Lots to catch up on

Where has all the time gone? Christmas came and went in the blink of an eye. 2008 is just about over and Jacob is getting so big. I can't believe it. I was going to upload the video I've been promising and just realized how much he's grown since I took it. I'll have to do another one instead.

From the day we brought Jacob home from the hospital he has slept in the bassinet part of the pack n play. We have it set up in our room to keep him close by. Once he reaches 15lbs he can't use that part anymore. Since he was 12.5lbs at the beginning of December, we figure he's gotta be very close to 15lbs now. So to get him acclimated to the crib, I've been putting him down for his naps in it. He's been doing very well. I think it was harder on me. I'm so used to having him nearby. I have been procrastinating in getting the video monitor set up because I don't want him to be in his room at night. But today I finally did it, so I guess tonight will be the first night he sleeps in a different room. I'm sad and nervous. It gives me great comfort to hear even the slightest sounds from him and I worry that the monitor won't pick them up.

Christmas was a little different this year. With Jacob being so little and it being flu season, the doctor said it would be best not to have him around large groups of people. Everyone in the immediate families had to have flu shots. We opened gifts here and then went to my mom's first thing in the morning. They then headed to my grandparents which is what we normally do, but we came home and Brian's parent's came to celebrate. I now can not see my living room floor. Grandma & Grandpa Kyle and Uncle Evan went overboard on Jacob even though I begged them not too. He got a giant box full of clothes, a giant box full of toys, his own little recliner (it matches our recliners and even reclines), a giant box full of books. He got clothes, books, toys and a huge rocking horse from Grandma & Grandpa S. My aunt got him this giant bear that is on all fours and he can sit on that too. Unfortunately those pics are on my mom's camera, but I will upload those soon. It's total chaos around here and I have no clue where to put everything. hahaha. We need a second house just for Jacob's stuff.

Other Jacob news! He found his thumb!!!! I can't wait for him to find his toes =) We gave him his first bath in the baby tub and he likes to splash and kick the water everywhere. Hey if he's gotta be wet, so do we, right? My first day back to work was supposed to be last Monday, but we decided that I would stay home longer. My first day back will be Sept 1st and we've already secured Jacob a spot at daycare. So that's about it for now. Hope everyone had a great Christmas! Loveya all!

More Milestones =)

It's been awhile

As you can see from the pics below there's a lot that has been going on. Well maybe you can't tell, but I'll explain what's been happening in our lives lately. Enjoy the new pictures and I have a new video that I'll be uploading soon. It's so cute. Jacob is adorable.

So finally I did it. I tried the cloth diapers that we had purchased and I was so excited to use. I have mixed feelings right now, but I'll definitely continue to use what we've purchased so far.The first kind I tried was the Bum Genious. When I picked him up after his nap, I discovered the diaper had leaked. No biggie, since I'm new to the deal, maybe it was something I did wrong. I was ready to try another one out and while he was in the buff he decided to let loose. All over me, all over the changing mat and the rug. It caught me by surprise and in my exhausted stupor I made the situation worse. Thank goodness Daddy saved the day. He walked in the door to see his precious son and tired wife covered in crap. Brian suggested we maybe try again another day. After a few days I decided to brave it again and we successfully used 3 more with only 1 leaking. So I am making progress. In the picture below Jacob is wearing a dark blue Fuzzi Bunz.

We took him to Grandma K's house and I couldn't resist taking the picture of the two of them together with his Munchkin hat that Aunt Linda gave him. (Thank you Aunt Linda). He's so stinkin cute.

Jacob celebrated his 1st Thanksgiving Day. We watched the Macy's Parade together and then had dinner with Grandma & Grandpa S. My parents came later for dessert. It was a great day except Jacob didn't nap well and was extremely fussy after everyone left.

In other related news, he survived his 2 mos shots. He cried when the doctor gave him the first two but it took him a little bit for him to realize what happened and then he started wailing. Brian says it couldn't have been that bad because Jacob cries louder than that when he's hungry. hahaha. However, it brought tears to my eyes because I don't like to hear him cry when he's hurting. He stopped crying and then started up again when they gave him the 3rd one. But everything was all good once mommy picked him up and cuddled with him. We didn't have any problems for the rest of the day either. Phewww!!!

Stats: He currently weighs 12.5 lbs and is 23 inches. Doctor said everything is looking good.

Some of my fave pics

What a cutie!

Today was a good day!

Yes, I will repeat that the title of the post. Today was a good day!!!!! For the first time in a long time I feel great at the end of the day. I'm still exhausted, but it's a -I've finally accomplished a few things today- exhausted.

I'm behind in uploading pics and all I can say is that beautiful little boy to the left of the screen is the reason why. We started calling him "bean" when I was pregnant and we still call him bean today. Sometimes it's angry bean, butter bean, string bean, spoiled bean, little bean, poopy bean.

I had my first post pardem visit and I'm happy to say that I've lost ALL my baby weight PLUS 8lbs. I was ecstatic until I was sitting in the room and I could hear another baby's heartbeat on the doppler in another room. Then I started to cry. Gosh how I loved being pregnant and I loved to hear Jacob's heartbeat. Perfect timing as the doctor came in at that moment and decided to prescribe me some "happy" pills when she saw me bawling. Everything looks great and I'm happy to report that "IF" and that's a capital, bold, IF in quotes, "IF" we decide to have baby #2, I still have a shot at a natural birth. Phewwwwwwww! While at the moment I'm not ready for any more, everything I've read and heard once you've had a C-Sect, any following births must be done the same way.

Milestones for Jacob. We actually had an Indian Summer and I was able to take him out in the stroller for a walk. He fell asleep and stayed that way for the whole time. A couple days later, Daddy & I took him for a walk and he stayed awake. Jacob experienced his first shower and seems to be okay with them. They are much easier than bath's for the time being. He's sleeping longer during the night and is currently eating about 3.5oz every 3 hours or so (except overnight) He's growing so much that I actually had to pack away his newborn clothes. He does have one pair of pants that still fit. His smiles light up the room. I love to make him smile. It melts my heart. He is also starting to coo a little, which is nice verses the wailing cries I'm used to.

So why was it a good day? This week, finally, we've started to bond. He's a little wiseguy and I think he's realized that he can't intimidate me anymore. He doesn't cry now when Daddy leaves. We snuggle and take naps together. It's great. Today, I was able to get laundry done and go through the piles of coupons that were waiting to be clipped. I was able to pump twice and he didn't cry one bit. Even though it wasn't much, I feel like I accomplished a lot. I hope tomorrow is just as good.

Happy Belated Halloween

Things are so much more difficult to get done when there are children involved. haha. Obviously now we are into November and I meant to get this done for Halloween and as you can see, here we are.

The orange outfit was a gift from a friend that I work with and Jacob is only a few days old in that picture. Wish I had orange mittens for the occasion but I didn't. Thanks Trixie, the outfit is so cute. The day we took that pic was the day of his first doc appt. The nurses and receptionists loved it as well and thought he was so adorable. I wasn't going to get him a Halloween costume, but when we were in BRU and I saw all the little costumes I wanted one so badly. We didn't have much of a selection, either a cat or a pumpkin came in his size. Daddy didn't want him to be a pumpkin, so we ended up with the cat. When we (daddy) tried to put it on him, the thing only unzipped 1/2way but I swore in the store it unzipped all the way like a onesie. We had such a difficult time stuffing him into it and I was angry at whomever would design a costume that way. Needless to say Jacob was not a happy camper. So we snapped a few pics and when we went to take it off Daddy discovered if you tugged on the zipper, it really did unzip all the way. I wanted to put it back on him on another day and get more pics when he wasn't crying, but again hasn't happened and it probably won't. I'm such a slacker.

