Pregnant and Running...

Back in December, when I was getting back into running and wanted to improve my speed and distance, I signed for a 10k. I had never run more than a 5k, so I knew this would be a challenge, but I was ready for it.

I signed up, starting training way ahead of time {the race is not until Memorial Weekend, so I had 5+ months to train}, and I even convinced two of my sisters-in-law to run it with me! None of us had ever done a 10k, but we all were ready to go. I quickly got myself up to 4.5 miles - which is 1.4 miles more than I had ever run before - and I was feeling good. I was actually pretty excited.

Then...I found out I was pregnant. I knew that by the time race day came, I would not be able to run 6.2 miles. There was just no way. When I was pregnant with Leland, running started to hurt very early in my pregnancy. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do that much at 19-ish weeks. It just wasn't going to work. So I sold my registration to someone else and decided that I would cheer on my sistas this year {and wait for them at the finish line with doughnuts} and run it myself next year instead. No big deal.

About a week before I found out I was pregnant, I agreed to help my friend, Courtney, coach Girls on the Run. I have helped her in the past, and have also coached Girls on Track. It's an awesome program for girls 3rd-5th grade {or 6th-8th for GOT} that is designed to help girls learn to be healthy and confident, and in the process, they train for a 5k. We meet twice a week for a little over an hour after school. We do a lesson about physical/emotional/mental health. For example, we have recently talked about gratitude, cooperation, ways to be physically healthy, and ways to express emotions in a healthy, productive way. After our lesson, we head outside to run.

I wasn't sure I could run much during this pregnancy, but I still wanted to help out because it is such a great program. So I told Courtney I would still help, but I may be walking a lot. She was fine with it.

Well, to my surprise, I'm 14 weeks along and still able to run a decent amount. We run around the school parking lot and each lap is 1/5 of a mile. My goal each day is to alternate running a lap, then walking a lap until our time is up. And if I'm too tired, maybe I'll walk more than run.Today, I had to walk a little more because I just wasn't feeling well - low blood pressure was kicking my butt. I'm not trying to push myself. I'm just trying to do my best and really listen to my body. Sometimes it says, "You're good. Keep going." And sometimes it says, "Hey, lady. Give it a rest!" And I definitely listen when it says that!

The final run is in less than a month {the same day as the 10k I was supposed to do}, so I may still be able to run at least a little bit through the rest of this GOTR season. I'm pretty excited about that. I know it is good for me and the little babers for me to be active, and I am glad I can be somewhat of a role model for the young girls involved in GOTR. Many of them probably don't see themselves as runners, but when they see a pregnant lady trying to run, they tend to see that they can run too.

Answers...

Today was my postpartum appointment with my OB/GYN. This may seem strange, but I was pretty excited for this appointment for a couple of reasons.

The first reason is that I wanted to see me doctor again. She wasn't on call when I went into labor, so she didn't deliver Leland. Which means I haven't seen her since the week before Christmas. I was anxious to be back with my normal doctor.

The second reason is that I was hoping I would get some answers as to why I went into pre-term labor and what I can expect for my next pregnancy {in a few years}. Dr. Bump had sent away my placenta for testing and I hadn't heard back from him, so I was curious what Dr. Morreale had to say.

I did get some answers, but of course there are still some questions left unanswered. Dr. Morreale said that the testing concluded that I had developed an infection in my placenta and that's why my water broke early.

One question answered, but this brought another question:"how did I get the infection? That one shall remain unanswered. They have no idea what caused the infection; it could have been a million things.

Knowing there was an infection was a bit of a relief to me because I thought this meant I would be at a lower risk of this happening again, and the infection was just a fluke. Not the case. Apparently, this puts me at a higher risk during my next pregnancy. It is entirely possible that I would not deliver early next time, but it is also entirely possible that this could happen again, and possibly even earlier.

Naturally, this brings on another question: what can we do to prevent it or how will my care change during my next pregnancy? Dr. Morreale said that there are two things we can do to prevent infection and therefore prevent pre-term labor next time. I can either get a Progestrone shot once a week from 16 weeks to 34 weeks or I can take a vaginal suppository daily for the same amount of time. Neither sounds like a fun option, but I have plenty of time to decide.

I'm happy to have some answers, even if they're not really the answers I want. And, with today's appointment, this pregnancy journey has officially come to a close. No more pre-natal or post-natal appointments as they pertain to this pregnancy. Now I have to start thinking about things like birth control again; I have to say it was kind of nice to not have to pay attention to that for a while.

Pregnancy: 34 weeks...

Every week, I start a list of things to put in my pregnancy journal so I don't forget. It's just a bulleted list and then I sit down on Monday or Tuesday and elaborate. This week, this is what you're getting....

12.27.11 – 34 weeks

-stretch marks {I have more of them}

-baby wise book {I read the book On Becoming Babywise the other day. Great book for all expectant mommies.}

-weight gain {about 23-25 pounds so far} 

-maternity clothes {Shirts are getting too short. Elastic on pants is getting a little snug.}

That was all I had. Until today.

