36 Weeks!

36 weeks! I had my doctors appointment on Tuesday and I am measuring 37 cm. My blood pressure is slowly going up(meaning from the low seventies when I had my first doctors appt. to the mid 80's at my last appt.), but nothing to worry about unless I notice swelling and I have a frontal headache and side pains around my liver. Nothing new to report really, I am feeling great, sleeping good, and moving around well. The baby seems to always have the hiccups. She is still poking her legs out the side of me. I have 4 weeks left, we are all so excited for this baby and I just hope everything goes well. I really never thought I would get to this point, well I knew I would eventually, but it just seems crazy that it is finally here. So very strange.

I am enjoying this whole week off from work, I go back on the 4th. My plans are to work until the week of my due date. I was going to work a week into January, but if I am feeling good I want to use all my days off after the baby rather than before. We shall see how it goes.

My doctor gave me permission to just lay around, and I did just that Tuesday afternoon after my doctors appointment. My stomach was kind of hurting and I was not feeling the greatest after dinner, so I took a nap on the couch. Then I got up and made Rob and I a smoothie. Yum!
I am slowly getting everything out of the nursery room that doesn't belong in there. Slow process, but it will be done before this baby gets here. I still need to go pick up some paint and finish some wall projects for the room.
On Monday, we went to Robs parents and made another Gingerbread house. Brian and Jackson were over there and they helped with the house as well. It turned out cute.

There was one point that the wall on the left side was falling in and so my mother in law helped pull it back up and we secured it with more frosting. It was fun to make another gingerbread house.

Christmas and Maternity Pictures

We had a great Christmas this year! On Christmas Eve, Rob and I went to Mendon. We visited his Aunt and then went over to his brothers house and Rob and his brother went 4-wheeling all around their yard, having a grand old time. While they were having fun outside I was inside with Heidi making Gingerbread cookies and chatting. We had a good time. Rob came inside pretty frozen.

We headed over to Robs parents house and had Papa John's pizza and visited, we also decorated the Gingerbread men that we had made earlier. At 8:00 we grabbed all of our stuff and headed over to North Logan to my parents. We first headed home and grabbed all of our stuff to spend the night. When we got to my parents house, they were watching Santa Claus 2, and then after that we watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The movie was okay, but I really did not like it. After that movie it was pretty late and so we all got ready for bed. Rob and I were able to sleep in a bed this year(years before we would sleep on an air mattress), which was nice, but I still woke up 4 times during the night from my legs hurting. You get used to your own bed after a while and then it is hard to sleep comfortably anywhere else. Plus, the fact that I am pregnant doesn't help either. Finally, at 6:50a.m. I decided to get up and go downstairs to wait for everyone else. My younger brother and sister were already awake. I ate a little bit of breakfast as we waited for everyone else to venture out of bed. By 8:30 we were all up and ready to go. So, we headed upstairs to the awaiting tree and presents. Here is a picture of my younger brother and sister chilling before everyone else got up.

And here is Rob and I once we got upstairs. We missed having my sister and her husband with us, it was their year to spend with his family.

All of the presents are numbered and so we have to guess what number we are. After we figure out our numbers then we start handing out the presents.

After all the present are handed out we take turns opening one present at a time. We have not always done it this way. I think we started this last year, I really like it this way. It makes it so you can see what everyone gets as you go around the room. Rob and I only had a few presents so we skipped ourselves a few times before opening ours.
My brother had our name for Christmas this year, he always gives such unique and clever gifts so I was excited to open his gift to see what he gave us. Just as expected, unique. He gave us a ceramic plate with a face on it that you can decorate with your food. Our kids are going to have fun with this plate. We might just have to get some more when we have more kids.

The kids went in together and got a Wrench/Socket set for my dad. Here they are putting all the pieces in the right places. There was about 150 pieces.

We all got some fun presents. After opening our gifts, my mom made waffles and we had a late breakfast. After breakfast we decided to head home to get ready. Before getting ready though, we opened our presents at home. After opening our presents to each other we got ready and headed over to Mendon to Robs parents house. We visited, opened gifts, and we also watched Star Trek.
What a wonderful Christmas to spend time with the people you love.
On the 26th, I decide to put all of our Christmas decorations away. This is the soonest I have ever put Christmas stuff away. But, with the baby coming in a month or less, I wanted to have everything cleaned and taken care of. So, down it went. We went over to Mendon again and spent time with my sister in law and two of her kids(her husband and little daughter were not able to make it, they were home sick. We sure missed them and just hope they get feeling better SOON!)that came down. We had some yummy dinner and then chatted away and played a few games of Monopoly Deal. We headed home about 11:00p.m.