3rd week

*Note this is the first of 3 new posts*
Jacob was 3 weeks this past Saturday. Grandma Kyle came and babysat him for the very first time. Brian and I ran some errands and went to lunch. It was weird.

The weekend was really nice as Brian let me sleep in both days and he took care of Jacob during the night. Gosh how I miss sleep.

During the first few days when the baby blues would hit me, it would always be around the time the sun set. As soon as it started to get dark, I was filled with anxiety and fear. I hated whenever my parents or Brian's parents would leave. I felt more secure with "grown ups" here. Wait a minute. I'm 31 years old, I AM a grownup?!?! But how come it doesn't feel like it? I've decided I don't want to be the grownup?!?! Yes, I know it's too late, Jacob is here and I have no choice.

Jacob survived his very first thunderstorm and power outage. He handled everything better than I did. He pretty much slept through it. I sat here on the edge of my chair because it was extremely windy and the lightening was weird. I thought for sure we'd get a tornado. Then the power went out and I really got nervous. Brian's power normally doesn't go out. Think back to the blackout we experienced a couple years ago. So many were without power, but not Brian's street. Then again during the Oct storm, it didn't go out right away.

Now that Brian is back to work, the baby blues have reared their ugly heads again only this time I fear the sun rise. That means I'm totally alone with Jacob. I dread the day and look forward to the sun setting. I don't like hearing my baby boy cry and cry and me not be able to console him. I change him, I feed him, I rub his back, I put him in the swing, I turn on the music, I put him in his boppy bouncer, I put him in his boppy pillow, I walk around with him, I use the bjorn carrier, I make silly faces and sounds. NOTHING works.

While I say this, we are very fortunate, because Jacob really is a good baby. It's just that sometimes he gets really fussy and that's when I tend to panic. Every day it does get a little better.

Our second week

Brian had to go back to work on the 20th of October, Grandma Kyle came to help out that day. The baby blues reared it's ugly head again as the next day I would be flying solo. I was terrified. The feeding, pumping and even changing the dirty diapers wasn't a concern. What if Jacob started to cry and I was unable to console him. And that's exactly what happened. It seems like every other day he's fussy and there's not a thing I can do to fix it. It's extremely stressful and frustrating. I feel like a failure most days. I'm trying to juggle all this stuff at the same time and feel like I get nothing accomplished. I know it will get easier, but for the moment it's hard and I just want to lay my head down and cry.

We did move back upstairs and really I wish we had done so sooner, it's so much more comfortable. Course the swelling is gone (took about a week for that to go away) I actually can see my ankle bones again hahaha. I get up in the night with Jacob so that Brian can try to get a good night's sleep. Then when he comes home from work he takes over.

We gave Jacob his first sponge bath a few days after we had him home. He absolutely loves it when you poor warm water over his head. I was afraid he'd shriek, but nope. He lays back and the look on his face is priceless. That of course changes when you try to clean the rest of him. He can get fussy especially once you get to the bottom half. He does not like to be undressed.

Our first week home

We came home from the hospital on Wed 10/8 around 8 pm. I was a nervous wreck. I joked around about how the hospital staff was like your "Verizon Network" and as we drove away from the hospital, I lost my network. Brian and I were now on our own 24/7. Of course our friends and family are here to help/offer advice. But it's not the same as being in the hospital and hitting that red button on your tv controller for a nurse to come in. I cried and cried the whole way home. So many what if's flooded my thoughts. What if I can't do this? What if I'm a bad mom? What if I don't know what to do? What if I don't hear him cry?

Mom and Kenny were here with us for a quick dinner and to help us get settled. When they left, I stood in the doorway and just sobbed. Now we were really alone. Alone with this strange new, little person. Jacob didn't do much at first. I blame myself for all the drugs I had taken in the hospital. We didn't even have to swaddle him that first night. We had him in a onesie and a sleep sack.

It was so uncomfortable in bed. I had tried to prop myself up on pillows as well as have my feet elevated. From the calves down I looked like the elephant man. I didn't recognize myself. I didn't know my feet could get that swollen. They were so tight and hurt so bad. It was horrible. Needless to say after that first night, I decided to sleep downstairs in the recliner. It was more like a hospital bed. I told Brian he could stay upstairs but he refused saying, if I had to sleep downstairs, both he & Jacob would sleep downstairs as well. So we all moved downstairs.

I have the BEST husband in the world. Brian has been so supportive and so helpful throughout this entire situation. I don't know how I got so lucky. He slept on the couch for almost 2 weeks just for me. He was the first one to jump up and tend to Jacob's cries whether it be for a poopy diaper or just some TLC. He understood what a difficult time I was having. Both with the recovery as well as the baby blues. I'm so thankful for that and very happy that he is my husband.

We had our first doctor's appointment the day after getting home. Everything and I mean everything takes soooo much longer to do when you add a baby to the mix. I was estatic that we would be getting there on time, especially with it being our first outing with Jacob. Minutes before we were to walk out the door, our precious one filled his diaper and we had to take him out of the car seat, undress, change diaper, redress, get him back into the car seat, get the car seat in the car. Phewww!! We just made it too. hahaha. Thank goodness the office is right around the corner.

Brian was home with us for 2 weeks starting from the time Jacob was born and Grandma Kyle stopped in regularly to help out. I thought it would be a piece of cake. Stay tuned.

Our little man is growing

We had our 2nd doctor's appointment today. The first one was the day after we came home from the hospital and he weighed in at 8lbs 13 oz. The doctor said everything looked good and wasn't concerned about the billirubin levels. He said as long as he's gaining weight, that's all we care about.

Birth weight 9lbs 4 oz
Coming home weight 8lbs 11 oz
1st Doc appt 8lbs 13 oz
2nd Doc appt 9lbs .6oz

Last night his umbilical cord fell off. That makes me feel better about diaper/clothes changes. I was too nervous around it, afraid I would make it fall off prematurely or hurt him in some way.

Jacob is also growing in length. He is up to 22 inches, which is 1 1/2 more than when he was born and his head measures in at 15 cm. The nurse practitioner said everything looks great and she was rather impressed with how laid back and happy he was. We are very blessed to have such a great baby. Keep your fingers crossed that he stays this way. haha.

Introducing Jacob Daniel Sibiga

Birth Story

Warning...this might contain too much info that you didn't really need or want to know, but I want to be able to remember all the details in the years to come, so here is the story of Jacob's birth. It will also be a very long post.

Friday night 10/3, I was feeling uncomfortable and after polishing off almost an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream (like that would make me feel better) I decided to go to bed somewhat early. As usual trying to get comfortable in bed was nearly impossible and at about 1:10am, I got up to use the bathroom. Nothing out of the ordinary. While I was sitting there something weird happened and I thought to myself, what the heck was that? Did I just lose my mucous plug? Nahhh can't be. Then came the infamous water gush and I thought, my water just broke. I was in total disbelief and just sat there, I felt a little bit of excitement, like butterflies in my stomach excitement and I continued to sit there. I had absolutely no clue what to do. Doh! 9 mos of preparing and I was lost, dazed and confused (and half asleep).