-water broke

My water broke around 6:30pm Monday night, so I am now in the hospital awaiting my little man's arrival. I started having contractions a couple of hours ago, but they're quite mild, so we may have a long way to go still.

The doctors say not to be worried and that the baby looks great. It's hard not to worry, but I trust my doctor completely and I know that it is all in God's hands. I am asking for prayers though that our sweet boy is born healthy with few or no complications.

I'll let y'all know how it goes!

Pregnancy: 33 weeks...

12.19.11 – 33 weeks

Besides craving sweets, I am still loving fruits and salad. Funny thing, I’m not really much of a pineapple eater; I like it, but I’ve never actually bought pineapple in my life. Eating it once in a while when it’s on a fruit tray is good enough for me. But this weekend, when we were grocery shopping, for some reason pineapple sounded really good, so I bought some. Dave gave me the weirdest look {because he’s never seen me buy pineapple before}, but didn’t say anything.

This past weekend, I had waffles for breakfast instead of my latest usual yogurt with granola and fruit, and I started feeling funny. I was short of breath and felt sort of dizzy. One of the doctors a few weeks ago said that it’s probably my blood sugar dropping, but I think what I was feeling was high blood sugar, because I didn’t feel hungry and it went away after a while {whereas with low blood sugar, it doesn’t go away until you eat something to bring your sugar back up}. No more waffles on the weekends, I guess.

A few days ago, Dave said, “Oh my gosh. We’re gonna have a baby in six weeks.” I said, “Honey, probably more like seven, or maybe even eight.” His response: “It’s the same thing. Holy crap!” Ha ha.

Leland is a big mover these days! He rolls around constantly, except whenever Dave tries to feel him. Dave has only been able to feel him a couple of times. We have a stubborn boy on our hands!

A couple of people told me this week that I look like I’m dropping. I don’t know how anyone can tell, because I am carrying so low to begin with, but it makes me excited that things are really going to happen soon!

However, with things coming up so soon, I’m starting to get a little anxious that we will have everything on time. But this week, I got some great {and relieving} news that I may be getting a free breast pump from an organization called Healthy Futures. It’s not a “for sure” thing yet, but it’s looking good, which is such a load off my mind. That’s $280.00 that I don’t have to come up with right now. PHEW!

I have moments where I feel uncomfortable, but overall I feel pretty great. I get short of breath and tired, and getting comfy at night is difficult, but I still have pretty good energy and feel comfortable most of the time.

And just a cute story…today, Dave called me after school on my classroom phone {he never calls my classroom phone, but he did today}. When I answered, he pretended to be classroom parent and said in a serious tone, “Hello, this is Leland Nowak’s father.” It made me smile.

The countdown is on – SEVEN WEEKS to go!

Pregnancy: 32 weeks...

12.13.11 – 32 weeks

Eight months pregnant! Eight weeks to go! Yeeee Haaaaa!

I am just now getting to the point where I’m starting to feel uncomfortable. Mostly, it’s the excruciating heartburn and acid reflux. I get heartburn from literally everything: peanut butter, banana bread, cereal, and even water a couple of times. It makes me nervous to eat. Last night though, I tried a few things differently {milk with dinner instead of water, no food after dinner, and used a different toothpaste instead of my usual kind with baking soda} and I didn’t have any heartburn. Wahoo!

Besides that, I also find it difficult to get comfortable at night, and I’m exhausted and ready for bed by 6:00pm. I am thankful, though, that up until now, this has been a super easy pregnancy. I’m pretty lucky to have made it this long without any real discomfort.

I am also to the point where my school uniform pants just do not fit. I am carrying so low that even with a bella band, my pants just don’t work. I was able to find some navy blue yoga pants at Walmart and most people didn’t even notice the switch until I said something. I am so much more comfortable now and wondering why I waited so long to make the switch. Also, I must share how classy I look on recess duty these days since I can’t zip my coat.

 I can only button the top buttons {and one of them popped open a couple of times today, so I’m getting even bigger}

In one of my pregnancy e-mail newsletters, I read that I am probably experiencing heartburn and shortness of breath due to my organs being all squished {I’m paraphrasing here}. I have definitely noticed myself getting short of breath, usually on walk into school in the morning. My body isn’t quite used to moving that early in the morning and it’s a long walk from the parking lot to my classroom. But I’m hanging in there, and feel fine most of the day.

I am very much craving sweets these days, but I’m trying to limit myself. I feel like I’m doing pretty well with weight gain and I want to keep it that way. I’m not necessarily worried about my weight gain as much as wanting to keep my baby a normal size. I would really like to have a natural, med-free delivery, so it’s best if baby boy doesn’t get too gigantic. Overall though, I’m staying pretty open-minded. I know that this baby will come out one way or another and if that means meds or a c-section, then I guess I’ll have to go that route. I’m trying to stay positive though, even with everyone telling me my baby will be 12 lbs.