Maternity Pictures
We went down to Salt Lake two weeks ago for an appointment and stopped at my brother and sister in laws to visit and spend the night. We also were able to get some maternity pictures taken. I love how they turned out. This first silhouette picture, we had to really hurry for this one. It was so freezing cold, it was literally done in less than 10 minutes. It was taken in front of the Provo Temple.

This next one is kind of fun, if you notice there is a bus in the background. School was just letting out when we were taking these and Heather got this picture with the school bus in the background. I work on a Special Needs bus, and so it was just so fitting that one of the pictures had a bus in it. I think it is even a special needs bus too.
(And if anyone is wanting to know where I got my shirt, just go to www.milanmaternity.com)

I just love the colors in these pictures, the blue sky, the white mountains, the field, everything just is so stunning. Just beautiful!

We also got some inside shots(where it was nice and warm).

This next one just makes me laugh, Rob was being funny and talking to the baby saying,"Hi, Baby" with his lips all puckered like he does when he says good bye to me and the baby in the morning when I go to work. He is just so cute and I just couldn't stop laughing. He is going to be a great father!

When I look at these pictures I realize that I don't look that big for being 34 weeks pregnant.

I saw this next picture on one of Heathers sample sheets and just had to have her do one like it. I just love how it show the span of pregnancy in months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. And now we are anxiously awaiting the day of our little ones arrival.

And one last picture! I love them, thank you so much Heather for these, they turned out awesome!
www.heathertaylorphoto.com

35 Weeks and Family Parties!

This week we had two family party's on the same day. Kind of crazy! The first was my side of the family. It was at 1:00p.m. and we were only able to stay for the food, and then headed out around 3:00p.m. for our drive to Lehi for our next party at 5:30p.m. The drive was good, except for the air quality was AWFUL once we got out of the canyon and hit Brigham City. SMOG!! Oh gross, you could smell it and feel it going through your lungs. It was making my eyes burn. Once we got to Ogden it cleared up and then we came to a hault, slow traffic from a semi that tipped over on an overpass and spilled its load on the traffic below. The truck was carrying onions, once we got past that traffic picked back up and we hit a another patch of smoginess around Salt Lake. We got to Lehi about 15 minutes before 5:30 and we were the first people to arrive along with Robs parents and sister and brother in law. We had such a good time visiting, eating, and playing a fun game of Bingo. We left about 9:00p.m. for our drive home. We headed onto I-215, and it started to get foggy, and then we headed onto Legacy highway, which was really bad. I thought I was going to get a headache from squinting just watching those white lines on the road. It was nice though since there was hardly any traffic to worry about. Once we got off Legacy and into Ogden it was pretty clear the rest of the way home. I was so grateful for that since I was planning on it being even worse there because of our earlier drive. But, smooth sailing the rest of the way home arriving home just a little bit after 11:00p.m. It was a long drive, but we had a good time and are glad that we went.
At church on Sunday we had a wonderful Christmas program. The choir and congregation, and they also had violins and organ and piano, sang the opening song. It was amazing, the feeling that was felt was so awesome. Such a great way to start out the meeting. And the rest of the program was very well put together. I just wish it would have lasted longer.
I had two days of work this week, and now I don't have to go back until Jan 4, I am so excited and then I think I will only work for a week or two after that. Hopefully I can get everything organized and cleaned over my break.
Well, I am now 35 weeks and down to 5 weeks to go. HOLY MOLEY, kind of crazy. I am feeling good. I have noticed I am starting to swell a little bit in my legs. I think this baby sleeps at night and is awake ALL day long, because she is CONSTANTLY moving. Hopefully she will stay that way after she is born. I have never woken up to her kicking me during the night, actually I have never really woken up to anything baby related during the night. I sleep better than Robert does. And my muscle aches have basically completely gone away, which I am grateful for.

Everybody knows that my husband is tall and skinny, so it is probably no big shocker to find out that I weigh more than him now. What a SAD SAD day, I have been trying to fatten him up but it is hard to put weight on that kid. I knew I would probably end up weighing more than him anyways, with the weight the doctor recommended me gaining. So, oh well!
I usually have one time period during the day where I just feel absolutely drained, no energy whatsoever. But, it does not last very long.
Here is my 35 week picture:

So, now the baby and I are basically in the gaining weight mode. She should be about 5 1/4 pounds right now and about 18" long.

