Full Term

On Thursday I hit the 37 week mark.  It is such a relief!  37 weeks is considered Full Term when the lungs are fully developed and she can survive well outside the womb without needing extra medical attention.  Certainly if she had been born a little earlier it would not likely have been life threatening.  But 37 to 42 weeks is the low risk window that I had to make it into in order to give birth at the birth center.  And we MADE IT!!!!

It was a bumpy ride the last few weeks as Caitlyn fully dropped quite early and my cervix was definitely starting to ripen.  I also have what is apparently an extremely active uterus.  I've been having braxton hicks contractions daily for nearly a month now and a few times they have gotten carried away.    BH contractions by themselves are not an indication of labor but they do prepare your body for labor and if they start to become more rhythmic and close together they can lead into labor.  I learned at the advice of my caregivers that the best way to control these if they feel like they are headed in that direction is to take a warm bath along with having a few ounces of wine.  I had to resort to this a couple of times and happily it worked like a charm.

It's so nice to be able to relax now and not worry about what is going on with the contractions or where they are headed.  Yesterday was my 37 week check up and I had contractions for several hours leading up to the appointment.  I started to think how amusing it would be if I went to my appointment and it turned out I was actually in labor.  Eventually my amusement turned into, "Holy $#!}," there is a remote chance this could actually happen today.  So I started to get some nervous excitement and little waves of anxiety that I could feel physically manifesting in my body.  I told my midwife about it at the appointment and she asked if I was scared about the labor and I said No!  The anxiety was not about the labor, it was the realization that OMG, I could actually have a daughter by the end of the day!  Anyway, lest you worry, blood pressure and everything was fine.

But it is starting to hit home that any day now this thing is really going to happen.  I spend lots of time these days thinking about it.  I imagine that moment right after birth when she is laid on my chest for the first time, and bringing her home, and nursing her, and introducing her to the dogs, trying to figure out how to eat and sleep and bath while still meeting her needs.  Of course it's all highly romanticized in my head but who has time to spend worrying about labor when there are so many more important things to focus on.

Good Checkup

34 Week checkup today was excellent and very calming for my new mommy nerves.  The last week has been a bit of a roller coaster of emotions dealing with the fear that Caitlyn is going to come too early and we won't get to have the beautiful natural birth we imagined for her in the comfort of the Birth Center.  The waives of hormone surges that come with all these rapid changes in my body are interesting and new too for both me and Don.  Not something I'm used to dealing with.  "Needy" is a new sensation for me.  And it all gets directed at Don.  Figuring out how to communicate and work through that is interesting.  We're on a learning curve.

But the check up today confirmed that everything is healthy and on track.  No signs or indication at this point that things are getting going.  So I can relax and just focus on keeping things comfortable for Caitlyn so she can enjoy her stay in Casa de Utero at least a few more weeks.  She has dropped so low now, even more than before.  My doula says Caitlyn knows what she likes and has made herself so comfortable; she stays in that one spot and isn't going anywhere.  That's my little offspring, getting her house in order so she can be prepared and relaxed before the journey.  Like mother like daughter.

My instructions for the final six weeks are to get plenty of rest, eat lots of protein, minimize sugar and carbs, and drink water like a fish.  I can continue with light to moderate activity but no running any marathons.  OK, I can do that.

34 Weeks

Tomorrow is the 34 week milestone.  Caitlyn is growing so fast now and I feel like my body is changing by the minute.  Everything feels so immanent now that I keep getting momentary episodes of panic that she is going to arrive early on us.  I finally understand the full meaning of the word "anxious" in a way I never have before.  It's the craziest feeling of total anxiety about it happening too soon and absolutely not being able to wait at the same time. Sheer terror and total excitement.  Huge quantities of both and equal parts of both.  I just have to continue to remind myself that she's going to come however she comes and whatever the circumstances I will just make sure that I do everything I can to make her entry into this world a good one.  In the meantime I'm focusing on getting ready for her arrival and maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

In that fashion the nursery is almost complete and for this I am so excited!  The crib arrives today and Katie is finishing up hemming the bedskirt and then all will be complete.  I also ordered a few final essentials that didn't get picked up from our registry today such as the diaper bag and missing pieces of our breast pump.  That is a huge relief towards feeling prepared.

