First Mothers Day

Some quick notes about my first mothers day =)
...Sadly no pictures =(


Slept through the night. 10pm-7:30am. Glorious.

Woke up to the biggest dirty diaper of H's life. Threw the outfit away. Massive clean up. 

Sweetest card from H and baby daddy. 

After a full feed for H, I pumped 10oz for storage. FYI that is A LOT. 

Watched H really enjoy playing and watching his hands and kicking his feet like crazy. Such a big boy! 

H really emphasized his eat-play-diaper-eat-nap pattern. And his naps were real naps in his bouncer, which doesn't always happen. He is the sweetest💙

Drove around looking at houses (our usual Sunday). Lunch at Silver Diner, Mamas pick for a good milkshake and brunch food. 

I love being a mama to this boy. 

Two months

Mr. Tall & Skinny. Today Harrison weighed 11 lb 1 oz (36%) and 23.25 inches long (73%). He is a champ, he got several vaccines that he barely cried about, definitely a tough guy.

Sleep: He has made huge sleep progress this month. At 6 weeks he slept through the night, four nights in a row! Mostly he's been sleeping swaddled and in the bouncer, usually with a pacifier. Then we transitioned to sleeping on his back in the pack n play, also successful. THEN, last week he showed me he was able to roll over when he was swaddled. Booooooooo, time to learn to sleep with no swaddle. So for now we're back in the bouncer, with Ryan helping him stay asleep since his crazy arms tend to wake him up. 

Generally, he's sleeping through the night. After lots and lots of nursing, he goes to sleep between 8-10pm and wakes up between 6-8am. It's normal for him to stir starting around 5am but Ryan does a great job keeping him content for a few more hours. =) 

Clothing: 3 months are fitting great right now, except for sleepers with feet on them (my tall man). Sometimes 6 months clothes work, but usually too roomy. Diaper size 1 are still fitting a little big (my skinny boy), they contain blow outs much better. 

Activity: He is getting good at smiling, even though you usually have to work for it a little bit. Happiest in the mornings. He loves to be on his feet, standing in your lap or on the floor. Such strong legs and neck. Getting him on his feet usually makes him stop crying after a few minutes of hated tummy time. He tracks people talking to him and is catching glimpses of his hands. Sometimes he sees his hands flapping and hitting a toy that's he's watching... Next step is realizing those hands are attached to him and maybe even grabbing for the toy.

Just in the last two days, he has rolled over, tummy to back, several times! I think it was intention because he did it three times in a row! Does that mean he can sleep on his stomach?! He hates sleeping on his back when he's laid flat down. {Just kidding, don't call child services, I know "back is best"}. 

He enjoys bathtime until it's time to get out, which I totally get. It's cold. He also likes the sound of water (the loud tub faucet is a soothing trigger for him)... One fun thing is during bathtime, when he likes hearing his hands splashing in the water - makes me hopeful he'll be a water baby and love swimming like I do! 

Feeding: Still 100% on Breast milk! Woo! Over the last month, we worked to get him more familiar with a bottle. Ryan and I successfully went to a wedding on Saturday night and Harrison gave into taking his nightly amount of milk via bottle before going to sleep. Thanks Mom & Dad for taking care of him!! 

I'm trying to pump and prepare to pump at work so we can stay on breast milk even when he goes to daycare. Wahhh {that's my cry voice, daycare is sad and scary to think about}. 

(P.S. I'm back tracking and working to get a few posts actually posted that I write along the way... I've gotten better about taking pictures, more to come...)

Newborn products I've loved

Quick 6 week Baby update: Harrison is transitioning to Size 1 diapers {because pretty much every dirty diaper is a blow out aka everything is stained}. He is getting better at using a pacifier, more to keep him asleep than to sooth him when he gets really upset. He has taken a couple of bottles from me and two from Mom!! 

Sitting up in the stroller is much better than the car seat! 

Onto the list of things we have used a lot these first few weeks.

• Mustela Bebe Dermo-Cleansing (aka hand soap). It is the simple things. With a new baby and lots of dirty diapers, you wash your hands a lot. I use less than a dime-size amount because I don't want to run out. This stuff smells SO good. The scent should be called "newborn baby." 
• Brest Friend nursing pillow. Everyone debates this pillow with the Boppy. I liked this one because it hooks around me and is a flat, more firm surface. {I use the Boppy more now that nursing is more established and the squiahiness of the pillow is more comfortable, but it does move around a lot which is why the Brest Friend worked better in the beginning}. 
• aden + anais blankets. I used this on top of the nursing pillow and then am able to easily fold it under Harrison's head to prop it up or tuck it behind his back to minimize his squirming and pulling. At first I used a smaller burp cloth for this, but the bigger blanket has been more ideal recently. 
• Diaper tote. I used this as a nursing station. It was especially essential in the early days. I used one side for my water, snacks, kindle, phone. The other side had everything else... burp cloths, lanolin oil, nursing pads, hand sanitizer, pacifier... 

The nursing pillow... In our fav nursing chair. 