I went into the bedroom and started to rub Brian's arm, he didn't realize I was standing next to him and started to turn over towards where I would normally be lying. I said hey, I think my water just broke and he groggily was like really? He too wasn't sure what to do. Do I call my mom? Do I call the doctor? Of course I needed to do both, but which first? Was it really my water or just my imagination. I looked for the mucous plug but didn't see it, so I thought I had to be dreaming, but it felt so real. Then I had this weird sensation and I ran back to the bathroom and the water gushed again. I started to giggle like a goofball. It was really happening. I never expected the water to keep gushing. I thought when your water broke it was either a trickle that was easy to deal with or a big gush and it was over. Nope, not me. At one point I was stuck on the toilet because every time I tried to get up it would gush again. Sorry, I warned you about too much info. LOL!!

I grabbed the phone and called the doctor. I was assuming an answering service would answer, but instead got this automated message...a very LONG winded automated message and when I chose the option I needed it got me nowhere. I hung up, called back, waited thru that long winded message again and realized I was supposed to have chosen another option and finally got through. The doctor advised me to head to the hospital within the next couple of hours and she would notify them I would be coming in. I ran around the house making sure I had everything I needed, jumped in the shower and at that time called my mom. Her and Kenny would meet us at the house and follow us to the hospital. (I had decided to have Brian & mom in the room w/ me while delivering). When it was time to leave, Brian was so nervous and impatient, we actually sat in the car waiting for my parents, when they didn't get here by 3, Brian started the car and proceeded down to the end of the driveway where he sat for the next 5 minutes or so. I finally told him to shut the car off as I'm sure the neighbors didn't appreciate our headlights shining into their bedroom. LOL!! Finally around 5 after, we decided to head out w/o my parents. Little did we know what they were going through just for a cup of coffee.

We got to the hospital and headed up to L&D. At first the nurses ignored us and finally one looked my way and I said my water broke. We went into the exam room where I changed and found out at that point I was maybe 1 1/2 cm dilated. My heart sank into my chest, I had this feeling it would be a long night. I was hoping for more progress since it seemed with my water breaking, my body was doing what it was supposed to. My parents arrived and the nurse basically told them to go home. They were going to insert the Cervidal and that would stay in for 12 hours to get the cervix to soften and then they would start the Pitocin. Nothing would be happening anytime soon. I started to cry because I didn't want my mom to leave, but I wasn't about to argue with the nurse because she was right, no sense for them to sit around with nothing happening. I also was freaked out about the Pitocin, I felt like I had no chance doing this without drugs if I had to be induced.

They wheeled me to my L&D room and about 5:15am inserted the Cervidal. You always here about how you lose all modesty during childbirth but I didn't realize how quickly that happens. I didn't even panic when a male doctor came in to check. I remember them saying something about an anterior placenta and how it was so high up and far back. They had a difficult time putting the Cervidal in. I also didn't realize that the Cervidal brings on contractions. At first things were okay and then the contractions became more and more painful. Around12:30ish, they decided to start the Pitocin and I said can I call my mom now? Each time they would check me I wouldn't be much further along than the previous time and I kept refusing drugs because I didn't want them to stop working when I would need them the most. My parent's arrived and after a little while longer, I gave in and got the epidural. That was pretty painful but once it was in, I felt so much better and was able to sleep. At some point around this time, I was like let's just get a freaking c-section so that it can be over with. Then they tell me they are inserting the foley catheter and I started to cry. All the things I feared most, I was having to endure.

Now, they say you can't feel the catheter and it's no big deal blah blah blah. Let me just tell you. I freaking felt it. I felt it going in, I felt it while it was in and I felt it when they took it out. None of it was pleasant at all. In fact I cried so much about it that they ended up giving me a shot of Nubain and used some numbing analgesic to numb the area. Once they did that I was fine with it in until the moment they took it out. I had to have the epidural topped off twice for the pain. Most of it was for the catheter (prior to the shot/analgesic). It was Saturday evening before I hit 91/2 cm and I felt the urge to push but was told I couldn't because there was still a little lip that hadn't opened and you can't push until you are 10 full cm dilated. I struggled really bad with this because I had to push so bad and it was hard not to. Finally, I'm guessing time wise, around 10:30ish pm I could push. I was told how well I was pushing and how it should have been working but for whatever reason it was not. It felt so good to push too. After a couple of pushes and with me being so exhausted from the whole ordeal, my doctor said nothing is happening and as soon as the words c-section left her mouth I was like YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

They wheel me to the operating room and thank god with all the drugs I didn't need a spinal. I don't know if I could have handled that, but I didn't want to be put out because I really wanted to be able to see Jacob as soon as he was born. Okay, so now I'm thinking c-section, this should be easy. Yeah right. You see, I was so blessed with having a great pregnancy that delivering was a nightmare for me. Enough to make me rethink having baby #2 and definitely not baby #3.

I feel a lot of pressure and tugging and at 11:07pm, Jacob Daniel Sibiga was born. They dropped the curtain so that I could see him and I was so happy he was finally here and things looked good. Brian left my side to go take pics of Jacob and I started to feel this uncomfortable feeling behind my sternum and then in my stomach. It started to get worse and when Brian brought Jacob over, I cried for Brian to take him away because I was going to be sick. They did manage to get a picture of us and the anaesthesiologist put a tray next to my head in case I threw up. While this is happening, they are pushing and kneading my insides which is only making things worse. I start to dry heave and finally throw up. They keep kneading and pushing and because I'm so uncomfortable I start to panic thinking I just have to get away from here. Who cares if all my insides aren't back in and I have this huge gaping whole in my abdomen. I have to get up from this table and I have to do it now. The anaesthesiologist is trying to calm me down but he can't, so they give me more drugs. I think I fell asleep for a moment and then after what seemed like an eternity they were done. Total time in labor 22 hours.

They wheel me back to my room and I get to really see Jacob. He's absolutely beautiful with his squinty eyes and full head of brown hair. Everything was perfect about him. Brian and I absolutely adore him. Stay tuned for more on our hospital stay...coming soon.

Quick Update

Pheww! We made it! 22 hours of grueling labor and 1 C-Section later, Jacob Daniel Sibiga arrived on October 4th, 2008 at 11:07 pm. He weighed 9lbs and 4oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. We are all doing fine. I'm working on a more elaborate post, so stay tuned. Will also post pictures soon. Loveya all!

Here's our Nursery.

Okay so here it is. Our nursery. Now it's still not complete, but I know everyone has been asking and wanting to know why there weren't pictures posted. I did better, I did a video for you so HA!

We will be putting up a wall hanging of Jacob's firsts (Halloween, smile, tooth) over the cube organizer, we just need to get the right hanger for it. Brian has finished staining the bedroom door, so now all we have to do is put it up. Pay no attention to the junk in the hallway. There are a few more pieces of trim to be done both inside the room and the closet. The two pictures above the dresser/changing table my mom made. One is Hey Diddle Diddle and the other is Jack & Jill. She did an awesome job, they are so cool looking. The stuffed moon & cow in the corner is a prize that Brian won for Jacob at the Erie County Fair, works perfectly with our theme.

The mobile above the crib wouldn't fit on the crib so we had to hang that from the ceiling. There are 4 beautiful hand made blankets hanging on the crib. The two in the back were made by my supervisor at work. The blue one to the right was made by my best friend's mom, who is also like a mom to me. The one to the left was made by a friend I made in college. It's different from the rest because it is a hooded blanket. I can't wait to use them with Jacob because they are all so soft and cuddly. And then of course the mother goose quilt that came with the bedding. I wish you could really see Jacob's name above the crib, the pictures/video just don't do them any justice. They are really neat and not just because Jacob's mommy made them either. hahaha

In the corner where the standing light is, we will be putting our glider/ottoman. It's in now, so we just have to pay for it and go pick it up. The problem is that it's in West Seneca, kind of a drive during the week and the past few weekends have been so hectic. I also have to hang mini blinds in the window. It was too bright outside, so you weren't really able to check out the valance, but it matches the crib bedding. And last but not least the "Little Stinker" picture was painted for Jacob by my Aunt Kim.

