Week 18 and 19.....Better late than never!

Oopsy! I got so busy last week I forgot to blog! So I'll basically just do a recap of last week and this week together :)

So much has been going on....I'm feeling better and better every day as far as stomach issues go. Of course, now new symptoms have started kicking in. I'm battling my 4th bloody nose as I type this, since last week. I called my Dr. to confirm, but I already knew this was considered "normal" and to be expected during pregnancy. However, I have not had a bloody nose since I was maybe 7? years old and had forgotten how gross they are. The first one struck me on an already downhill day. I had found a house on Craigslist in San Ramon in our price range and right next to the kids' school and called on it immediately. Me, James and the kiddies went to go check it out that night. We knew immediately we HAD to have this house but were feeling like it was impossible. James had convinced me there is no way we'd qualify and I started picturing the 5 of us living in 2 bedroom apartments for the rest of our lives. Then when we got home, I accidentally hit James' car with my car while parallel parking on the street. I had been suffering from a HORRIBLE headache all day and this was just the icing on the cake. At least I thought.....while doing the dishes Jamesy came up and asked me why there was red stuff on my face. I couldn't figure out what he was trying to say until I wiped my nose and saw a lot of blood. After laying down on the couch with my head back for a few minutes, it went away but not before making a mess. Jamesy suffers from lots of bloody noses so he could sympathize with me and told me what to do to make it stop. He is the most adorable 5 yr old EVER!

Anywho, after that little mishap I was off on a plane 2 days later for Portland, OR. to visit my sister. I was REALLY freaked out about flying since I'm not a good flyer and being pregnant, I just wasn't sure what to expect but the ride went off without a hitch! Well....except for the stinky man next to me who got up to vomit once the plane landed. But I digress...I rented a car and drove to visit a good friend April in Salem, Or. On my way I saw a Coach outlet store calling my name and decided to stop in and just check out the deals. While admiring a beautiful purse on clearance my phone rang and it was the house we had seen earlier that week! They decided to rent to us! We got the house!!!! I can't tell you how excited I was. I dropped the purse, ran outside and started making phone calls. I called James who I'm pretty sure didn't believe me at first. After that I called the fam. Mom, Dad, and MIL Tracy to let them all know the good news!!! I still can't believe we're going to be in a home. Everyone will have their own room, I can actually decorate the baby's room! We have a backyard for the kids to play in, a garage for our cars! It's just so amazing and exciting. I haven't had the pleasure of living in an actual house since I was maybe 18 yrs old so it's been a while and very very missed.

My trip to Oregon was wonderful to say the least! I loved my visit with April. She has 3 kids so she gave me some good advice and helped calm my worries about giving birth. I got to spend lots of quality time with my sister. We laughed and laughed, she took great care of me the whole time and it was so relaxing. The weather was perfect and I could not have asked for a better trip! We also got to buy lots of stuff for the baby. Auntie Julio got a really cute headband and hat and then a onesie that says "with luck I'll be a duck". I got her a little tutu and matching onesie for a potential photo shoot with Marcie (wink wink).

I can't believe one of the pictures is actually right side up! It's a miracle!! Anyways, these are the shots I took on my phone. One the day I left, I found two cute pillows that hold missing teeth and bought one for each of the kiddies. Joli had just lost a tooth that day so she could use her new pillow to hold it in :) I also bought them name placards that hang from their bedroom doors. They are so excited to have their own rooms!

So some baby stats....I either had a dream last night that I felt the baby moving or it really happened. I can't figure it out yet nor can I remember it for the life of me but the baby was definitely moving and I definitely felt it, just not sure if it was reality or not. Baby Em is also sucking my brain right out of my dome! I can't remember anything, am having problems focusing at work and have been making silly mistakes all day every day lately. I'm feeling pretty useless right about now. Like I'm a hazard to society and should be kept up at home until it passes. The headaches are still frequent and PAINFUL! Lots of cramping and pain from my stomach stretching but I'm starting to get too excited to even care. I can't wait to hold her one day and feed her and cloth her and play with her. I hope she laughs a lot like her Mommy and is a happy carefree baby!


HOW FAR ALONG:  19 weeks (baby is 6 inches long)

SLEEP:  I was a champ on my vacation and didn't nap once! But I'm paying for it now. haha very very sleepy....

FOOD CRAVINGS: My appetite is coming back, but I can really only eat small portions. Snack food I'm great at, but put a meal in front of me and I'll stare and pick at it.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO: Setting up baby's room, enjoying a real home with my beautiful family and continuing to feel better and better!

WHAT I'M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO: uh, still not too sure about this whole giving birth thing.






Love, Diana :) 

Week 17........Pictures!!

So I think it's finally starting to happen. I'm actually feeling (dare I say it!) EXCITED!!! Still nervous too, don't get me wrong, this is the most traumatizing experience I've ever encountered, but at least there's some excitement and happiness coming from all the worry and nerves.