Diaper tote used to hold all my nursing station stash (sometimes it also included my medicine organizer, TV remotes, magazines, phone, Chapstick)

• Lanolin oil. I used this before and after each feeding. I also use a prescription all-purpose nipple cream for when things are worse. The prescription has restrictions on no feeding 30 minutes after application and no wiping off, which made it tricky during cluster feeds and growth spurts. The lanolin oil worked really well - no restrictions. 
• Glow Baby app. I used this to keep track of all the details... when he last fed, which side, for how long, how many diapers did he have, etc. When we first got home there were too many things to keep track of that my tired brain couldn't handle it. Ryan downloaded this app and when he'd hand me Harrison to start feeding, he would start the timer for me. I'm sure there are other apps that so the same thing. The only thing annoying is always trying to track down my phone when I started feeding. 
• "Happiest Baby on the Block" video by Dr. Karp. We watched this the week before Harrison was born. Knowing how to trigger his calming reflex was CRUCIAL. We still had to figure out exactly how to apply these techniques, and we each apply them differently to be effective, but this knowledge was HUGE.
• SwaddleMe newborn swaddles. Even though we got pretty good at swaddling in blankets, the SwaddleMe's are faster and tighter. They are less bunchy and easier to use. 
• Greco's sound machine. I didn't understand spending $35 on a sound machine when you can download noises on your phone. BUT this has several different sounds that aren't horrible static. And the blue night light is easy to turn on/off and not as bright as a dimmed lamp. We have the light and sound on all night long. I'm so glad that I got this as a gift, it's not something I would have bought myself! 

The sound machine & must see video by Dr. Karp. 

• Medicine chart & organizer. This helped us keep track of when I took meds (pain meds, prenatal vitamin, antibiotcs, etc.) and having them in the tray so I didn't have to think about it. I would have loved for this to be in the Baby app I used. I ended up setting alarms for meds so I wouldn't get behind, which helped too.
• Hospital supply items that I brought home and really used included.... water bottle with large straw, ice packs, mesh undies, mini lanolin oil tubes, "the" spray bottle, flushable wipes. {However, take anything they're willing to give you... diapers, wipes, petroleum jelly, gauze pads...}
• Pumping accessories.... The Medela steam bags for easy sterilizing. The "grass" drying rack for pumping/bottle accessories. 
• Some helpful online resources... kellymom (http://kellymom.com) , la leche (www.llli.org) - both mostly for breastfeeding info. Some comical relief from Pregnant Chicken (www.pregnantchicken.com) - I get an email once a week that I like reading, titled "What the Cluck?" Lucie's List (http://www.lucieslist.com) which has great product reviews {when comparing bottles, car seats, strollers, baby carriers, etc) and baby things. I also get an email from them that is specific to how many weeks postpartum I am and like reading it too {the emails are NOT about what products I should be buying/using}. 

I am definitely not a huge product person - mostly I don't want to spend the money and I don't have the space. I took the approach that less is more, and even still, there were things we got that haven't been used. I'm sure each baby is different, so who knows what will work in the future. 

Newborn pictures

A good spread of Harrison's newborn pictures.

ONE month!

Harrison Joseph Wildenhain, born March 3, 2016 at 12:38am. 7 lb 15 oz. 21.75 inches long. Ryan was right by my side when Harrison was put on my chest as he let out a whimper cry with a small puckered mouth.

It is a strange feeling of time flying by but also working hard learning how to be his Mama through long nights and long days. So much has happened over the last month. He went from a sleepy newborn, learning how to nurse, barely opening his eyes to knowing exactly what he wants (his Mama and Mama's milk, straight from Mama herself). He has alert happy mornings, gets fussy between 7-9pm and during the night likes to sleep on Mama or Daddy's chest {which we are working on...}.

Milestones:
There are SO many, I mean how detailed should I get on these baby blog posts...? He had his first yellow, seedy poop on Sunday, March 4, which means Mama's milk had processed through completely. Ok, so maybe just some highlights, not every count of wet/dry diapers...? Maybe instead of milestones a little timeline will fit better here.

Timeline:
The first night home after the hospital was MISERABLE. We planned to be discharged early afternoon on 3/4. Somehow, we ended up finishing all our discharge checklist by 3/4:00, but weren't able to actually leave the hospital until after 7:00. Going into that first night, we didn't even know where the gauze pads and jelly were that we were supposed to change every diaper change. I was not ready to comfortably sit up and nurse when I'd only done it in the hospital bed with 5+ pillows propping us up. He cried so much and we hadn't figured out A N Y of his soothing cues yet. It was the W O R S T night ever. I cried A L L night.

March 5

Looking prettttty rough at Harrison's first Pediatrician appointment after our miserable night at home.

It got much better after we regrouped. Ryan went on a shopping spree for all the things we weren't prepared for to get us on track. On 3/5, at his newborn check up, he weighed 7 lb 6 oz. It is expected for newborns to lose weight after birth. So we went into the weekend knowing we had work to do to gain it back. On that Monday, 3/7, he weighed 7 lb 14.5 oz. In four days, he was almost back to his birth weight. Mom Victoryyy.

