38 Weeks! Are we there yet??

Grayson Updates: 

+ Had an OB appointment this morning and everything is good!

+ His heart rate was in the 140's this morning--strong and steady!

+ Still head down. Extremely unlikely for that to change now.

+ He is definitely running out of room in there. He stretches and pokes out of both sides of my belly pretty much all the time. It's more uncommon now for me to not feel him.

+ Gets hiccups pretty frequently. It's a feeling I'm not crazy about.

+ We chose a pediatrician! This little boy officially has a doctor for when he comes out! :)

Mom Updates:

+ Had my first exam today to check for dilation. I'm slightly dilated, but still not quite 1 cm. Fortunately this is not an indicator of how soon I'll go into labor, but I admit I was hoping to be a little further along.

+ Experiencing TONS of pelvic pressure and pain, bladder spasms, and sporadic BH contractions.

+ Had quite a bit of swelling, particularly in my hands, over the weekend. I noticed as we were walking around the mall after lunch. I started to get a little worried because the swelling seemed to increase quickly and I could feel extra pressure in my joints. Fortunately we were able to find a blood pressure reader and I was relieved to find I was still in the totally normal range. It went back down later (though no where near normal, but that won't happen until after delivery at this point). I think it was because of a high sodium lunch, combined with lots of walking around. 

+ Overall I guess I'm feeling mostly good, all things considered. I still manage to sleep at night, even though I wake up every 1-2 hours to pee or move my achy body into a new position. I haven't had any major complications. I am blessed!

+ Getting anxious and impatient to meet my little boy! But trying to stay as patient as possible. I know it could still be up to 4 more weeks, worst case.

~Christy~

37 Weeks!

It's official. I'm full term! 

I could technically go into labor at any time and the doctors would not try to stop it or slow it down.

Of course, Grayson could still put off his arrival for another 5 weeks or so.

I'm hoping he doesn't feel the need to wait that long, though!

Baby Grayson Updates:

+ I had a doctor appointment a couple days ago, and all is still well!

+ He's head down and ready to go!

+ He has dropped further into my pelvis, increasing the pressure I feel there, but I have more room for breathing and eating, which is always a plus!

+ Heart rate is still strong and steady.

+ He's about 6.5 pounds. He's not measuring as far ahead as he used to, which is a good thing. This means he's much less likely to be 10 pounds at birth! We're still thinking around 8.

+ We discovered the protruding body part from my right side is actually his feet, not his bottom. I just thought bottom because it felt so big and round, but I guess I'm just feeling the roundness of my belly and uterus. But he still LOVES stretching out and kicking me there.

+ My amniotic fluid is measuring just fine, so no need to worry about inducing at this point. If I reach my due date before going into labor I'll have another ultrasound to make sure he still has enough fluid in there. If he does, they'll let me go up to 2 weeks past my due date before inducing. 

Mommy Updates:

+ Braxton Hicks contractions are getting more frequent and more intense, particularly since yesterday afternoon. No other signs of labor so I don't think this is the real thing, but it is making it more challenging to get up and go to work when I'm dealing with painful cramping every hour or so.

+ The swelling in my hands and feet has increased (which is perfectly normal), and I have one toe that is starting to feel kind of numb. :/ The doctor says this is also normal. Fun times.

+ Our meeting with our doula was AWESOME! I'm so excited to have her there during labor and delivery! She taught us some great labor positions and some techniques/massages that Scott can do throughout. She also gave me some tips about ways to get prepared. 

+ I finished my birth plan and showed the doctor. All my requests were deemed reasonable, assuming there are no medical emergencies. Hooray!

+ My weight gain, fluids, and blood pressure have been just fine

+ My Group B Strep test came back negative. 

+ Getting more and more eager to meet this little guy! Feeling excited and empowered about labor and delivery!

~Christy~

Maternity Pictures!!

Hello, everyone! 

Today I want to share some of our maternity pictures with you. 

We took them a couple days ago, so this is just the "sneak peek" that our photographer posted on Facebook.

We will have a disc of all the images, in their highest quality, by the end of the week.

I'll be sure to share our favorites then, too.

We took the pictures on the GSU campus and in downtown Statesboro.

It was 90+ degree, extremely humid, and there were gnats everywhere.

Needless to say, not the most pleasant conditions! 

I was soaked in sweat the whole time and my hair would not behave! 

But our amazing photographer still managed to get some shots 

of us looking halfway decent! ;)

So...here they are! Enjoy!

I think this is my favorite, so far!

