30 Week Update, Starting the Nursery and 3D Ultrasound #2

How is it even possible that I am already 30 weeks...seven and a half months pregnant? It doesn't seem possible. This was an exciting week because the nursery finally got started. We are still waiting for the wood floor but were able to start on the rest of the room. We had crown moulding, a chair rail and bead board installed and it looks amazing. I'm really happy with it. We started paining this weekend and the main wall color is up. Next we'll paint the mouldings and the bead board. Then we'll have everything done and ready for the floor and baseboards, and it will be move in time. I have been staring at her beautiful nursery furniture, which has been just sitting disassembled in the loft, for months. I can not wait to put her crib together and get all the furniture in her room.

The wood floor is the bane of my existence at this point. The newest installment of the Wood Floor Saga is that the store we bought the wood from (Lumber Liquidators) was closed by the City of Henderson because somehow the store got severely damaged. When we called we were told that some palates fell over and crashed through a wall in their showroom, taking down their computers, phones, etc. WHAT?! So the City shut the store down until it was all fixed. They hope to reopen after the weekend. Seriously....you can't make this shit up.  In the mean time, we had been told to expect delivery of the wood around 8/22. Four delivery trucks had come in but they had no way of even knowing if our wood was on one of them because their computers were down. So our wood could just be sitting in a truck in North Las Vegas (probably getting warped in this heat because that would just be the cherry on top) or it could not be here at all. We are now going on 10 weeks late on this delivery...

So, I am trying to be patient. Oh, who am I kidding. I lost my patience like 8 weeks ago. I know there is "plenty of time" to get it done before she gets here, but when a company tells you something takes 4 weeks and it's now been almost 14 weeks, that is a tad ridiculous and I have just about had it. They are seriously impeding my nesting.  I can say that this is exactly why I don't wait until the last minute and why we ordered it so early...because shit happens. :)

We went for our 3D rescan at Miracle in Progress and Gianna was no longer breech! I was really excited. She slept through nearly the whole ultrasound with one or both of her hands (or the cord, or my placenta) over parts of her face so we didn't get a clear shot. It was better than the first time, though. Marco and I may go back one more time, later in the day when she is more active, and try again. Here are a few of the pics of our beautiful girl!

 

 

I was feeling nostalgic hitting 30 weeks, so here is a little look back on the first 3/4 bump milestones. Wow, this baby grows fast! I am carrying her like a basketball. She's all in front and sometimes she's lower and sometimes she's in the middle, but she's not usually very high.

How far along? 30 weeks
Total weight gain: I decided at this point I will only weigh in at the doctor's office- I am seeing numbers that have never appeared on a scale for me before...  :) 
Maternity clothes? Yes but still some regular dresses and tops

Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: It was better this week. The body pillow helps. 
Best moment of the week: Getting the nursery started!!! 3D ultrasound #2

Miss anything: Having energy. Every movement takes so much more energy. I've been super tired at the end of the day.

Movement: Her kick counts are super fast. We usually get 10 kicks within 2-3 minutes (if it takes that long). Her current record is 17 seconds.
Food cravings: I really needed a smoothie this week. My wonderful husband drove around until we found a smoothie place. We got our smoothies then saw that the smoothie place was right next to a pizza place. Then I needed a slice of pepperoni. Then I was happy. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just the "inside kicking".
Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: 
Belly button in or out: Still in.

Wedding rings on or off: On 

Labor Signs: Nope

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy but have noticed my mood sway a little. I've read that the third trimester is just an ugly version of the first trimester. The first wasn't  bad so I am hoping for more smooth sailing. So far so good though. :) 
Looking forward to: Getting the wood floor. My baby shower in a few weeks!

29 Week Update!

This has been a jam packed week in maternity land. The week started out with getting my maternity belt and it has been a good investment. I am more comfortable sitting, driving, sleeping, etc. By the end of the day I want to rip it off but after a few hours I am glad to have it back on. We have also started epsom salt baths in the evenings and it has helped ease my back muscles. I think another prenatal massage is in my near future!

We are delivering at Summerlin Hospital and we went for our Birthplace Tour on Tuesday. This place is awesome! The private rooms (they are all private there) are huge and you labor and deliver in the same room, then afterwards are moved to a postpartum room. Everyone was really friendly. Of course, being the type-A person I am, I came prepared with my three pages of typed out questions (with a copy for Marco). There were like ten pregnant women on this tour and only two of them were not first timers. There were one or two others who asked a question, but for the most part I was the only one. I didn't ask every question on my sheet because the nurse answered some of them in the tour, but I for sure ended up being "that person" on the tour who had 50 million questions anyway. How do people not ask questions, especially if you haven't gone through it before?! I didn't even care. I asked my questions because in reality I don't care if those other moms have to listen to me or not, I care about knowing what is going to happen and what to expect. So there. LOL!