Over the next week, our babe was {slightly} more predictable. We didn't set an alarm for feeding every 3-4 hours and he was sleeping in the rock n' play by our bed. There were several days where my own body was the worst part. There are things people don't talk about, even on full disclosure blog posts, and I won't either. Just know, it is bad. I ended up having a pretty bad night about a week out {read - another night of crying}, went to my OB just in time to catch an infection, and got some meds to get back on the healing track. I can't believe they discharge you from the hospital and don't plan to see you for 6 weeks. There is A LOT of healing to do and it's hard to even know when something is not "normal". Your body is a mess. My midwife was great and reaffirmed that it was good that I came in when I did.

March 10

After 7-10 days, Harrison started having awake spells, usually in the mornings. I was feeling better, so Ryan and I were getting out to do somethings while he was off work. We went to Target. We sat outside Starbucks. Drove around looking at potential neighborhoods. Rearranged the bedroom {again}. Harrison enjoyed his first bath until we washed his hair and pulled him out of the tub. I panicked about not having newborn pictures done, so we got some newborn pictures done. He lost the pealing skin on his face and feet. Ryan and I both learned how to sooth him with Dr. Karp's calming techniques... he likes his left side, the bath water running, the microwave vent/fan, "shushing", swaddling in a tight SwaddleMe, swaying/rocking movement up and down, and sucking on my pinkie finger. It was really nice to have Ryan home for two weeks so we could figure out new parenthood together.

Time has started to blur and the following week is fuzzy. I was home by myself during the day and did a lot of nursing and holding a sleepy baby. It has been so great having my parents soooo close. {We are currently living with them, so VERY close}. My mom has been great with helping troubleshot growth spurts, fussy evenings and keeping us fed! When we move {hopefully this summer!}, grocery shopping and preparing meals on our own will be a big transition.

After his two week appointment {I only remember this day specifically because I'm not in sweats}.

March 17

The last week or so, Harrison has wanted to be in my arms 100% of the time. Nursing, some awake time and sleeping, in MY arms. At night he was only content sleeping on my or Ryan's chest. Exhausting. This went on for 4-5 days straight and was really starting to wear on me. It was ridiculous to not be able to get a shower or even brush my teeth in a whole day. I hated hearing him cry and cry when someone else is trying to sooth him, but I just needed a break when he didn't actually NEED me for milk. After his doctor's appointment, with a vaccine shot in his leg, he finally slept the night in his bouncer. Praise the Lord.

March 31 - Loving a warm sink bath

At one month Harrison is finally starting to take a paci on occasion, being introduced to a bottle {but not actually sucking at all}, is on the verge of giving us a smile, focuses on our faces, out of newborn clothes, turns his head when people are talking and sleeping/napping is touch-and-go. Everything we read is still no schedule, no pattern, and, "keep trying different things." He is a growing boy and we love him!

Yesterday, at his one month, he weighed in at 9 lb 11 oz and measured 21.75 inches long {I think they way over measured his length at the hospital so he's been working back up to his measured birth length}! He has outgrown his newborn clothes =( and three month clothes are already snug! Eeeep, we have some clothes to wear before he grows out of them!

Week 39: Patiently waiting

I do have a bump picture from this weekend... I'll get it up. Soon.

Mood: I am in this great place of feeling very ready to bring a baby home {not sure if I'll ever be 100% ready to go into labor}. Yes, I'm a somewhat uncomfortable. Yes, I have some aches and pains. Yes, my ankles get a little swollen. But no, I wouldn't say, "I would do anything to get this baby out." Being "happy as a clam" might be pushing it too far, but I'm not "so over being pregnant."

Size & Progress: At our appointment on Friday {39 weeks, 1 day}, the OB guessed he was about 6.5 pounds, not a huge baby; he could be able 7 pounds at birth. I was 1 cm dilated and maybe a little effaced. We all agreed that I probably wasn't going to go into labor in the next couple of days. Through the weekend, I wouldn't say anything has changed, so I still fell more than a couple of days out. 

Due date: If I had to guess, this week is out and the window of possibility would be next week, sometime between the 27th-5th. My more narrowed guess would be between 28th-2nd. And if I had to pick one day, either the 29th or March 1st {I go back and forth}. Ryan is routing for the 28th or 29th. We shall see. 

This week: When we left the OB appointment and she said to enjoy our potential last weekend before baby's arrival. And then Ryan worked a long baseball day and I pretty much did nothing. Whomp whomp. 

The To Do list: I take that back. We did do a few small things on the list this weekend!

We watched "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp and learned about soothing a crying baby by triggering the calming reflex. The key is to think of the baby's first three months of life as the 4th trimester. He coaches parents to use the 5 S's (Swaddling, Side/Stomach position, Shushing, Swinging, Sucking) to replicate what the baby knows from being in the womb. It will take practice to master and should be "fun" to learn which combo our little babe needs. 

My Mom and Dad got the study cleaned out to make room for a little nursing/rocking corner!!