Last Sunday, James and I and the kids went to Babies 'R Us to look for a baby book. I've been trying to find a specific one that has folders and stuff for cd's and pregnancy tests but Target and Hallmark didn't have any such thing. It's all the typical baby books documenting their first solid food and first solid poop! I'm not ready for that yet. BUT, we found a pregnancy book instead and it was perfect!! So besides my blog, I have a book (with folders) to keep my pregnancy tests in, the pictures, the cd's and DVD's and the cards I've gotten congratulating me on being a mommy-to-be! It's very in depth and has tons of space for any extra information I need to store, PLUS a calendar so I can mark all my dr. appts. and ultrasound appts. along with any other milestones I want to remember the dates of. I still can't figure out how to get the pictures to flip right side up...

 
That part was fun, but since we were already at Babies 'R Us, James said we could walk around and just look at all the things we would need for the baby. Talk about overwhelming!!! We passed bedroom sets with cribs, dressers and changing tables. Then there was the playpen section. I mean, I didn't even THINK about the fact that we'd need a playpen!!! And then the car seats...those things are SO expensive!!! And highchairs! How could I have forgotten to consider where the baby would eat?? Obviously she's not going to sit on the chairs like her older siblings! Then we passed the bassinets. Seriously? We have to have a mobile crib for our room plus a crib for her room?? Where is she going to be sleeping all this time?? And then a rocking chair for Mom and baby. And then bath tubs and bouncers and bedding. It was all so insane!! Not to mention, PRICEY! And that's not even considering clothes, bottles, diapers, toys, food. We better start playing the lottery or we are screwed. I can picture it now....our baby eating off the floor, wearing towels as diapers and naked. I did fall in love with this bedding set though, so I sent the link for it to my sister and Mom and told them to start saving! I know, priorities right? But they suggested that we start our registry sooner rather than later. Good idea! So I spent a good time on Monday picking out two options for every thing we need before baby gets here so that James could have a say too. Of course, he only gets a say of the two options I give him, but that's okay. He tends to be the more materialistic of the two of us and if he could pick, we'd have $300 playpens. I tend to be a little on the cheap side when it comes to these things. Plus, the baby is just going to puke, poop and spill on the stuff anyways. Why spend so much?

For fun, I decided to check out Juicy Couture's diaper bags. Me and my Mom saw a woman with one and with a Juicy stroller in Las Vegas and we've been trying to convince my sister that she should buy it for me :) Anywho, no go on the diaper bags, I mean 300 bucks for a stupid bag that's going to eventually hold dirty diapers and spilled milk?? No thank you! BUT I did find this absolutely adorable outfit that I've now named the "take baby home from the hospital outfit" I immediatley e-mailed it to James but he doesn't seem too convinced yet that it's a must have. You can see it by clicking below and then convince James that we should buy it :)

Juicy Fit

Nothing else too exciting has been going on this last week. I've been suffering from HORRIBLE headaches and lots of stomach issues, but that's nothing new. The kids are getting really excited! Last week when I told Jamesy and Joli that the baby can hear us now Jamesy yanked my mouth open and yelled down "HELLO" to the baby. I tried to explain that she can hear him through my belly just fine, but he's intent on shouting through my throat instead :) And I also had to explain that she can't understand WHAT we're saying, just hear our voices. Everytime me or Daddy swear (which is a lot!) he tells us to stop because the baby can hear us. "No bad words!" he says.

Supposedly the baby's bones are starting to harden more and she will start doubling in size these next few weeks. And the umbilical cord is hardening too (gross!) and I can see my belly button getting squished more and more. It's quickly becoming an outie! I don't like that idea either. I mostly just keep waiting to feel her move. I keep playing my favorite bands so if she decides to move while my songs are playing, I'll know she has my taste in music :) It's starting to hurt my lower abs if I move too quickly to get up or when I get out of my car. And I'm cramping a lot which I'm sure is from my belly growing. I finally got some chewable prenatal vitamins!! So now I have no excuse to skip them...even though I still think they are unnecessary.....

I also took some pictures of my belly last night for my friend Tammy. First James took a few, but he's not a very good photographer and I'm not feeling very camera ready so I tried to take some myself in the mirror. I'm sure they'll all show sideways (stupid computer!) but I'll post them anyways so you can see where I'm at. Even though there are plenty of women who don't show yet, I already look like I'm in my 6th month!

I take my 2nd trimester blood screening tests today and don't have another follow up or ultrasound appt. until August 1st but I'm already getting antsy to see my little girl again! Although....I was a lot more excited before The Bump (pregnancy website) decided it was necessary to send me e-mails letting me know what to expect after childbirth. If you dare (and I'm so mad I did!) to see what they're saying, have a look below! Also they sent me another link just yesterday to let me know all the different poops that are normal for baby. Luckily, I will not fall for that trick twice and am in no way going to see what constitutes as safe poop or problem poop. Basically, after reading this, I've decided I want a c-section. A planned, month in advance, c-section.

