No News is Good News

Well-nothing has changed at my most recent OB check up except for the slight possibility my effacement (thinning of cervix) has increased...this, of course, is completely relative seeing we meet with a different person each time we go in. Here is where we stand: I have an appointment on December 10 (two days post due date) and if no progress has been made, I will 1: be referred to the ultrasound techs at the hospital to do a non-stress test to determine if Gubby can continue to hang out (for up to two additional weeks) and/or 2: can schedule an induction. I am not particularly keen on the induction for many reasons but am still hopeful that he'll show up on his own time...close to the 11th!

We plan to 'move things along' as needed after we pass our due date by increasing activity (walking more often, lunges, etc.) and using reflexology (rubbing ankles/wrists) starting on the 10th if no progress has been made. Don't worry-we'll be sure to keep everyone posted! Additionally, if Gubby has yet to arrive, I'll take another monthly picture for the record. Compared to my pre-pregnancy state of 109lbs and a 26in waist-I'm currently holding strong at 163lbs and a 43in waist. Unbelievable.

Down to the Wire

It's been several weeks since I've posted but I felt silly writing 'same old, same old'. We've been to the OB once a week for the past four weeks (and go again on Wednesday) and a whole bunch of nothing has happened! Gubby is officially in the vertex position (head down)and no dilation has occurred. (I've been at roughly 1 cm for three weeks). My physician prescribed Evening Primrose Oil to help begin the process but little has changed in the past month. He is still slotted to arrive on the 8th of December if not later.

Assuming he's right on schedule (I still think he'll show up on the 11th), we're planning to drive down to Holiday, Florida to see Mike's family from the 19th through the 22nd of December and then on to Port Orange, Florida to see my family from the 22nd through the 26th. We'll be heading back to Tallahassee on the morning of the 26th for Gubby's baptism. This, of course, is all subject to change without notice! It's amazing that someone who isn't even HERE yet can dictate so much!

Be sure to keep us in your thoughts and prayers these last few weeks of the pregnancy and for a safe and healthy delivery! We'll keep you posted!

Almost Done!

I thought that was a clever play on words considering both the kitchen and the pregnancy are nearly complete! We only have two little things to finish in the kitchen, but it is visually finished! Although it took much longer than we'd originally expected, the final product is downright gorgeous.

We also had our 36 week check up on Thursday and everything looks great! Gubby's (Gabriel's new nickname) growth is right on target and he was very active when the doctor was searching for his heartbeat-he was all over the place! The best part is he has finally flipped into the vertex position (no longer breech) and he's descending nicely (still at -2 but at least not in my lungs). I have managed to catch a cold or something and was told to take a day or so off of work and to remain seated with my feet up since I have some swelling in my hands and feet. Further, my low grade fever and slightly raised bloodpressure indicate I need a break (which I'm fine with!) Other than mild discomfort in my knuckles (and a stuffy nose and sore throat), I'm fine! Only a few short weeks til our Gubby arrives! Our bags are packed (and in the car), the nursery is complete (minus a few more outfits to wash), and we're installing our car seat in the next week!

Many may laugh, but the Christmas trees are already up in our home (we haven't done lights on the outside of the house, though). I like to rationalize by assuming I wouldn't be able to lift/bend by the time I'd normally put the tree up (just before Thanksgiving). Whether that's true or not-our two mini trees and our large tree are splendid! As our countdown presses on, it's calming to sit in the living room with the red and white lights and our little fiber optic moose keeping me company.

Only Six Weeks to Go!

Well-we've long awaited our 'final countdown'-the third trimester-and it has just flown by! I think once you get used to toting around an additional 35 pounds, time just passes you by! Gabriel is very active and seems to have a weakness for chocolate (which is odd considering I never had a hankering for chocolate pre-pregnancy)...he seems particularly partial to M&Ms. I hope that I won't have to struggle with my newly acquired eating habits for too long after he is born...even though I will be nursing. (Then again, no one was ever known to have died from M&Ms, right?) We had our 34 week check-up at the OB and Gabriel is measuring right on track...however...he remains breech. We've got about six weeks left to turn our stubborn boy around. Check out the website we've been recommended to make him flip- Spin Your Baby I weighed in at 155 lbs which makes my current weight gain total 38 lbs! With just under six weeks to go, I will total approximately 44 lbs of pregnancy weight gain...wholly cow!