The hospital bag is only missing a few items: camera, going home shirt for mama, snacks and the last minute items like a phone charger and pillow. 

A few things to keep me busy with the ongoing To Do list... I have some notes to write and want to watch a video by Dr. Jack Newman about breastfeeding. I also have a few other baby items to wash/fold/organize. And some continued training with Wrigley, as she's learning which toys are not hers to play with.  

Week 38: Advanced Nesting Mode

So this is what real nesting feels like. I ended up with an unexpected snow day today {Monday} and even after a very busy baby-prep weekend, I have been in full organization/baby laundry mode since 6:15am.

To Do list: Ryan and I got {almost} everything on the To Do list checked off this weekend. We installed the car seat, made trips to all the local baby stores, put together & set up the pack n play and rearranged our bedroom. I say {almost} ready because I think "advanced nesting mode" means I will continually add things until baby is here! Some of the things I still plan to do include packing a hospital bag {I know this is not a random addition to the list}, watch Happiest Baby on the Block, fully stock the diaper changing area & nursing station tote, wash/fold/organize the clothes, blankets, towels, burp clothes, etc. and order/line up a pump. This is why I've been busy since 6am. It's also why I order something from Amazon Prime pretty much every day. 

Size: If the estimation was right from the end of 36 weeks, he'd be about 7 pounds today. I am trying to mentally prepare to eat healthier after he's born because I have gained more than just the 7-8 pounds he'll weigh in at {hopefully he won't be much more than that}. Overall, I'm not too worried about his weight or my weight. 

Symptoms: At the beginning of last week, I had two days that I did not feel so great. I don't even know what it was. My stomach was feeling funny, crampy, weird, my back was constantly hurting, and I could BARELY move around. Overall I was very uncomfortable and I thought my body was about to transition into the more unknown territory of labor or at least some contractions. Then...nothing. 

After those two days, I'm back to normal pregnancy of working around by belly but feeling good! Maybe moving slower, but I won't admit it. Some calf cramps at night. Mild limb swelling. Now I'm back to thinking I'm at least 4-5 days out from the main event. 

Mood: Anticipation building that's greater than Christmas!!! Nesting. Excited. Patiently waiting. Loving days spent with my Ryan. 

Nursery: Additions to our room include a pack n play, changing table and room for baby's clothes! And organization woo! Check it out. 

Changing table with hospital bag ready to grab n go!

Daddy: Went into overdrive with me this weekend to get things done. He's the BEST organizer. 

This week: Fast forward a couple of days to the end of week 38. I got so much done earlier this week... everything that is supposed to vibrate or make noise has new batteries, baby clothes/blankets/bags are ready to go, my bag is mostly ready, minus a few things I'll throw in... I don't even know what else I need to do. {I'm not sure I'm mentally ready, but we are prepared with lots of babies stuffff}. Ready ready ready to add you baby!!! 

Wrigley doesn't understand why I spent so much time organizing onesies by size, socks, hats, pants, sleepers, blankets.

Week 37: Full term

It's as if my body knows this is the home stretccccchhhh. Don't give up now, we still have work to do!

Symptoms: I don't even like to acknowledge I have pregnancy symptoms. I do better to take care of myself and ignore the little things. However.... My hands and feet have been a little swollen. My belly hardens on and off all day {still not describing any of them as painful though or giving them the title of Braxton-Hicks!}. Back pain ugh. My abs seem to have turned off and don't want to help me move around. I definitely won't admit that I'm moving slower around work. Still lots of belly movement, especially after meals. I LOVE feeling him move and we still fit about the territory under my right rib. 

Ultrasound update: On Wednesday last week {at 36 weeks, 6 days}, we had an ultrasound to estimate weight and see position. The weight calculation from the size of his head and length of his femur was 6lb. 2oz. Completely in a normal range, on the small side. He will gain about 1/2 pound a week. I was on the money with his position... Head down, legs on my right side, spine down my left side. The tech said 9 out of 10 times the baby is in this position. Annnnd confirmed BOY!

The To Do list: I have made a final list of little things to take care of! Just small things, install the car seat, nursing pIllow, line up ordering a pump, turn in ST disability form and a few other small essentials. It is stressing some people out that I don't have a hospital bag packed yet - I have a good list ready! I am more focused on having our room and baby set up for when we bring baby home. Things are coming along!

Mood: A huge mix of excitement and sadness about life that will never be the same. I know, I know, but life will be better! And this baby will bring such joy to our lives! I believe all those things, but there's still a feeling of lose that it won't ever just be me and Ryan again. And it won't be easy to just run out to meet friends for dinner without childcare. Or spontaneous day trips together. Strong hormones make both sides feel overwhelming at times, which is the reality of what's coming! 

This week: I had a small intimate baby shower this weekend that some close friends threw for me. It was the perfect size with a great group of ladies that made me feel so loved and supported as I am about to enter into this journey of motherhood. We got to chat away about babies, being mothers, memories and the great anticipation of Baby W's arrival.