The other big project in the nursery that needs to be done is the closet. We have the shelving for it and the new doors, just have to get in there and get it done. Hopefully it will be done by this weekend. I'm not worried about the doors, but I would like to get the shelves put in, so we can hang Jacob's clothes and have extra storage.

I'm still feeling great. He just is not ready to make his appearance yet. Stubborn just like his mom haha. That's alright though, he'll come when he's ready and when that time comes it will be perfect and it will be right.

Okay, so the poll has closed for voting when Jacob will arrive. For those of you who voted that he would be stubborn and take his sweet time. Guess what? It looks as though you all may be right. grr! Granted my due date is this coming Sunday, so anything can still happen but at my appt last night, she said no progress. He's still living life up in my ribs (though thank goodness I can't feel him). My next appt is next Wed 10/8 and I will be 3 days late. They will do a sonogram, check my amniotic level and do a non stress test and then schedule a date to induce.

I'm totally loving being pregnant and if this were just the beginning and I had mos left to go, I'd be okay with that. Some days are more uncomfortable than others, but for the most part I have had an awesome pregnancy. Here comes the but..........BUT I don't want him to be late either. We're all stocked up on evening primrose oil and I'm going to try the sub w/ oil and not mayo (thanks Ellen) for dinner. Any other ideas???

One good thing that came out of yesterday. My bag is finally all packed and ready to go. Now, I had most of it packed to begin with as Brian has been hounding me since week 33. lol But there were a few things to add to the mix. Hey, I'm still using my Ipod and we needed the camera for Brian's fundraiser. haha. So how did the bag finally get all packed you ask? I was on the phone with my mom and started to feel very uncomfortable. I started to have contractions. At first I thought they were the BH ones, but not only was it difficult to breathe, it was painful too. That was something new to me because any BH contractions that I felt before weren't painful. So I'm running around the house still talking to mom, grabbing the last few items for the bag and getting ready for the appt. Before I knew it, the bag was completely packed and ready to go. Now I can cross that one off my list and I won't be harassed about it any longer. LOL!!!

Um..Single Digits?!?

Even though we have what seems like a ton left to do, mostly cleaning, I'm stuck here surfing the net due to some pretty big cankles. I just happen to catch the fact on one of the baby websites I check out that there are 8 days left. Whoahhh hold up. 8 days left, C'mon, that's not accurate, what's going on with the website, it must be off, not working properly today. So I decide to come here and check it out. 9 days left and counting. I felt like the little boy in Home Alone, hands on each side of his face going AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Friday was my last day of work. I have mixed emotions about this because at least when I was at work, my mind was preoccupied. Here, I keep thinking of what's left to do and how I'm stuck w/ my feet propped up. I also feel as though I'm not progressing and am terrified of the next doc appt this coming Tues. So far I've gotten some wonderful tips to try and I need to get out there and be doing them. Have to hit the drugstore for some evening primrose oil (thanks Darcy), and I'll have to start taking some walks in the evening, when it's cooler (thanks A. Shar). I already tried the eggplant parm and while that had some odd effects on me, Jacob is still happily playing around by my ribs.

Meanwhile there are 9 days left?!?!?!? AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The good and the ugly

I'll start with the ugly. The last two doctor's appointments that I've had, have left me miserable and sad. I dread these weekly appointments and for that alone, wish the pregnancy were over with. Out of nowhere, my ankles have started to swell and really have stayed somewhat swollen. It doesn't matter what I wear or what the temperature is. I gained 9lbs at my last visit due to all the water weight. I totally did not believe it at all and weighed myself at home to see if it was really true. And it showed I'd only gained 3. That made me feel much better until today, I only lost 1 lb. I was hoping for a more realistic weigh in, but my ankles are still swollen, so it's no surprise.

At my last visit I was a fingertip dilated. This visit, no progress. For the first time I heard the word induction come out of my doctor's mouth and that kinda freaks me out a little. Okay, well it freaks me out A LOT. I don't want to be induced. Bring on the pineapple, eggplant parm, red raspberry leaf tea and anything else that will help to induce me naturally. C'mon, send me all the old wives tales you can think of to help me out a bit. The doctor did say that the baby is healthy, heartrate is great, I'm doing well. She's not concerned about the swelling in my legs at all. Only if it starts to affect my hands/face or if I start getting headaches and seeing spots. For that I should be greatful and I know tomorrow I'll feel better, but for right now I just want to cry.

You see, I asked her if she knew about how big the baby was and at first she said she couldn't tell but then she said due to MY Size, that the baby could be bigger. The latest I could go would be 10/12 but wouldn't want the baby to get too big, so they would most likely induce sooner unless I go on my own. What??????? I thought I was doing well, she had told me moments earlier I was doing well, no protein in urine, good BP and good on weight gain. I realize that I was heavier than I should have been when I first got pregnant, but I don't think I'm a freaking whale.

The good.........my wonderful coworkers treated me to a surprise shower last Thursday complete with Muscoreil's signature cake. It was awesome and a complete surprise. They made me breakfast, ordered lunch out, brought lots of yummy extras. I received 2 beautiful handknitted blankets, Jacob's first Halloween outfit, a few outfits for when he gets bigger, two books that I can't wait to share with him and some bottles/bottles brushes/pacifiers and a first aid kit. I had such a great time.

3 weeks and 1 day left

I had my last shower this past Sunday and I had so much fun. My mom in law threw it for me for Brian's side of the family. We played baby bingo and guess what baby item is in the bag, I knew what almost everything was, except for the soft stuff - bib/clothing. We now have everything we could ever want or need for this baby and I'm so thankful for that. Thank you to everyone who made each and every shower a success and to those who were unable to make it, thank you so much for the wonderful gifts.

We still have a ton to do on the list and while packing my hospital bag is on the list, it still hasn't been done. heehee. Guess I'm waiting for that first contraction. Just kidding. Today I put together the boppy bouncer, the pack and play and the high chair. We hit the stores and I found a lamp for the nursery, we got the valance rod and mini blinds for the window and also the closet organizer. So now we just have to get everything set up.

This past week we also received a starter stash of cloth diapers. We decided to go with Fuzzi Bunz and BumGenius 3.0. WOW, they are so friggin cute and very soft. My first thought was ohhh they are going to get ruined. Doh!!! That's what they are made for.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day and maybe it will be the day I get that bag packed. Just kidding. Loveya all and I'll update again soon, hopefully with pics.

And so it begins.........

Whooohoooo!!!! I gained 1/2 a lb. I was in disbelief. For all the crap I've eaten, especially all the cake (my new craving) that's all I gained? My weight was also checked at the end of the day which blows my theory out of the water. You see, both times that I gained nothing I was being weighed first thing in the morning. Anytime I was weighed later in the day was when I showed weight gain. The doctor wasn't concerned at all, so it's all good. Okay enough of that topic.

I really have been enjoying my appointments. First stop, ladies room for a urine sample. This is extremely fun to do when you are 9 mos pregnant, though I'd had trouble right from the beginning of the pregnancy. Someone should invent a funnel or something a little better to catch the sample because a dixie cup just doesn't cut it. After the nurse weighs me and takes my BP she brings us to our room to wait for the doctor. She tells me to undress from the waist down. Huh?????? You must be joking?????? I was not prepared at all for this appointment. I just assumed it would be like any other. Everything looks good, do you have any questions, listen to heartbeat and go home. Ummm yeah right not this time. Nothing is ever easy but I should know that since I have a permanent seat on the Karma bus, right up front.