Dave and I went to pick up my rocker tonight! I am so stinkin’ excited! We’re going to clean the carpets tomorrow {his sister has a carpet cleaner that she’s letting us borrow} and then we can put it in the baby’s room. Still haven’t ordered the crib, dresser, and changing table yet; soon though.

Looking forward to the next eight weeks flying by, and the days/weeks/months/years following to go by ever so slowly {I know they won’t, but don’t burst my bubble}.

Pregnacy: 31 weeks...

12.06.11 – 31 weeks 

Feelin' pretty huge these days, but loving every second of it. 

I cannot believe I only have nine weeks left! I am so excited and just giddy all around. Dave asked me a few days ago when it’s “safe” for a baby to be born. Actually, his exact question was, “How early can a baby be born and still live?” So I explained the whole viability at 24 weeks, and how at 28 weeks they can survive with a short NICU stay, but that at 37 weeks, they are considered full-term. He said, “That’s in six weeks. We could have a baby in SIX WEEKS?!” While I’m eager to meet my sweet one, I would like him to bake longer in there, just to be sure that he’s as healthy as he can be.

I had an appointment yesterday with the midwife at my OB/GYN office. She was really nice. My blood pressure was back up to normal range {110/70}, so I was happy about that. Baby is head down {YES!}, and I am measuring right on track. I asked what my weight gain was from the beginning of my pregnancy. The last time I asked was at least 6 weeks ago {probably more}. At that point I was only up 12 lbs., so I was expecting about 18 lbs. Ha – 23 lbs. It was surprising to hear it, but I guess it sounds about right. My next appointment is in two weeks with my regular doctor, because the other doctor I’m supposed to meet will be on vacation then.

This week, I’ve really been craving sugar. I really am trying to be good, because I know it’s not good for me or the baby, and I would really like to keep my weight gain normal, but chocolate is my big weakness. It’s so hard to say no.

Since switching from cereal in the morning to yogurt with fruit and granola, I have had much more energy throughout the day. I don’t get the weird dizzy/low blood sugar feeling in the morning anymore. Plain yogurt is not as tasty as apple cinnamon cheerios, but if it makes me feel good, then I guess I’ll stick with it. I also have some peanut butter toast with it.

I’ve been having CRAZY round-ligament pains lately. Mostly just at night, when I roll from side to side. The midwife said that’s totally normal, especially since the baby is head-down, because that will cause pressure down there.

Now that my showers are done {except for my school one in January}, Dave and I are starting to figure out what stuff we still need. We still need a lot of the big stuff, like the furniture, stroller, car seat, and breast pump, but I think some of that we might get from my school shower, so I’m not rushing out and buying it yet. We do have some gift cards too, so that will help. So excited to start filling up Leland’s room with all of his cutesy things!

Pregnancy: 30 weeks....

11.29.11 – 30 weeks

Perhaps yoga pants weren't the best choice, but I was just too tired to change from uniform pants to jeans to yoga pants. One change of pants was all I could muster. 

THIRTY WEEKS! I can’t even believe it! My sweet baby is three-quarters baked. And I just know these next ten weeks will fly by with Christmas coming. Oh, how I can’t wait to meet and snuggle my precious baby boy.

I’m not sure what the deal is, but I’m having trouble sleeping again. I wake up at around 1:00am and can’t seem to fall asleep until after 3:00am. It wasn’t terrible when I was off work last week, but it was not fun getting up at 5:30am today after a poor night’s sleep. When people hear me say that I haven’t been sleeping well, they tell me to “get used to it.” I understand what they’re saying – soon I’ll be up at all hours of the night every night. However, at least there will be a reason to be up. Right now, I just roll back and forth, bored and staring into darkness.

I seem to be getting full more quickly lately. I must be running out of room in there. I also have been struggling because no foods really sound all that amazing – at least not normal foods. Dave and I sit down and try to think of dinners for the week, and nothing sounds good. This week, I just wanted stroganoff, but I don’t want the beef in it.

I am officially in all maternity clothes, unless I can find shirts that were really long on me before pregnancy, but I don’t have many of those. The bummer is that I don’t have many maternity clothes, so I feel like I wear the same thing all the time. On the plus side though, because I wear a uniform to school, just a few shirts really will get me through this pregnancy – big money saver. But I do need to go get a couple of larger uniform shirts. Mine are getting a little short.

