baby still on board

yep, baby westphal is still on board. he's been teasing me the last few days with contractions, but not on a regular basis and not painful in nature. at first i wasn't sure i was having them, but as time passes i'm pretty sure that's what they are. they just feel like really strong menstrual cramps at the moment. very tolerable so i don't think he's coming any time soon. we were hoping he'd arrive today, my dad's birthday, but we've pretty much given up on that idea.

at my last appointment, i was only 1 cm dialated and 50% effaced. i go in tomorrow for my last check up before my actual due date. hopefully progress has been made. i'd be quite surprised if it hasn't since i'm having more contractions. fingers crossed.

i'll try and update more tomorrow. right now we're just taking it one day at a time. part of me is excited to get this party started but there's still a part of me freaked about what's to come. physically i'm very ready to have this baby. very ready!

above is my 36 week pic and below is my 38 week pic. i'll have to take another one in a few days, i can hardly believe i've almost made it to 40 weeks.

serious slacker

here's my 34/35 week progression shot. as you can see, my face is starting to fill out. almost as round as it was in high school. not too much to report on the pregnancy front. next week i'll start my weekly visits to the ob/gyn and before you know it baby westphal will be here. i can't believe i only have 30 days left!!

i do have one complaint...swelling. unfortunately, the swelling is getting worse the bigger i get and thus cutting my time on the computer to a minimum. if i sit/stand too long, my ankles become unrecognizable and my legs are a complete mess. thank goodness it's winter and i can cover up the veiny/bruised goodness. as far as self image goes, it's crazy but my legs bother me more than the baby gut does. hopefully once i'm no longer carrying 45 pounds of extra weight, they'll go back to normal. fingers crossed.

next week i'll post pics of the nursery. it's pretty much complete. all i have left to do is make a robot print to place between the windows and i also have to finish painting a cabinet i decided had to go from brown to white. it wouldn't be such an issue if the primer i bought, that specifically says 'no sanding needed,' actually worked. i gave the whole cabinet a once over with the paint and it pretty much peeled right off. i just finished putting on the second coat and next week i'll hopefully finish the paint job.

right now we're waiting for the arrival of nate, katie and their pooch jet. they'll be spending the thanksgiving holiday with us and it'll probably be the last time i see them before the baby comes and their wedding. aaron's dad, mark, and youngest brother, danny, came down saturday with mark's girlfriend linda. we went down and met them in asheville and no sooner had we walked into aaron's grandma's house, mark made the announcement that he and linda were engaged. it caught us both off guard. actually i think everyone he told was a little surprised. so it made for an interesting visit. i don't think it's quite sunk in. (there's a long history here and i think it's really hard for anyone to be truly happy about this, especially the boys.) hopefully with time the shock will wear off and we'll all come to accept it. we'll just have to wait and see.

i better get back to cleaning, according to their gps, nate and katie should be arriving at 3:47 pm. LOL!

misfit mama

been hiding under a rock the last few weeks. i need to update about our trip back to illinois and the other going-ons at the westphal house. my schedule is actually full with birthing classes, volunteer work and dr. appointments. i am also trying to clean house before baby arrives but i may have waited a bit too long to do so. the baby gut is definitely getting in the way and having three stories to climb in our house is not an easy feat with minimal lung capacity. we measured and i now have a 40 inch waist/gut. whoa baby!

other baby news to report: hiccups, he pretty much gets them on a daily basis. movement, i honestly feel like he's making more room for himself with the amount of kicking and pushing he's doing. heart rate, 141 bpm at today's appointment. head still down and all else is looking good.

next appointment in two weeks then weekly after that. it's slowly starting to creep up on us and baby westphal will be here before we know it! thought i'd share my 32/33 week pic. since it was on halloween, mama had to dress up. funny thing about the shirt, i bought a huge stash of band tees to eventually cut up and rework at a later date. they fit me perfectly now, go figure! ;)

U-G-G-L-Y, yeah they're uggly

just a few days away from hitting the single digits as far as weeks go. it's crazy to think it's less than two months now til our family of two becomes three. i almost put four becomes five because i'm the crazy dog lady! ;)

i had my monthly check-up last thursday and everything is on par as far as progress goes. his head is already down and his heartbeat was around 123. i assumed that i'd be getting another ultrasound at my next appointment but was told since i've had a few more than usual that it wasn't necessary. of course i already had my mind set that i'd be getting one so as soon as i got home i made an appointment at another womens center to get the ultrasound. since it's elective i'll have to pay but i'll get 3d/4d and a 30 minute dvd of the little one. it's thursday afternoon so hopefully i can figure it out and post a video update afterwards.