That night when we got home I had this sharp pain in the upper left part of my abdomen. It went away but then felt like it was bruised in that area. It was weird and it really hurt. I went to bed and when I got up it was still sore. At work, it bothered me the whole day. It was sharp a few times an hour and sore the whole day. By 5pm I was completely uncomfortable and starting to worry that it may have something to do with hernia #2. I know Gianna isn't that high yet so I knew it wasn't her kicking me. I called the nurse line and because I have the hernia she recommended we go to Labor and Delivery to get checked out. Good thing we got a tour the night before and knew where to go. So we spent Wednesday evening there and they monitored the baby and I. No pre-term labor, so we were instructed to follow up with my OB on Friday at our regular appointment.

We left the hospital and grabbed some dinner super fast because my 3 hour glucose tolerance test was the next morning and I wasn't supposed to eat within 12 hours of taking it. Thursday morning from 8am-12pm I made friends with the Quest Diagnostics lady and sat there for my four blood draws. It was incredibly boring, especially because they made me just sit in the waiting room but overall not too bad. I was starving by the end of it. The drink was worse this time, too but at least it was cold. It tasted like flat Sprite with three times as much syrup as normal. I got a little dizzy the first hour so maybe it was a good thing they made me sit there.

We had our 29 week appointment on Friday and everything is on track. Gianna's heartbeat was nice and strong in the mid-130's. She is measuring right on track. We started our kick counts and you are supposed to count 10 kicks/rolls/flutters within an hour. This little girl is super active in the evening and I got my 10 kicks in one minute. The mornings are another story. She is not a morning person (just like mommy and daddy). My doctor said she wants me to count the kicks once a day, at the same time every day. So we are going to continue to do the count in the evening. Also, the results of my 3 hour glucose test came back and I do NOT have gestational diabetes. Hooray!!!  We are far enough along now to be going to the doctor every two weeks. Crazy!

How far along? 29 weeks
Total weight gain: About 25lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No. I officially have the line now. :) 
Sleep: Still on and off. I slept through the night once in the last week- as in I didn't get out of bed to pee. I still wake up any time I need to roll over.

Best moment of the week: Finding out I don't have gestational diabetes. Our hospital tour.  :) 
Miss anything: Nothing specific but I know I am going to want a drink when this little one comes out.

Movement: All the time. :) I can't wait to see her wiggle in person.
Food cravings: Orange juice. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just the "inside kicking".
Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: Lower back pain, heavy belly, overall uncomfortableness- same as last week with a sprinkle of sciatic nerve pain for good measure.
Belly button in or out: Still considered an innie.

Wedding rings on or off: On 

Labor Signs: Nope

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy.
Looking forward to: Maternity pics with Carrie Terrones! Our 3D ultrasound next weekend- Round #2. The wood floor should be in (fingers crossed) and the nursery is being started this week!

28 Week Update / 3D Ultrasound- Round 1

Overall, it's been pretty smooth sailing but I feel like things changed around week 26 and all of a sudden it was like I was carrying a bowling ball around. This week was a rough one. Gianna found my sciatic nerve and decided no matter what position I was in that was where she wanted to be. Monday through Wednesday were really hard and most of the discomfort was in the evening after I'd get home from work. She has been low and sitting at work all day makes my belly really sore. I get up often but I need to make more of an effort to get up and move around even more. By the end of the day I couldn't sit or lay down and just needed to stand and keep moving. I spoke to the nurse and she recommended a maternity belt. We went to Babies R Us over the weekend and got one. The first night I used it there was a big difference. I slept in it and it was so much easier to roll over and my back didn't hurt when I got up. I wore it the next day and noticed a difference, too. Last night though I couldn't fall asleep or get comfortable even with it on and was up until almost 3am. :/

Also, we found out I failed my glucose test so I'll need to go and have the three hour test this week. In addition, my hemoglobin was low so I'm now on an iron supplement. I am not looking forward to either of these things but hopefully I will pass the three hour test and won't have gestational diabetes. If I do have it, we'll work through it and make sure everything is good in there for Gianna. 

We went for our 3D/4D ultrasound and I was really looking forward to it. It's amazing how much detail you can see. We went to Miracle in Progress, which is the same private ultrasound place that did our gender check at 15 weeks. I love this place because it is comfortable and you can bring friends and family with you. We invited my mom, brother, Linda and Marco to come along. Unfortunately, Gianna was breech and most of the time she had her arm, foot or leg up covering half or more of her face. We did find out that she has some hair though!! How cool is that! I had no idea you could see hair in an ultrasound. We are going back in two weeks for a rescan and at our doctors appointment next week we'll see if she is still breech or if there are any tricks to getting her to flip. :)

So excited she has some hair!