Pregnancy updates coming soon. I'm 37 weeks tomorrow! Eek! :)

~Christy~

36 Weeks!

At this point it's basically all I can do to keep up with these weekly (or semi-weekly) pregnancy updates. Work is extremely busy and I'm trying to get as much accomplished as possible before this little boy decides to make his debut. So, without further adieu, here are the updates!

36 Weeks

It must be the shirt or the angle or me being crazy, but I feel like the bump looks smaller in this picture than the last one! Oh, well! I assure you, Baby Grayson is out there, loud and proud! :)

Baby Grayson Updates:

+ He likes to stick what I believe is his little bottom out my right side, right under my ribs. I often feel like I'm stretching out so much I might burst! 

+ When his movements become too uncomfortable, I always ask Scott to calm him down. He just has to rub my belly and talk to him and he usually stops moving, or at least is more gentle. A couple times Scott has touched his little protruding bottom and he's retreated, slipping away like a fish! (He NEVER does that for me!!)

+ At my appointment last week he was still in the correct position and his heart rate was in the 150's. He goes nuts when they do the doppler and starts kicking all over the place. I don't think he likes it.

+ According to Baby Center, he's around 6 pounds now and gaining about an ounce a day! He's been consistently measuring ahead by a week or two all along, so I'm wondering how big he really is.

Mommy Updates:

+ Feeling pretty good the past couple weeks, all things considered.

+ Walked around downtown Statesboro for hours last Friday night during the Taste of Downtown Festival. It must have been all the yummy samples that kept my stamina up! I did notice some ankle swelling afterwards, but nothing too drastic. 

+ Speaking of swelling, I no longer wear my wedding rings. :( I have very, very thin fingers (and ankles, for that matter) so even slight swelling makes a difference.

+ My biggest complaint right now is lower hip/pelvic pain. It hurts down the back of my butt cheeks (best way I can think to describe it) and even worse on my inner-thighs, like around my bikini line. It feels like I've done hundreds of reps on the hip abductor machines at the gym! 

+ I try to stretch and exercise regularly to help with the pain. Prenatal yoga and pilates are my friends. I workout on my lunch break and after work. "Workout" might be a bit of an overstatement. We're talking 10-20 minutes of light stretching and movements, just to keep my blood moving and to keep from being so stiff. + I still manage to sleep at night, but I wake up so stiff that pulling myself out of bed feels nearly impossible. + Definitely having Braxton Hicks contractions, some of which are even a little painful (or rather, uncomfortable), but they are still infrequent and random. Usually 1-2 a day, mostly early morning or in the middle of the night.

+ I have my next dr appointment on Monday of next week and we'll do my final ultrasound. I should also get the results from my Group B Strep culture that they took last week.

+ I have our next meeting with our doula on Saturday. We'll go over our birth plan (which I just wrote yesterday!) and labor positions, etc. I'm so thankful to have her on my birthing team! :)

+ We're trying to set up pediatrician interviews next week. I know, we should have done that like...a month ago...but whatever, we're doing it now! 

+ We have our pregnancy photo shoot on Sunday! :) So excited!

+ Was surprised with a mini-baby shower at church on Sunday and again at work today. I'm so thankful for all the friends and support I have during this time. So many people are excited to meet the little boy! 

+ I had a small little emotional breakdown last night, which started due to my hips locking up while I was trying to get out of bed, and somehow (thanks to hormones!!) culminated into crying about how it's hard to be pregnant but how not being pregnant means that we'll have a baby and everything is going to change and what if it's too hard or we don't like it or I miss how our relationship was before the baby??? Yeah, fun times. {I feel MUCH better about this today, after talking with Scott and praying together.}

+ Fact is...this little boy could come any time now. Could be today, could be in 4 weeks around the due date, could be in 6 weeks when they finally have to induce me, or any time in between. We just don't know. So keep us in your prayers as we prepare and await his arrival! :)

~Christy~  

35 Weeks!!

It's hard to believe I'm already 35 weeks! 

Only 5 more weeks until I reach the due date, 

and only 2 more weeks until I'm technically considered "full term." 

Crazy pants!

34 weeks

35 Weeks (this week)

Baby Grayson Updates:

+ I'm wondering if he's dropped, or maybe in the process. I've started having a lot of pressure and pain in my hips. Although I still have trouble breathing which is supposed to ease up when he drops, so I'm not so sure. I have a doctor appointment this afternoon so maybe they can tell me.

+ He's still pretty active, but not as much as before. I think he's running out of room!

+According to Baby Center, he's about the size of a honeydew melon now. Big boy!

Mommy Updates:

+ As I mentioned, hip pain! Oh goodness the hip pain! It didn't really get bad until this week.