Other things that still need to be done:

- Pack the hospital bag
- Reorganized some cupboards in the kitchen to make room for bottles and such
- Select a Pediatrician
- Lots and lots and lots of thank you cards
- Sort and store larger size baby clothes
- Launder all the new baby clothes and bedding

I'm sure there's more, but progress is happening and it feels good.

Fun in the sun

This weekend we had the most gorgeous weather we have had yet this year and we took full advantage with lots of outdoor time for us.

We started off Saturday Morning with a work party at our Church's Community Garden.  Katy and Zach came along which made it all the more enjoyable.  Our project primarily consisted of filling five raised beds full of dirt.

We brought the dogs along with us and as soon as we started digging Seumas jumped right in.  The little guy dug for two hours straight and only stopped when we made him take a break to drink some water.  He had the time of his life!

Don and Zach and Katy and Zach did most of the shoveling.  Caitlyn and I raked the dirt to level it out once it went into the boxes.

 On Saturday we decided to head out to Padden for some fresh air.  We did a little off leash hiking in the shaded hills.  Then set up for a lazy afternoon BBQ in the park.

Seumas got to play soccer with Don, Brandon, Noal and Zach.  This is definitely his most favorite game.  See how happy and tired he is?

Don got a new sun hat which he is very excited about.

Full of good food and zapped by the sun, we were all ready for a good nap afterwards.

Nursery Update

Don and I awoke Saturday morning (after sleeping in) to find ourselves staring down a whole entire day with no agenda.  That, I have to say, is the best way to start a weekend.  So after brainstorming a few ideas for the day, we decided to take on a project in the nursery.  I attended a friend's daughter's first birthday a few weeks ago and she took me into the nursery and gave me an awesome tip.  She had shelves installed up high around the perimeter of the room and she kept all the toys in small 12" x 12" storage bins on the shelves.  Then she would take one box down at a time for her daughter to play with until she got bored of it.  It was a great system because for one thing, you only ever have one small box of toys making a mess around the house at any given moment.  Plus, every time you pulled a different box down, it was like Christmas for her daughter, discovering new toys all over again.  And even beyond that, the practicality of the idea was perfect for us.  Since we have decided to use the office nook in our Master Suite for the nursery instead of the spare bedroom , the lack of an actual closet in the room and the unusual arrangement of space with the extra wide doorways makes for limited storage options.  So this was a great solution all the way around.  We picked out our shelves and then I discovered the most perfect turquoise storage bins ever that totally went with the theme of the room and matched EXACTLY the beautiful handmade blocks that the Buell family made for Caitlyn with her name on them.  The storage bins cost about as much as the shelves themselves, but after Don frowned at the price tag and asked me the question "how badly do you want them?" I knew my answer right away was REAL BAD.  So we set aside financial responsibility and indulged and I'm so,so  happy with how it turned out that I don't regret the decision one bit.

So it's really starting to look like a real nursery now that's almost ready for Caitlyn's arrival.  We have a  nice glider that I picked up second hand off of craigslist that will go in the back corner by the window and the dresser which we've been using as extra seating in the living room for now.  We still need to pick up a crib mattress and I would like to replace the window valances with something brown and teal and get some blackout blinds.  I have two showers coming up in the next month, one in Seattle and one at Church.  I'm sure those storage bins will fill up fast.

Oh, and Caitlyn, in case you are ever building your own nursery (a long, long, long ways down the road) and find yourself wondering what music daddy listened to while he put your crib and shelves together, the answer is 80's Hair Metal.  I hope you will be proud of this some day.

