40 weeks

Happy Due Date Day!

I never really thought Leo would come before my due date (like I've said before the 21st has been stuck in my brain since I found out when the due date was) so I am not to surprised to be here...NOT in labor.  I do hope he comes soon though.  I am getting crankier, more tired, and more uncomfortable (sitting, standing, or laying down) so it would be nice to be on the path to normal sooner rather than later!

Some things from this week, I'm still measuring great at my appointments but man are those pounds packing on now!  Evan couldn't suppress his surprise at the numbers on the scale when I was weighed at my last appt (he hadn't been with me for awhile) and he got all bug-eyed at the number.  I calmly told him that, for future reference, when an almost full-term pregnant lady gets on a scale (or any woman for that matter) his response should not be "Woah!" with a look of sheer surprise.  LOL!  Luckily I can take it and am not as emotional as some women are over things like that (which Evan doesn't appreciate enough... he doesn't think anybody would get upset, HA!)

Last Saturday, I went bowling with the family and in the second game...I beat everybody!!  I am taking bragging rights for that one since I was 39 weeks that day.  I got the score printed out to prove it :-) 

Not a great score overall but I still won! ; )

So last week I said that Evan and I were pretty much ready for Leo to arrive but this week I am much more confident in that statement.  First off, we will be able to take Leo home from the hospital if we have him now...we just installed the car seat and even went and got it inspected for safety this morning. Phew!

 I am on the last few items of my to-do list which is finish knitting Leo's stocking and write as many thank you notes as I can from my baby showers!  Evan and I ran errands today which knocked off the last few items of things I needed to do outside of the house and I guess this upcoming week will mainly be doing things to get labor started and resting/sleeping.  I am excited to meet this little guy and am so curious as to what he will look like.  Evan's mom just sent me a picture of Evan when he was a baby so I thought I would post a picture of each of us... not sure of our exact ages but thought they are probably around the same age.

    

Pretty cute!









Well I think I will leave you with that for now.  I am off to knit some, write in my diary, and write a few more thank you cards.  Lots of love to all of you!

39 Weeks

Well...here it is, my 39 week baby basketball!

It is hardly just a bump anymore! Most of my shirts are barely fitting me anymore (pulling up and showing my belly or maternity waistband) and I have taken to wearing one of Evan's over-sized zip up hoodies whenever we go anywhere as it is the only one that I can still zip up.  I recently bought a final maternity outfit but I will be able to use it postpartum as well so I am happy with my purchase.  

Everything felt ten times more difficult this week...I can only imagine how I will feel if I am still pregnant at almost 42 weeks.  I still expect the 21st but really who knows?  I won't be complaining if he makes his arrival a little earlier. ; )

This week my sisters came over and basically took down my Christmas tree and decorations for me (and moved the tree outside) then proceeded to vacuum, dust, and help me sanitize Leo's toys.  It was such a big help and I really appreciated them doing it!  Of course, it wouldn't have been possible without my mom and dad taking on baby-sitting duties with the four grandchildren at Emily's house so they all deserve a big THANK YOU!!!

It seems like just yesterday I was reeling over my positive pregnancy test (May 1st) and marking my calendar up with each stage of my pregnancy ending with Jan 12, 2013.  This pregnancy has seemed like a whirlwind and it is hard to believe it is coming to an end... it has been highlighted with health issues but here I am with Leo just days away from being in my arms! I think Evan and I are ready for his arrival.  We bought a final 3-drawer organizational plastic storage container for some of Leo's clothes... he has so many!  Our overnight bag is packed with nursing accoutrements and labor tools so now all there is to do is wait for Leo to make his grand entrance.  I can't wait!

Thought I would add in a few websites and a book I recently read that I wish I had found earlier in my pregnancy in hopes that these resources can provide others with some guidance or information.

The first one is a website called Birthing Naturally but rest assured it is helpful for those of you that may just want to make your pregnancy more comfortable... you do not need to have a natural birth to make this website valuable to you.  

    The second website is Spinning Babies.  This can help in later pregnancy if your baby is being difficult and in an odd position.  They also have lots of advice and some exercises that you can do throughout pregnancy to aid in labor and delivery with some of the exercises starting as early as the first trimester.

I found this book at the library and while it only has a few new things to tell me NOW, it would have been incredibly useful when I was first starting to explore the world of economical baby choices and making up the registry.  It is called "the eco-nomical baby guide" by two ladies Joy Hatch and Rebecca Kelley who also happen to live up here in the northwest. This book has cost comparisons and data about everything from diapers and gear to baby food.  It also has resources listed for each of their subjects so that you can find more information online or in other books.  It was a quick and easy read although it probably would have taken me a little longer if I couldn't have written the first few chapters myself : )

On a completely different note... the Gators bowl game was a big disappointment this week to say the least.  I did manage to wear my shirt one last time and I thought I would do a little picture comparisons below from 20 weeks to almost 40 weeks 

here it is! BTW this shirt is NOT maternity...