34 weeks!

34 weeks! We went down south this last weekend to visit family and get maternity pictures taken. And we also went to Baby's R Us to get a car seat and other baby items. We got the new Graco Snugride 35. I am just glad we finally have a car seat. We have been getting everything ready for the big day, whenever it arrives. I am not quite as sore as I was, I think it depends on what I do or don't do, meaning the walks everyday that have slowly dwindled to nothing. Those walks sure have made a difference. While in Baby's R Us, there was a point halfway through that my stomach just started to hurt and walking made it worse, so I was walking around really slow. It kind of made me nervous. So, we purchased our items and got something to eat at Subway and headed back to my brother and sister n laws. It was better by then, but it was sure weird. We went up Thursday and headed home Friday around 6:30p.m. which I am glad we came home when we did. The next day the snow hit and I sure didn't want to drive home in that. We had a fabulous time visiting and playing with the kids.

And I have taken my wedding ring off since my fingers are getting fatter. I usually take it off when I put lotion on and I have to put lotion around my knuckle to even get the ring to come off. It is kind of depressing. I will have to find me a cheap one to wear until I can wear my wedding ring again. Hopefully that won't be too long.

At my doctors appointment on Monday, everything is looking good. I am measuring 34 cm, which is right on, and I am gaining the weight that I need to. The doc says I should be feeling some contractions now, although I already have the Braxton Hicks contractions all the time. He also said if I go into labor after 35 weeks he won't stop me. I have 6 weeks left or less if I come early. I have not gotten any stretch marks which I am excited about. Not that anyone will ever see, just means I have elastic skin. I am feeling much better, not so sore anymore. The doctor said it could be from getting too much calcium. Plus, I think a big part of it is the exercise, I noticed a huge difference since not being very consistent in my walking and prenatal exercising. So, I have got to stick with that. My next appointment is in two weeks and then every week after that.

33 Weeks!

I am 33 weeks, which is really starting to scare me. I only have 7 weeks to go, ahhhhh! When did that happen. I am really not ready. When I think about how little time we have left and how much I still need to get done, is when I start to get nervous about everything. I only have one package of diapers and I didn't even buy them, we got them as a gift. Time to kick it into gear.

I am still feeling it though, maybe because I haven't walked at all this week and only one time last week. The temperature went very cold and I just haven't gotten down on the treadmill. This week I had to have Rob help me put on my socks and shoes for me and tie them up. The baby is still rolling around and moving like crazy, which is fun. Her foot or something always pokes out of the right side of me and I have to push it back. I am still sleeping good, which is a good thing. Now, I just need to learn to go to bed earlier since I have to get up so early.

Rob and I started a gingerbread house, and we finally finished it this week. Rob came with me to Sam's Club and he wanted to get this gingerbread house so we could make it and then he could eat it. Well, he can't eat it just yet, but it was so easy to make and does look pretty yummy.

I finally got my hair cut, not any off the length, just layered a bit and thinned in the back. I had her show me how to use the flat iron to curl it and whoa, it was puffy curly. She put a relaxer in it and said it would calm down pretty good in about an hour. I came home and just wasn't liking the curls so I pulled it up. Plus, I had to go to a YW activity at 7:00p.m. and didn't want hair like that, so this is how it ended up. I will have to play with it a little to get it how I like it. I told her I would be back in two months to get it chopped again. After a year of not getting my hair cut, it was really damaged on the ends and needed a cut badly.

We did get our Christmas tree up, and that's about it. I also put out one Nativity also. I just didn't want to do any more than that. So, this year I am just keeping it simple. I am really bummed that Q92 has not been playing very many Christmas songs, so if you like to listen to Christmas songs during Christmas, turn your radio station to 103.3fm or 1390am for Christmas music all the time. Love it!

32 weeks and feeling it!

Well, just this last week it seems that I am really starting to feel this pregnancy. It is getting painful to walk and just move my legs. I feel like I am going to be waddling soon or maybe I already am. I am starting to walk a lot slower. I went on a walk the other day and I wasn't going very fast and I was just sore every time I would move my legs, plus it was getting cold so I was getting stiff as well. Wow, sure it me like a rock. And then I went on a walk on Wednesday evening and I froze, before we even got to the top of the street, my face was pretty numb and I only had my light coat on. I just came straight from work and so the sun was already pretty much behind the moutains. By the time I got back to my parents I was FROZEN to the core. I grabbed a blanket and sat in a chair and tried to thaw myself out and my belly. I think this was the last walk I will do outside this year, unless it is warmer than 24 outside. I will have to start using my treadmill instead. Whoa, COLD!!
I was really smiling in this picture, I guess my half smile just doesn't look much like a good smile!