Due date: I'm officially due Feb 25. Any guesses to when he'll actually arrive?! We have a lot of dates to dodge {or aim for according to Ryan}. Here's the list of happenings and birthdays coming up...

Feb 14 - Valentine's Day 

Feb 16 - George (nephew in Illinois)
Feb 19 - Amanda (my sister)

Feb 20 - Regina's due date with #5 (Ryan's sister)

Feb 25 - Due date!

Feb 28 - Ryan

Feb 29 - Helen (niece in Illinois)/ Leap Day!

March 5 - Lucy (niece in Illinois)

I still want a March baby but with sleep not going as well, time has started to slow down... Maybe it would be ok if he came early. I'm not having stretches of real contractions {or anything painful that I would even call a contraction}, which makes me think I'm more than just a couple of days away. Maybe at least a week..?! We're {mostly} ready for you baby!!

Week 34-36: IT'S FEBRUARY!!

Working out of the academic setting makes weeks and months sort of blur and I CANNOT believe it's February.

Size: We have an ultrasound on Wednesday to get an estimated weight/size and see what position he is in. {My prediction is small, long and head down, facing my right side.} I can't wait to see him!! 

The To Do List: Last weekend during the snowstorm, I made a list of essentials. My essential list is really focused on the first month of so with the lil babe. It includes things anywhere from car seat, diaper bag, and pack n play to nursing bras, coconut oil, stool softeners, baby detergent and a rectal thermometer {which was mentioned as essential by our pediatrician}. As with all my baby prep, I don't want to have way to much stuff, that I won't end up using and don't have room for anyways. I might be turning into a serious minimalist {we'll see if I can pull it off, there are so many cute baby things out there!}. 

So this weekend, I made huge progress on my list! I have all the big items lined up and about half the smaller items. I am on the look out for a Babies R Us coupon to use on the stroller/car seat. Scratch that - I found a coupon and immediately went after work to buy it. I got a glider/rocker off Craigslist and made my first trips to BuyBuyBaby and Babies R Us. 

Mood: A lot of people ask me, "So, are you ready? Do you have everything? Is it all set up?" Up until this weekend my response was.... "Ehhhh, I'm not there yet. Still need the essentials like a car seat. I'll get there." Even though people are encouraging that newborns done need that much, I hadn't really gotten ready. After this weekend, I'm definitely feeling ready! This baby could come and I would be ready to bring him home {in a carseat!} and nurse him to sleep {sitting in a glider} before laying him down {in a safe sleeping playard}. 

Daddy: Ryan's hitting the beginning of the crazy overlap seasons of Winter/Spring {Read: Super early hours making for long days with no days off}. He's hoping the timing of the baby's arrival is end of Feb/early March so he can get through most of this bad overlapping time and some time away from work correlates near his spring break. Either way, he's getting things lined up knowing the lil babe could come very soon! He works so hard and continues to excel in his position. I'm so grateful that our babe will get to learn so much from him. 

This week: Let's actually talk about last week... we had about 20" of snow come down over the weekend. #snowmegeddon2016. Ryan, Mom & Dad did A LOT of shoveling, while I did a lot of reading and barely going outside. I missed our usually snow adventures at Sweet Briar of sledding and playing with Wrigley in the snow. But I enjoyed spending time with my bump and watching him move around {I also do a lot of poking him back}. 

Week 33

Size: Honeydew melon. 4+ pounds. I'm adding a pound a week; he's adding 1/2 pound per week.

Movement: With less amniotic fluid, I have been able to feel a significant increase in movements.

My rockin' bod: Over the last week or so, I have started to feel more uncomfortable. It's significantly harder to tie my shoes or roll over in bed. I guess this might be the beginning of the discomfort that comes with the third trimester. For some reason, I'm still wanting a March baby {so how uncomfortable can I really be?}... we'll see if that changes and when I get to a point of being officially "over it."

Symptoms: Weird dreams continue about everyone not realizing I actually had the baby. But now that I've been to our child birthing class, it seems like it would be hard for people to miss all the drama.

This week:

Ryan and I went to an all-day child birthing class through my OB's office, lead by a Labor & Delivery nurse with 25+ years experience.

All in all, we learned SO much... How to count contractions, pain options, general timeline of events, medical terms to know, what to expect specifically at our hospital, when to call the MD office {and ALWAYS to call them first, no matter what time}, use the Green parking garage, which door to enter, newborn evaluations, etc, etc, etc. 

Ryan would have been fine jumping into it, "he's a risk taker like that." However, I knew less than 2% of what she went over; I am a firm believer that knowledge is power. Ryan and I were even able to talk through a general birth plan after. I wouldn't say I'm excited {I definitely got a little scared}, but I feel exponentially better and more prepared. {Do I really have to wait 6-7ish more weeks??!? I'm ready to get this show on the road}. 

I'd say I'm most anxious about having nothing to eat for 15+ hours in labor and then going straight into such a physically demanding task. {How is that even possible??!} I feel like I'm getting ready for another soccer preseason and won't be allowed to eat for a week through all the work outs/practices. I plan to eat a last meal before going to the hospital. 