This past weekend, Dave and I completely emptied the baby’s room! Such a relief to have that done. You seriously have no idea how much junk was in there. It was our catch-all room for the last seven years: computer desk, file cabinet, bookshelves, scrapbooking stuff, sewing stuff, my purses, gift wrapping stuff, and so much more. Dave spent Saturday and Sunday patching the walls; between the nail pops, screw holes, chips on the corners, and random dents in the wall, this was a pretty big job. We bought the paint and Dave is planning to paint this weekend. Oh, and we noticed a ripple in the carpet. While we would both love to just get all new carpet for our whole house, that is definitely not going to happen. But my handy husband bought a tool to stretch carpet for way cheap and he is planning to fix it himself. He is also building some new shelves, because right now it has wire shelving {not so great for books and such}. I love having a husband that can build and fix literally anything.

My second baby shower {the Nowak family shower} is this weekend! Wahoo! So excited to see Dave’s extended family, who all live at least two hours away, and enjoy a fun afternoon.

Pregnancy: 29 weeks...

11.22.11 – 29 weeks

I was told at my baby shower that my pictures online make me look bigger than I really am, which I consider a good thing. I decided to zoom out a little this week and see if that gives a more accurate picture.

The last few weeks, no matter how tired I am, I get this weird, restless feeling. I want to sit still, but my body just feels like it needs to move. I change sitting and sleeping positions a lot. It’s kind of hard to explain, and I didn’t understand what was going on. Then I just read on one of my weekly pregnancy e-mails that women might start to experience “Restless Legs Syndrome” around this time in pregnancy. I guess that’s what it must be. My mom has RLS, and to be honest, I never understood what it meant. I just thought if your legs feel like they need to move, maybe you should…you know…move them. Take a walk, do some jumping jacks, something. But it’s totally different than I thought it was. It’s nothing terrible, but just a weird feeling.

I am STARVING all the time lately. I eat breakfast at about 6:30, and am hungry again before I get to school, which is around 7:30. I’m hungry all day, but I’m usually ok after I eat dinner. That is, until 1:00am rolls around. I wake up so hungry. I don’t want to get up and eat (because I’m tired), but I can’t sleep when I’m so hungry. Little man must be hitting a growth spurt.

I’m generally one of those people who is cold all the time. Like, freezing cold. Even in the summer, I always have a sweatshirt with me just in case I might need it, and I always wear socks to bed. At school, I am always sporting my fleece jacket or vest with my uniform. Over the last couple of weeks, however, I have felt like a furnace. I get so hot, so fast. I now have an idea of what hot flashes might feel like. I always imagined that I would like to be one of those “warm” people, because being cold all the time isn’t very comfortable. But I have to say that being hot is no picnic either. But I guess if I’m going to experience these “hot flashes,” the winter months are definitely a better time to have them than the summer months. At least I find some relief in stepping outside.

I am off work this week. THE WHOLE WEEK. It’s pretty much fantastic. I’m spending the first few days packin’ up my scrapbook/sewing/craft/office room so Dave can move it and he said he wants to paint the room THIS WEEKEND! Eeeeek! I can’t even describe how excited I am about this. Because he has to patch some corners in the room, he may not be able to finish painting this weekend, but we are going to buy the paint and he’ll probably get one coat of paint done. WAHOO!

I had an appointment today with Dr. Bump. It was my first time meeting one of the other doctors in the office. The appointment was fine. My blood pressure was on the low side again (90/60…last time it was 88/44), but Dr. Bump said it’s still in the normal range and as long as I feel fine, he’s not concerned. I explained that I do feel really tired and kind of dizzy about an hour after I eat breakfast, and he said that it’s probably my blood sugar dropping and suggested that I eat more protein in the morning. I guess my toaster waffles with peanut butter aren’t quite enough. Other than the BP, everything else is perfect: weight gain, measurement and heartbeat are all right on track. I go back in two weeks to meet with Annie, the midwife, at the office.

Pregnancy: 28 weeks and an announcement...

11.15.11 – 28 weeks

Hard to tell in the pictures, but I just got highlights and low lights in my hair tonight. I've never had low lights, so I was a little nervous. But I've decided that I want to gradually go darker and I thought this would be the best way. I have to say that I am in love with the new color!

I cannot believe I am 28 weeks pregnant. For some reason 28 weeks seems like so much further along than 26 or 27. I am officially in the third trimester, which just makes me so incredibly excited and anxious. I cannot wait to meet this little boy and bring him home.

I have to say that this pregnancy seems to be about the easiest pregnancy in the history of the world. I never had any morning sickness; some slight nausea in the beginning, but really nothing uncomfortable. I have felt great the entire time, and haven’t had any difficulties. This week was the first week that I had any really uncomfortable symptoms.

Like…holy heartburn, Batman! I felt some really mild heartburn several weeks (months?) ago and it really didn’t bother me at all. But this week, it has been really bad. Like, bad enough to make it difficult to fall {and stay} asleep. And I’m definitely experiencing some acid reflux.

Oh yeah, and two nights ago, I had some serious leg cramps! My alarm went off and I rolled over to turn it off and immediately felt excruciating pain surge through my calf. It didn’t last long, but it hurt bad! Honestly, though, I would take heartburn and leg cramps every day for the rest of my life if it meant snuggling my sweet baby in just 12 weeks {12 weeks! Ahhhh….I’m getting giddy!}.

