Jamie 2.0

Before we got pregnant, we hadn't really thought much about what kind of parents we would be or what we wanted for our child.  Joey and I knew we wanted children, and we just were going to figure it out as we went along.  Once I saw those 2 lines and realized our life was going to drastically change, I realized that there were several decisions to be made, from what type of birth we wanted to go for to how we were going to handle child rearing.  I must say that we have gone in a direction that I didn't expect for us at all.  Not that I had firm ideas in either direction, I just didn't see our ideas leaning toward a more natural and non-intervention way of life.  I will preface all of this with I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do things, in my opinion, the only right way is what works best for you and your family.

We have decided to take classes on the Bradley method, which emphasizes pregnancy, labor and childbirth with as few interventions as possible.  I know there have been several medical breakthroughs over the past decades and many of them are great and have lead to healthier babies and mommas.  However, some of them are not always nessecary and to me can hinder the experiences that should come with childbirth.  The Bradley classes give you a great foundation in regards to how to handle your labor pains and how to bring your baby into the world with little to no medical intervention.  We have really enjoyed the classes, and have met some great and supportive people along the way.  

I have also decided to breastfeed, which is something I thought that everyone did, but it turns out that breastfeeding is not really what most mothers choose.  Like I have said before, you have to do what is best for you and your baby, but the medical studies and the research that I have done just reinforce the fact that it's a great gift that you can give your child.  I hope to be able to breastfeed for as long as possible, and with all the support out there with friends and La Leche League, I'm sure that I will be successful.  When Aubrey does get to solids, I think we will make our own food as much as possible, that way, we will know exactly what she's getting.

There are ways however, that we are not going to "crunchy" parents.  I will not be doing cloth diapering.  We did think about it, but since we are going to be sending Aubrey to day care when I go back to work, I didn't feel that cloth diapering is the way to go for us.  I understand that it has it's benefits, but those do not outweigh the cons of having our daycare provider deal with the extra work that goes into cloth diapering.  If I was going to stay at home full time, I think we would have definitely placed more consideration into it.

There are so many more decisions to be made and I hope that we make the right ones for now.  However, I know that we also have to be open to things not working out like we have initally planned and that we will definitely have to make adjustments along the way.  I can't wait to find out how it all turns out!

In regards to being 35 weeks this week, (yay!) Aubrey is doing good, kicking around like crazy.  I also have my Group B Strep test this week.  I am hoping that it comes back negative, because I don't want to have to be hooked up to antibiotics during labor, which would limit the positions that I can get in to make labor more comfortable (as comfortable as it can be I guess).  Wish me luck!  We have another ultrasound on Thursday, and I'm kind of excited about it because my Granny is going to come with us and to be able to see the ultrasound.  She's never seen one, so it's going to be really cool to have her experience that with us. 

Enough about our parenting plans, here's the 35 week update:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Spring time is cleaning time!

We decided to do one more big clean before Aubrey gets here, which happened to coincide with Spring Cleaning time.  We made a huge list, which included cleaning every nook and cranny.  We are almost done except for the kitchen and finishing up the  straightening up the nursery, so needless to say we are beat!  Well, mostly me anyway, it's not so easy to be running up and down the stairs and scrubbing floors when you have an extra 30 pounds on you.  I'm definitely ready to hit the sack tonight and I'm thinking that I am going to need a back rub this evening for sure.

It looks like we only have one trip to make to Target to get a couple items for the nursery and to finish up packing our bag for the hospital.  We are waiting until next week to install the car seat and then we should be ready for whenever Aubrey decides to show up.  I have decided to start my maternity leave on April 25th, so on Monday, I will have 4 weeks until I am off work for a little while.  I can't believe it.  It has gone by so fast, but I have heard that the last month is the slowest, so I'm hoping I have quite a bit to do at work to make the time pass a little faster.  We do have the pediatrician appointment on the 7th, so I will let you all know how that goes.

We have our last Bradley class this week, I'm thinking Joey and I will be the only ones there, as one couple has had their baby and the other couple is due the day before class.  It's really exciting to see that couples are being able to achieve the natural birth that they wanted and that their children are thriving.  It's really given us a little confidence boost that we can accomplish natural child birth and it's really not as scary as most people make it out to be.  Only a few more weeks until we find out for sure!