i am starting to get to that "uncomfortable" stage which isn't too bad YET. i think one of the main problems i'm having is swelling. for a while it was my feet swelling at the end of the day. now it's pretty much all the time. my doc said some women are just more prone to swelling than others. with my family history of varicose veins i wasn't too surprised i'd be one of those women. awes has me wearing compression stockings and wants me to do some more walking to get the blood circulating. my remedy is to lay down with my feet elevated, the easiest thing to do of course. i also found out why i was getting that faint feeling i wrote about last time. apparently with all the kicking and pushing baby westphal is doing he's hitting some of my big veins and interrupting the blood flow. little bugger! a few nights ago he pretty much did it all night long and it was impossible to get any sleep. hopefully those nights are few and far between.

last week awes and i started our birthing classes. i just thought it'd be beneficial for both of us to gain as much knowledge as possible. we've been reading books but i thought doing a more hands-on approach would help us as well. some of the things the class teaches include: relaxation and breathing techniques, info on pain management, infant cpr and a tour of the birthing center. after the last class we're considering using a doula. we're still researching it but i'd love to hear if anyone's used one for their delivery.

it's kinda hard to see in the pic but i did break down and get a pair of ugg boots. well a generic version of them. with all the swelling going on i didn't have much of a choice. although with today's weather i could have easily worn flip-flops again. at least i got the darker colored ones instead of the khaki ones so it isn't as atrocious. sorry if i've offended any ugg wearers, lol! ;)

lazy sunday

a run for his money

i'm not exactly sure what this kid is doing inside me but the rest of me is not liking it.

a: "how you feeling?"
s: "not so great, for some reason i'm feeling a little faint when he moves. like my blood pressure is dropping."
a: "you should elevate your feet."
s: "okay, it's only happening when he moves, not when he kicks or stretches. like he's doing corkscrews or something. he must be flip-flopping in there."
a: "weird."
s: "no kidding."

so i spent the rest of the evening on the couch with my feet above my heart finishing off the third season of dexter.

i'm pretty sure i've gotten to the point (28/29 weeks) where i can give my dad a run for the money as far as beer/baby guts go! ;) i'll have to do a side-by-side comparison next time i see him.

i had to go out and purchase a cheap pair of boots (which, according to awes, look like ninja boots). with the weather getting cooler i was hoping i could just transition into my regular boots. nope, i tried putting on my boots from a few weeks ago and my monster calves have become more monsterous. i found a pair that has some give and goes about half way up my calf. i almost consider getting the ugg boot just cause they'd be easy to get into and out of. but to me uggs fall into the crocs category. i don't care how comfortable they are, they're ugly as hell and i just can't see myself wearing them.

this weekend we're having a garage sale at aaron's office to raise money for the als walk we participate in every year. all the money we raise is gonna go towards als research. we're hoping to make this an annual thing so here's hoping the weather cooperates and we have a great turnout.

jack sprat

still chugging along. here's my 26/27 week belly shot. sometimes i wonder if you saw me from the front if you could tell i'm pregnant. sorta like one of those flat characters where you look from the front and she's super skinny and then from the side she's huge.

i was hoping i could still wear my normal clothing and i'm learning it's pretty much a lost cause. this week i switched out my spring/summer clothes for fall/winter wear. i threw on a sweater this morning and it pretty much covered about half of the baby bump. i now own an extensive collection of belly sweaters. looks like cardigans are gonna be my best friend this winter.

i tried hitting up the thrift stores in hopes of finding some decent pants or maybe even a pair of overalls. apparently the only ladies that donate maternity clothing are of the large or x-large set. so i broke down last week and bought another pair of maternity jeans and a maternity skirt. i can fudge a bit and avoid buying maternity shirts but there's no avoiding the mom jeans now.

as far as the health aspect of this pregnancy, i don't have too much to report. as predicted i failed the one-hour glucose test and passed the three-hour test after the second hour. still feeling good. occasionally getting winded when walking and definitely getting swollen feet at the end of the day. baby boris is moving around like crazy and you can actually see the kicking, poking, prodding and stretching he's doing on the outside. i didn't think i'd be one of those people who'd have her hands on her belly all the time and now i'm grabbing people hands and putting them there so they can feel the movement too. funny how things change.

the nursery is about 85% done. still looking for a rocking chair to put in there. i really don't want one of those typical gliders because i want it to eventually transition into a reading chair as he gets older. hopefully i'll be able to find something in the upcoming weeks. once i find the chair and get some window treatments, it'll pretty much be done. i'll post pics soon.

i did start an online registry at babies r us and target. i went from not having a single baby shower to now having three! i would love some input on what i overlooked and what you think is a baby must-have! thanks.

