Random Thoughts

Nothing like losing a post when you are already halfway though.... sigh... let's try this again...

I have had a lot of "little" ideas for blog posts lately so I've decided to just put them all into one post and do a "random thoughts" post. That's about how my brain works these days anyway...pretty random....

Here it goes...

1. If you live in Oklahoma, you already know about the ridiculous heat we are experiencing this week. It's not even July yet and we have already reached temperatures well over 100 degrees and in some places up to 105! Whew....that's WAY to hot for us pregnant women. So what is my plan? Stay inside in the A/C!

2. Speaking of the air conditioner...I've been getting so anxious about our air conditioner. I had it serviced last year and it was just fine but I worry about it having to work overtime in this crazy heat. Of all summers, this is NOT the summer I want it to decide to stop working that is for sure! I keep saying, "but what if it does go out", to Wes and he just shakes his head and tells me it's fine and not to worry about it. Is this a new momma thing to worry about something that hasn't even happened yet?

3. I recently went to a friend's baby shower and got some great baby ideas. The one gift she got that I plan on purchasing for myself was a Baby Diary from www.maybooks.com. I had never heard of this website before but immediately knew I had to have one of these for Ava. This website was actually featured on Good Morning America so it must be good!

It's basically a way to custom make your own planner/diary of your choice. You pick out the design for the cover and monogram it with your initials or name if you choose....

then decide which pages you want to go inside....

They have monthly planners, weekly planners, menu planners, wedding diary, bump diary, baby diary, and even just blank pages for a journal. SO cute!! And they have tons of cute designs to choose from!

Of course, I am looking at getting the Baby Diary. I am such a sucker for planners anyway, let me tell you. Sometimes I will go to Office Depot just to buy a new planner with all good intentions of using it and then...never do...(I've got quite a few empty planners lying around). The only planner I really used often was for nursing school. So of course this stuff is right up my alley! :)

Here's a look at the different pages inside the Baby Diary...

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I've yet to purchase a baby book and so I might just end up using this instead. 

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Who knows, I may not end up using it at all once she is here. But it's definitely a cute idea!

4. Vacation to Nashville is coming up in two weeks!! I'm SO excited!! Can't wait!!

5. I am really needing to get back into cooking more often. But with the weather as hot as it is outside, I am not interested in heating up my kitchen by using the oven. So I'm going to try and find lots of good crock pot recipes. If any of you have any to pass along, I would really appreciate it!!

6. The closer and closer we get to my due date, the more reality starts to hit. We are more than ready for her to finally be here but at the same time...are so nervous about what life will be like. We know it will be a very happy time in our lives but can't help but feel just a little anxious....I'm sure this is normal....

7. My pregnancy brain struck again today...I have been telling people all week that I am about to be 29 weeks along. Only to look down at my pregnancy ticker this morning and realize I am almost 30 weeks this week! Goodness....Time really is flying!

8. Those of you who have babies....what is your take on 3D ultrasounds?? I really want to do one but Wes doesn't think we should. He says he just wants to wait and see her when she's born. He tells me to be patient. I can be patient but I still want to get a good look at her little face and see if she in fact does have my nose!

9. I filled out my August schedule at work the other day and realized that will be the last one I fill out before coming back from materinity leave. Wow! Now that makes it really feel like it's not going to be much longer. I am fortunate enough to be able to take the full 12 weeks of FMLA off to be with Ava. I also enrolled in Short Term Disability when I got hired on so we will still have some income coming in from that, which is good.

10. All of a sudden, I just got a craving for McDonald's for lunch...hmmm...think I better go act on that! :)

Father's Day 2012

Better late than never on the promised Father's Day post. I really did intend on getting that post done the day after I gave Wes his gift but my father-in-law ended up borrowing my laptop for a week. It's not like we don't have two other computers in our house that I could have gotten a post done, but of course I just put it off. :)

I actually did good this time and took pictures while Wes opened his gift. Enjoy!

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I ordered the gift from Zappos.com and I must say...LOVE this website! FREE shipping and the package was on my doorstep the next afternoon! Pretty impressive!

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What could it be?? He looks excited about it!

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It may look like just a messenger bag but it's actually a diaper bag!

The actual name of the diaper bag company is "Diaper Dude".

Now Wes can carry Ava's diaper bag in style! :)

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 Wes taking a closer look at what was inside.

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Here is a close up of the Diaper Dude diaper bag.

Of course I had to get the one with a little OSU orange in it.  

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I put some of the "bascis" in the bag all ready to go: bib, change of clothes, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, bottle and of course butt paste! I decided to add a little something for Wes too; cologne.

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Since it was Father's Day, I put in a few children's books from Ava about Daddy's. 

I can't wait until he gets to read these to her.  

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I searched around for a few books for "First Time Dad's" and found these two I really liked. One takes a more humorous approach and the other is a little more serious.

He has yet to start reading them though. I told him he better get on it, not too much longer!! :)

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Wes with his manly diaper bag! Happy Father's Day Wes! You are going to be an amazing Dad to our little girl. She has no idea how lucky she is to have a Daddy like you. <3

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Glucose Test, Recent Purchases, and Week 28 Pregnancy Update

I will start out this post with some updates of the past weeks events.

First and foremost: the dreaded 3 hour glucose test....