After birth nastiness

So here's what's going on with baby!

HOW FAR ALONG:  17 weeks (baby weighs the same as an onion)

SLEEP:  So tired! After a trip to the store on Sunday, I had to nap for 3 hours.

FOOD CRAVINGS: I'm starting to want food again, mostly because I'm hungry just sick right after I eat anything. But fruit always sounds appealing. I can't get enough strawberries. But seem to only be able to eat chips and salsa.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO: Getting a plan under way so I know what steps I need to take to get there.

WHAT I'M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO: Working through the rest of this pregnancy, giving birth, trying to handle 3 children and figuring out a living situation. No wonder I stress so much!!

Love, Diana :)

Week 16

I don't know who I was kidding, thinking I was a strong enough person to have a baby! I must have been out of my mind....I suffer from anxiety, pretty bad. Normally I'm medicated and that pretty much alleviates the nerves but now I'm just a giant open wound. And like a skittish cat, I'm constantly nervous and jumping at every sound. The worse part is I have nervous stomach (sort of like IBS but caused my anxiety and stress) and my body likes to react before my mind can even realize that I may be panicking. So the last few days, weeks even, have been filled with fun anxiety and stomach issues. I can only imagine how this is affecting Emily (yes I'm calling her by her "name", maybe if I say it enough James will start to agree with it). This poor little bean is just trying to chill out and get her grow on while sleeping and nesting in my belly and all I can do for her is FREAK OUT!!! 24 HOURS A DAY!!! If she comes out even semi-normal and not phased by my internal chaos, I will die of shock! But I can't worry about that now...I have to focus on remaining calm......okay. That lasted 5 seconds, I'm not calm anymore!!

I saw my OB yesterday for my little monthly visit and check in. He was a little concerned that I lost 4 pounds instead of gaining, but I explained what's been going on with my anxiety and stuff and he said we'll just "watch it". Whatever that means. To James, it means freak out and force feed me and count my vitamins to make sure I'm taking them. But I honestly know it's not a big deal. I'm sure I'll gain all the weight back and then some. He also measured my stomach and I'm at 17 inches. Apparently each inch sort of represents 1 week, so I'm about where I should be. I also mentioned some "leaking" going on lately and he tested to make sure it wasn't amniotic fluid that I was leaking. He also quickly ran the ultrasound thing on my stomach to make sure my sack is full, which it is, so I'm good there too. He swears he felt the baby kick him when he pushed on my stomach but I didn't feel anything. I don't know if I would even know what I'm feeling if and when the baby starts moving but he was pretty certain he had gotten kicked. I'm still suffering from really bad headaches, but there's not much I can do about them. I asked him about my hair growth and he said the vitamins will cause my hair EVERYWHERE to grow, not just on my head. What a bummer that is!

Other than my eventful pregnancy woes, I was finally able to have some time to pamper myself. Yesterday, I went in for a manicure and pedicure courtesy of James. It was nice to not have to worry about anything for 5 minutes and now I have beautiful hands and feet! Now if I could get my hair done, I'd be set :)

According to my Baby Center weekly e-mails, the baby is going to double it's size and weight in the next few weeks. Also, she can hear now!! I better start working on my f bombs so her first work isn't FORK! According to my Dr. I should start to feel her move in the next 2 weeks or so. Personally, I don't want to feel her move. What if she's violent and restless? What if she hurts me? Or herself?? Can babies hurt themselves in the womb?? I bet if they could, my baby would be the one to do it. Poke her eye out on accident or something. And I keep finding myself rolling over and sleeping on my stomach. I hope this is okay and that I don't squish her.

For the most part, I'm starting to get really excited for Emily to get here. I want to hold her and sleep with her and play with her and do all the Mommy things that don't require inhabiting my body. I need my Diana back and she's in hiding until this baby gets here! Today, a customer told me about how her 2nd child jumped up in her stomach so violently that she sprung a leak and started leaking tons of amniotic fluid so they had to do an emergency C-section a month before she was due. Part of me thought, "holy shit, that's scary!" but the other part thought, "well the baby weighed a lot less than expected which was probably less painful and she didn't have to go through labor pains!" So Emily, if you can hear me, please spring a leak or do something that requires you to be yanked before your time so A) You're not born so close to Xmas and B) so Mommy doesn't have to experience labor :)


HOW FAR ALONG:  16 weeks (baby is the size of an avocado!)

SLEEP:  Back to almost normal sleeping habits. But I do miss my naps!

FOOD CRAVINGS: This is the first and will most likely be the last time in my life that I actually hate food. I can't stand to think about it or eat it.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO: Everything else in my life to fall into place so I can enjoy being pregnant and not be such an anxious stress case all the time :)

WHAT I'M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO: Today I read that women have bladder problems after giving birth!!! WHAT THE HELL??

Love, Diana :)