The To Do list: It seems important to document big things I've checked off my list! The child birthing class and basic breastfeeding class - done. Also done... Nailed down a pediatrician. Pre-registered at the hospital. Submitted my leave request at work. Got a haircut. Completed and submitted the continuing education units for my ATC certification. Renewed my ATC license for Virginia. Called the insurance company. Made OB appointments through my due date!!! Ah. Have a tentative birth plan!! Ahh. Worked on our baby registry {on babylist} which included picking out a crib, pack n play, stroller/car seat, diapers, pacifiers, coming home outfit, and diaper bag. {A baby registry is a TASK, there are reviews and opinions on EVERY item.}

Still to come... getting ANY of the essential baby items listed above, Christmas returns, nursery set up, line up ordering a pump, pediatrician orientation meeting, getting Wrigley's ears and teeth cleaned, meeting with anesthesiologist, make & freeze lactation cookies.... and pick a baby name.

Looking forward to: An ultrasound at 36 weeks to see position and get an estimated weight. I can't wait to see our little guy! I have been so curious about his position and what has been bulging into my right rib. I would put money on it that he's head down and can tell you exactly where I think his butt is {up by my right rib with good leverage to for his legs/feet to kick}.

Week 31: Christmas!!

Size: Over 3 pounds. Baby is at full birth length {which I think is tall because he is ALWAYS in my right ribs}. Packing on the pounds at a rate of 1/2 pound per week to add fatty tissue before birth.

Sometimes I get really enthusiastic when trying to take a bump picture. 

Symptoms: Pressure on my diaphragm/ shortness of breath. Nightly calf cramps. Increased bathroom trips. Can't lay on my back without losing blood flow to my lower half. Abdomen tightening episodes, especially when I move around quickly or bend over/squish my belly. 

Pregnancy nightmares: {apparently it's a thing}. Last night I had my first scary baby dream. It was the first couple of days after the baby was born and no one would let me feed him! Somehow I forgot to start nursing him and therefore I had no idea if he was getting any food. And no one could answer my questions or bring him to me. Nevertheless, I woke up and realized how irrational it was to think I wouldn't remember to feed him... Guess I've got breastfeeding on my mind. 

Mood: Eeeeeeepp! Two months?!?? Doing well overall! I had an episode of crying at the most random time that turned into laughing because I had no idea where it came from. Ryan handled it well. 

Food: My favorite meal over the holidays was definitely ham on a roll with honey mustard. {Maybe a craving that was easily fulfilled?!} I also enjoyed some other favorites: coconut cake, frozen fruit salad, green beans, broccoli/cheese soup, pretzel salad, sausage balls and orange rolls.

Movement: When we got home from our trip I had two days of serious movement all day. I think he was shy when we were around lots of new people and voices in Alabama. 

Nursery: Ready to clean out my parents "study" and make room for a baby!! We're going to clean out some boxes, set up a changing station, make a place for baby clothes and a nursing chair/rocker. I can turn into a slave driver when it comes to house projects... I promise to try to stay calm. 

Name: Tired of hearing I can't decided?! Samsies.

Baby Daddy: He got this new momma some great Christmas gifts, including a bump/pregnancy pillow, Vera Bradley weekender bag {aka hospital bag}, and a motherhood jacket to fit my bump or a baby under my jacket.

What we did this week:
Ryan, Wrigley and I got to travel to Alabama for Christmas again this year! I'm so glad we didn't miss out on ALL the family traditions. We had a special Christmas morning with our two nieces, Becca & Diana, {and of course sausage balls and orange rolls for breakfast}, spent time with my Granddad {who is doing so much better}, had the whole Huff side in one place and a tour of the Decatur Christmas lights and lots of yummy food.

Low country boil with the Frickies

ALL the Huffs

Weeks 28-30

I know after three more weeks I should have more of an update... But all I can think about is how fast the last three weeks have gone. I don't want time to keep moving this quickly.

I think I did my last self-pedicure for a while. It was SO hard to breath and reach my toes. 

Only change I can come up with are sometimes it's hard to breath. I read that as the baby grows and before he drops, there is a lot of pressure on the diaphragm, which I definitely feel. Especially after I eat, it's hard to sit at the table sitting up in a chair, I always want to lay down and stretch out so I can breath. 

He also likes to tuck his foot under my right rib, which is uncomfortable but I find it so cute because I'm picturing him snuggling into me. He is ALWAYS on my right side {even though I've been sleeping on my left side for most of the night}. 

I'm am definitely not an irritable pregnant lady but it's hard to hear that there are so many things I should be avoiding... Like lifting or moving heavy things, or reaching high up, or bending over to pick something up. I do all of these things regularly as a part of my job and I'm not one to ask for help. 

For the past few weeks, I've also felt like my belly gets in the way more often.... Like when I drop a pen at work and have to bend over to pick it up, or I try to squeeze behind a pulled out chair. Bumping my belly into things is a common occurrence these days.