caution: wide load

it's so weird cause i don't realize how big i'm getting til i look at the photos. of course it all depends on what i'm wearing, what angle you see me from and how straight i stand. i actually wore this shirt pre-pregnancy and am now wondering if it makes me larger than i think it does. it does appear like i'm smuggling a bowling ball under there. i'll have to do some sequence shots when we get closer to the end so you can see the progression.

seems like i always have something wrong when i go to an appointment. today's appointment was no different. last time it was the low-lying placenta which resolved itself at my last appointment. this time i didn't pass the one hour glucose test. i was seriously on the cusp of passing. on my instruction sheet it says if you score 140 or below you pass but it also says if you score 140 or above you'll have to be screened again. of course my docs are "better safe than sorry" so i have to go back friday for the three hour screening. i don't know why i got the impression i'd only be drinking a dixie cup worth of modified juice. i think one of the many times i was down in hickory getting my blood drawn, there was a pregnant lady was getting her glucose tested. i could have sworn she was only holding a small dixie cup of orange juice. when the girl handed me the 10 oz. bottle of juice and told me i had to finish it all in five minutes, my jaw almost hit the floor. if you know me, it takes me a whole day to finish off one 12 oz. can of soda, if i even finish it. i have a feeling that i'll pass on friday, a majority of women do. plus i think the nurse took my blood a little early. i bet if she would have waited five more minutes i would have passed. i guess we'll just have to wait and see.

as far as weight goes, i'm riding a little high. i just calculated where i should be and where i'm at and right now and i'm at the higher end of the spectrum. i kinda think that may be another reason why my docs want to retest me. it probably wouldn't hurt for me to go on a low carb diet. i was told for this test i could eat a couple hours before my test but to avoid carbs and sugar...yeah, the only thing i could pretty much eat was peanut butter. i have discovered that i consume a lot of carbs. and with being pregnant i've probably doubled my usual intake. i'll have to look up a diet plan and see if i can at least modify my diet. if i fail my glucose test on friday, i really won't have a choice.

and finally, the crib and dresser arrived last thursday! yippee! aaron put the crib together and i put the dresser together so the nursery is finally starting to look like an actual room. i also was able to get an additional $75 back since both pieces went on sale before they were shipped. and i must say i'm quite impressed with the quality of both pieces considering we only paid a little over $200 each. here's a link to the crib in case you were wondering what it looked like. sweet, it just went back up in price so i got a bargain. hopefully the prints i ordered come today, so nursery pics to come in the near future.

i better go. i've been thinking about crafting again and i opened the door to my craft room and it looks like it's become a dumping ground for anything and everything. so my next task is to clean a little craft house.

tattooed fingers, tattooed toes

since everyone is dying to see the tattoo progression shot...behold.

whoa, i just looked at them side by side and i can definitely see some stretching going on. i have to laugh, cause both aaron and i looked at it last night and said it looked the same. little did we know. i'm still wearing the same jeans with a little assistance from the belly band.

so a little over half way and it's not looking too shabby. at least it's stretching out evenly. i think i'm more concerned with what it will look like afterwards. that's where the real test lies. it'll be a wait and see game til the very end.

misfit baby

today was another baby doctors appointment. i had to get an ultrasound to check on the placenta problem they found at my last appointment. and just like the doc told me it's migrated upwards and, as of now, is no longer a problem. the doc quickly did a 4d ultrasound for me and was able to get a decent face shot. i can now rest seeing the baby actually has eyelids. i was a little worried for a second there. the nurses at aaron's office have given baby westphal a new nickname, squiggy from laverne and shirley. i actually think he could be a future member of the misfits, but that's just me. it's not actually his hair, just a shadow the machine put on his forehead, but it is funny to think that it is. i don't think he's sucking his thumb. that's what everyone has been asking me. i'm pretty sure it's just his hand up by his face.

the rest of the appointment was pretty standard. i did get a regular flu shot, which was a first for me, at least that i can remember. i'll be getting the swine flu shot when it arrives in the next month or so. my quad screen also came back negative which was great and one less thing to worry about. and, drum roll please, i've gained a whopping 8 pounds in the last month. so from start of the ivf process in march to now i've gained about 20 pounds. i'm gonna guess i'll gain another 20 before it's time to deliver. yeah right. we'll just have to wait and see.

at my next appointment, which is in three weeks, i'll be doing the dreaded glucose test. i have a feeling if there's any test i'm gonna fail it's gonna be this one. pretty much all i've been eating are sweets and carbs. i wouldn't necessarily say i've been craving them but set a box of french fries in front of me and i can pretty much guarantee they'll be gone in no time flat.

here's my 22 week pic and my attempt to look a little slimmer. ;)
i finally finished the 20 pairs of scrub pants i had to alter. so hopefully in the next few weeks i'll be able to concentrate on some other sewing projects. i do have a few already in mind.

