Week twenty-five

Its just another boring day here at my house this week. My last day of work is Friday, two days from now. Part of me is really sad, I know I'm going to miss all my regulars and most of my fellow employees. But I also know that I need out of that store, the stress is really taking a toll on me and Baby. Plus working on my feet all day is really starting to get to me, and because I'm pregnant I'm moody and can't stand most of the customers. My feet hurt at the end of the day, I have headaches all the time, and my upper back has started to really get to me too. Plus, I get really hungry at work and a lot of the time I'm not able to take a break and eat like I should. Its been a great job for the 20 months that I've been with the company, but its time to move on. Its not ideal for the pregnant lady, that's for sure. :)

In other news... I don't think we'll be going to Mall of America for the 4th of July after all. Once I quit work we'll be making about $800 less a month, and the pay cut is causing us to spend our money a little better. Its okay though, we might go to Minnesota for new years or Christmas, it just kind of depends. Matthew has a close Aunt and Uncle that live about 15 or 20 minutes from the Mall, so it would be cool to visit them.

Otherwise, we've already made plans to visit home over Thanksgiving. And we're obviously still planning on coming home the end of July. We're both SO excited for a vacation, to get out of this town, away from work, and we'll get to see a lot of family and friends. It'll be nice.

I still don't have any stretch marks on my tummy, but my boobs now look like a tiger (that's what Matthew says anyway). All the skin is starting to itch though, so maybe I will actually develop a few permanent scars. Not that I'm complaining! I'd be perfectly fine if I didn't ever get any stretch marks, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. People keep saying its genetic, in which case I will have some coming in shortly.

Yesterday I got to watch my belly bounce up and down while baby kicked. It was so weird, I wish Matthew had been here to see it. And the baby had the hiccups for the first time on Sunday night. It was the weirdest feeling!

I thought for sure this was a boy, I thought maybe I saw a little "something" at the ultrasound on accident. But in all my dreams its a girl, and I keep referring to it as "her". I can't shake the feeling that its a girl, even though I thought the screen showed boy. I know, I'm going to have to wait and find out either way. I'm just stating my opinion (something I always do, which you guys should know by now). Well, I think I'll go cut up some strawberries and turn on a little TV before the husband gets home. It was a long day at work, and I stayed late without a lunch, so its time to unwind for me. :)

another week has come and gone

There still isn't much going on here... Only a couple more weeks of work and then I am finally free of that place! I love some of my employees, but the stress of management change is really taking its toll on me. That and I'm pregnant and beginning to get very impatient with stupid people, who for some reason love to visit me. :/ And I'm on my feet most of my shift, counting down the hours until I can go home and nap. Its just not something I enjoy doing anymore.

I crocheted a baby cocoon and hammock for some newborn photos, I'm pretty dang excited with them. Seriously, they look great. I'm even thinking about crocheting some up and selling them... I'll have a lot of free time between now and when the Baby arrives so something that can fill my time AND make money is a good deal. :)

Matthew and I had a nice anniversary. We spent Saturday night at a hotel in Hill City, and the luxury of cable was enough to satisfy us both for some time. :) Then Sunday we went for a nice, scenic drive, and walked around Reptile Gardens. It sounds nerdy, but it was actually really fun! We got to see a snake show AND a crocodile show. You should've seen the guy handling the King Cobra, it was so entertaining. They don't take out the venom or power to kill, so knowing that the man could've been bit and rushed to the hospital was enough to put me on the edge of my seat. Anyway, it was really cool and I hope when my family comes up that we can take them, because it really is worth it. Plus, an alligator snapped at one of the handlers, and that's something that everyone should see firsthand.

That night we went to Firehouse Brewing Company for dinner-by far the best food in town. I just love that place. Plus, free refills on locally-brewed root beer. Who can beat that? Yummm.

We've finally made plans to go home at the end of July/beginning of August. Matthew can't get the time off for us to go up to Flathead lake with his family. We were pretty bummed, but at least we'll still be able to see a lot of family and friends before the summer is over.

We're also trying to plan a trip to the Mall of America over the 4th of July weekend. We would have gone for our anniversary, but Matthew couldn't get the time off. :( Its ok though, I'm going to save up money so I can actually shop (since I won't be able to ride the roller coasters). I'm so excited; we've never seen that part of the country and it would be nice to go on some sort of mini-trip before the Baby arrives.