I have been living off of bread lately. I can’t seem to get enough carbs. But it works out ok, because it keeps my hunger at bay for a decent amount of time and nothing else ever sounds that great.

I am still super tired, which I think is due to not drinking enough water, which is leading to low blood pressure. I can really feel when my BP is low lately. I’m sleeping great at night, with the exception of the last few nights because I’m so excited about things happening this week: my first baby shower coming up this Saturday, ordering Christmas cards with our maternity pictures on them {the first time I’ve ever ordered/sent cards with our pictures on them}, my sister-in-law finding out the gender of her baby this week, getting the baby’s room ready, and stuff going on at school.

I read somewhere that during pregnancy you can develop some temporary skin changes, like red spots, etc. I haven’t noticed any on my skin, but for the last few weeks, I have had a small red spot on my lower lip. I don’t know what it is or what it could be if it’s not pregnancy related.

As for the announcement...Dave and I have pretty much settled on a first name for our sweet boy. Dave came up with the name and it grew on me. Once I loved it, Dave wasn't sure. Now, we're both pretty sure that this will be his name. Of course, we could change our minds, but for now, we're pretty well set on the first name Leland. As for a middle name, I like John {after my dad}, but Dave doesn't like it because John is also my brother's name and his brother's name. We're tossing around different names, but haven't come up with the perfect one yet. We're thinking John, James, and Henry so far. We shall see.

My first baby shower is this weekend and I am so excited to see my family and friends!

Maternity Shoot Outtakes...

One of the great things about having Melinda do our photo shoot is that I get to keep all of the pictures, including the ones that didn't turn out so great.

Because I have an amazing sense of humor, and I think you all do too, I decided to share with you a few outtakes.

Because Dave is so tall, and I am so...not tall, it was actually somewhat awkward for him to put his hands on my belly. They don't quite reach. So he was making fun of himself here and Melinda was able to capture it.

Have you ever seen Talladega Nights? In the movie, Ricky Bobby is in a commercial and he doesn't know what to do with his hands, so he holds them up in the air like this. Well, here, Dave said, "I don't know what to do with my hands," and did the same thing.

I was playing around and Melinda decided to take a picture, because it was a cute pose. But Dave was lurking in the background making fun of me and ended up in the shot. I had to pose again with him out of the shot.

Me...talking and pointing

Talking...deciding what to do next.

I think the first one is my favorite. Dave wants me to delete it and never speak of it again. Sorry, honey, it's now on the internets for all the world to see.

Maternity Photo Shoot...

I know I already posted today, but I just couldn't wait to post this!

As I've said a couple of times, my wonderful sister-in-law, Melinda, met Dave and I last Sunday for a little fall maternity shoot. I got the pictures back today and I am so happy with them. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites {okay, definitely more than a few here, and I could have shared many more}.

Progress...

Do you see this?

Those are the books and bookshelves that used to be in my baby's room. But this is not my baby's room (notice I said "used to"). This is the basement. This means that last night all of this stuff was moved out of my baby's room. The bookshelves used to be full, but in the process of moving stuff, I got rid of a lot.

Do you see this?

This is the wallpaper that used to be in my baby's room.

I know that this is "baby" wallpaper. But I don't like wallpaper, and this doesn't go with the color scheme I'm going for.

That's right, I said "used to" again!

This was my attempt a few weeks ago to see if the wallpaper would just magically peel off in one piece. It didn't, which meant I needed tools.

After approximately four hours with the help of my fabulous mother-in-law, Baby Nowak's room now looks like this... 

 We still have some work to do (moving the rest of the stuff out, patching the corners/walls in some areas, painting, and cleaning the carpets), but this is progress and I am beyond excited!!!

Pregnancy: 27 weeks

11.8.11 – 27 weeks    

One of the few non-maternity shirts I own that is long enough.

I thought this pose showed my belly a little better.

In the last week, I have had so many people comment on my belly. People at work that I don’t see very often were mentioning how big I seem to be getting. To me, it doesn’t seem like I’m getting all that big. But I guess to people who don’t see me much, it’s probably a big change. But then this weekend, Dave and I went to a friend’s surprise birthday party, and everyone kept saying I’m too small to be 27 weeks. I guess they’re probably comparing me to other people they know who were bigger than I am or to people who were/are farther along. I feel like I’m about the right size for how far along I am, so it doesn’t bother me when people say things…just a funny observation that some people think I’m huge, and some people think I’m tiny.

Our little one is moving all around these days. I can definitely see movement from the outside, which is so fun. I could watch it for hours. Dave was finally able to feel some baby kicks this past week. We were lying in bed, and I started to feel some kicks, so Dave put his hand on my belly and just waited while we talked. Sure enough, baby boy kicked a very soft kick and Dave said, “Was that one?” He said it didn’t feel like he thought it would – that it felt like a muscle spasm. I told him that’s kind of what they feel like to me sometimes too. But then our boy kicked a few harder kicks and Dave was able to feel those.