20 weeks

38 weeks 5 days

33 weeks

 

Well I will leave you with a few things I am looking forward to after Leo arrives (besides the obvious getting to meet my son!)

Number 1- Getting my haircut!  I know it sounds silly because I could get it cut now but I have always wanted the sorta classic first time mother shots with her newborn and still having long hair.  So no haircuts for me until after the birth!  That said, I can't wait to get some of this mass of hair off of my head!

Number 2- LUNCH MEAT! COLD CUTS!  YUMMMMM!

Number 3- Not "having" diabetes anymore.

Number 4- Being able to put on my shoes again!

That's the best ones I've got right now and I literally think about them daily so you could imagine how eager I am about them!  Love to all... I hope your new year is starting out right!

38 weeks

Happy New Year Everybody!
 It is official... Leo will be a Jan 2013 baby! His birthstone will be garnet, my sister Emily will have another Jan birthday in the family, on the Chinese zodiac he will be a Dragon, he will either be a Capricorn or an Aquarius, but no matter what he will be here soon and will be very loved.
I've been thinking about the year ahead as we are want to do on this day and I've also been glancing back.  2012 brought me the joy of finding out I was pregnant which I am so thankful for.
 2013 will bring the birth of my firstborn...Leo Kipling Weaver, my 30th birthday and my 5th Anniversary.
It feels like 2013 is already shaping up to be a milestone year.  I just pray it comes with health and happiness for our family and yours.

Wow only 2 weeks left until Leo's due date!  The reality that I will soon be holding my son has not quite set in.  I feel that once I only have a week left (before they induce me) I would be like "this is really happening!"  but right now it is just too random, too novel to imagine being in labor, and too unreal overall.

Christmas was great with my parents and sister up here but we really missed our family in Florida.  We cooked a big meal (since we didn't cook one on Thanksgiving) and it was yummy!  We looked at some family photos of Christmas pasts and it was crazy to see the changes there have been over the last 10 years.  Our family has grown (in that time) from 6 people to 12 with #13 almost here!  I couldn't help picturing next year's Christmas with little Leo being almost one and crawling/toddling around... that will be a huge difference! 

I think Evan and I are ready for this new experience but at times it seems it will never come and at other times it feels like it is speeding towards us and we can only brace ourselves for the impact.  A baby!  A baby boy.... OUR baby boy!! Trying to wrap my mind around that...Eeekk!      

37 weeks...Full term!

I am full term and Leo can come anytime he wishes now!  I'm not trying to evict him but it is a relief that we have crossed this milestone...

I measured for 38 weeks at my appt. this week although the midwife thought Leo was sticking his butt out right where she was measuring so he might have been adding the extra cm. His heart rate was at 130 which is within the normal range and his movement is good...great really.  I had a parent at school notice Leo moving around and she wasn't even that close to me! Of course, it is very obvious to me and I can't help but stop and watch all of his movements.

Now that I am full-term I thought it would be fun to start an arrival date poll!

I believe I have said I think he is coming on Jan 21st (and have thought that since getting pregnant); however, if he doesn't come then I am betting on sometime in December.  Why you may ask?  

To that I will have to relay some family history...

For my bloodline, December is like a magnet for births.

Grandma Hess- Dec 1st

Luke- Dec 3rd (cousin once removed)

Dad- Dec 7th

 Cousin Keith and Nephew Tiernan- Dec 21st

Paisley- Dec 23rd (cousin once removed)

Mom- Dec 25th
(I think I got everyone if not I'm sorry....pregnancy brain)
I posted a poll on Facebook and this is what the world has to say about Leo's arrival...

My parents have been in town this week since Tuesday.  It's been nice having them around although between my last week of work and Dr's appts I haven't gotten to spend as much time with them as I would like.  Next week my sister Carol and my nephews will be coming into town late on Christmas night. 
On the labor front, I have started some natural methods to progress labor such as Red Raspberry Leaf Tea (helps strengthen contractions which in turn makes them more effective in progressing dilation and are supposed to help during labor as well), walking, and EPO (evening primrose oil).  I can't wait to meet this little guy but I know in the end he will come when he wants to.
Merry Christmas everyone!  

36 weeks

Four weeks till the due date, 1 week till Leo is full-term, and I am already growing out of my clothes!

I just might have to make this post my complaint post.  I love being pregnant and I would take on even more "inconveniences" for the miracle we get to take home at the end but... 

That said, pregnancy is no picnic either... particularly in the 3rd trimester!

Here are a few of my complaints.

I'm beginning to feel like just a big belly and hair, (I really need to cut my hair but I refuse to until Leo gets here!) 

I find it VERY HARD to get up and down out of chairs, seats, off of the floor, etc.

Leo likes to jab his foot underneath my right ribs and it just doesn't feel good!

 I want to wear cute shoes again!

I can't bend over to pick something up without first bracing my legs about a mile apart and placing my hand on a nearby object to TRY and keep steady.