Our nursery is nearly complete-we still have to wash the car seat and swing liners. All the clothes have been washed, sorted by size, and put away. Mike will be unhappy to learn how quickly he will have to make space for Gabe's growing wardrobe. Currently everything fits in three small drawers and two little baskets...I would bargain that within six months the entire dresser will be his. Good excuse to clean out our clothing collections, though! We're finishing up the kitchen this weekend and the glass for our cabinets should be in soon-I will be sure to post pictures when it's complete.

Only a few nesting tasks remain (including baseboards, fan blades, and humidifiers) but I am not too proud to defer these to my best friend, Christa and my Mom :) I hope to put up the two mini Christmas trees over the next week or two (considering I'd like to enjoy them before my world is flipped upside down...but the good way, like a roller-coaster) and the largest one up the second or third weekend in November. Thank goodness they are all fake trees! I also aim to wrap my Christmas presents as soon as possible as well...but I wouldn't be surprised if some people end up with gift bags (my greatest defeat)!

For Fear of Reprisal

How many of us have ever blogged with fear of reprisal? Hopefully not too many-but I've received one too many requests to keep updating our Nibblets...and I don't wanna fight so here goes nothing! Ha! The past two weeks have been quite busy (hence no blogging, people). Mike and I made a very quick trip to Holiday, Florida to be with his family after uncle Richard's passing. Our stay was merely 6 hours but we were able to see his parents and aunt; who we probably won't see again until December. Our latest (and last) ultrasound went spectacularly! My placenta has migrated (too funny, huh) the necessary distance to allow a vaginal delivery-yeah! Although we still have 10 weeks to go, Gabriel is currently calling it cool in a breech position. The pictures were humorous because he was literally folded in half with his hands and feet in front of his face (a "frank breech"). He has plenty of time to turn around and our due date remains December 8th. Childbirth classes start this Thursday (October 1st) and are every Thursday for five weeks. We'll go over the anatomy of the pregnancy, laboring positions, pain management, and the stations of delivery. Quite fun! We also get a tour of the labor and delivery unit at our hospital, Tallahassee Memorial. Monday, October 19th is our Baptism Preparation Class as well where we will learn about the sacrament and things like Godparents-it should be quite interesting.

My supervisor at Eckerd is getting married this weekend (go, Ang!) and we're traveling to St. George Island for the event. We will be back home the following day. Since our son is quickly approaching his arrival, this will probably act as our 'babymoon'-our last vacation of sorts without children. We are still hoping to host our annual haunted house and are still awaiting replies from several of our core volunteers and will keep everyone posted as to if it's a 'go'-funny thing is, the outfit I wore last year for a costume would probably fit me perfectly this year! Ha! With our beautiful 60 degree mornings and my shortly fulfilled Decaf Peppermint Mocha Latte from Starbucks, the fall is off to a glorious start!

Kitchen Remodel and More

Let's just say I haven't been too much of a stickler when it comes to blogging weekly-I really have a lot to learn! So much happens and so few know! Let's start with where I left off...

Now rounding the corner of my 25th week-officially looking pregnant is no longer a concern. The concern is officially NOT fitting into maternity clothes. Can you believe some of the maternity wear I purchased already doesn't fit!? I've gained a whopping 26lbs to date with an approximate 15 to go...right on track for my forecasted forty! Gabriel seems to be doing wonderfully! I have my glucose tolerance test this Friday (yeah!...NOT.) and my follow up ultrasound in two weeks. Hopefully my low-lying placenta has moved up stream!