This week, I don’t feel hungry at my normal meal times. I try to eat anyway, because I don’t always have the opportunity to eat whenever I feel like it {like at school}, and I’ve found that if I skip snack time, my blood sugar drops really fast in between snack and lunch and it’s hard to get it back up. I’m trying to not eat as much sugar as I was. October was not a good month for me – Halloween candy was much too tempting. I don’t want my baby too sugared up. And with my glucose test tomorrow, I probably should be laying off the sweets.

My stretch marks are growing {and multiplying}. They started out as three small spots on my right side, but there are more of them and they are slowly getting bigger. Plus I have some on my left side too. They don’t bother me too much; I guess I sort of assumed I would get them anyway, especially since I was showing so early. I will wear them proudly; however, I am using oil and lotion to try to keep them from growing and multiplying too much.

My wonderful sister-in-law took some maternity photos for us this weekend. I wanted some pretty fall ones with the leaves on the ground, and this seemed like it might be the last weekend before the weather gets cold and yucky. I also plan to get some done next month in the snow. I can’t wait to share them!

I can’t believe that I only have 13 weeks left! This is the last week of my second trimester! February seems so far away {probably because I keep forgetting it’s already November}, but 13 weeks seems so close. I can’t wait for Dave and I to start this next chapter in our lives!

Pregnancy: 26 weeks

11.01.01 – 26 weeks 

Two weeks ago, I celebrated being six months pregnant. Because if you go by "four weeks in a month," that is six months. However, 26 weeks is actually half of a year. So today I have officially been pregnant for half a year!

Last week, someone said to me, "You're counting down already? You have a long way to go still." And while I understand what they're saying, I think it's important to point out that I have been expecting my "first" baby since last December. Dave and I officially started trying in September/October last year. We were blessed to get pregnant right away and found out we were expecting Baby #1 in December. So, I first started "expecting" a baby nearly a year ago. And if you include both pregnancies, I have been pregnant for 38.5 weeks. Who isn't counting down by 38.5 weeks? I am loving every single second of pregnancy, but am I counting down to our boy's arrival? You bet your ass I am! I have waited a long time for this, and I can't wait to meet him.

I need to start taking my picture in the morning. I definitely look better with my hair and make-up freshly done.

Our baby boy is moving all over the place these days and this mama is loving every minute of it. Of course, he’s probably trying to kick me to tell me to stop coughing so much. Sorry, little one. I’m hoping this is done soon, so we can go back to our restful evenings. Dave still hasn’t been able to feel him move. Whenever he puts his hand on belly, our little bug either stops moving or makes such small movements that Dave can’t feel them from the outside. I told Dave it’s because our boy wants a name and he’s mad that Daddy won’t just decide already.

I signed us up for a birthing class and breastfeeding class through the hospital. The dates are kind of weird for the birthing class. It’s either early December, which seems too early for me, or mid-January, which seems a little bit too close to my due date. I don’t anticipate going into labor early, but it would still really suck to go into labor a day or two before our birthing class.

Figuring out lunch and dinner for the week is getting a little frustrating. Nothing sounds very good, or at least not the same things that Dave wants. And sometimes I just want something simple like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Last week, one of my students, sort of out-of-the-blue, asked me if my baby was doing ok. I told her that he was doing well and moved around a lot, and I explained that I had an appointment that day to check on him. The next day, the first thing she asked was how the appointment went. You may recall that many of my students knew about my first pregnancy and were so sad when I miscarried, so they all love this baby and are concerned about how he’s doing. I think it’s the sweetest thing ever.

Lately I’m starting to feel my energy lessen just a bit. It could be my cold too, but I think it was happening before I got sick too. I generally don’t sit much in my job, and I’m usually ok standing most of the day. But I’ve noticed a few times recently that my body feels a little too tired to stand. Not exhausted, but just uncomfortable and need to sit for a few minutes.

My first baby shower is less than three weeks away! I can’t wait! Also, Baby Nowak is due in 98 days…so excited to be in the double digits!

An All-Around Wonderful Day...

I have a new niece!

Kennedi Elizabeth Nowak arrived today at 3:22pm. She is 6 lbs. 7oz. and 19.5" long. A normal sized baby to most, but a little bitty peanut in the Nowak family. Kennedi and her parents are doing
great and are all so very happy.

This picture will have to tide me over until I am able to go visit. They live in Lansing, which is about a three hour drive from Traverse City. I'm hoping to go down and visit this weekend. I have to babysit on Saturday, so the only day I could go is Sunday, but I have a bit of a cold and don't want to go and get her sick. Fingers crossed that I feel better!

And the other great news of the day...

I had my OB appointment today and everything went swimmingly.