Today, I had my first internal exam. I won't gore you with the details, but let's just say, not my idea of a good time. Refer back to the title of the post "And so it begins....." My lady parts are starting to thin and baby is in the correct position. Whoooooooooo!

Random question for the day: How the heck do you collect a urine sample while you are holding your capris so they don't touch the ground, pulling your shirt back so you can maybe get a glimpse of the task at hand, positioning that damn dixie cup in the right spot, hovering because it's a public toilet, listening to the nurse impatiently open up the cupboard door every 2 seconds to get your sample, and having a 9 mos pregnant belly in the way?!?!?!?! Please.......I have at least 3 more visits to go which means 3 more samples to collect. If there is some secret way of doing this, please clue me in. hahahaha.

MISSING: Rachel's motivation, if found please return to..

We are down to 30 days, where did the time go? Well where ever it went, it took all of my energy and motivation with it. I am completely and utterly exhausted and the real work hasn't even begun yet. LOL! So much has happened since the last time I wrote.

Our furniture came in and we have it all set up. I got as far as to put the mattress in the crib (without the mattress pad or the sheet) The dresser is sitting empty. My excuse..well the drawers need to air out before we put Jacob's clothes in it. Um yeah, we've only had it since 8/23. I've done 1 load of Jacob's clothes so far. It was all I could do to get them in the wash, switched over to the dryer and brought upstairs, they still sit in the laundry basket. haha.

I've been blessed with family and friends who love me and have had 2 of my 3 showers so far. The first was thrown by my aunts, and it was so much fun. They made sandwiches and used cookie cutters of feet/hands to shape them. We played a smaller version of the poopy diaper game, word scramble and draw a picture of a baby. My Aunt Sue made a naked baby out of fondant frosting and it was on the cake, too cute. The 2nd shower was thrown by my best friend Kyla. She worked very hard and it was amazing. We played the bigger version of the poopy diaper game and she put together cd's with baby songs on them and baby bottles w/ candy for the favors. There was a vase with blue roses (the roses were made out of baby socks, too cute) I got a diaper cake which looks soo cool. She even made me a cd with all the pictures she took, she's an amazing photographer. I had a great time. My 3rd shower is being thrown tomorrow and Carol, my mom in law is throwing this one for all of Brian's side. I can't wait to see everyone and I know that I will have a lot of fun.

I went back to the doctor's about 2 weeks ago, everything was still looking great and I had zero weight gain. This coming Monday I go back and I can guarantee I will have gained and it will probably be more than the 2 lbs I usually gain. Despite being tired, my appetite is still going strong. Yippee!

We do have pics to share of the nursery so far, the showers, gifts etc, but I haven't had a chance to upload them. I've also turned into the biggest procrastinator in the world. There is so much to do and so little time. 1 more week and then I'm full term and it's fair game. Jacob can make his appearance any time.

We still need to pack my hospital bag, install the car seat and have it checked, get everything put away in the nursery, hang up the blinds, valance and Jacob's name, put the bar back up in the closet so put away the clothes, put the bedding in the crib, CLEAN THE PIGSTY of a house we live in, stain the closet doors, finish the trim in the closet, stain the bedroom door.

How am I feeling? I feel ok despite being tired. Sleeping has become quite the challenge these days. I can't get comfortable on either side, my hips either fall asleep or they ache horribly. My left side is the worst (but supposed to be the best position to sleep in) because my sciatic nerve bothers me on that side. If I sleep on my back I have a hard time breathing. I'm feeling guilty that we have so much to do and aren't getting it done. I'm nervous that in a month's time, we will be responsible for a newborn and at the same time I just can't wait to see what he looks like. I'm sad that I won't be able to watch my belly move around and feel him kicking and hiccuping from the inside anymore. All in all, I have had a really great pregnancy and I'm looking forward to the next one, hopefully we'll get lucky and have a girl =)

I'm on a roll

It's amazing what you can get done when you have a few days off. Not only have we accomplished quite a bit, but I've also had plenty of time to keep updating the blog. I finished Jacob's name. They look ok for a first timer. I've only ever painted on canvas, never wooden letters. My plan is to attach white sheer ribbon and nail them up over his crib. I haven't added the ribbon yet in case those plans change.

I also put together the cubicle shelf and we have it temporarily set up in the nursery, just to get an idea. It was a little more difficult to put together than I thought it would be. Most definitely since Jacob kept getting in the way. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I'm pretty good at putting this kind of stuff together and usually have no problems doing so. The directions weren't the greatest and there were these screws that go in part way and then the other end acts like a dowel. They were extremely difficult to screw in and I was waiting for Brian to get home from Home Depot to help but then I thought hmmmm...I wonder if that power drill would work. Brian had offered it to me when I first started but I stuck my nose up at it. I don't mind using a regular screwdriver and some elbow grease. But I've also never used a power tool like that and didn't want to admit it. Yes, I am a stubborn dork.

After hemming and hawing I decided to just try it and go slow. So I connect the drill to the difficult screw and timidly push the button. It was set up to go in the wrong direction and started to pull the screw out. Crap!!! I set it up to go in the right direction and push the button again. WOWOWOWOW!!!!!!! Why hadn't I known about this miracle tool before?? Do you realize how many pieces of furniture I've put together prior to this and used a regular screwdriver???? What a breeze and when is that damn crib going to get here!!!!!!

Okay, I'll admit I'm far from an expert when it comes to taking pictures, so I'm not sure why the wall looks curved, but I can assure you the chair rail isn't crooked. Remember this is just a temp set up to see what it would look like, so please ignore the unfinished trim, the cluttered closet, and the door off it's hinges. We haven't decided if we're going to get 1 more bin for the bottom right corner or just fill them all in with the blue bins. I also would like to get a different lamp. But here's another piece to the nursery. We're getting there.

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

A couple weeks ago Brian bought Jacob his first Buffalo Bill's outfits. A Lynch Jersey and jacket/windpants with the Bill's logo. I teased him that my son will not be wearing the dreadful Bill's stuff. Well for Brian's birthday I just couldn't resist and bought him a matching Lynch Jersey. For once in my life I actually can't wait for Football Season to start. I can't wait to see Brian sitting in his chair holding Jacob and they both are wearing the Jerseys. Jacob's will be a little big on him, but that's ok. It will make the perfect picture.

We ordered the glider/ottoman for the nursery today. I'm so excited. We procrastinated a little bit with this and therefore it might not be here when we bring Jacob home. They said it will take about 6-8 weeks. It will look just like the picture only the wood is a pecan honey color and we got the ottoman to match. We decided to get it with the locking feature, just in case curious hands get caught in the spindles.

Jacob's name is almost done. I just have a little bit more to paint and then I'll post pictures, most definitely this weekend. Sunday is my first shower, I'm so excited. The big day is coming faster and faster. 7 weeks and 2 days to go, provided he shows up on the due date. Yikes!!!!

First nightmare

I was so excited to finally get a good night's sleep, despite getting up 4 times to use the bathroom and I couldn't wait to sleep in this morning. Normally before bed I would read baby books, magazines or surf the net for baby stuff. Well lately I've been reading this new series that is out in stores and very popular, so I have fallen behind on my baby reading. Since I'm waiting to borrow the 4th book, I figured I'd catch up. Huge mistake.