Our kitchen remodel is moving along slowly but surely and our back splash and counter tops are in! The pictures do not do them justice but they are just gorgeous. The honey colored maple counter tops really complement our existing furniture. Additionally, Mike has just begun sanding so that painting can begin (hence why I'm blogging-to avoid little dust particles). Mike will be doing the lion's share of the work with the kitchen while I look on-helpless to help but quick to correct!

On a much more solemn note; our uncle Richard has taken ill. He went to the hospital after having been unable to eat or drink for several days. He was extremely dehydrated and had lost a significant amount of weight. After thorough testing, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 lymphoma of the stomach and esophagus and was referred to a local hospice agency. He is now seeking palliative rather than curative care in the comfort of his own home with his wife alongside. We aim to see him within the next few weeks but ask for everyone's thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

The Beginning of the End

Having just cleared the 'half-way' mark, our pregnancy is currently at 23 weeks (only 17 weeks to go!-er, in theory) and I've finally reached the 'comfortable' point. I'm able to wear maternity clothes (and they fit) and I have been officially acknowledged by a stranger as 'pregnant' rather than 'tubby'. The bad news, you ask? I think that Gabriel has officially begun his sleep stealing techniques. Whether through movement or just plain discomfort-sleep has now become tough. I guess this will be the point when naps will begin to make up for the fact I often wake up twice (at least) to pee in the middle of the night and can typically not fall asleep again after 5:30am...for a job I normally don't have to get up for until 10am! Either way, this milestone (half-way mark) has really helped to ease much of my anxiety about being pregnant and so on...now the anxieties are beginning about labor and delivery-and of course, motherhood.

Demolition began on Monday of our 1950's kitchen. We will have a new back splash, counter top (honey maple butcher block), cabinet doors (with mullions), and fixtures in the end. Mike is working alongside our contractor, Rick (whom we love), and is having a blast. Yesterday he even had hammer envy.

Attack!

For those of you who haven't heard via phone call, I figured it was important to post that I was bitten by a dog two weeks ago while dropping a client off at her home. Needless to say, we (me and Bean) are perfectly fine. The most interesting part of the whole story is that the dog actually went airborne for a few seconds-she ran from one side of the fenced backyard towards me and jumped onto the chain link gate and over she went. Afterward, the family has had some issues determining which dog (of the two black and white female pit bulls they have) was really the culprit. I can't deny my current instinct was to face their free standing brick mailbox and sheild my belly so I didn't get the world's greatest eye witness report. I'm sure that if I weren't preggers that dog would've eaten my foot since I would've retaliated differently. The tetanus shot was probably the worst part but the whole event scared the poo out of me and did make me feel a lot less safe with my job. Luckily, HR came up the following week to see our employees and I made my concerns known. I will say, although I'm not 'actively' looking for a new job because of all of the things I love about Eckerd, I can't be too sure about my longevity with this position (not just because of the dog bite-because that was definitely an isolated incident...but my job has turned me into the most cynical social worker I know). I plan to remain with Eckerd (if they'll have me) until I'm done with kiddos since the job really lends itself to raising kids. I think once our youngest (whenever that will be) hits VPK I'll probably be ready for a desk job or something closer to the gerontological background I pursued in grad school.

Ta-da!

The past week has been full of ups and downs (new car, Mike's parents visiting, baby shower, etc.) and had a bizarre climax on July 15th. Our ultrasound went well on July 10th and the week went on as normal with our little Bean finally named a boy. The week progressed, I saw my clients like normal, ate, slept, and complained like normal and then WHAMMO! My chest felt as if I had had a gallon of milk in my stomach for six days and ended up experiencing what I now know as heartburn that landed me in triage for three hours (one hour was paperwork). Everything was perfectly fine with me and the baby...and after a high priced dose of Maalox in labor and delivery, I was feeling better. Now we have a bottle on hand and will be able to diagnose the situation more readily. I will be sure, however, to let my friends know who have yet to become pregnant that a bottle of Maalox is just as necessary as cocoa butter.