My doctor said I'm measuring right on track and I have only gained 12 pounds since my first appointment. I have to say that it sure feels like I've gained more, but I will take it and I won't complain! Our sweet boy's heartbeat was a strong 160.

I now start my bi-weekly appointments and am beyond excited about this! However, my next appointment will be the gulcose test, which I'm really not looking forward to. I have had to take the test before because my doctor thought I might be diabetic. The thought of drinking that stuff again seriously makes me sick, but I will do it for my sweet little pumpkin.

Pregnancy: 25 weeks

10.25.11 –  25 weeks

Eh...not my favorite pregnancy picture. Long day of parent-teacher conferences, a slight head cold, and a little wet from the rain. But considering all that, this photo could be much worse.

Sometimes February just seems so far away. Especially when I think that it’s only October. But then I remind myself that it’s almost Thanksgiving, and after that time will fly by. The few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas always go so fast because there is so much going on at school and with family. Fifteen weeks isn’t really that long, but it seems like it when you’re waiting on a baby.

According to thebump.com, our sweet boy is about the size of an eggplant. He is about 13.6-14.8 inches long and weighs 1.5-2.2 pounds.

This week our little pumpkin is moving like crazy. I can feel him rolling around and kicking all over the place. I can even see my belly move when he kicks. Dave says it looks like I have the hiccups or something. I could sit and watch it for hours {except that he doesn’t do it for hours because he takes many breaks}.

I definitely feel a little bigger this week. Partly just because I can see my school uniform shirts getting shorter. I’m going to have to get some bigger ones.

As food goes, I am loving bread lately. My favorite is the Meijer take and bake bread. Ten to fifteen minutes in the oven and I have a fresh, hot loaf of bread. I am also loving Halloween candy. Not good. Well, I mean it’s good, but it’s not good for me or for my little one. I try to limit myself to one or two fun size bars a day, but to be honest, I usually eat a few more than that.

I’m getting very excited for my baby showers! I have one coming up in just a few weeks, and one the first weekend of December. I can’t wait to get together with friends and family to celebrate our precious gift from God.

I am able to wear some non-maternity shirts still, but they are definitely getting short. I did buy some maternity shirts and pants recently, but decided to return most of them because I don’t know when I will wear them. Because I wear uniforms all week, it’s not worth the money to buy too many maternity items. I think I have enough to get me through. Of course, that doesn’t stop me from wanting more.

I am still able to sleep quite well and am so thankful for that. I will be especially grateful for that this week, since it’s conference week, meaning a few late nights at school without breaks. I will be one tired mama-to-be!

I don’t know what I’ve gained, but I have an appointment tomorrow and should find out my weight gain from my first appointment. My stretch marks haven’t gotten any bigger. They’re still quite small, but I have added another two or three of the same size. It’s really funny to me that they’re only on my right side though.

That’s it – just 15 more weeks {give or take one or two} until we get to meet our sweet son.

Pregnancy: 24 weeks...

10.18.11 –  24 weeks

SIX MONTHS! VIABILITY! Such exciting things happening with just this one week.

I had a dream this last weekend that I was at school and had to be rushed to the hospital because our baby’s heartbeat was too fast {somehow in my dream, I could feel the heartbeat and could tell it was too fast}. When we got to the hospital, I was told that they had to take him, and I was so upset because he was way too early. The doctor said that he needed to come out, and he might not survive When I argued, she said {and it wasn't even my doctor} that I couldn't wait for him to be full-term anyway, because he would be 21 pounds, and that just can’t happen. It was so weird, and so scary. Obviously, it was not realistic, but it was scary to think of my little one having to come too early.

This week, I definitely have a sweet tooth. When I’m home at night, I just want to snack on Nutella and Halloween candy. But at school, I want pretzels and Cheez-Its {which is really weird, because I usually don’t like Cheez-Its at all}. I still could do without meat and, most of the time, wish I could just eat mashed potatoes and peas. But I don’t.

This weekend, Dave and I went to look at the rocker/recliner that I picked out for the nursery. He liked it just fine, especially the price! The price is comparable to the gliders that most people get, but I really want a more comfortable chair. It has to get me through the wee hours of the morning, for hopefully three children. Just for kicks, we checked out some other chairs at Art Van, and the prices were outrageous in comparison. We didn’t buy it yet, and probably won’t for a little while because we don’t have a place to put it yet {our boy’s room is still an office at this point}, but I’m excited to have the decision made. Here’s a peek at our sweet son’s nursery furniture…

I had picked out a matching bookshelf, but it doesn't look like it will fit in the room. Bummer, but I still love the rest of it, and I will surely find a perfect spot for his books.

The chair will actually be a chocolate brown, but there wasn't a picture of it online. This color would make me too nervous to keep in a child's nursery.

I just love it!