But, everything else is going great, just realized that I have got to get everything organized and ready, I do not have that much longer.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we went over to Robs parents and enjoyed spending time with his whole family. We also played Monopoly Deal, it is a card game of Monopoly. It is so much fun and so much faster than the Monopoly board game. If you are going to buy it, make sure you get to decks, it is better that way.
My sister in law's held a baby shower for me on the day after Thanksgiving, and I got so much fun and needed items. Thanks you guys, you are awesome! I had a blast and even more fun playing another game of Monopoly Deal.
Rob has been trying to get as much 4 wheeling in as he can before it gets to snowy and cold. He loves it and he was able to go out with his brothers up in the mountains on Friday. We will see if that is his last time four wheeling for this year.
Tonight and all day tomorrow we have our Prepared Childbirth classes. Should be exciting, I am excited for the tour of the new Woman's and Newborn Center. It is usually a 6 week class, but this was there last option before my delivery day, and they like you to have them as close to delivery as you can so you can remember everything they teach you I guess.
December is going to be one BUSY month, we have something every weekend, and also stuff during the week. I think December is going to fly by for me, which is sad because I love Christmas time. I guess I will have to enjoy every minute of it.

31 weeks!

Well, I had my doctors appointment on Monday and I am measuring at 32 cm, which is a little big since I am only 31 weeks. My last appointment I was measuring small. All is good, he also told me the baby's head is down, and I was excited about that. Blood pressure is good. I guess I am right on track.

I have been looking back on this pregnancy and it really is not your typical pregnancy. I never had morning sickness(other than a week and a half where I just felt sick if I didn't keep anything in my stomach), I have only had one craving, and that was for Pork n Beans, and that only lasted a few days. Haven't had any since then.

I sleep wonderfully with only one bathroom break(and that is only because I set my alarm to wake me up to go to the bathroom because of an incident I had in my first trimester), and I am usually asleep within a minute or two of getting back in bed. I don't sleep with any kind of pillow besides under my head. I have had relatively no back pain.
And one thing I really love is having clear skin. I contribute this fact to my skin care, I use Mary Kay and before I got pregnant, I ran out of my moisturizer and so I was using Cetaphil facial moisturizer. I started breaking out and getting more zits than I have had in years. So, after I got pregnant I quit that and started using Mary Kay moisturizer again, and my face cleared back up and has stayed that way. So, can I just say I LOVE Mary Kay, I just use there basic skin care line. I use there day and night solution, moisturizer, and 3-in-1 cleanser. Love it!

30 Weeks and Maternity Jeans!

I am at 30 weeks now, and still feel the same size. I only have 2 more months to go, which does not seem like very long. Kind of scary to think about. This past week I had a small pain on my belly right next to my belly button, so every time the baby would kick or move over that spot it would just hurt. Called the doctor and it is nothing to worry about, and it has since gone away. Probably just a pulled muscle, it sure was uncomfortable though. I will update again after my doctors appointment on Monday.

I have been sleeping good so far, with one bathroom trip during the night. Can't complain there, although last night I had my second leg cramp that woke me up at 5:00a.m., whoa those are painful. Other than that I have been enjoying this pregnancy, it is still so much fun to feel and see the baby moving around. She is quite active!

I am really starting to get down to cleaning out the nursery room and getting it all organized. I am on my way. I got a whole bunch of storage totes from JJ Cole this past weekend at their warehouse sale, and they are so very cute.
I really don't have much to update this week. We did have a good weekend with family and my sister in law was able to pick me up a pair of maternity pants I was looking at online at Gap. My first pair of maternity pants, it is very exciting and they actually fit. I have never had Gap pants before so I was not quite sure what size I was and how they would fit, but they fit and look wonderful. A tad short, but I guess I can live with that. They are so comfy! You were all right, I feel so much better in them than regular jeans.

