Week 29

29 W 6 D

So as I finish this post on Sunday (I did start it on Saturday), I am amazed that I am 30 weeks along.  Three fourths of the way there, and I have a feeling that the next coming weeks are going to pass too quickly.

AJ started to tear up the carpet and part of the dining room floor yesterday.  We needed a piece of the existing floor so we could match it, hopefully.  Though I went to Lumber Liquidators, and they didn't have anything in the store that matched our floor. :(  I also drove to some other stores, but apparently, most are not open on Saturday.  It's nice to see the project get started though.  So much to do before Aidan arrives!  Let's hope we can knock out the list.

How far along?: 29 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Squash and about to be a Squash. The fruit doesn't change as often as it did early on. Going into week 29, Aidan is approximately 17 inches long and weighs 3.1 lbs.

Weight gain?: About 1lb. Total weight gain is 22 lbs.

Stretch marks?: Not yet.

Maternity clothes?: Definitely.

Sleep?: Still sleeping great.  There was one night I had to wake up in the middle of the night to pee, but it's the first time it has happened all pregnancy long, and I contributed it to drinking close to 60 ounces of water in the last few hours before going to bed!

Best moment this week?: Starting the child birthing classes - makes the arrival of Aidan seem so much closer (and real).

Worst moment this week?: Wednesday was tough because I was exhausted, but other than that, no complaints.

Food cravings?: Still on a chocolate kick.  I did get a dozen chocolate glazed Krispy Kreme donuts! Yum.

Symptoms?: Leg cramping is on and off - I need to remember to drink the milk before bed because it seems to eliminate leg cramps at night.  My veins are also a lot more noticeable - AJ commented that I looked like Spider Man with all the veins and how blue they were.

Exercise?: I walked 9 miles this week and worked out at the gym.  Good week - walking is great.

Movement?: Tons of movement, sometimes it's light and sometimes I think Aidan believes he's practicing mix martial arts!

Belly button?: Half outie, half flush with my stomach.

What I miss?: Being able to easily pick things that are on the floor/ground.  It's not so easy to pick up all the dog toys - in 5 minutes, Bojangles can have the entire box of toys all over the living room!

Labor signs?: Not yet. Hope to keep it that for a while!

Purchases: I bought A LOT of cloth diapers from a lady selling them on Craigslist.  Most items were brand new - she was overseas and didn't have trash pick up so she thought about trying CDing, but then they didn't have a washer/dryer in the place.  So she gave up very quickly.  She was a very nice person, and I picked u a lot of Green Mountain prefolds for very cheap, most less than a dollar a piece which is a great deal for GMD.  The nice thing is she already completed the prep process, so I only had to wash them once...and now I need to put them away.

What I'm looking forward to?: I reluctantly scheduled a 3D/4D ultrasound since AJ really wanted one, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing baby Aidan since it has been 10 weeks.  In addition, we have another 3 day weekend coming up, and I love having the extra day off.

Child Birthing Classes - Day 1

On Tuesday, AJ and I attended our first child birthing class at the local hospital that I plan to deliver at.  I swear, 90% of the husbands looked like they were dragged to the class, including mine!  There was an older couple (most of us looked late 20's/early 30's), and when the husband had to tell what he enjoyed about the pregnancy, he made a comment about enjoying how beautiful and glowing his wife was.  Top that, guys!... No one did. :)

Anyway, after everyone introduced themselves and what they were enjoying about pregnancy, we took a tour of the hospital.  I have only been in this hospital once or twice over the past 15 years - once to get an MRI and once to see an allergy specialist.  It's safe to say that I didn't know where to go in the hospital for L&D section - though the ER was clearly identified, but they prefer us to go straight to L&D since that's where the ER personnel bring us anyway.

We learned some important things like all rooms have ESPN and wifi - key things when giving birth during college football season.  We toured the rooms, looked in on the newly born babies, and found out valuable information about logistics of L&D.  The tour was very informative and just made me realize how much closer we are to meeting baby Aidan.

The rest of the class went over pre labor signs and signs of labor - how the baby drops and the position of the baby.  We started relaxing techniques and exercises that are suppose to make labor easier.  Some of the video clips of women in the laboring stage were intimidating, but I think being informed and prepared will make the birthing experience better, especially since I plan on going med free.  All in all, it was a good experience, and I'm looking forward to the next three classes.

Baby Shower!

Here are some pictures from the baby shower.

Eating lunch! Grilled burgers, hot dogs, homemade dips, fruit, shrimp, mac & cheese, and more!

The goal of the game was to cut a ribbon that would fit around my belly.

Some people's strategy included measuring themselves and adding a little bit.

The winner! Though both great granpa's to be were tied for 2nd.  Everyone else was far off!

Perhaps at full term?

Bojangles taking a snooze with AJ's ribbon.

Penguin cake made by my sister in law!

Hand made John Deere Blanket

Hand made Airplane! 

Handmade penguin blanket!



