bad I just feel weirded out. I am excited to meet Zatanna I really am. She kicks all the time or at least moves around. My stomach is actually pregnant looking so that is nice and I am sure everything will be great but oh my gosh...I am going to be a mom!! Talk about changes...and lack of sleep. :) I think the delivery is what worries me the most though. I figure if I freak myself out know it can't be near as bad as I make myself believe it will be...right?...

Anywho, Zatanna is doing great. I had my glucose test last week the drink wasn't as bad as people make it seem until the aftertaste hit...yuck! I had my second rhogam shot so my blood and hers don't fight each other. We have a checkup on the 23rd and then two weeks later is the 32 week ultrasound...talk about time flying. I really think I just got pregnant and I am almost done. Next step childbirth classes and baby showers and nursery setup. Right now my tree is taking up her room since Doug is a grump about Christmas so I have to hide it. It is kind of sad I don't get to see it every day since that was one of my favorite things about Christmas but at least I have one. I am actually almost done with my Christmas shopping I only have 2-3 gifts left and there is still one more week until Christmas that is a miracle for me. Anywho, I am off track my stomach feels like I have a brick in it that likes to move around. I knew the belly was going to put equilibrium off I didn't know it was because it almost feels like you are walking around with one of those pillows on and it keeps moving around of its own free will :) but that is still pretty neat too.

Anywho, gotta go finish laundry!

23 weeks

This week was crazy between my birthday and Halloween there was a lot going on. My belly keeps getting bigger but still not a lot of movement. For those of you who might not know I have an anterior placenta which means it is in front of the baby instead of behind it so I may not get to feel all the kicks that most people do since there is another layer between me and the baby which stinks I had hoped it was moving up like it is supposed to but I don't know when that happens. Doug always tells me he can feel it but...well who knows :) I read about some ladies online who rarely if ever felt the baby move until they were about 30-35 weeks...talk about taking all the fun out of it. Although I hear sometimes it is not that fun being waken up in the middle of the night by kicks and jabs. i still would rather feel it though.
Anywho, I made Doug a chocolate pecan chess pie. Pies are the worst thing in the world to judge doneness especially ones that are a little runny like pecan pies...Some are simple but others there is just no definitive answer...oh well hopefully it is yummy. I used my new mixer so it took all of 5 minutes to make. I wanted to make the crust to use my new rolling pin but alas no pie plate...ugh!

I know I am horrible at updating this...

I am officially 22 weeks as of Sunday. I have only felt her kick twice last week so I am still waiting for all the rest of it. The nausea meds are slowly (very slowly) going away but I can't quit them completely or I end up having to call the janitor at work to clean the bathroom and that is no fun!
I can't believe Halloween is almost here better yet that my 28th birthday is Wed....I did not notice until I wrote that..I am 2 years from the big 3-0...wow. At least I made my goal to be pregnant before I hit 28.  I don't feel like 30 is old anymore but the number looms so much bigger than it should :) I wonder how different things will be by then. I am sure they have to change a bit a new baby doesn't really keep things the same but I am excited for the future. I think that beyond midnight feedings and teething, etc this is a good path to be on and I know that we are ready for it.

Sooo Tired..

I haven't been sleeping very well the last few nights. Trying to get out of bed is probably the hardest thing i have to do all day. :) 
It doesn't help that as I try to wean myself off the zofran I start puking again. I think I am going to be one of those ladies who has to take it through her whole pregnancy which as long as it doesn't hurt the baby keep it coming. I would be glad to get rid of it but not at the risk of throwing up in the break room at work like I did Friday and yes they had to call the janitor it snuck up on me...
I thought I had my Twilight obsession under control since I finished the last book but then I went to Twilightmoms.com (Thanks Ashlea!) and feel like I have stopped breathing a couple of times. :) Dang I swear that series is like "crack for women". It probably wouldn't be so bad if the doctor allowed me to have some other romance in my life but alas illegal...ugh!
Anywho, good night all! I am hoping tonight I make it through a full night of sleep...well other than the getting up to pee of course.

Its a girl!!

So, we had our scan today. She is very healthy by all looks. It is very weird to say she now instead of it but it is nice to finally know. We went and started our Target registry and bought a cute little bib set that says "pictures with baby $.50". It is very cute. Anywho, that is all I wanted to let everyone know...
Good Night!

Oct 2nd, 2008 17 weeks and 5 days

So, Monday is the gender scan...well that isn't the reason for the scan but that is the part I am most interested in. Other than the healthy baby part.
Work is good but I get so tired lately. I may have to start going in at 9 rather than 8:30am if it continues to get worse. I am thinking it is just that I am getting over a cold right now that is causing it. so hopefully next week will be no issues. Other than that Im doing really well. I don't notice much baby wise which I hear is normal. I felt a little flutter about two weeks ago but nothing I noticed since...I am excited for the moving though! I have been getting more back and upper thigh pain I hear that is from where the baby decides to lay and that there is only more of that to come. Sometimes I feel like I am ninety or already waddling around and not near the full belly yet. I am surprisingly smaller than I expected but growing a little every day. I think I just don't realize the change since it seems so gradual.
The new house is great. Hopefully we will have a dining set this weekend and Doug and I need to make a final decision on a washer and dryer. Luckily, he is off this weekend. If I ahven't said it before I absolutely LOVE my kitchen!
Anywho, I am going to get off here. Later!