29 Weeks and Bedding

Last Thursday my bedding arrived, and I was so excited because it was not supposed to arrive until Saturday. I opened everything and tried it out, it looked good so I put the sheets, bed skirt, and the drapes in the wash. Then I ironed them and was ready to put it all together. The sheet was the hardest thing to put on, I have to take the whole mattress out to get the sheet on. What a pain. After getting it all put together, I then put the mobile together and fastened it to the crib. Everything was complete and it looked amazing. Here is the finished product, although the room is not complete yet, so here is just a picture of the crib. I plan on painting the walls and getting new blinds and hanging pictures, but for now I will just post a picture of the crib, the big reveal will have to wait. Although, I don't think it will be that big of a reveal once everything is complete.

I am so excited, it is so cute and I love it. The colors are just so fun, not quite what I had in mind when I first started looking at bedding, but I always came back to this crib set, it just popped out at me and so I finally made up my mind and got it. And babies love color, don't they?

Here I am in week 29, and I am feeling some backaches and some fanny pains, and some all around stretching. I know most of you won't believe this, but I have gained 25 pounds so far, and if I keep that up and gain a pound a week until I deliver, I will have gained the amount the doctor wanted me to gain. Yeah!

I found a pair of maternity jeans from GAPmaternity that are long enough, but they are around 80 dollars, is it really worth that much money to buy them for my last 3 months of pregnancy? I just don't know, probably. It is not like I am only going to be pregnant once, I guess I will be able to wear them again.
Yeah, I have a coupon code for Gap and now my pants are only 55 dollars, I think I can handle that price a lot better. Yeah for sales!

28 Weeks (3rd Trimester)

Well, I am starting my 3rd trimester today, so very exciting! I am starting to get a little bit of heartburn, but not to bad yet. Just enough to be annoying and cause discomfort. My stomach muscles have been starting to hurt a lot more. On my walks for the past two days, I cannot walk as fast and it takes more energy. I also feel like my stomach is weighing a lot more, and I just want to hold it up. She is still moving like crazy, which is so fun to feel. And no maternity clothes yet, other than Downeast maternity shirts. I still can't find any pants, so I guess I will have to make do with what I have or just where sweats all the time. Only 3 more months left anyway. Here is the 28 week picture:

Tuesday morning I heard on the radio that the Health Department got a new shipment of H1N1 vaccine in. So, I checked my phone to see if Rob had heard, and there were 4 missed calls. Rob left a message and said that he just got the vaccine and that there was no wait. My mom also called and told me about them getting more vaccinations in. So, we drove the bus over there after our morning run, and got there about 9:00, my driver dropped me off and went and parked the bus. I walked around the corner and there was a line, so I thought I would be waiting for a while. The line was actually moving pretty quick and we were out of there in about 40 minutes. So, now Rob and I are vaccinated, but we still need to be careful(they say it takes about 10 days for your body to become immune to the virus). I am just glad we finally got it. With so many kids getting sick on the bus and some of our families actually getting the swine flu, I was a little nervous going to work.
I am excitedly awaiting the arrival of my crib bedding, and once I do I will post pictures, but just of the crib, I do not have the room done yet. I just want it to be a surprise, so maybe I won't post pictures at all until I am totally finished. We shall see!
On another note: Rob is wonderful, it is so much fun to see him get so excited about everything. He is going to be an excellent Dad! He says he can't wait 3 more months, and I just tell him that he is going to have to because this baby has got to stay in there until she is good and ready.
He got his sleeping pad that goes with his sleeping bag today, and so he put it all together and was so excited to show me that he could fit into it with his legs straight. Here is my little goof ball.

We have been making these Jamba like smoothies every night for a while now, so I can get more fruits in me. I like the freshest fruit and if it is not fresh I do not buy it. So, next best thing is frozen fruit, and what do you do with frozen fruit. You mix it in the blender so there are absolutely no chunks, with other yummy things to make a smoothie. Mmmmmm, they are so good, Rob looks forward to it every night. And frankly, so do I.
They are super easy, all I do is mix orange juice, with creamy strawberry(or whatever flavor you have) Yoplait yogurt, and mixed fruit. I never measure, I just through everything in and blend away. You should try it! So healthy for you also!

27 Weeks

Well, Monday, Rob left for four days to Virginia for a business trip and so I was all by myself. Since it was supposed to snow on Tuesday I asked my parents if they could come over and pick my apples off of my trees. They did and we got 3 boxes of red apples and a half box of yellow apples. Thanks so much mom and dad!