 

In addition to the good food, games, and gifts, we received some advice from those that have kids and those that don't. Though one piece of advice I heard wasn't written down...apparently it was "too late" for the advice. :) They were only kidding. But here's some advice that had the crowd laughing:

• For AJ: Insist on breastfeeding for the health of the baby and you will get more sleep.
• Seek advice from people with good kids, keep momma out of my hair and have another kid. (My brother)
• Please give me a chance to be a Gamecock and enjoy my childhood.
• Spank when needed.

Week 28

I amazed by all the talented and crafty people that I am related to or are close family friends!  Our families hosted a baby shower for us on Saturday, and it was spectacular.  The food was great, the company was wonderful, and the gifts were amazing.  We truly are blessed to know such giving people. 

 

 

How far along?: 28 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Eggplant and about to be a Squash. The fruit doesn't change as often as it did early on. Going into week 29, Aidan is approximately 17 inches long and weighs 2.9 lbs.

Weight gain?: About 1lb. Total weight gain is 21 lbs.
Stretch marks?: Not yet.
Maternity clothes?: Definitely.  I had to get more shirts to fit my growing belly.
Sleep?: Sleep is still great, except for the occasional leg cramp waking me up!  I am amazed that I can still sleep on my stomach, but again, only if I fall asleep before Aidan starts his movement.  I typically wake up on my stomach no matter which position I feel asleep in.
Best moment this week?: Celebrating passing my PE with coworkers and the baby shower my family put together.  It was a great weekend spending time with wonderful people.
Worst moment this week?: None that I can think of this week!
Food cravings?: Anything chocolate.   Seriously, I can't get enough chocolate.
Symptoms?: Leg cramping at night.  I also noticed my veins are extremely prominent and dark blue.  Kind of looks like spider man veins - according to AJ.
Exercise?: I walked 4 miles this week and worked out at the gym 3 times. 
Movement?: Aidan continues to kick and move around, and there are times when his movement, whether kicks or punches, are getting stronger!  I can feel him under my ribs, though he's not kicking or punching them, just feels like he is laying against my ribs.
Belly button?: Half outie, half flush with my stomach.
What I miss?: Being able to easily touch my toes!
Labor signs?: Not yet.  Hope to keep it that for a while!
Purchases: No purchases this week...plenty last week to keep me occupied.
What I'm looking forward to?: We start the birthing classes this coming Tuesday, and I am excited about that.  I'm sure it will make the next 4 weeks go by quickly. 

Week 27

27 W 6 D

I still can't believe I am in the third trimester already!  It's amazing to me to see how much my belly has grown...I have learned I can't squeeze through things as easily as I just to, such as vehicles parked way too close together.  You would think I was use to my stomach poking out, but it still feels like a new concept to me!  Even when I was painting the nursery and the furniture was all rearranged/disorganized, I tried to squeeze between two pieces of furniture, but I couldn't!  So weird.

Keeping busy makes the time pass...Back in April, after I took the PE exam, I created a "To Do" list, which actually grows as we work on it!  It's amazing all the things you see to do when you're working on something else.  We hope to complete it all before the baby comes.


 So here is the original list:

• Stain fence
• Stain the deck
• Refresh paint on Arbor and swing
• Refresh paint on porch
• Clean and paint concrete on screen porch
• Refresh the paint on the door frame
• Buy cabinet to store all the random stuff kept on the porch
• Finish the chairs for the dining room
• Clean out guest room
• Bring stuff to Goodwill
• Replace carpet in living room and hallway
• Finish paint in laundry room

This week, I finished the screen porch project by refreshing the paint on the door frame.  AJ rented an industrial paint sprayer and stained the entire wooden fence and the deck in less than 4 hours!  The first time we did this, it took us DAYS!  The fence looks amazing, and I still can't believe how quickly AJ completed it - well worth the rental price.  While working on our list, we also added straightening up the office (not a small task), caulking the concrete and brick joints/cracks due to settlement, repainting the front door frame, weeding all the mulch beds, and painting the remainder of the rooms.  I love keep busy and working on the house - feels good to see the progress!

How far along?: 27 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Eggplant and about to be a Eggplant. The fruit doesn't change as often as it did early on. Going into week 28, Aidan is approximately 16 inches long and weighs 2.5 lbs.