Feeling McHuge - 6 weeks to go!

So I have made it to 34 weeks this week and for some reason the transition from 7 weeks to 6 weeks seems way more real than the other ones.  I have a feeling it’s going to totally bizarre when I get to 4 weeks.  The time has flown by, but gone incredibly slow at the same time.  There is literally one more item to be completed in the nursery and then I promise that I will post some pics.  Sorry for the delay! Luckily life has slowed down for me at least anyway, so now we can finish up all the little items that are need to be completed before Aubrey gets here.  Our appointments went really well this week as usual, so nothing new to report there.  In our Bradley class, we went around to different stations to simulate different labor techniques.  It was very eye opening (and exhausting!), and it made me feel a lot more comfortable about the birthing process.  I know nothing can prepare you for the actual event, but I feel like we will be a prepared as possible, and that makes me feel a lot better about the labor process.   Also in class this week, we got to meet Paisley Esther, who decided to make her entrance 3 weeks early to our classmates Emily and Philip.  It was great to hear her birth story and to see that a natural birth can be done and be a great experience.

Mom and I went to a consignment sale this past weekend, and I got quite a few good outfits.  The sale is called “Just Between Friends”, and they have a ton of great looking clothes at great prices.  We got some super cute summer outfits.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a jogging stroller, which is the one item that I am still wanting.  Luckily, we can just take our time on that one since we won’t need it for a few months.  Speaking of jogging, I have decided on a fitness goal for after Aubrey gets here.  As some of you know, I had actually picked up a slight running habit before I got pregnant, and it’s something that I would like to continue once I have Aubrey.  Joey is also quite the athlete, so it would be nice to have something that we can continue to do as as a family.  That being said, I have decided to make it a goal to complete the FCA 5k in September.  I know I might not be able to run the entire thing, but I think a goal of completing it would be a good way to get back into shape and also get back into a running routine.  I will definitely keep you all posted this summer with my progress, hopefully blogging about it will also give me some additional motivation.  

My last order of business this week is to tell you about the 3rd and final baby shower that I attended on Sunday.  It was hosted by some fabulous girls at work and it was so great!  It was great to see some co-workers outside of work and I was absolutely floored by the generosity of the people in my office!  We received the last of the large items we needed as well as some super cute outfits.  

Here’s the 34 week update:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

33 Weeks!

Today marks 33 weeks, which means 7 more to go.  I just can't believe it.  She did good on the NST today, she didn't start kicking it off til right at the very end.  We have another ultrasound on Thursday, and mom's coming with me since Joey's going to be out of town.  This is the last week of his travelling like a crazy person for a little while, and I couldn't be more relieved. 

This weekend was definitely a lazy one, I have just not had any energy!  Daylight savings time really kicked me around, therefore, I will be going to bed as soon as I can test my sugar.  Next weekend will be a lot more active since I have one last shower on Sunday.  I know the girls at work will not disappoint.  The invites were super cute, so I know that the shower will be cute as well.  I'm glad to be sharing the day with Sharon, who is due about six week after me with Miss Evelyn Grayce.  It's so much fun to be sharing this experience with such cool people.  

Well that's all I have this week, here's the 33 week update!

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Week 32, so happy to see you!

As you can all see, posts have been a little sporadic over the past few weeks.  Being a CPA during busy season is bad enough, but being a preggo CPA during busy season is so much more difficult.  Between the long hours, Bradley classes and baby showers, the past few weeks have been absolute mayhem!  Luckily I’m done with the majority of my busy season work, so hopefully I will be able to give you all some more updates on me and Baby Girl.  Busy season definitely wreaked some havoc on my blood sugars, but they have since calmed down and hopefully I won’t get any more lectures from the doctor and the diabetes counselor.  I have started twice a week visits to the Dr. to monitor Baby B’s heart rate and her growth, which is sometimes a pain, but most of the time cool because I love to see her kick at the NST and I get to see her every week on the ultrasounds.

This past Sunday, my awesome sis in law and baby girl's favorite aunt to be Diana, threw a wonderful shower with the help of Joey’s aunt Karyl and cousin Abigail.  We had a wonderful turnout, and got so many great things for the baby.  Grandma Barbeauld came up from Florida, so it was great to see her as well.  One more shower to go next weekend, and then we should be all set and ready to go for baby girl’s arrival.  The nursery is pretty complete, so I will try to get a picture post up this weekend to show it off. 