While they were picking apples off of the tree I mowed the leaves and grass in the front yard, I could only make one swipe around before the bag was full and I had to empty it into the wheelbarrow and dump them in the garden in the back. Kind of tiring, but I got half the front yard done and then the other half was a little too thick with leaves, so my mom and dad were raking and my wonderful neighbor Martha and her son-in-law and daughter came over and also helped. They put the leaves on a tarp and hauled them to the garden. What great neighbors, and I surely appreciated the help. I finished up the front yard and then put the mower away since it was getting dark. I was hoping to get the backyard mowed, but I was grateful to be able to get all the leaves off the front yard before the snow came. There was not too many leaves fallen in the back yet.

So after that my parents left and I ate some dinner and then I took my sister to the Pumpkin Walk, we got there and were going to park and we noticed the line was out the front entrance and around the corner and all the way down the sidewalk. I said, no way can I stand in that line for that long, being that it was cold and I was pregnant and had just worked myself in the yard, so my stomach was kind of sore. We turned around and headed home and decided to go on Tuesday.
So, on Tuesday I woke up to snow on the ground and freezing temperatures, and all the rest of the leaves that were on the trees fell. After work, I picked up my sister Katie and we went to the Pumpkin Walk. Guess what? No lines, we got started just as it started to snow pretty good, so I used my umbrella and we walked around pretty quickly since I forgot my gloves and my hands got pretty cold from holding the umbrella. We were done pretty quick. My pant legs were soaked from the snow and we were pretty frozen, but I was able to get a few pictures. We had a good time anyways, even though it was COLD!

The snow that was falling, kept on falling and we got a good couple of inches. The rest of the night I didn't feel like doing anything, so I didn't. Just call me lazy. I talked to Rob and went to bed.

On Wednesday, I finally got some Halloween candy for all the little trick or treaters. And, I am now 27 weeks, Rob usually takes a picture for me, but since he is gone I will have to wait until he gets home Thursday. I am still feeling good. My doctors appointment went well, I am measuring small, around 25 cm, but because this is my first pregnancy, my muscles are not stretched yet. Which probably is why I don't feel like I am getting any bigger. Everything else is going great!

I also had to do the Gestational Diabetes test, which meant I had to drink the orange drink. The first little was not bad, but having to drink all of it was a little challenging, but I got it all down. The baby sure does like to move around, it is super crazy how much she rolls around.

Thursday, Rob came home from Virginia, and I was so happy to have him back home. He was super tired since he had to get up at 2:00a.m.(our time) to catch his plane home. He got home about 3:00p.m.! We just had a lazy evening together.

On Saturday we purchased a mattress , and also the Baby Bedding. Yeah! Two more things to check off my list, I will have to post pics when I get it all put together. Oh, I am so excited!

26 Weeks!

Here I am at 26 weeks:

I swear I look the same each week, maybe at the end I can get Rob to make a digital flip book of all my pictures so you can see my belly grow right before your eyes.
I am still feeling great, other than the minor aches and pains. She is getting a lot more active, and does rolly-pollies in my belly all the time. It feels so strange to have something moving around inside of me and giving me the tickles, she just makes me laugh, especially watching her movements from the outside.
I have started reading all about Labor and Delivery, and the stages of Labor. I am not going to get scared, the more scared you are the more tense you are, and then the more you can't relax and the more pain you will have. I have decided to have a natural delivery. I say this, but that doesn't mean I am ruling out an epidural either. I want to believe in my body and my ability to handle the pain of labor and we will see how it goes. I also want to be free to move and walk around, using the natural methods of pain relief.
During my next doctors appointment I have to do the Gestational Diabetes test, and I get to drink the orange colored drink. I am so looking forward to this!

Look at this picture, do you see ALL of these clothes:

These clothes were given to me by one of the bus drivers we have lunch with. They are mostly brand new(still have tags), or very slightly used. She just gave them to me. It was so much fun looking through them all and laying them all out over my couch. Most of the sizes are 9 months or 6-9 month sizes. Lots of onesies and summer one piece dresses. There were also some sleep sacks, and pants. Thank you so much, I don't even know if she will be able to wear everything before she grows out of them.

And we had a fun night last night visiting with the Board of Directors from Robs work that came for a few days. They had a barbeque for the Board of Directors, and they invited all the employees spouses. We had such a good time visiting with all of them, they were all such nice people.

Prevent Swine Flu

This is some information I received today that certainly would not hurt to give a try.

Neti pots and sinus rinse kits are available at the drug store and relatively inexpensive….under $15.

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memorial etc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The following message given by him, I feel makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

25 weeks!