like mother, like daughter?

so my aunt's comment had me ransacking my baby photo album, looking for a pic of my mom during her pregnancy. OMG! she wasn't kidding. i can't even imagine being any bigger than i am now and i've still got 18 weeks to go. i'm hoping it's just a growth spurt and i'll even out. i should be so lucky. i go in tuesday for another ultrasound and we'll see how much weight i've gained. i would not be surprised if it's another 7 pounds. i think i've figured out where i'm packing on those pounds, around my torso and in my thighs. i've gone out for a second time to update my undergarment wardrobe. i've gone from a 34 to a 38 and a small to a medium in about a month. my next pic i'm gonna bust out the skinny jeans cause i think those dresses are making me look bigger than i actually am. i wish! i hope!

20 down...

20 to go. the halfway point has come and gone and so far things have been going good. my appetite has returned with a vengeance. holy cow, i seriously didn't think i could eat so much. so long kids meals, hello super-sized ones!

the last few weeks i've had to make the switch to maternity wear, at least out in public. i don't mind sporting the half shirt at home. and yes, i've been sporting the dresses more often than not. i think i've worn them more the last few weeks than i have in a lifetime. when the pants don't fit...

luckily last weekend was a tax-free weekend here in nc. so aaron and i did some shopping. me more so than him. we did get a few outfits for baby westphal, but our main agenda was to get me something to wear. i'm now the proud new owner of two pair of maternity pants, a handful of shirts and some maternity dresses. luckily i was able to find some normal clothes that can double for maternity wear. like the dress i'm wearing in the pic.

the nursery is done, at least painted. i'll post pics tomorrow of the before and after pics. already loving the color and am thinking about the rest of the decor. the crib and changing table are still on order. expected delivery between august 14 - september 1. so for now it'll remain empty. i'll have to post some of the decor i'm considering and get peoples opinion. i'm finding i'm a bit girly in my thinking and it's really hard not to be so cutesy.

i did start my registries. greyson and i hit up "babies r us" and target last week. i'm having a hard time picking out things to put on it. if anyone has any suggestions, i'd love to hear them. yeah, the stroller i registered for turns on a dime... which makes aaron very happy. lol!

baby gut

i'm not sure if it's "officially" made an appearance. seems like in the morning it's a bump but by the end of the day it's turned into a gut. so here's my 18 week belly shot, actually it's closer to 19 weeks. i've decided it's impossible for me not to make a silly face when taking pics of myself. this pic will give you an idea of what's to come. i'll have to check and see if my camera has a remote. if you could have seen what i went through to get the photo: placing a stand-in lamp for focusing, running back to the camera to focus and set timer, running back and moving the lamp and posing in less than 10 seconds. it was a pretty funny sight to see and i have a feeling it'll get harder the bigger i get. i'll be a pregnant blur by the time 40 weeks rolls around.

yesterday i had my official ob appointment. i stepped on the scale and i had gained a whopping seven pounds in the last month! of course i was a bit confused cause the day before i weighed myself at home and had only gained two pounds. so your guess is as good as mine as to how much i've gained. my appointment was pretty uneventful. we got confirmation that baby westphal is still a boy. he said everything looked good except that my placenta was a little lower than he'd like to see. so i was diagnosed with low-lying placenta previa. the doctor didn't seem too concerned. he said it would probably migrate upward the further along i get. i'll have to be closely monitored and have another ultrasound in four weeks to make sure it does. seems like me and the ultrasound machine are becoming fast friends. the doc did do a quick 4-D ultrasound. unfortunately the baby's arms were blocking his face but you can kinda make out some of his features. hopefully next time we'll get a better pic.

nothing to see here

seriously. 14 weeks pregnant and nothing to really see. but i thought i'd document anyways. i'll probably post every other week. depending on if there are significant changes. so it begins.

sorry for the bad photoshop infusion. i really need to invest in a tripod. propping my camera on it's side, with notebook and camera lens took some work. and getting in the same angle...impossible. i did a quick cleanup, hence no shadow on the left. i'll try and figure out a better way to do this in the future.

had another ob appointment last thursday. pretty much a check up from the neck down. heard the baby's heartbeat with the doppler this time. 150 bpm. also got the results from my bloodwork all came back normal. so far, all is still good. and i'm actually feeling better all around. a bit more energy and starting to get somewhat of an appetite.

we leave tomorrow for southern illinois. pretty much have a whirlwind schedule ahead of us while we're there. unfortunately we won't be making it to robinson or springfield. i think we need more days in the week to squeeze everyone we want to see in. i'll try and update while we're there, but no promises.