Brian is rolling his eyes as I type this, but I'm hoping to go through much of the "laboring" process in the comforts of home. I'm still really eager to try a natural childbirth, though I am totally open to an epidural. One of my concerns is that if I go to the hospital too soon that I'll want that epi right away. But I also realize that when having a baby, anything can happen. So we'll see. I know it most likely won't be easy.

I dreamt that I did just that, labored mostly at home and by the time I got to the hospital I was ready to push. I don't know how I got to the hospital, my guess is an ambulance because neither Brian nor my mom were there. (I want both Brian and my mom in the delivery room) So I started pushing and had Jacob, it hurt a lot but was fairly easy. They said I tore a little and would need maybe a stitch or two and I thought phewww, thank goodness. Then I saw the doctor and the nurse off to the side holding onto some medical instruments and I heard the doctor say it was time for the episiotomy and I'm was thinking what??? How could I need that now when the baby has already been delivered. I argued with the doctor and the nurses that there was no way in heck they were going to cut me, just to sew me back up, NO WAY. I got up off the bed and started to back away, I ran into the hallway screaming bloody murder for someone to help me. Finally the doctor angrily shoved his clipboard at me to have me sign something stating I was okay with not having the episiotomy.

I go back into the room and there sits my mother holding Jacob. I remember looking at his dark hair and chunky cheeks. She tries to hand him to me and I totally refused him. I said I didn't want him and she could keep holding him. She kept trying to get me to take him and I wouldn't. I refused my own child. I started to lay back down on the bed and a different doctor comes into the room with a catheter in his hand. He has his back to me at the sink but goes "well are we ready for the catheter?" I remember thinking here we go again. I said I don't need a catheter as I never had an epidural. He was like sure you do and I argued with him. I asked if he didn't hear all the screaming that had just taken place, and to go ask the nurses if I had been up and out of bed already. I could manage going to the bathroom myself. We argued for a few more minutes and then he left. Thank goodness I woke up after that. hahaha.

Yes, I absolutely do have an overactive imagination. However, I guess those are all legitimate fears that I have about labor & delivery. I'm terrified of being alone in the delivery room, I'm terrified of episiotomies and catheters and most importantly I'm scared of not "bonding" with my son after he's born. I guess it's hard to believe that being childless is about to end when for as long as I can remember back, I was NEVER going to have children EVER. I never felt maternal so what if that maternal instinct doesn't kick in for me???

My mind tried to reassure me that everything would be fine, even if it were for just a few moments because when I went back to sleep I had another dream. We had brought the baby home and I was happy. Brian was here with me and everything felt like it should be. I brought the baby upstairs to the changing table and was about to change the first diaper at home. When I took off the diaper that's when I discovered that Jacob was actually Olivia. What the heck?????

8 weeks left?????

I know it's been awhile since I've updated and I apologize for that. Things have been so crazy busy around here. I'm getting a good taste of what it will be like when Jacob's here, minus the baby of course. hahaha

Good news first............I don't have gestational diabetes, whooohooooo!!!!!! I kinda thought I was in the clear when I hadn't heard from the doctor and she confirmed that for me today. She did say to still keep an eye on all the sweets. Weight gain = 2lbs. Not bad, not bad. Very pleased with that news as well. I'm feeling a little out of whack these days. I can't get comfortable for the life of me in any position, lying down, sitting, standing. Even though it's much more difficult to sleep through the night, I'm finding myself napping in the evening (which is something I never do). I spent $50 on a damn Snoogle pillow only to be using a regular pillow between my knees. And believe you me, I'll never live that one down. hahaha. I'm already feeling a lot of pressure down below and I hear that will only get worse, yippeee!!!

My mom got to go with me today to the doc appt. It was so cool to share the experience with her. She was able to hear Jacob's heartbeat, which is still in the 140's and stronger than ever. I'm so lucky to have her in my life. I don't know what I'd do without her. Loveyou Mom!!!

Jacob is really moving around in there these days. Last week, while at my parent's house for dinner, he kicked my mom. She had her hand rested on my ginormous belly and was talking to him. Before I could say be patient, he'd kicked her like 3 times in a row, as if to say "hey lady, kindly remove your hand from my momma's belly." It was too cute. He kicked Brian in the head this morning as Brian laid his head on my belly while talking to Jacob. The look on Brian's face was priceless, I had to laugh.

Can you believe there are only roughly 8 weeks left???????? Seriously, where did the time go? I feel nowhere near ready to have a baby come live with us. Yeah, there are only a few more pieces of trim to stain, but our furniture hasn't arrived yet. It should be here before the end of August, so I don't know why I'm so panicked, but I am. I've decided not to do the stencils of Mother Goose on the wall, I'd rather not have Mother Goose overkill. Instead we're going to put Jacob's name up on the wall above his crib. I have started to paint the wooden letters that we'll be using, they look pretty good. Once they are complete, I'll post a pic. In the meantime, I'll try to find a pic to show you what I'm talking about.

So I think that's about it for now. Tomorrow, is my last day of work before my vacation. So I'll try to get some more stuff done so that I can take pics and show them to you all. No, I'm not out on maternity leave just yet. Apparently any vacation time that I scheduled for this year, I have to take. Never mind that it was scheduled in January before I knew I was pregnant. No biggie, I need a break anyway.

Pray that this little bean stays in the oven longer, we need him to bake as long as possible, no matter how uncomfortable I am. Hugs and kisses to you all.

Sick and tired

Ummmm alrighty then..........the doozy of a head cold turned into a scene from the exorcist. You know which one I'm talking about. So I've been sick and in bed for the last 2 days, not sure if it was food poisoning or a virus. But finally I'm starting to feel better and the cold is also almost gone. Whoohoo!!

Let's see, what else has been going on. We had our child birthing class and hospital tour this past Sat. WOW, I don't think I've ever seen so many pregnant women before. I did learn some things and hopefully will remember them come Oct or sooner. There are only 7 weeks left until I'm full term. Yikes!!

Since I failed the Glucola Testing by a few points, I now have to do the 3 hour this coming Sat. I'm really not looking forward to that at all. Sitting in the Quest Lab for 1 hr was bad enough. I've read that just because you fail the 1 hr doesn't mean you'll fail the 3 hr. So keep your fingers crossed. I really don't want to be diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.

There is good news to report though, I only gained 1 lb this time around and now that I'm thinking of it, I don't believe I shared the good news from the last time. 0 lbs weight gain. That means so far I've gained 14-15 total. (I'm still going with the 1 lb less, if you remember what I had mentioned in an earlier entry, so that means 14lbs total) The doctor said the heart rate was in the 140's and that it appears he is head down facing my back. Please, baby, stay that way for the next 10 weeks. hahaha. I just want to reiterate that I'm not afraid of gaining weight but that with starting out overweight I need to be careful.

Aside from being sick, everything is well and Jacob is happily kicking away as I type this. I love to sit here and watch my stomach move, it's surreal. We're still working on the nursery and waiting on the arrival of the furniture. I can't wait til it's all done so I can post pics.

Ughhh I feel like crap!

For the first time since getting pregnant, I feel like a truck has run over me, backed up and run over me again. Having a cold while being pregnant is a nightmare. It started on Thurs as a sore throat on one side. I remembered that a few times while taking the horsepill pretnatals, they had scratched my throat going down, so I figured that was the problem. No biggie, I started to gargle with salt water, hoping to fix the problem.