I am 25 weeks and I have 15 more to go, that sounds like forever to me!! I REALLY need to find me some maternity pants or some pants that are just a little bit bigger. Things are getting rather snug.

I was so annoyed yesterday, I heard yesterday morning that the H1N1 Vaccine was now available in inject able form at the Health Department, so right after work Rob and I went, there were tons of people waiting. I only made it to the door because they had a sign posted that said the inject able vaccine was unavailable, but they still had the mist form. I was just mad, is there really that many high risk people in this valley. I am sure there is, I am just mad that there was not enough this time, now they won't get more in until the first of next week. We have had so many sick kids on the bus this week that I just want to take work off until I can get the vaccine. I will be okay, not to worry!

On another note, I have been having frequent Braxton Hicks contractions lately, well, I have had them for a while now, but in the last few days they are more frequent. One website I was reading said you could have one every 10-15 minutes until the end of your pregnancy. Wow! They are not bad, just uncomfortable and annoying at times. I started feeling them at around 20 weeks, which is not uncommon, I didn't think they started until the end of your third trimester. Oh well. If they do what they say they do and prepare your body for labor, then I am not complaining.
25 Week Update:

24 weeks and baby update!

Well, I had a doctors appointment on my 23 week mark and everything is looking good, I am measuring right on, heart beat is good, and gaining the weight I need to. Yeah! Love good doctor visits. With all the fuss about this swine flu vaccine, I asked the doctor about it at my appointment. I asked if you were more likely of getting the swine flu from getting the regular flu shot, he said NO. I also asked if the swine flu shot was safe, he said that it was and that it is developed just like any flu shot, very safe. He says he spends most of his day trying to get all these fears out of his patients heads. I felt a lot better after the visit and even got my flu shot at the doctors office before I left. I think the risks from getting the swine flu while I am pregnant far out way any small risks from getting the swine flu vaccine. I am going to trust my doctors advice.
Here is my 24 week photo:

I feel slightly bigger and am noticing if I stand for very long my back will start hurting. And after about 6:00 in the morning I am pretty restless and so I can't sleep in like I want to on the weekends either. But that is okay. It is so fun to still see Rob get so excited over this baby, or rather my baby bump. He is just too funny!
Other than walking for a half hour every morning with my mom, I have started using my pregnancy workout videos that I purchased when I first got pregnant, I love them. They are specifically designed for pregnancy and can help open things up for a easier labor and delivery. (Gotta love that)
If you would like to know, here are the videos I use:

This first one is the Prenatal Yoga, and it is just a good way to relax and focus on your breathing while becoming more open and flexible.

The Perfect Pregnancy Workout, this one I really love, I tried this one for the first time yesterday and felt good afterwords, you get more of a workout with this one, but it is gentle. There are three levels of intensity which I liked.

10-Minute Solutions: Prenatal Pilates, I like this one as well. I have done Pilates before and so this one was easy to start into. Everything was very familiar, just a little modified in some areas.

Summer Sanders' Prenatal Workout. I have not actually tried this video yet, I just ordered it from Amazon, but I saw it on Good Things Utah, and wanted to try it also. When I have more than one exercise video I don't get so bored with the same thing over and over.
I order all of these off of Amazon, and only got them after reading their reviews to why people have liked them.

23 Weeks and Banana Bread

Well, here I am in week 23, and I am feeling great! I know I say that every week, but that's the truth. I am not wearing maternity clothes yet, absolutely nothing I wear is maternity. One reason for this is I don't really fit into anything maternity, and I cannot find anything in this valley or online that I like and that fits. What am I to do?
I do have a maternity denim skirt and a maternity dressier skirt. But, have not worn them yet, not quite fitting into them yet. Everywhere I go the maternity stuff does not go below a small, and the small is just too big. And I have found nothing Old Navy wise in extra small that I like, except for the denim skirt. I hate ordering things online, because I pay shipping to return half the stuff back to the company. Uggh!
And so then I just look through the regular non-pregnant clothes and feel funny stares from people wondering why I am not in the maternity section. Oh boy, we shall see if I find anything for the Fall/Winter that I can wear. I guess sweaters are stretchy, so maybe I can find some that will work. Wish me luck!
The last couple of days I have been able to actually see the baby move from the outside, it is pretty funny to watch. The Joys!!