29 Weeks

Third trimester is off with a bang.  Last Saturday morning I was doing some chores when it felt like I strained a muscle in my lower abdominals.  My first thought was ouch, that can't be good.  My second thought was, crap, I have a lot I wanted to get done today.  So I took a few cautious steps and determined I could keep going and of course spent a good portion of the rest of the day doing projects around the house.  The next morning I noticed that Caitlyn had dropped and was riding a lot lower in my belly.  Like most muscle strains it felt a lot worse after two days, so Monday I decided to check in with my doula and my midwives.  After asking a few questions, particularly considering that I didn't have any other signs of early labor, they all expressed that they were not concerned but that if I wanted to come in they could do a quick check to be extra safe.  So I headed over in the afternoon and got some affirmation that cervix was still nice and closed, blood pressure was excellent, and baby's heart rate was great.  I was advised to take it easy for a few days and that a warm bath or heating pad on a low setting might be soothing.  After a few days of minimizing activity I'm feeling much better and can't wait to get back to water aerobics so I can sleep better.  Hips have been stiffening up at nights and leg cramps are becoming more regular.  Ahhh, the joys of pregnancy.  Unfortunately when I arrived at the pool for my first night back tonight someone had thrown up in the pool and the class was canceled.  Bummer! 

In other news, our good friends Katy and Zach arrived on Monday for their relocation to Bellingham!  Not only are they good people and great friends, but they are Caitlyn's godparents also and we are so happy to have them in our lives again.  They have been staying with us while they get on their feet and look for a place.  It has been a lot of fun reconnecting and catching up and we are taking delight in the possibilities and opportunities before them in this newest adventure.  Cordy and Seumas could not be more excited to have house guests.  Seumas actually has someone to play with!  This morning after Don, Katy and I had already gotten up and started into our daily routine, I caught both Cordy and Seumas sitting outside of the door of the guest bedroom just staring at it and waiting for Zach to wake up too.  He is definitely the life of the party as far as the dogs are concerned.  Won't the pups be so sad when they get their own place.  At least they will be frequent visitors!

Let the Third Trimester Begin

Tomorrow officially begins the Third Trimester.  This week at work I was entering 90 day approvals into the system and realizing they expire after our due date!

Caitlyn is growing, growing, growing.  My belly just keeps sticking out further and further.  My abs are still hanging in there so it's quite the amusing little sideways camel hump that rides a lot higher than I would have expected.  I keep wondering when things will start to drop or spread out around the middle and I really just can't even begin to imagine where the rest of this baby is going to go.  I already seem so big in my mind. 

My weight gain started off pretty slow but somewhere along the way I developed a sweet tooth and let's just say things have accelerated a tad.  I'm up to about 155 pounds now which means I've gained about 18 pounds since the start of the pregnancy and if I gain another pound a week from here on out I'll end up with a total gain of 30 pounds which is right about what I was aiming for so I'm pretty happy with that.  Caitlyn's growth continues to measure well and on track so she is clearly getting what she needs.  But I've been thinking I want to try to start keeping a food diary for the last trimester to keep better track and make sure I'm getting enough variety of all the nutrients I want to try to cram into her while she's still my little utero-captive.

Caitlyn's activity level has increased quite a bit too with lots of movement.  Hiccups are still regular, as well as distinct movements and jabs.  I also get quite a firm rolling sensation here and there where I imagine she is turning over and trying to get into a more comfortable position.  I can feel solid parts of her pushing up against the surface of my belly but still can't distinguish which parts are which.  I spend a lot of time in the evenings rubbing my belly like a little Buddha so she can get used to my touch and maybe it will be more soothing and familiar when I rub her back when she gets fussy.  She does NOT like it when I lean forward in my desk at work and wiggles around.  The girl likes her space. 

My hormones must be elevating too.  Lately I've been feeling extra affectionate and extra sensitive emotionally, both positively and negatively.

Last weekend I went home for a quick trip to Eugene which included my first Baby Shower with my family and closest childhood family friends.  It is so humbling to be on the receiving end of so much love and joy and support for this wonderful little life.  And it's absolutely remarkable to think that all of these people in my life who have loved me since I was a child, are standing by to invest that same precious love in my daughter.  Yes, Caitlyn is going to be very blessed.

I started to process more recently that I'm actually going to be a mother.  It's easier to grasp that you are going to have a baby than to realize that you are going to be a mother.   It came to me when I opened up one of my baby shower invitations which had a baby bird and a momma bird on it and I realized, 'Wait, I'm the Momma Bird!"  I'm glad I still have 12 more weeks to go though.  This Momma Bird still has some more nesting to do.