Sept. 26,2008

I think I am getting a cold or my sinuses are out of wack. I have that icky ear, nose and throat scratchy yuckiness. This weekend I am starting my 18th week. Craziness! I am pretty excited for the ultrasound. it will be nice to be able to finally buy things without worrying about neutral colors.
Anywho, I feel crappy so back to reading the third in the Twilight series eclipse...I love me some Edward. I mean seriously who wouldn't fall in love with a good vampire...:)

Sept 24, 2008

We are finally connected at our new house!! Yeah! Now once we get a mattress we will be almost settled in. Things are going good. I really like our house very roomy with a very nice kitchen! Pregnancy wise I am definitely showing. I would post a pic but I ahven't taken one yet:) Maybe tomorrow or this weekend. Our ultrasound is Oct 6th. So two Mondays from now I should know the gender wow how time passes not too long and I will have a baby talk about life changing. Know that we are up and running you should be seeing a lot more posts from me. Especially since Doug goes to bed between 7-8 pm since he has to work at 2am.

More later!

Sorry

Sorry all, I am a little discombobulated not being in my own place and not sitting at a desk 8 hours a day. Everything is great with the baby. I finally have an ultrasound pic I will post as soon as I can. Other than that we move in to our place Th/Fr so this should be way more up to date after that.

Sept 7th...14 weeks

Ugh, today I started spotting again. It didn't last long but I of course was highly concerned and the doctor told me to come in to check the heartbeat tomorrow. It is always nerveracking to have to wait to make sure everything is ok. You spend the whole day wishing there was a way you could hear it before the doctor that way you weren't racked with fear while they spend 5 minutes looking for it...Luckily, it was not heavy bleeding but I wish it hadn't shown up at all. Anywho, other than that everything is going good. I still need new clothes but that is not hard to get well besides trying all sorts of stuff on to and thinking "will this still fit me in two weeks"

Quick Blog...

Hi All,

Just wanted to let everyone know I am driving to IL tomorrow and Sunday so will not be online. I got to hear the heartbeat at the last appt yeah!! But I have no idea how to get my zofran refill...ugh!
Anywho, more Monday/Tuesday.

Aug 28...12 weeks and 4 days

This morning I feel pretty good. Still not wanting to work all day on cleaning and packing but what can you do:) I don't think it is fair that the cats get to laze around all day. They are setting a bad example...
I have an appt today at 3pm. I hope they can actually hear the heartbeat with the doppler this time because the u/s is in the other office and I really don't want to freak out until I get to my next appt on the 4th.
The chewables are going pretty good so far although since Ashlea told me they caused her heartburn I am beginning to wonder if that has been the problem the last two nights. Luckily, I only notice it until I wake up in the morning but I will stay on these until I get to the next doc maybe it will even out besides Doug always says I think that whatever sde effects other people have with pills I get them to. I am a bit of a hypochondriac with pills that way. I really am not a fan but I keep telling myself this is for the baby... I told him he should take vitamins too because the book said then we are both healthier, he keeps getting upset with me about mine but I haven't seen him take anything :)
There are two things I am waiting expectantly for in this preganancy the baby bump...which right now just looks like fat rolls that may be merging together...and the baby movement oh and three the gender :)
Anywho, I can't wait until this upcoming drive is over. I want to drag a port a potty behind me so I don't have to pull off the road if I need to pee, vomit or whatever else may be an issue that day.

Aug 26:12 weeks 3 days

Sorry I have been MIA a couple days, it is harder to keep up when I am at home since we don't have a good computer chair and it is uncomforatble typing for too long. I will try to be better. The last two days were supposed to be for packing but I ended up sick both days. The first day it was cuz Doug made me take my prenatals... I know "but weren't you already taking them" I got a little off track because I somehow gained a phobia that I couldn't swallow pills and there by could not get them down. SO I was waiting for my new chewable prescription which hadn't come in yet. It wasn't a horribly long time but when Doug found out he was not appreciative and made me mash it up in applesauce, at least it showed me that those pills are contributing to my sickness cause I threw up the next morning and then I ran out of my anti nausea and thought I would go get them this morning and it wouldn't be an issue...after puking four times it was an issue. So, I know that those are very ingenious little pills and I love them. :) Anywho, my next drs appt is thursday my final checkup with them and then I am taking all my records for my new dr in IL. Both my old and new doctors told me not to trust them to send them over... o...k...whatever. Anywho, not much going on my brain is racing with everything that needs to be done and hoping above all that tomorrow I wake up feeling great and in the mood to take care of everything that needs to be done...ugh.

Aug 23rd

Yesterday was my last day in the Malvern office. It was Friday so not many people were in but it was a fun day. Today I am starting to feel the I could eat anything portion of pregnancy I think. Everything looks good. I was so close to ordereing ribs this afternoon except $17 is a lot of money for lunch. Today was the first day someone touched my stomach without warning...I wasn't upset but it surprised the heck out of me. I thought she was trying to punch me in the stomach lightly and say "dough boy" :) Plus right now it is just my fat so nothing interesting at all. I don't know that I will ever get upset about it just not used to it. Well unless someone you don't know just reaches for it that could be weird. Doug was pretty sick with a sinus headache this morning. I am very glad that by the end of the day he was feeling good. We were worried it was the flu or something and I don't want to be sick. 

Aug 21:11weeks 5 days

The baby hates Taco bell...I have tried to eat taco bell twice and both times I felt awful and then it all came back out...I am telling you this kid is going to cause me issues :) Taco Bell was the one place I knew I could always eat and not feel horrible...kids! Oh mercy if the baby just doesn't like tacos....what about my taco salad from edible difference in STL...If I can't eat that I might cry...Anywho, I am off to get some h2o.