A brand new car!

So-the posting once a week idea is a bit off considering so much has happened over the course of the weekend.

On Friday, Mike's parents arrived along with Aunt Virginia and Uncle Richard-our visit was short but sweet. By Saturday morning, our long awaited new car finally arrived after months of debating and test driving. Despite our wanting a Hyundai Genesis sedan, which was a bit out of our comfort zone price range, we still ended up with a Hyundai after all-a Veracruz. It's most comparable to a Lexus RX300 luxury SUV. It's quite posh, what can I say...her name is 'Dory'.

Then, after all the excitement of our visiting family and new car, my supervisor Angelyn, held a baby shower for me and Gabriel! The games were hilarious and it was really wonderful having Mary, Virginia, and Ruthie there since the trip to Daytona would be all but impossible for each of them. The games were a blast and the gifts very thoughtful (love the 'urp cloths', Ang!) Most memorable was when Mary fed Ruthie a bit of 'poopy diaper' to verify which melted candy bar was inside...it was classic! Needless to say-quite a bit has occurred over the last 72 hours and Mike and I are just about to start settling into our routine again.

Pregnancy Part Duex

For the first part of our pregnancy story, see "It's a boy!"

After having told Mike in the bustling union at FSU we were pregnant (and after the 10 minutes of hyperventilation that comes with knowing you're pregnant), off we went!

At 19 weeks, our pregnancy has been almost perfect! I have not suffered any debilitating symptoms like nausea or water retention, rarely am I fatigued, and the baby's development according to our 18 week ultrasound is perfect. One thing I have had to deal with is what is termed 'gestational rhinitis'-or a permanent stuffy nose during pregnancy. It is caused by the influx of hormones throughout the body leading to inflammation of the sinuses...if, however, this is the only symptom I have with my pregnancy...I will be a happy camper! We were told that my placenta has developed close to the cervix, however, but is often corrected as the pregnancy progresses and the baby grows within the uterus. All that in mind, it seems that we've been truly blessed!

Prior to becoming pregnant I weighed a delicious 117 pounds (on a bad day) and shortly arriving at our half way mark, am already up to 130!

Updates will surely follow and as soon as we scan our ultrasound pictures they will be posted, promise!

It's a boy!

Well-it appears that our little bundle of joy is a bouncing baby boy! We've decided on Gabriel Thomas as his name and can't wait till he gets here! Since I've not posted hardly any information regarding our pregnancy, here's the abbreviated version of our story...

For those of you who may not know, Mike and I use Natural Family Planning as our method of pregnancy postponement. NFP is 100% free and as effective as other means of birth control when used correctly. Compared to the Catholic Church's rhythm method of pre-Vatican II, NFP has many more advantages...namely, it actually works!

Despite our efforts to start a family after three years of marriage-we got just about one year under our belt before becoming pregnant. Whether you want to blame it on our method (we're big rule followers) or divine intervention is up to you-we choose the later-either way, our date of conception is almost that of our one-year wedding anniversary and we are slotted to have our son arrive on December 8th, 2009 (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, no less).

On April 8th, 2009 after feeling a bit under the weather for a few days, slightly irritable, and experiencing soreness in my chest-I decided to use a pregnancy test (since I have a batch at my house for my job-you never know what my clients will run into)...and lo and behold! A positive result! I actually did the test upon waking up, cleaned the ferret's litter box, fed the dog, let her outside, changed, and then checked the test-without the slightest thought it would be positive...needless to say, I immediately scheduled an appointment that morning with our primary to get a second opinion. After leaving the office with a smile on my face and the greatest sense of impending doom (each day is more exciting then the next and a bit less fearful), I wandered over to FSU's campus to tell Mike the news.

To be continued...

And so it begins...

Originally I'd always had the intention to blog-even having posted a few on Myspace and Facebook...but now that our Prost Haus is growing, I figured that now would be the best time if any to keep our loved ones abreast of all our goings-on!