Saturday I had to get up early and head over to Quest for the 1 hr Glucose test. So we hit the sack early. The middle of the night I wake up and I can't breathe. This isn't the first time I've woken up and felt like I wasn't getting enough oxygen. I head downstairs for some fresh air and that's when I realize my nose is plugged and then I really start to pace and panick. How the heck am I going to be okay when I can only breathe through my mouth. I can't get a deep breath at all. I started to cry which only makes things even worse. So now I'm really pacing from the kitchen to the living room and back again. I head downstairs to the family room where it's cooler and turn on the computer, what do I do or take to clear up my sinuses. After spending time not focusing on the fact I can't breathe, everything returns to normal and my sinus unplugs itself (momentarily). That's also when I discover my sore throat is actually a head cold.

Now come the sneezing fits. I have sneezed so hard and so much the past two days that I feel as though I've been in a bar fight. My ribs are so sore. Poor Jacob, everytime I sneeze it bothers him and he starts kicking up a storm. Um hey there kiddo, I'm not particularly enjoying this either ya know. I've spent the past 2 days in bed and do not look forward to going to work tomorrow. I still feel like crapola.

So the Glucose testing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but it was still gross and probably would have been better had I not been sick. They drew some blood and I had to drink a bottle of orange flavored liquid. It tasted like flat orange pop. After waiting in the office for an hour, they drew some more blood. Please pray that I pass, I can't imagine having to do that again for either 3 or 5 hours.

On a good note, we got the rug for the nursery. I absolutely love it and can't wait to put it in the room.

There he is...

The U/S technician said it was dinner time for Jacob because if you look closely you'll see him open and close his mouth. I believe he also gives us a big yawn as if to say whatcha lookin at? Now I realize some have a hard time figuring out what's what, so I'll try my best to explain. In the picture, he is on his side facing us, his head is the large white circle on the right hand side of the picture. You can see the two eye sockets as they are darker in color (black circles) and there is a tiny little circle just below that which I believe is his chin, watch that area. Don't pay attention to the noise in the background, that is just our fishtank running. I used my camera to tape the U/S off of our tv.




Some of the items we have purchased for the nursery have arrived and I am so very excited to share them with you. I've probably mentioned this before, but we have a small theme going for the nursery...Mother Goose. I don't want Mother Goose overkill but I couldn't help getting a few things. Oh and the setting for the picture...well that's just a little preview of the beautiful nursery that Brian has worked so hard on. It's really starting to come together and looks amazing. The little huggable plushies even play music: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Hey Diddle, Diddle" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider".

I've come to the realization that once Jacob is born I will miss him terribly. Don't get me wrong, it will be wonderful to hold him and kiss him and play with him BUT gone will be all the wonderful kicks, taps, somersaults that I feel now. I'll be empty inside, no pun intended. lol That's really a sad thought. It's no wonder why some have more than one. Now I've been hearing the bigger he gets the harder and more painful the kicks become so maybe I'll be singing a different tune in a few weeks. But it's definitely my favorite part of being pregnant.

Hey...there's a new poll open, while you've got plenty of time to think about it, don't forget to vote!!!

2 milestones reached

So we've reached 2 new milestones in our pregnancy!!!!! Whoooohoooooo we are under 100 days! I know I keep saying this but I just can't believe how fast time is going. I'm afraid the next time I blink, I'll open my eyes and Jacob will be graduating high school. Ok, maybe time isn't going that fast, how about his kindergarten graduation. hahaha.

In roughly 99 days, Brian and I will be responsible for someone other than ourselves. That feels really weird to me. I have a hard enough time taking care of myself.

The other milestone is that we are able to see movement now. Yay!!! Friday, I was sitting here goofing around on the Internet when Jacob started to move. Just for the heck of it I pulled up my shirt and was watching my stomach and sure enough it moved. For a minute I was a little freaked out but then I started to giggle and tried to show Brian. I've noticed that whether it be to watch or to feel, you have to have a lot of patience. It's almost like Jacob knows he's on center stage because as soon as you put your hand there or start to watch, he totally stops moving.

Sorry I still haven't gotten my butt in gear for the video or new pics. I will try to do that sometime this week.

Random musings (started 6/17 & finished 6/22)

I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going. In 3 weeks I will have completed the 2nd trimester and be in the final phase. I can't wait to see Jacob, I wonder what he looks like. Who he looks like. I can't wait to hold him.

We had another dr appt this week, to get some measurements that we weren't able to get previously. She was able to get some pretty good head shots and we saw him "eating". He kept opening and closing his mouth and sticking his tongue out. It was too stinkin cute. I'm trying to figure a way to copy the video and upload it to the computer so I can put a video on here. Okay not really trying to figure it out, more like too lazy to actually do it, but it's a great idea. LOL!!

The midwife gave me a fact sheet on preterm labor and it really freaked me out because prior to this past week it was just basic question/answer visits. Now we're getting to the nitty gritty and having to schedule classes and what to do if I start having contractions etc. How can it be June already, seems like January was just yesterday.

This is going to sound crazy but I thought the "planning/preparing" stages of having a child were going to be similar to planning a big event like say a wedding. But instead of Fondant frosting vs. Butter cream frosting it would be Graco vs. Chicco. Who knew that I would second guess every decision I have made thus far. It took me a whole day to come up with the "right" things to register for and now I'm like, why did I choose that...wasn't I going to...oh yeah I changed my mind on that...maybe I should just double check to see if this would be better....
So yeahhhhh we got one more thing accomplished.......we're all registered. Whoohooo I'm so glad that headache is over. I did get a compliment though....the manager at BRU said I must have really done my homework because my registry looked great. Phewww.

I got my first preggo comment the other day....well hey, I think it counts as one. I waited on this poor gentleman who was unable to fill out his forms. And a few hours later he calls to see if anyone had found some important things he lost. I just happened to answer the phone and he was very polite and said "the girl that waited on me, I believe she was pregnant" Whooohoooo I no longer look fat! Well at least to him anyway. It made my day though.

BOO Pregnancy Cravings

Well the pregnancy cravings have finally caught up with me. Arghhh! I gained 7 pounds in less than a month. Booooo!!!! I guess that means no more Arby's or peanut M&M's. The doctor didn't seem that concerned and in fact had I not asked how many pounds I gained, she wouldn't have said anything at all. So that brings the grand total to 13, though she said 14 but we'll ignore that last pound. Besides who really counts weigh in's when they are after dinner hours and you're wearing all of your clothes. That's not really fair right?? So we're putting Jacob on a diet...JUST KIDDING!!! He's just not allowed to eat junk food anymore. LOL!!

As you may or may not know Brian is a Republican and I give him a hard time about it all the time. I wanted to do something cute and special for his first Father's Day so I bought him two onesies which he absolutely adored. Here are the pics:

We've got movement

This past weekend I was having trouble sleeping and ended up on the couch downstairs. I woke up and felt this weird sensation in my lower abdomen. I thought...could it be, nahhh. No way. I felt it a few times on Saturday. It was always in the same spot just below my belly button. They say when the baby kicks it's fluttery like butterfly kisses. Some say it feels like a light tapping or the feeling you get in your stomach as you approach the top of that first hill on a coaster and start your descent. This wasn't what I was feeling at all, so I figured it was gas. I always thought I'd be able to tell the difference when it was my turn. Guess not.

Brian started in the nursery with spackling and painting the ceiling. I highly recommend the tinted ceiling paint (goes on pink and dries white). It makes all the difference in the world unless you are a pro. While we waited for the spackling to dry we ventured out to look at furniture. In 10-12 weeks we should have the crib and dresser/changer combo for Jacob. After a lot of research we chose Next Generation furniture from Baby's Dream in chestnut. I'm so excited and can't wait. The nursery is really coming together and I'll have pics soon. Jacob was extremely active Sunday and I have continued to feel him all week, it's crazy. When I first told Brian what was happening, he got this pouty look on his face and said, when will I be able to feel him? So we tried last night just for the heck of it and he was able to.