Now it hurts to walk, sleep, put on pants... pretty much anything but sitting up right. 

+ I had to break down and buy more maternity clothes. Both outfits above are new. :)

+ I wake up multiple times to pee at night. I also have a pharmacy regime that happens sometime in the middle of the night... a couple Tums, some nasal spray b/c I'm always congested at night, some lotion on my itchy belly, and sometimes a dose of Tylenol (a necessity the last two nights!)

+ I'm still working out, mostly doing prenatal yoga and pilates. As much as I don't want to do it some days, I do think it helps with the pain.

+ Taking walks is not really fun at all anymore. Along with the hip pain, difficulty breathing, and the fact that it's 100+ degrees outside, I have terrible bladder spasms from my condition (IC) and I think I've even started having Braxton Hicks contractions. I'm not fully convinced that's what it is, but my belly gets really tight and sometimes sore, like a cramp. Then it goes away. It happens more when I'm walking in the heat.

+ I've had two baby showers in the last two weeks and they were both awesome! We got so many nice gifts and it was so much fun to hang out with family and friends and celebrate Baby Grayson! :)

+ I think I'm noticing some slight (very slight!) swelling in my ankles now. 

+ I'm getting super excited about meeting this little boy, and I'm starting to hope that I don't go a full 40 weeks.

+ Speaking of, I asked Grayson when he thought his birthday would be. I counted off some dates and he started going nuts when I said October 5th. We shall see! :)

+ The nursery is coming along more and more! I'll be sure to post pictures of the final product. 

Hope all is well with you guys! I'm hoping for some good results and updates at the doctor this afternoon. Other than that, just making it through each day as best I can. Prayers are greatly appreciated! :)

~Christy~

33 Weeks!

I know, I'm way behind on bump pictures and seemingly have abandoned my pregnancy must-haves series. I finally moved into my actual office at my new job, and classes started back this week. So, all in all, I've been completely swamped with work and life. But here are the pictures from the past 3 weeks, as well as some updates on what's going on with me and Baby Grayson.

31 Weeks

32 Weeks

33 Weeks (this week)

Grayson Updates:

+ He moves all the time! Most of the time I love it and find it fun. But other times it can be uncomfortable (hey, those are my ribs, little boy!!) or even a little distracting (Mom needs sleep now...). You can see his movements, my stomach bulging out in different directions. It's insane! Scott is especially impressed by this. :)

+ I can feel him in there, even when he's not moving sometimes. I can push around on my belly and find all the hard places and I know that's where he is. Sometimes I gently push on him to try to get him in a more comfortable position. Sometimes this works, sometimes not. 

+ He's still head down and ready for delivery! Such a relief!

+ We had a doctor appointment this week and his heart rate is still strong and regular.

+ I can tell he's growing like crazy! I feel like my belly is exploding in size! And his kicks and shifts are stronger and stronger each week.

Mommy updates:

+ Third trimester is no joke. I know for some women, the first is the worst. But for me, this has been the biggest challenge so far.

+ I have a bladder condition called IC, which causes inflammation, sensitivity, and spasms...which feels like being stabbed either in my lower belly or urethra. This is something that I've been able to manage pretty well with diet and drinking lots of water. But now that I have a heavy baby putting all kinds of pressure on my bladder, it's been a real problem. Throughout the day I have random spasms that can sometimes cause me to gasp in pain. It's worse when I'm walking, which makes getting the proper exercise difficult.

+ Speaking of bladder, I have to pee a lot! I get up at least 4 times a night to pee. 

+ I deal with a lot of back and hip pain. It's worse towards the end of a workday if I've been sitting all day, or during the night when I'm trying to sleep. I still manage to sleep all night (other than getting up to pee), but when I get up I feel so stiff and achy that I literally groan as I push myself out of bed and walk to the bathroom.

+ I've been using an ab ball to sit on while I watch TV at night and that has helped with the pain some.

+ It's increasingly difficult to get a good, deep breath. 

+ I'm tired a lot. Sometimes I get so tired that I just can't help but cry. I rely on weekends to rest. And by rest, I mean sleep in really late AND take naps. I'm pretty useless. But working full-time has never felt so challenging. 

+ Speaking of crying, I do that a lot now too. I feel like a teenager again. Sometimes I feel on the verge of crying throughout the day and I don't even know why. And if I get angry or my feelings hurt, it's all over. I just cry and cry. It's a mess. I'm not a very hormonal person and I don't really get PMS, so this is all pretty new territory (other than when I was a teenager) and it's certainly new for Scott! Poor thing.

+ Not really having cravings.