Progress So Far

13 Weeks

19 Weeks

25 Weeks

24 Weeks

I think I must be in the honeymoon phase of the pregnancy. I feel Caitlyn's kicks and turns and hiccups a lot lately which I love. Just this week I started noticing my belly actually moving with little jabs here and there. Don got to see it too. I find this so amusing and marvelous! And at the same time, I would like to thank my daughter for being a sweet little angel lately and sleeping through the night with me. Quality sleep is something I have learned to cherish and savor as I know these days are numbered.

I am also love, love, loving deep water aerobics. It took me a while to build the routine of making it to an evening class, but with a little practice, I've managed to make it a priority and am now consistently going about 3 times a week. It feels so good to be in the water and weightless. I get good cardio but without all the stress on my joints and a nice full range of motion. Some of the moves are really out of the ordinary too, like swinging your legs back and forth like a bell (think full conversion from back float to a front float but your head stays in one place), I just can't help but wonder what Caitlyn thinks is going on in there and it makes me smile.

Quality time with Don is also a huge focus for me right now. We've been cooking a lot of good meals together lately. The other night we came home from church and read to Caitlyn for about an hour and half. We've been going through the TV series Justified, and running errands together. Whatever it is, I'm deeply indulging in those moments of being able to be present and attentive to each other without a world of distractions. We have a lot to learn about being parents, but as husband and wife, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Oh, and the NESTING!!!! I was born to nest. Much progress has been made in the Early household. I made the transition to the new office a week or two ago (it's a bit of a blur now). I'm really happy with the new arrangement. It feels more like a real office for one (rather than a nook in my bedroom), so going to work actually feels like "going to work." I have a commute now, if only to the other end of the house.

With the transition to the new office we cleared out the nursery space and that's ready to assemble. We had considered painting but a small disagreement with the landlord took that off the table. Don and I are both OK with this. The finished product would have been cool, but it was starting to sound like a lot of work. As far as the nursery goes, I've already acquired a dresser, changing table, and very nice glider. We recently registered for a crib and mattress also on our Amazon Baby Registry and hoping someone may gift that to us sooner than later so that we can finish setting up the nursery (hint, hint). I'm really happy with being able to use the office nook in our master suite as the nursery area. Location wise it is perfect. However, the way the room is set up with double doors, large windows, an angled wall, and no closet, it will be interesting to see how everything fits in there. Particularly since I have a specific place I want the crib to go where we can see it from our bed.

Additional household projects have come together as well. This weekend we acquired some new shelving for our bathroom and picked up some new towels as our current supply was getting a little ragged. Plus we got some new towel hooks to go on the back of the door -- a muh more convenient location to the shower. I love the new arrangement! I think I already mentioned a few weeks ago that we acquired some new bookshelves also which have gone in the spare bedroom. Other projects I hope to accomplish today are picking up and installing some new mail slot organizers (as part of our never ending quest to keep on top of paperwork and keep the mail from piling up on the kitchen island like it always tends to do), and to finish going through the boxes of office supplies that we have yet to transition to the new office. We may also take a load of books today to the used book store after church to cash those in.

My biggest nesting project lately though has been in the category of meal planning! I finally found the perfect solution for organizing all of my online recipes and simplifying meal planning - Pinterest!!!! It is the best tool for how my mind works. I have been pinning all my favorite recipes in different categories (i.e., soups, salads, chicken recipes, etc). I also have a board for "This Week's Meal Plan." So now I can easily glance through my online recipe collection in a consolidated cookbook fashion and repin the recipes to my weekly meal plan that I want to try that week. Then it's as easy as printing out the recipes, making my grocery list, and done in 15 minutes! People keep telling me I won't have time or energy to cook when the baby comes; but I'm hanging on to the dream (delusional or not) that if I just have a really good plan, I can still make it happen.

TJ's Game Day Chip Dip

1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Turkey Chili with Beans
1 Pkg Cream Cheese
Corn chips for dipping

Heat black beans and turkey chili together on stove top over medium high heat. Warm cream cheese in microwave until soft, then add to chili mixture and cook until thoroughly mixed. Can also be made in the crockpot.