I have been home from work for 3 and a half days, due to the schools having Parent Teacher Conference and then UEA, and while I have not accomplished a whole lot, I have gotten a few things done. I was able to somewhat clear out the nursery room which was our catch all room, the sad thing is, I just moved it from upstairs to downstairs. And I got some laundry done. I made some Zucchini bread(which is pretty good, I replaced the oil for applesauce and used a half cup less sugar and it turned out wonderful). And today I made some banana bread, I have not made banana bread in awhile, and oh it smells so good and it actually rose just perfectly in the oven making the little canyons in the top that I just love. Mmmm, so good!
I love filling the house with the smell of freshly baked bread!

22 Weeks!

Well, I am over 22 weeks now, and I feel slightly bigger. I feel like I am always hungry. Kind of drives me insane. Nothing really exciting has happened this week. I did find two cute pairs of shoes, a headband, a sleeper outfit, and some Fall candles at a garage sale today. So I was excited about that.
I did have a freaking out moment earlier in the week(although looking back on it, it kind of is embarrassing how scared I really was). Monday went like normal and I came home from work at the end of the day and did my normal things. Rob called a little before 6:00p.m. saying he probably wouldn't make it home until around 10:00p.m., WHAT! that is super late, so I made me some dinner and then went and did some grocery shopping. I hate being home by myself late at night. Well, I got home and it was about 8:00, and I set the grocery sacks on the counter and then went into the dining room and shut the blinds and then was heading back into the kitchen to close those blinds when I stopped myself in my tracks after seeing he HUGGEST spider. It was a sick, ugly, scary spider. Definitely not a garden spider. I was so freaked out, I just stood there watching it above the stove on the wall. After staring at it for 15 minutes, and not knowing what to do, it started moving. Oh my gosh, did THAT send me over the top. I got my phone out and called Rob from work twice before he called me back. Just as he called me back, the spider started descending on a web down to the stove and I just started crying and trying to tell Rob what was happening. (Probably thought I was hurt or going into labor or something) I really wanted him home right that second. He asked if my dad could come over, but I was just over there and he wasn't there, and then he told me to go get the spider spray from the garage(ya right, like I was going to leave my post of watching this thing and go into the cupboard in the garage which probably had more spiders), so he just said to hang in there. The spider had moved somewhere behind the towel that was hanging from the stove door, and I had not seen it after that while we were talking, so anyways we hung up and I still just stood there. I went and grabbed the vacuum so if I saw it I could suck it up. I also grabbed a book I was reading and I just stood in the same spot so I could watch if it went anywhere else. About 20 minutes later Rob called again from work, and I was more calmed down since I had not seen it since we lasted talked. I told him not to come home until he needed to and that I would be alright. So, I still had not seen it, so I decided to get ready for bed and take my makeup off, since it was 9:40 and getting late, and I had to work the next day early. So, I got ready and then went back to my spot and read a book and occasionally glanced over to the stove. I stood there for a good 2 hours. Ya, I know, kind of lame, but I was really super freaked out and I HATE spiders. And, being home by myself did not help the matter either. We even sprayed the inside of the house not to long ago. Well, at 11:00, I decided it was time for bed. I called Rob and asked if he was close to coming home which he was, so I told him I was going to bed. He came home about 11:30, and told me he found the spider and killed it. Oh what a relief, it was still behind the towel where I saw it last. He told me it was not a Recluse spider(just a really huge house spider, and I am not going to search online to see what kind it was because I hate even looking at pictures of spiders), I was so glad it was still there and he was able to kill it for me. What a night. I guess I am a little paranoid about spiders, especially insanely huge, ugly spiders. Well, that was a long story.
Now I will post my 22 week picture:

I just got finished mowing the lawn and I was tired! It is still so exciting to feel the baby moving around. The kicks are getting stronger and it just feels like she is doing somersaults. Joyous!
I also made one batch of salsa this week, and a mom of one of the kids we drop off gave me a bag full of tomatoes, so I will probably be making one or two batches more. This is not the finished product, but the colors are simply delicious.

21 Weeks

Nothing to exciting happened this week, I bought a few things at garage sales and ate some more yummy peaches from the farmers market. I am finishing up making salsa today. Basically my week was pretty boring. Except for my allergies that has been making me sneeze like crazy, I am doing very well.

Here is my 21 week photo update:

And I finally decided on a crib yesterday and we bought it. It is from JCPenney, it is called the "Bella" Crib by Savanna. Rob helped me mark it out on the floor so I could envision how big it would be and also how high it would be. I am excited to get it and put it together. If Rob hadn't of pushed me along, I probably would still be trying to decided what to get.