It's the time of year that Wrigley is extra snugly with the cold weather. I actually get sad that I won't have just wrigley snuggle time much longer. Yes, she is like my child. Yes, she responds when I call her Baby.

Post-birthday, I ate this for breakfast and dessert for many days in a row. 

Week 27

Size: I must have significantly grown over Thanksgiving. Three patients asked me at work when I was due which means there is no hiding this belly. Baby is over two pounds!

Symptoms: Newest addition are some occasional stomach hardening episodes. At first I thought it was the baby moving to a forward position in my uterus. Then I read online this could be painless Braxton Hicks contractions.

Not having many nightly calf cramps anymore and a mostly normal appetite has returned {just in time for some holiday feasts!}. No crazy cravings or aversions. I don't think I'm a very exciting pregnant lady. 

Maternity Wardrobe: HUGE improvements. I bought a miracle pair of maternity jeans. {I'm now a big fan of Jessica Simpson jeans.} I also bought several maternity sweaters, dress pants, leggings and two sets of scrubs. I spent more than I planned to but I've been holding out on shopping for this new body and it was definitely time. My sisters-in-laws and Heather have been encouraging me to dress the bump, so I'm hoping I figured it out just in time for the holidays. 

Movement: Baby moves consistently during the day. Every few days he has sessions of huge movements, usually in the evenings when I lay on my back. I love carrying him with me and having him close all day long. I already feel an attachment of not wanting to be separated! 

Nursery/baby corner: We don't exactly have a nursery in the making, as we are still not sure where we will be living. {Please pray for me as a nesting mommy not knowing what the next several months will bring!}. However, we got a great load of BOY hand-me-down clothes. I enjoyed going through the bins of 0-12 month clothing/supplies, including several warm winter jumpers and the cutest fishing outfit that will be perfect for Ryan's best fishing buddy this summer. ><> <><

Miss Wrigley was NOT happy about all the attention the clothes got. She kept laying on my organized piles and constantly nudging into my lap. See that worried look on her face?! She was over it.

Gender: Did you catch it above?? We are having a BOY! I was not surprised at all when we found out - I was already 98% convinced it was a boy. We had a plan to take a gender reveal picture but I immediately started using boy pronouns and the clarity of a little boy growing in my belly made it hard to keep it a secret.

Names: My struggle with boy names improved slightly with finding out the gender. Although I still won't commit to anything, I would say we're closer. We have a short list of possibilities that I COULD like. I love hearing the process of how people name children. Each child, couple and process is unique and I pray for God's guidance in making it clear to us what name to give him! 

Encouragement: 
"For nothing is impossible with God" Luke 1:37. 
There is nothing that limits my God. He is not limited by time or love or my ideas of what I think is not possible. He is a 4th-dimension, when I can only comprehend 3D. He is limitless.  

Bumpdates

Bump pictures are showing a warped view of my clothes situation. If there isn't a bump picture, assume the whole week I only wore scrubs and XL sweat pants/tshirts.

Blurry picture below is documenting the last week I was able to wear my modified stretchy skinny jeans with a hair tie around the button. At 26 weeks, I went to Motherhood Maternity stating, "I'm in desperate need of new pants."

6 Months

So here's a jumble of thoughts about the last several weeks of pregnancy....

Ah! These last few weeks have flown by! I don't feel like much has changed besides my belly is growing.

My appetite has returned to semi-normal levels. I usually get hungry for meals and eat normal amounts of food. I think this is due to the fact that the baby is growing at 6-8 ounces per week {and weighs almost TWO pounds}.

Mid-back pain is not fun. I hate talking about back pain though, so moving on.

Another order of larger undergarments have made a world of difference in my daily comfort. 

The glucose tolerance test made me feel light-headed and googly-eyed 5 minutes after I finished the sugary drink, which tasted like concentrated Hi-C {does Hi-C still exist?}. I couldn't focus or read my book for at least 20-30 minutes. After waiting the hour for them to draw my blood, I felt better, but I don't think you should be allowed to drive afterwards. When I got home, I went straight for a Cliff Bar and Dad cooked me a replenishing Saturday morning omelet.

One of my favorite things is snuggling with Wrigley, who uses my belly as a pillow, and feeling the baby kicking her. Ryan has also felt several big kicks.

Wrigley seriously hurt her knee while running around playing with us. She cried and whined for 5-10 minutes, which was pretty scary. It was a rough first night; she couldn't get comfortable at all so I ended up staying up with her all night. We were tired/comfortable enough to go to sleep about 3:30am... and then Ryan's alarm went off at 4:45. Just getting ready for a newborn...

{Wrigley's update: Our vet was great, diagnosed a partial ACL tear doing a doggy Lachman's test. After being on pain meds and anti-inflammatory for 10 days, she's doing much better. I overanalyze her walking/running gait and only see an occasional minimal limp.}

This has been my first Fall out of the academic calendar since... ever. There is usually a huge momentum towards Thanksgiving break and the holidays with class assignments and athletic seasons. I CANNOT believe next week is Thanksgiving. This also means we're about three months away from our due date!! Whaaa.