I can't believe I'm at 6 mos already. This whole experience is going by so fast and before I know it, Jacob will be here. I'm definitely looking forward to it but I'm starting to get a little nervous. Billions of women have had babies and if they could do it, so can I but I'm afraid of the whole labor & delivery process. For the most part I try not to think of it but sometimes I catch myself and get a little freaked out.

The agenda for this weekend is to fix the little paint mistakes, get the chair rail up, take out the carpet and start and hopefully finish the flooring. Keep your fingers crossed the flooring is as easy as people are saying it is.

The picture of the white crib has the drop gate up, the espresso crib has the drop gate down and then last but not least the dresser/changer combo. Of course I couldn't find any of these pictures in chestnut.

Happy Memorial Day!!

I had another doctor's appointment this past Thurs and everything is still looking/sounding good. To date I have only gained 6 lbs which I'm ecstatic about, since we're halfway there. The weight gain might not seem like a lot but I have to be very careful in that area since I was overweight prior to getting pregnant. (thanks to successfully quitting smoking) Jacob's heart rate was in the 150's and he was moving all around. No, I can't say that I have felt him yet. Not sure if I really haven't or if I felt it and didn't recognize it just yet. Either way, I have no worries about that. Afterwards we stopped at Babies R Us to just check the place out. I'd never been there before. Brian wouldn't let us park in the expectant mother's parking spot, he said we needed the exercise. He wants me to mention the fact that we didn't see the signs til after we'd already parked the car. It's okay, maybe next time haha. I don't think I ever seen so much baby stuff all in one place, don't get me wrong, I know that's what the store is for but WOW!!!!

We didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted to this weekend, but we sure did make a huge dent in the "nursery". The bedding came on Friday and I absolutely love it. It's so soft and really cute. So today we went and picked out paint and flooring. I love the look of the chair rail, so we're going to put one in, the top 1/2 of the room will be blue and the bottom 1/2 green. We've also chosen to install ourselves (yes, we really are crazy) the laminate wood flooring. You see, the room we've chosen for the nursery was once a little girl's room and it's all pink. That includes the carpeting. Now I don't have a problem with boys/guys and the color pink but the rug has to come out. We planned on replacing the carpet thru out the house once all the rooms had a fresh coat of paint, but since we're nowhere near that, we're holding off on the carpet. I think that the wood flooring will look really nice in all the bedrooms.

We are behind on ordering furniture for the room. I heard that it can take weeks sometimes for the stuff to come in, so that's next on our to do list. I really love the look of Baby's Dream furniture and Baby Bargains has rated them an A. Most styles convert from the crib to the toddler and then full size bed and they are made from solid wood. One of my favorites is the Kathryn style. I also like the idea of the drop-gate since I'm vertically challenged.

I'm feeling pretty good these days. There are some days that I'm exhausted and other days I feel energized. I had read that if you have trouble sleeping to buy a body pillow and that it will make sleeping much easier. I'm all for that, so I ordered a Snoogle because everyone says this particular pillow is the best. The first night I slept a few hours with it and tossed it on the floor. The 2nd night I slept a little longer with it and kicked it to the end of the bed. I figured I just need to get used to having something else in bed with us right?!? Well I'm a mover when it comes to sleeping. This weekend I swear that Snoogle was determined to get me. One end was choking me and the other end was twisted underneath my back in the most uncomfortable position, so after the 4th time of repositioning it, I tossed it in the other room on the bed on my way to the bathroom. Though it is nice to prop up behind your back when your sitting up in bed and it may work when it comes to feeding the baby if I have it wrapped around me, so we'll see. I really hope it wasn't a waste. Sorry this one is so long, sometimes it's so hectic during the week and I forget to update. I'll try to make the posts smaller in the future. I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!!!!

A dream

The night before the big u/s I had my first dream about the baby. I dreamt he would be a boy and I was right. Prior to that I'd hadn't had any dreams or feelings one way or another. So I thought that was pretty cool. My first Mother's Day was awesome but I know next year will be even better when I can hold Jacob in my arms. We got to spend time with both Grandma's and even Great Grandma. Everyone is so excited and it was great. Jacob got some really cute onesies and some mittens and Mommy got some more books to read to him and really neat picture frames. The weekend went by way too fast.

Your votes are in and the winner is...

UPDATED ON 5/10 I was in such a rush and so tired Thurs night after we got home that I hurried through the original post, so that at least everyone would be able to see what we are having. Now that there is more time to collect my thoughts, I thought I'd update and finish the post.

Say hello to Jacob Daniel Sibiga. As you can see he's waving hello to you!!! (Click image to make it larger.) We just got home from the doctor's and shopping for books. Everything is still looking great. He weighs 9oz and his heart rate was 151-154. Soooooo the old wives tale was wrong. Heart rates over 140 don't always mean the baby is a girl. I didn't realize what this u/s would entail and I thought right away the tech would tell us the gender. That is not so and I remember feeling a little antsy. I had tried out one of the baby myths and drank some OJ before the visit. Supposedly that will get the baby moving. He still wasn't into cooperating very much and we have to go back in 6 weeks for a few more measurements. I was very surprised though that we were able to get the "money" shot. haha. Then panic set in, I don't really know much about little boys despite having a brother. I'm afraid I will fail at this motherhood gig.

You should be able to click the second picture now to make it bigger. After the appt, we stopped at Barnes & Nobles because of course I need as much information as I can get on raising a boy. I'm determined to be a good mother. I also picked up a book on teaching your child to sign, one on breastfeeding, one on parenting and last but not least two books for baby Jacob. Now that he can hear outside of the womb, Brian and I are going to start reading to him. We got Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends - one of my very favorites and another book with stories just for boys (includes Tom Sawyer, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Oliver Twist). I'm really looking forward to that special bonding time. Brian was beaming from ear to ear all night long. He is so thrilled to be having a boy. He can't wait to teach him about sports, gardening and all the "boy" things. I know he will be a great dad and I look forward to sharing this journey with him. I, on the other hand can't wait to share my love of music and art with Jacob. I can't believe how fast time is going and there's probably a little over 4 mos to go. We can't wait to meet this little man and have him be a part of our family.

Things are still good!

Just got home from the doctor's. I met a new Dr. today. She was very nice. The blood work came back good and the chances of Down Syndrome or Trisomy 13,18 & 21 are 1 in 5000, so she said we don't have to think about having the amnio done. Thank goodness. That big needle terrifies me and I don't think I could have gone through that. She also told me that my due date is 10/5 instead of 10/6 and that it most definitely won't change going forward. I only gained 2 lbs which makes me VERY happy. That's 4 total according to their scales and not counting the weight loss that I had in the beginning. I can't remember now but I think I lost between 4-6lbs in the beginning. We got to hear the heartbeat again. At first she couldn't find it and I was starting to get nervous but then finally there it was. She said about 150, that's lower than the first time but normal because as the baby grows the number should go down. She said it was hiding behind the pubic bone and being very stubborn. We joked about that since the last time I was there, the baby wasn't cooperating and jokingly she said it's probably a girl then. I laughed and said I would be fine with that and Brian glared at me. The most important thing to me is a happy healthy baby but if our first (oh my gosh did I just say that) was a girl then that would be ok with me. So let's see if this little bean wants to cooperate in two weeks when we hopefully will get to find out if it's a girl or a boy. May 8th is the big day!!!! I can't wait to see it on the screen moving around again. That was really neat to me.