Well, I'm off to look at hotel prices and find a list of things to pack for a hospital bag...

Memorial Weekend

So just in case you weren't sure; camping while pregnant SUCKS. Ugh, we didn't remember to bring an air mattress, and I don't think we have a pump for one anyway. The first night wasn't bad, other than a lot of the guys got drunk off their butts and me and the other pregnant women sat around drinking koolaid and driving across the campsite to the bathroom every hour. Awesome. I felt so bad for her, she's at 37 weeks. I can't imagine camping that far along! Now my back hurts SO bad, my tummy barely fit in my mummy sleeping bag, and I'm still getting leg cramps from sleeping on the ground. Oh, and did I mention it was FREEZING last night? Yeah, frost on the tent and everything.

Oh, and I'm not supposed to have hot dogs. But what do you cook over an open fire? Yeah. Hot dogs. So I had toasted marshmallows and peanut butter sandwiches (courtesy of the other pregnant women). Moral of the story: even if Husband enjoys camping, postpone it until AFTER baby arrives!

Oh, and another thing! They all went swimming. But guess who doesn't fit into her swimsuit? Yeah, I know what you're thinking "just wear a bikini". I would if my "ladies" would fit into my tops! :( Oh well, at least I got some quality time with my husband.

the ultrasound, symptoms, and MORE

The ultrasound was last Friday and it was AMAZING. We didn't cry, but it was so cool to watch the screen as the lady moved her little "mouse thing" across my stomach. She even gave us two 3D pictures! I cannot tell you how nice it is to know that we're only having ONE baby, and that it is very healthy. I'm measuring about a week behind schedule, but other than that everything is perfect. We have another ultrasound on June 1st to get better pictures of the lower extremities. Baby was sitting cross-legged, so they couldn't really see much down there. They're pretty positive everything is healthy, but they really just want to double-check. :)

Its so crazy to know that there is a baby in there, with a straight spine and developing brain. We could see hand bones and arm bones, facial structure and a heartbeat. It was beautiful, and so amazing. You forget how detailed the human body is, until you watch it growing inside of you. And when the baby kicked (which it did a lot, because he didn't like the pushing) you could see him/her move on the screen. It was amazing, such a blessing to see. And I am so grateful that Matthew was there to experience it with me. :)

So I'm still having leg/butt cramps, and now my hands and feet start to fall asleep for no reason. Also, the baby's kicks are strong enough to wake me up in the middle of the night. Maybe its just me, but I think my shoes are starting to feel tighter. Awesome. My doctor told me to stop wearing my wedding rings in case they get stuck, because you start to swell around this time. Its sad to take them off and put them around my neck, but I know its for good reason. I certainly don't want them to be cut off!

My eye sight is getting a little worse, but its common for that to change (like everything else) during pregnancy. I'm not sleeping well, and by the time noon rolls around I'm more than ready for a nap.

We don't think we'll be going up to Flathead with the family this summer, like we originally planned. There's a very, very small chance that Matthew can get the time off that week, which sucks. But if we don't go to Montana then we'll head back down to Junction and visit everyone around the 4th of July. Which we wanted to do anyway, but it would have been nice to see all his siblings...

I'm just keeping in mind that God has perfect timing with everything, and He knows when to send us on vacation and when to keep us home.

Also, the odds of Matthew deploying are pretty much gone. His supervisor told Matthew that he wouldn't be sent, unless he really, really had his heart set on it. So my dear husband will be here for the birth of the baby. He's a little torn about it, but I am feeling so blessed and excited and relieved that I really can't help him feel better with the situation.

My last day at Starbucks is June 18th, and I really am so glad to be leaving. I just can't handle it anymore... I applied at a jewelery shop where I know the employees, and the management is great. I'm really praying I get that job, because it would be just about perfect. But we'll see-God has great plans for me, where ever that may be, and I'm putting all faith in that.