My OB appointment this month was uneventful again. Now I start going every two weeks. Does that mean this baby is coming soon??!

Something I don't want to forget: One a day I intentionally hydrated like crazy at work, I was sitting in standstill traffic on the way home.... and felt the baby STOMP on my bladder. I literally could feel fluttering kicks pulsing my bladder. Good times. I was dying.

I'll get a good bump picture up eventually... 

Week 21 & 22: Continuing to cruise

Including Wrigley's ridiculous hair....

Wrigley's update.... four weeks into her new diet and post haircut!

Size: Serious growing, growing, growing going on in my belly. One pound!!

Symptoms: Night calf cramps. When I roll over at night my calves tighten up, but it's easily relieved by pulling my toe up. Maybe these won't get worse...? Wishful thinking?!

Food: I continue to get full very quickly and don't like big meals at all. I surely hope this is not the case for the remainder of my pregnancy. All the great holiday meals are coming up and I don't want to miss out! 

Cravings: Sangria and ibuprofen. BOTH not allowed for preggo women. Sangria because I keep hearing that country song, "...her lips taste like sangria," which leads me to wanting some sweet, fruity, red sangria. Mmmm. My upper back has been having muscle spasms, different than the low back pain I expected. I would love some ibuprofen when it starts early in the day so it doesn't get as bad by the end of the day. 

Mood: The last two weeks felt like I was cruising. {I'm 23 weeks tomorrow??!} Being halfway is tricky because you don't find out your pregnant until 4+ weeks, so with the second 20 weeks you are counting each week/day which could easily make it seem longer. I hope the time keeps moving this quickly.

Sweet Carleigh squishing the Baby Wildenhain bump

Maternity wear: I think it might be time for a good pair of maternity jeans. I've been using a hair tie to give me more room around the waistband... And I don't think I have much more time with that trick. I also plan to buy some comfy maternity leggings and live in them through the fall/winter with a sweater and boots. 

The hardest part about my pregnant body is all the changes. Just as soon as I learn to work with how my body is feeling or fitting into clothes, it changes. Today I was NOT comfortable in my scrubs. {have you started to pick up on my need for comfort?} I felt so full and squished in my pants, especially after lunch. A slight discomfort suddenly becomes a dire necessity for change... Like buying maternity scrub pants ASAP. {Amazon Prime two-day free shipping can't come fast enough.}

Daddy: I sure do love my baby daddy. He thinks my stomach "feels weird." So do I. 

Week 20: Halfway

Movement: We have movement! I have started to feeling our little babe kicking around at the end of the day when I'm laying down or sitting watching tv. I don't feel it throughout the day, probably because I'm running around the office most of the time. 

Mood: I notified my employer of my pregnancy, which is a huge weight off my shoulders. It has been weird living a double life of keeping it a secret at work vs easily talking about it and not hiding it at home. Now, I feel like sharing it with the world and will probably be taking more consistent bump pics! 

My excitement to prep for our babe's arrival is definitely here! I am ready to get a car seat, warm winter baby clothes, pack my hospital bag, stock up on diapers and jump on awesome craigslist items I see {Northern Va craigslist is the BEST deal around}. 

Yes, my mood is a 180 from some days last week. I'm in denial of pregnancy hormones, best not to mention them.

Size: 8-10 inches! Large banana. Weighs 10-11oz. {estimates from some apps, nothing official}. 

My rockin bod & fashion: This belly is growing. I can still use a hair tie on my jeans button and use a belly band. My stretchy, higher wasted jeans are still working for now. It's common to want to highlight the bump at a certain point, but I strongly dislike tight fitted clothes. My discomfort is more about the bust region than my growing belly. I can handle my jeans with a tshirt, but would prefer a roomy sweater/sweatshirt. 

My rockin bod is also fighting some sickness with a headache, sore throat, snotty nose and clogged ears. Hopefully the worst is behind me because it has been really hard to get out the door to work at 6:30/7am. 

Appointment updates: We followed up with the fetal cardiologist who gave us suberb news that baby's heart looks 100% normal. Since our first ultrasound, the heart is larger and easier to see, so we got the clear to proceed normally without any hesitation. I learned a lot about fetal heart development, which was interesting. Once the heart is formed at 8 weeks, all structures are there. The reason we had "inconclusive" images was because we were only 18 weeks and it was not large enough to see yet. My suggestion would be to wait until AT LEAST 20 weeks for the anatomy ultrasound. 

I also had another OB appointment that was entirely uneventful {which I suppose is ok}. I got a long list of to-dos that I'm not eager to do. Meh, I'll TRY not to be a delinquent patient. 

Gender/Names: Gender reveal pics coming soon! We're getting better at discussing names with our narrowed focus, although I still do not think we will be 100% confirming a name until this babe is in our arms! 

This week: Baby W got to go to his/her first Blackhawks game!! I love hockey games, we went to a Caps game last weekend, but this week we were rooting for the Blackhawks. We didn't get a stellar pic, but I wanted to document the game and bump! 

Wrigley is rooting for the cubbies this week too!!