Some neat profile pics. She was sucking her thumb :)

In other news, the rest of our special order items (toddler rails, glider and ottoman) came in. I was most excited about the glider and ottoman! We picked them up and Marco put them together. I love this thing! I am keeping it in our family room so I can rock in it and watch TV. Once the nursery is done we'll move it upstairs but I'll enjoy breaking it in in the mean time. Now we just need the wood from Brazil which is apparently on time for delivery the week of the 20th.

How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain: About 23lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Gianna has found my sciatic nerve and has made it her new favorite spot so this past week has not been good for sleep. Pretty crappy, actually.

Best moment of the week: Our 3D/4D ultrasound even though she didn't cooperate. :) 
Miss anything: Nothing specific.

Movement: It's so funny how her movements have changed as she's gotten bigger. Feeling her in there is my favorite thing in the world! I can feel her lower in my pelvis now, too.
Food cravings: Nothing this week. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: The sciatic nerve pain isn't very fun but it's the 'inside kicking' that makes me feel kind of sicky.
Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: Lower back pain, heavy belly, overall uncomfortableness.
Belly button in or out: Still considered an innie.

Wedding rings on or off: On 

Labor Signs: Nope

Happy or moody most of the time: Happier this week but it was a tough one with not a lot of sleep.
Looking forward to: Maternity photo session, our tour of Summerlin Hospital, and the arrival of the wood from Brazil. I can't believe 30 weeks is almost around the corner already.

27 Week Update- Officially in the Third Trimester Club

I am now a member of the Third Trimester Club. It's not a real club, but I am happy to be here nonetheless. :)  Part of me can not believe it's already here. I was so impatient in the beginning, waiting for the belly to arrive (and stay) and now it is here in full force. I've had two people ask me in the last week if I was sure there was only one in there. Yes, I'm sure! :) I always wanted twins, now I'm not sure where people keep the other one! LOL. The nice part was that this was balanced by two people telling me I looked small for where I am at so I figure it's a draw.

Gianna is moving more and more. She has started rolling across me in the last week or so. I have felt her up near my ribs, about an inch or so below them. It'll be another week or two before I get my first jab to the ribs but it's right around the corner. I have also noticed that I feel her more on my side this week. Usually she is front and center (and really likes to push on my belly button). I have also started to feel her on both sides at once, like she's punching and kicking me at the same time. She is getting really long! We moved to the new measurement chart this week. She is now measured (well, estimated) from head to toe as opposed to crown to rump. She is 15 inches long which is 2-3 times as big as she was at week 12! She weighs just over 2lbs.

I went for my glucose test this week but do not have the results yet. This orange drink wasn't too bad. It was warm and flat. Once you start drinking it you have to finish within five minutes, then sit there for an hour before they draw your blood. The first half of it wasn't awful. The second half kind of burned my throat a little. It tasted like super sweet orange Tang...or like the syrup from an orange Popsicle, without the deliciousness of an actual Popsicle.

My overall weight gain is within the normal/healthy range but I was concerned that I have been a little above the recommended monthly gain lately. My doctor wants to see if my sugars are normal and it was perfect timing for my glucose test anyway. I know not being able to exercise plays a part but I am hoping there is nothing else going on. If I "fail" the one hour glucose test then I will have to go for the three hour Glucose Tolerance Test. That one doesn't sound very fun at all.

We didn't take a picture this week. :( It's the first week we missed. Marco was in California and the weekend just flew by before I realized we missed it. I promise to have one for 28 weeks and on. I'm kind of sad we missed one!

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain: About 21lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes. I have finally been recognized by the masses as pregnant. :) I like when people ask me when I am due. I don't like when people ask me things like if I "should be out? Looks like it's getting close." EW! Seriously?! (Thank you random dealer at the Aliante Station Casino.) I am seven months pregnant...what am I supposed to look like?! :) Actually, I have always wanted to be pregnant and I have always wanted to have a big ol belly so I guess I got my wish. Good thing I really like being pregnant!
Stretch marks? Nope! The dark line is super faint on the top half of my belly but I am confident to say now that I do believe it exists. 
Sleep: A little better this week, but still on and off. 

Best moment of the week: Getting stuff for the baby shower and also some items for Gianna's room. I can't wait to put her nursery together! 
Miss anything: Nothing specific.