+ I gained more weight than usual between doctors appointments this last time. He checked me for excessive swelling because it was so unlike me. But fortunately, I'm totally fine. No swelling really at all. The bad news is, that means it is real weight that I've gained. But look at that belly! Between 31 and 33, Grayson has clearly grown a lot!

+ I'm going to need more dresses and/or maternity clothes. I didn't want to do it, especially this late in the game, but I have no choice. I'm running out of things to wear!!

+ Scott has been reading a Bradley Method book and is learning how to coach me. We've already started as he's coaching me on prenatal exercises. And he bought me two prenatal yoga DVDs that we've been doing, too. And he constantly reminds me about kegels...which I'm really bad at doing. :/ 

+ Still no stretch marks! :) My belly button hasn't popped, but it's getting flatter and stretching more. I'm very itchy and a little sore around it. I've been putting extra lotion on it throughout the day to ease the discomfort.

+ I listen to my birthing playlist all the time and it makes me so happy. I can't wait to use it during labor. :)

+ we have our last birthing class at the hospital tonight. I'm feeling more and more prepared!

+ I have my second baby shower this weekend and my third next weekend. Looking forward to both! :)

Wow, those were a lot of updates, huh? And so many negative ones! 

I will say that I'm SO blessed to be growing this little miracle inside me. And I'm lucky to have such a complication-free pregnancy so far. All these things are normal. I really have no good reason to complain. And the majority of the time, I'm so happy and in love with my little boy, I can't even stand it! 

But it's also nice to be real with you all and admit that it's not easy. 

I admire every woman who has ever had a baby! 

~Christy~

Pregnancy Must-Haves: First Aid

Okay, let's be real. A large portion of pregnancy is just dealing with the various side effects, right? So here are the things I have needed throughout my pregnancy. Sorry if some of this is TMI, but I figured we should be real about it. If you are pregnant or will be in the future, some of this might come in handy for you to know!

Coconut Oil

I haven't actually started using this yet, so maybe it's silly to list it, but I have plans! 

My doula recommended it for perennial massage to avoid tearing during labor. 

Yes, we're getting real right away!! ha!

It's recommended that you start this about 5-7 weeks before labor.

So, that's coming up! 

I've also found an awesome website that shares all the uses of coconut oil, and it's a lot! 

Another thing is for sore or cracked nipples during breastfeeding, but there are

tons of non-pregnancy related things out there. Check it out!

Tums & Pepcid

Oh my, the heartburn!! 

I was eating Tums like they were candy for a while there!

My OB finally prescribed me Pepcid, which I take 1-2 times a day to keep from getting heartburn.

It still happens after certain meals, but it has been a life saver! 

If you struggle with heartburn and Tums ain't cuttin' it, 

check with your OB about what other medications you can safely take.

Prenatal Vitamins

I started taking these when we started trying to get pregnant.

I used to take them in the morning, but was advised to switch to before bed 

to help with nausea during the first trimester. 

Not sure if it helped or not,

but I've continued to take them at night.

These are super important for you and your baby to get all the nutrients you need.

Different stages of pregnancy require more of certain things.

It's important to try and get most of your nutrients from food,

but this can give you peace of mind that you're still getting a good dose of everything regardless.

Tucks Wipes & Preparation H

Okay, I realize how TMI this is. 

But if you suffer from this, you'll want to know that both of these are helpful!!

I've also found that a warm bath, cold compresses, and trying to lay on your side also helps. 

And of course, a high fiber diet and lots of water!

But anyone who knows anything about being pregnant knows that things don't always...

go as smoothly as they otherwise would! 

Okay, I'm done with this!

Coco-butter Lotion

This is actually the brand I use

There is no proof that using this will help with stretch marks,

but heck! It couldn't hurt, right?? (I don't have any yet. Coincidence?)

I bought a really cheap kind and I use it all over my body.

It's soothing and feels nice to be soft and smooth all over,

plus I like the smell. 

And it definitely can help with itchy skin, which tends to happen as the skin on your belly stretches. 

Panty Liners

One final personal thing! 

I'll just say it, 

discharge happens.

And as most of us move further along in our pregnancies, it tends to increase.

I finally decided that rather than being uncomfortable and ruining 

perfectly good underwear, I would just wear panty liners all the time.

Maybe that's not for everyone, but it's been a good solution for me. 

And that's it for my First Aid must-haves! 

I know this one wasn't very fun, 

but it needs to be said. 

Most of us pregnant mommies deal with these things,

so why not talk about it? 

(Hey, at least I posted on a Friday so probably no one is really going to read it anyway! ha!)

Have a great weekend! :)

~Christy~