Symptoms This Week

Pregnancy Symptoms This Week:
Indigestion/chest pain
Bloating
Gas
Itchy stomach
Stretch marks on breasts (gag)
Skin/acne breakouts
Breast tenderness
Breasts leaking (gag, again)
Chocolate milk cravings
Awful fatigue

This past week work has been so stressful and awful. I'm so exhausted and frustrated, so tired of dealing with morons and having people treat me like I'm lazy. I'm not lazy: I can only do so much because I'm freaking pregnant! Why is that so hard to understand? And just because I can't do it, doesn't give you an excuse to ignore it. :/

And to top it off, everything I eat causes awful chest pains and stomach cramps. I don't know if that's normal or not, but its what I'm going through. I'm tired of being pregnant and feeling sick, tired, etc all the time. Halfway there... I'm halfway through this pregnancy. Can't wait to meet the little one and be done with this. :)

Materinty Survey

FINDING OUT
What day did you find out you were pregnant? January 18th
How did you feel when you found out? scared mostly.
Who was with you? My husband was down stairs in bed.
How did the daddy react? He was sleepy, really surprised, and very overwhelmed.


TELLING EVERYONE
How did your parents react? My mom cried and whispered "but he's deploying, you can't have a baby now"
How did his parents react? They were shocked more than anything, I think.

ABOUT THE PREGNANCY
When is your due date? September 28, 2010
How far along are you right now? 20 weeks and 6 days
Have you had an ultra sound? One, in the emergency room.
Have you heard the heartbeat? Yes, its wonderful.

SEX OF BABY
What do you want: Boy or Girl? I don't even know yet!
Do you know what you are having now? NO, we're not finding out.
Are you happy with what you are having? I know that both of us will be happy with whatever the outcome is.

ABOUT THE BIRTH
Who is going to be with you? Hopefully my husband, and my family will be in the hospital waiting.
Are you going to video tape it? No, they don't let you videotape it here.
Natural or medicated? Medicated, I never even thought about another option.
Do you think you will have a c-section?: I would prefer one, and my mom is convinced I will.
Do you think you will cry when you first hold your baby? Heck yes! I cry just thinking about it.
Do you know what you will say to the baby when you first hold it? Probably that I love it, and cherish it and think its beautiful.
Are you scared about the labor? Very much so actually.

BABY NAMES
Do you have a name picked out? Yes, two names just in case its the other sex. :)
Is your baby going to be named after anyone? Both middle names are in the family.
Did the daddy help pick the name? He had a huge say in the matter.


RANDOM QUESTIONS
Where was your baby conceived? Oh thats awkward... in our bedroom.
Have you felt the baby move? Yes, its the best feeling in the world.
What was your first symptom? nausea and acne.
Will you have godparents? I haven't thought about it.
What is the baby’s room theme? A baby animal theme.
Are you ready to be a mommy? If I wasn't God wouldn't have given me this precious baby.
What do you think the baby will be a "daddy’s girl/boy" or a "mommy’s girl/boy"? Daddy's girl or boy.
What was the first thing you bought for the baby? I think it was either a onesie or a car seat toy.

Week Twenty-One

New this week:
chocolate milk cravings
ok, so chocolate anything really...

I still want Root Beer, but I've been trying to drink more water and cut back on the sweets so that craving is being pushed to the sidelines.

Watermelon still sounds excellent too, but its expensive and not very good out-of season. :( A few more months and it'll be a staple in our household, I'm sure.

I finally ordered a food dehydrator off Amazon yesterday, I'm really excited to start making fruit leather and dried apples! I'm trying to eat healthier, and to start Matthew eating healthier too. That's why I'm making breakfasts (things low in sugar) and snacks with lots of room to get creative. Granola bars are actually in the oven right now; they DO have chocolate chips because I know Matthew will eat them, but I also put in a few tablespoons of flax seeds and there's only 1/2 a cup of brown sugar. The rest is applesauce, honey and oats. :) Its a start anyway... Now if I could just kick this chocolate craving... at least I'm getting lots of calcium out of the milk, that's probably why my leg cramps are a lot less severe.

The ultrasound is now on the 21st by the way, long story... we had to reschedule because Matthew had to work. Sad day, huh? That's ok, I'll be as patient as possible. Its not like it REALLY matters because we're not finding out the sex, but I would feel better knowing for sure there's only one baby in there.