Our wee one is moving a lot these days. He seems to really enjoy my Language Arts class, as well as meal times, and then any time that I'm relaxing at home. Then, while I'm trying to get comfortable at night, he seems to be searching for a comfy position as well. He starts rolling and kicking all over the place. I absolutely love this. I never felt the "swimming" feeling or whatever before; I went straight from nothing to kicks, so it's fun to feel him rolling around in there along with his kicking. Oh yeah, and one thing he likes to do is kick down, which feels weird. Like, really weird. Of course, I love my boy to move it, move it, however he sees fit, but I definitely prefer it in my abdomen than in my vagina. Just sayin'.

I officially hate my demi-panel {the ones with the shorter elastic waist} pants. My belly pushes them down all the time, so they give me a saggy-looking butt. I’m constantly having to pull them up, and it’s driving me bonkers. I have two of these types of jeans, and only one of the full-panel, so I will have to wear them sometimes, but I don’t like them one bit.

Dave and I are still going with the name we’ve chosen so far, but we both know it can change. I don’t want to announce and end up with some monogrammed blanket or something and then change his name. So…no big announcement yet. Plus, we’re still arguing over discussing middle names.

A family member recently announced her pregnancy. I had already guessed it, but I am so excited that she finally announced it! She hasn’t really talked about it too much publicly, so I will refrain from disclosing who exactly, but just know that she is fabulous and I am so excited! Also, her sweet baby is due exactly 8 weeks after mine. I can’t wait for our babies to be buddies and spend next summer together. And I'm so excited that our son will have at least three cousins close to his age; more if another family member gets her way. Isaac was just born in July, so he will be 6-7 months older, and Dave's brother and his girlfriend should have their little girl within the next few few week, so she will be about four months older. Such fun!

That’s really all I have for this week. Still feeling amazing and loving every second of pregnancy {though I can’t wait for it to be over so I can snuggle this little one}.

Pregnancy: 23 weeks

10.11.11 – 23 weeks

Tonight I forgot to take a picture. I came home and put my hair up and my pajamas on right away. So I had to change back into "normal" clothes. Because I didn't love the picture, I decided to take one that wasn't straight on my face.

I like this one better. I just feel like my face looks so tired in the other one - thanks to MEAP {standardized testing for the state of Michigan} starting today.

I read today that the baby is the size of a papaya and that it can now hear sounds from outside the womb. When I told Dave, he immediately got up and started talking directly to my belly. Dave tried this a few weeks ago, and I told him that the baby couldn’t hear him. But tonight, Dave said, “Hi {name we’re calling him for now}. Can you hear me?” It was the cutest thing ever. But don’t tell Dave I said anything; he doesn’t like being “cute.”

In one of my pregnancy books, it says I should read to the baby every day. Dave told me I should do that, and I explained that I read a lot throughout the day, every single day. I don’t think this baby is lacking in any literacy experiences. Today we read a few poems from Shel Silverstein, the last chapter of Ralph S. Mouse and one of my favorite children’s stories, My Name is Yoon. And funny thing...our baby boy kicks a lot during reading. He must enjoy hearing all of my students' cute little voices reading in sync.

I still don’t have any major food cravings. I continue to love salads {I always hoped I would be salad/veggie eater during pregnancy. Hopefully our boy loves peas and broccoli as much as his mommy}. But nothing else really sounds good. To be honest, if I could have it my way, I would eat side dishes all day long, like mashed potatoes, Stove Top stuffing, and those Lipton pasta sides. But I know that’s not really what baby needs, so I force myself to eat protein like meat {even though I still don’t like it}, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt.

This weekend, with the weather in the 80s, I struggled to find weather-appropriate clothes that fit. I ended up finding some things and was about to slip on my flip flops when I realized I needed to paint my toenails. They were in rough shape. Well, folks, that is definitely the last time I will be painting them myself this pregnancy. It was not an easy task – at all.

Somewhat pregnancy related: I started seeing a Chiropractor a few weeks ago. I have been to Chiropractors before, because for as long as I can remember, I have had really bad lower back pain {most likely because of my large chest and a larger than normal arch in my lower back}, but all they ever did was adjust me and didn’t really focus on what was causing my pain or how to correct it. My new chiropractor actually took the time to figure out what’s going on with me – basically, my back is all screwed up – and she developed a plan to correct and heal my back problems. After just a few adjustments, I have to say that I haven’t felt this good since junior high. It’s nothing short of amazing. I’m not only grateful to be feeling better, but I’ve also read and heard that regular Chiropractic care during pregnancy can help with easier/shorter labor and delivery. Sounds good to me!

Sometimes sleep is an issue. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and be wide awake for an hour or two. And then sometimes, I sleep really well all night and wake up at 4:30-5:00, when I don’t have to be up until about 5:45. Other times, I sleep all night, besides my bathroom trips. It’s a coin toss really.

Everyone I speak to these days asks me how I’m feeling, and I must say that I feel AMAZING! I am happy, I feel healthy, and I have a pretty normal amount of energy. I am loving pregnancy and life in general right now.