I would love to move without letting a groan or exasperated sigh involuntarily escape my lips.

I have had to come to accept the fact that I actually am a messy eater I just never had anything to catch all the food I was dropping... the stains on my shirts prove it : /

I am tired of Doctors, midwives, hospitals, and anything related with these things.

I want to wear my wedding rings again!

I would like just ONE center of gravity, staying balanced is confusing with two.

Working is becoming harder and harder with more moments of sheer confusion over what is going on as my brain is slowly being taken over by...aliens? How do women work all the way to their due date?!

SO very tired of my pelvis hurting.

Did I mention the foot in my ribs or when it is not there but poking out of my right side? 

Tired of gestational diabetes and pricking my fingers 4x's a day...

Tired of tests and inevitably getting bad news from them (a girl can only take so much!)

With all of that and then some, I am thankful for Leo and that I get to help bring him into this world.

I've been blessed and I know it!

Some updates

I passed my last teaching test (Early Childhood Education) and will be able to get a renewable Oregon teaching license...YAY!  No more stressing over that or having to study.  Now I can focus on marking all of the other tasks off of my list of things to do (which mainly consists of baby prep things!)

 Nesting here I come!

I couldn't write about this week and not mention the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.  Maybe because I am pregnant or because I am a teacher or because I am human but this struck me at some base level in a way that I can not even begin to describe my feelings.

My prayers, thoughts, and heart go out to the families left behind to deal with their losses.  I have to believe that those sweet little angels are in a better place with God where they can no longer feel the pain and disappointments that are a part of living.

Rest in Peace

  

 

35 Weeks

Only 5 weeks left!  It is hard to believe that in just over a month I will have a baby.  This whole experience still seems surreal at times though I'm not sure why that surprises me...

with my sisters' having their first babies it was always surreal as well, even after the baby had arrived.  I've been so encompassed by the pregnancy part of having a baby that it has only been in the past week or so that I have started really picturing the next stage.  I can't wait to hold him in my arms and see what he looks like.  

So my friend Beth took my 35 weeks maternity pictures which was a fun experience and I loved the outcome.  Here are some of my favorites!  If you want to check out any of Beth's other photos visit her website here.  

In addition to pictures this week, Evan and I took a tour of the hospital labor & delivery and also the mother & baby ward.  The rooms seem pretty cozy which is nice and I feel like I am a little more comfortable now, knowing where I will be once I go into labor.  We also received a decision about whether or not I have GD... apparently due to my first test (from 2 months ago) I DO have GD even though my numbers taken daily were fine, whilst I was not on the GD diet.

That diagnosis rules me out of the waterbirth I've dreamed of for so long but I will still be able to labor in the tub right up until having to push.  So better than nothing I guess.  In order to have the inflatable tub (which is deeper) in the room we had to attend the waterbirth class... which was mainly tortuous.  I knew pretty much everything they told us and they kept on going over all the wonderful benefits of actually birthing in the water, which due to their stupidity I will not be doing. :-/

On a much happier note, we finally got our Christmas tree!!  It is a very tree too so we are enjoying it.  We decorated it and I bought a cinnamon broom so now there is a pleasant mix of evergreen and cinnamon which is so nice and inviting to come home too.  My working days are coming to a close (at least before Leo's arrival) I currently only have one more job scheduled on Tuesday, a Dr's appt tomorrow and next Thursday, a test this Friday and school ends for the holidays next Thursday.  I might be able to squeeze in a few jobs the week before Leo is due but that will depend on how I am doing. 

 We are almost to the 37 week (full-term) mark when it will be okay for Leo to come!  We finally have some decorations in the "nursery corners" as I like to fondly call Leo's areas in our bedroom. Here are a few pictures of his "nursery" and our Christmas tree!  Love to you all!     

34 Weeks

Not a great picture but this is it for 34 weeks....  I have a photo shoot for my 35 weeks with a friend from Mooberry ES.  She is a photographer and does beautiful pics so I am looking forward to documenting this incredible time in my life.   Not much happening this week just trying to get through the week of long days and lots of cleaning.

I am feeling sad that the Christmas tree is not up yet and won't be for at least a week.  I'm ready for Christmas cheer and it just doesn't feel like Christmas until the house is decorated.  I have been planning a list of things to do before next weekend and it just seems to get longer and longer by the second!  I hope we will find the time to get at least some of it done.  

I did have my 34 week appt. this week and I am measuring perfectly.  34 cm = 34 weeks!  It is hard to believe there is only 6 more weeks left until his due date!  Next week I'll start taking guesses on when everyone thinks he will arrive... 

 Thought I'd leave you with a pic of BB "sitting" on my baby bump.  My bump is almost as big as BB! It gets harder and harder to hold him since I have to squish him up and hold him OVER my belly but he wouldn't have it any other way.  I have managed to keep him from jumping on me...luckily!

Love you all!