One major event that occurred at the baby shower was the official release of baby girl’s name.  We have decided to go with Aubrey Lea Barbeauld.  Lea is my mine and my mom’s middle name, which is about as close to a family name that we were going to get.

The twice weekly visits are going well, and we got a good 3D picture of her face this week.  I can’t wait to see her in person here in the next few weeks.  Not long at all to go!

Here’s the 32 week update:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Thirty One and Counting! Single Digits Baby!

I have finally made it to 31 weeks, which means that the countdown is down to the single digits, 9 more weeks to go!  I just can't believe that this is the first week in March and that our little one will be here in May...luckily we have decided on a name, but you all will have to wait just a little longer until we tell a couple more people in person.  So far, the reactions have been pretty decent.  Not that it matters what others think, but it is good to have people that are at least somewhat supportive of your choice.

We had a great weekend this past weekend, as we got to spend a lot of time with our family and friends.  The Transcontinental gals (college friends of ours) threw a beautiful shower on Saturday in Baby Girl's honor.  I just feel so blessed that Baby Girl is going to have such strong female role models in her life and it was great to have them all in one place.  We got so many wonderful gifts, and I can't wait to get started on thank you cards to let everyone know how thankful we are for our friend's and family's generosity.  We have another shower next week, which I'm also excited about since some out of town family will be coming in to visit us.  It took 2 loads to get all of Baby Girl's laundry done, but it was nice to get everything cleaned up and put away since it looks like we will have another round coming this weekend.  My heart is just so full of gratitude and happiness right now.  Here's a couple of pics from the big day, ripped off my friend's facebook profiles just for you:

This has been a good week and a week of reflection for me in a way as I begin to see how real everything is.  The closer we get to May, I'm realizing that as hesitant and unsure as I was of myself about bringing another life into this world, I'm realizing that this was what I was meant to do, and this is why God brought Joey and I together.  It's not as hard as I thought it would be to make changes and sacrifices to the things I'm accustomed too, because I know that what I'm sacrificing for is going to be so worth it.  I had always said I was going to be ready for a child when I wasn't so selfish, and I feel that I am finally in that place.

Enough of the mush, now onto the most annoying symptom of pregnancy this month.  Holy stretch marks, Batman!  It's bad enough that they are rather unsightly and look like a dinosaur or something else with claws has attacked my stomach, they itch like no other. I'm up to lotion application 3 or 4 times a day, and they still itch to high heaven.  I'm going to follow the nurse's advice and "keep 'em greasy", and hopefully I will get some relief.  My grandmother suggested castor oil, and I might just try it if I get desperate enough.

Here's the 31 week update!  Only 9 more of these to go!

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

30 weeks down, 10 to go!

I can't believe that I'm 30 weeks this week!  This pregnancy has just flown by, and I'm not sure whether to be excited or scared to death!  We have only a couple more finishing touches on the nursery, and it will be all ready for Baby Girl.  I'm so lucky to be having baby showers both this week and next week, and I couldn't be more excited to be seeing some family and friends.  There are even some friends and family coming in from out of town, which makes it even more special.  It's been a long week without Joey here at the house, his college friends took him to Disney for a "you never got a bachelor party, it's your birthday, you're gonna be a daddy" weekend.  Plus he's been working out of town for a few days, so I'm definitely ready to have him back home for a few days.

This weekend, I got to meet a great couple and their little girl.  Turns out they used the Bradley method and also dealt with gestational diabetes.  It was so great to be able to talk to someone who has recently gone through what I'm about to go through.  I came away from dinner feeling very positive and optimistic that even being labeled "high risk" won't get in the way of working toward having the birth that we have been wanting.  I understand that there are still all kinds of situations that can happen that would lead us in a direction other than we are planning for, but I feel so much better knowing that having diabetes isn't one of those things.  On that note, everything on the diabetes front is going pretty well.  The are mostly good days and a couple bad days, but overall it really hasn't been that bad.

We went to the Dr. on Monday for the bi-weekly check up, and the Dr. informed me that I will now be going to her once a week.  The weekly appointments have come a little earlier than I expected, but it's what we have to do in order to make sure that she's growing on target and still healthy and strong. 

Speaking of growth, here's the 30 week update:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)