Weight gain?: About .5 lb. Total weight gain is 20 lbs.
Stretch marks?: Not yet.
Maternity clothes?: Almost exclusively, and I have given in to the fact that shirt tucking can no longer happen. :(
Sleep?: Still sleeping great, even after adjusting to an earlier work schedule.  I can still sleep on my stomach as long as I am asleep well before Aidan starts moving around, otherwise, I have to sleep on my side.
Best moment this week?: Going out to dinner with some old coworkers/friends - it's always great to catch up with them. 
Worst moment this week?: Monday was terrible because I couldn't fall asleep Sunday night and I probably slept 4 hours (or less!)
Food cravings?: Anything chocolate. 
Symptoms?: Leg cramping at night.  It's terrible, and I drink a lot of water during the day and even more at night, but it keeps occurring.  I need to eat more bananas and see if that helps.  I had at least 4 cramps last night. :(
Exercise?: I played tennis twice this week, walked 2 miles, and did an arms and legs work out this week.  In addition, I was outside a lot running around with the dogs.  If I don't do something active when I get home from work, I want to fall asleep, so I try to find something to do to keep me awake!
Movement?: SoCo, one of our dogs, was kicked in the face this week!  It was hilarious to see her confusion, but then she put her head back on my stomach where she was kicked again!  Sometimes, I swear one of Aidan's appendages is behind my rib cage - feels so weird.
Belly button?: Half outie, half flush with my stomach. 
What I miss?: Being able to easily touch my toes!
Labor signs?: Nope! Too early.
Purchases: What didn't I buy?! I traded in books through Amazon's trade in program and sold more on eBay.  So I bought a penguin clock, penguin pacifier clip, newborn cloth diapers - a variety of brands to try out, a rocker/glider with an ottoman, and a quilt hanging rack with a shelf!  So exciting.  Most of it came in last week, so I put together the rocker/glider and set it up in the nursery.
What I'm looking forward to?: My mom and mother in law are throwing AJ and I a baby shower next weekend, so I am looking forward to seeing all the family/family friends.

Week 26

26 W 6 D

Hello Third Trimester!  It feels like time is going to fly by, and while I can't wait to meet our bundle of joy, I don't want to wish time away.  Plus, there's plenty of work to do around the house.  I have been steadily working on my "To-Do" list and am knocking stuff out every week, but there are some big items that AJ and I want to do before the Aidan arrives.  The most important goal is to replace the carpet in the living room and the hallways.  It's cheap, builder grade carpet that the does have somewhat destroyed.  There are areas where the carpet nails are exposed and would not be good for a crawling baby.  We're not sure if we will go with hardwood floors or carpet.  The next biggest goal is to stain the wood fence - it's been 4 years since we have stained it, and the fence definitely needs it.  Though this time, we are renting a sprayer, and AJ thinks he can stain the fence in just a few hours.  Let's hope so!  Other things that we want to do include repainting the rest of the house where the builder's paint choice is still on the walls, reorganizing the garage, and staining the deck.  I'm sure other things will come up as we work on our list, but I'm enjoying being able to work on the house!

How far along?: 26 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Eggplant and about to be a Eggplant. The fruit doesn't change as often as it did early on.  Going into week 27, Aidan is approximately 15 inches long and weighs 2.2 lbs.

Weight gain?: About .5 lb. Total weight gain is 19.5 lbs.
Stretch marks?: Not yet.
Maternity clothes?: Almost exclusively, and I have given in to the fact that shirt tucking can no longer happen. :(
Sleep?: Sleeping is still great, and if I go to bed before Aidan starts his kicking, I can usually fall asleep on my stomach.  The only other issue I am having is Bojanges, our new beagle pup, forgets that on weekends, I sleep in.  I wear him out for an hour, then he wants to go back to sleep, and I'm wide awake.
Best moment this week?: Having the holiday on Monday was great - now only a month more until July 4th! I love 3 day weekends.  I also was able to visit with family on Sunday and swim in the pool which was nice.
Worst moment this week?: One night this week one of our dogs threw up in the bed and it led to me only being able to sleep 5 hours.  I was exhausted the next day!
Food cravings?: Still wishing Krispy Kreme was closer.
Symptoms?: Nothing really.
Exercise?: I walked 3 miles, worked out 3 times this week, played tennis once, and cleaned the entire screened porch and painted the concrete (over 4 hours of work!). 
Movement?: He is definitely kicking and rolling around more.  Starting next week, I am suppose to keep track of his fetal movement.
Belly button?: Half outie, half flush with my stomach.  I like to press on it like it were a button - no idea why, but I just enjoy doing so!
What I miss?: Being able to easily touch my toes!
Labor signs?: Nope! Too early.
Purchases: I bought a crib skirt and penguin embriodery items to add to it - though I won't receive those for at least a week.
What I'm looking forward to?: Nothing in particular, though I can't wait to get the penguin appliques and being able to customize the bed skirt.

Dear Aidan,

Mom did it!  I passed the PE exam on the first attempt and was quite relieved.  This means I can solely focus on your arrival instead of trying to debate whether I should sign up for the October exam.  Instead of studying, I can prepare your nursery, daydream of your arrival, and stay fit.

In other news, we finally decided on your middle name!  We were debating between  Abel and Aidan, and while Aidan might be an extremely popular choice right now, we had to go with what we loved. Having a complete name makes me feel even more connected to you, and while I can't wait to meet you, I will not wish time away.  Today marks the beginning of the third trimester!  I can't believe how quickly the second trimester went, so I can only imagine how time will fly and you will soon be here.  I dream of loving you, kissing you, cuddling you, soothing you, etc.  Whether you have your nights mixed up or if you're a sleeper like me, I can't wait - even if means barely sleeping. 

In the mean time, keep kicking and entertaining me with your movements.  According to What to Expect When You're  Expecting, you are opening your eyes this week and might even respond to a flashlight pressed against my stomach.  So please, entertain dad and I and kick when you see the light.

Looking forward to the next 13 weeks and seeing you soon.

Love,
Mom