Movement: We are now rolling and dragging elbows across mommy's tummy.  :) 
Food cravings: Nothing this week. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: I think she kicks facing in sometimes (like she's kicking my organs) and it makes me feel like I drove over a bump too fast and my tummy is in my throat. It's more like a queasy feeling but not nausea. 
Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: My back hurts more when I get up. I limp around for the first few steps. 
Belly button in or out: Still considered an innie.

Wedding rings on or off: On 

Labor Signs: Nope

Happy or moody most of the time: This week as a little better. Marco was out of town for a few days so I was super happy when he got back! 
Looking forward to: We are going for our 3D/4D ultrasound this coming weekend! I can not wait!!! I am shopping around to get maternity photos done in the next few weeks. Getting the nursery set up!

26 Week Update, Christy's Baby Shower

My beautiful cousin, Christy, is having a baby boy and we got to celebrate them this past Saturday at her baby shower! Christy is due on October 15th so that makes her about three weeks ahead of me. It was a lovely shower and so much fun to have the family together.  Here are some pics from her shower.

The preggy cousins...no margaritas for us!

Cousin Coltyn!

Presents!

Great stuff for Baby Boy Hynes :)

I can  hardly wait for the new cousins to meet!

Unfortunately, in the midst of the festivities, we got the sad news that my cousin, Mary, had another stroke. It was a big one and her poor body was still weak from the last one she had. We found out Saturday night that Mary passed away. It was a very sad day. Mary was like the matriarch of our family and I can't describe how much she will be missed and the impact she had on our family. We joke that Christy and I are fourth cousins, and our babies will be fifth cousins and that is just unheard of in a lot of families. Our extended family is a lot closer than a lot of other families and Mary was a big reason for that. I am happy she is not suffering anymore and will be with Tony, but I will miss her tremendously.

Also, this week, we got a package in the mail from the Las Vegas Veterinary Specialty Center (LLVSC). It was a beautiful basket from Dr. Vaughan, Bella's oncologist, and the entire oncology team and office staff. There were yummy treats, a picture frame and candle, a book on grieving the loss of your pet, and a card from everyone with their condolences. It was such a nice gesture and we know how much they loved Bella, too.  This week, my mom was talking to our regular vet (Zoey is having surgery to remove a benign tumor from her lip next week) and Bella came up. Dr. Shaver said she spoke to Dr. Vaughan and they both were amazed not only about how long Bella survived but with such a good quality of life for so long. We knew when she was first diagnosed that if we did nothing she would only have weeks. Even with treatment, it turns out that they didn't really expect her to make it longer than three months.  My girl had such a will to live and made it nineteen months! It really was such a miracle. I do still intend to do a separate post about her but am not really feeling up to it yet. I do recommend this book to anyone dealing with the loss of a pet.

Just because I love her face :)

How far along? 26 weeks
Total weight gain: About 20lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, I am at the "obviously preggo" stage. There are still some non-maternity items in there though. 

Stretch marks? None. That white circle is normal- just my pigmentation is going lighter instead of darker. Interestingly, though, I think I may be starting to get that dark line on the top half of my belly. It was pretty faint so I thought I was making it up. I'll let you know in a week or so. :) 
Sleep: Not so good this week. I am having a hard time falling asleep initially then when I get up to pee I can't fall asleep again. It was a little better towards the end of the week. 
Best moment of the week: Seeing my cousin Christy and her beautiful baby bump at her shower.
Miss anything: My Boo, my cousin, Mary

Movement: Little Gianna is a strong mamba-jamba! She must be stretching in there because all of a sudden I will get a lot of pressure in one spot and it's hard as a rock. Then I push on it and she moves. It hurts when it's near my belly button because of hernia #1.
Food cravings: Nothing crazy. I have noticed, overall, that I am eating more sweet stuff with her than by myself. I like bologna a lot again. :) 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. 

Gender: Girl!
Symptoms: Crappy sleeping. I'm getting bigger (duh) but am really starting to feel it.  It is harder to get up off the couch, roll over in bed, etc. I am starting to feel ginormous and there is still three months left.
Belly button in or out: Still an innie.

Wedding rings on or off: On 

Labor Signs: Nope

Happy or moody most of the time: Moody/frustrated. We had our doctor's appointment this week and everything went great except that my hernia (#2) is still getting bigger. I am still not allowed any type of exercise other than walking. This is getting super frustrating as I keep getting bigger.  I was so active before I got pregnant and always planned on staying as active as possible doing prenatal yoga, etc so it's a bit frustrating.  I am also still trying to get used to not having Bella in the house and that is hard. I can't start on the nursery until the wood floor issue is sorted out. Overall, it was a frustrating week and I was a bit moody. Sue me. LOL!

Looking forward to: See above...getting all that sorted out. :)