Well, let's just say...it's done! My mom did come up Sunday night in order to sit with me Monday during my three hour wait. I was so glad she was here because the hours really went by really quickly and before I knew it, three hours was up!

So the three hour drink was the same quantity as last time just DOUBLE the amount of sugar! 100 grams to be exact! Gross....I brought a straw with me this time because I read somewhere that it was easier to get down if drank through a straw.

I started drinking away and thinking, well it's not too bad and a little easier with the straw this time. I was feeling pretty good and decided to ask the nice lab lady how much time I had left (it has to be completely drank in 5 minutes) and she says, "You've only got one minute."

What?! I've still got HALF of this thing to drink and in ONE minute? You've got to be kidding me. This just went from "not so bad" to "gosh I hope I can keep this down".

So I ditched the straw and just had to chug the rest. That last chug sent my body into chills it was so awfully sweet. Oh well, done!!

My blood had to be drawn four different times during the testing. I luckily talked the lab tech into using a smaller needle on me this time since I bruised so bad from that last test so that part was easy. I felt fine throughout the three hours except for having diarrhea (T.M.I. probably for some of you, but yall gotta know the truth behind these experiences). Lovely.....at least I didn't throw it up though.

Of course, the second my last hour was up, I was more than ready to eat lunch. My mom and I decided to eat at Furr's and oh my gosh....I have never been so hungry in my life. My mom looked at me and said, "I don't think I've ever seen you this excited about food before." haha

She's probably right!

Excitement was definitely what I was feeling. I couldn't wait to eat! And boy did I eat too! My little self finished: chicken fried steak, fried potatoes, peaches and bananas, mac and cheese, cabbage, a roll, AND pumpkin pie. No problem. I was SO full but felt SO much better. :) Best.Meal.Ever.

As soon as lunch was over, I had my regular doctor's appointment. I had to get my Rhogam shot (due to my A negative blood type) and OUCH!! That thing hurt!! I've had patients tell me that it does but now I really know what they are talking about. There's a 50/50 chance I will need another one after delivery and I am hoping I don't. But of course, I will do what I have to do!

The rest of the day was spent running around with mom, shopping of course. :) I had been wanting to start looking around for a new travel bag to take to the hospital when it is time for delivery. I thought I would wait till we go to Nashville to find one, but ended up finding this CUTE bag at Target.

It was actually in the cosmetic section. The brand is Sonia Kashuk. It has a ton of room and really sturdy. It also comes with two clear make-up cases inside. I've been needing a new bag to take with me when I go out of town anyway, but this way I can have a new bag to take to the hospital too.

It's definitely too early to be thinking about packing my bag yet, but I'm pretty sure this bag will be able to not only hold my clothes but probably anything we might need for Ava too.

Our other purchase was a new memory foam mattress topper and comforter for the spare bedroom (also known as the bed my mom will be sleeping in when she is here to help after Ava is born). We found a really cute comforter at Target (love that store!) and for only $20! I actually like the way the room looks even better than the black and white comforter I had on the bed before.

Comforter before....

And the new one....

I am already LOVING my mom being done with school. She has always had the summer off but it's great knowing she will have the opportunity to come visit so much more often now that she has retired.

I am getting more and more excited about our trip to Nashville as it gets closer. My sister is already planning fun stuff for us to do.

One request I had was for her to find us a good place to get a massage. I figured this technically is my vacation so I might as well enjoy it!! I've been saying I need to get a massage but just have never done it. Vacation sounds like the perfect time for it and just relax. Ahh....I can't wait!!!

Here is a cute picture of Lexi that I just had to post. She has so much personality and never fails to keep us entertained. :)

Father's Day is this weekend and I knew I wanted to do something special for Wes. I know...he's not a dad YET but he did get me a Mother's Day card and a small gift on Mother's Day so I wanted to return the favor. And find a small way of letting him know that he is going to be great dad!

I work this weekend so we won't be able to celebrate Father's Day on the day so we are celebrating tonight.

Now although I doubt that Wes would read my blog post before getting his gift this evening, I am going to wait and make a post later tonight or tomorrow of what his Father's Day gift was. Until then, this is all you get to see....

I think I am more excited about what I got him than he is! :) I felt like I did a pretty good job of being creative with this one and can't wait for him to open it! So be checking back soon for pictures of what was inside.

Now for the weekly pregnancy update.....

Pregnancy Highlights

 

How Far Along: 28 weeks- Officially made it to the third trimester! Yay!! The countdown begins!

Size of baby: According to "thebump" baby is now putting on more layers of fat and now weighs in around 1.5-2.5 pounds and measures about 13.5-14.8 inches long; the size of an eggplant.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Trucking right along in this department! At my last appointment, I weighed in right at 120 which is about 13 pounds gained so far. Pretty much right on track! :)

Maternity Clothes: Absolutely! The skirt I have on in my picture above is my most recent purchase and I love it! SO comfy! I think I need about 3 more of these in different colors.

Gender: Girl! So excited! :) "Ava Rae"

The Joys of Pregnancy

Happy Friday everyone! The weeks just keep flying by lately that I can barely keep up with a weekly post on the blog.

What's new in the pregnancy update department? No picture for this week but gosh do I have some new symptoms to share!

I can't remember if I mentioned this in my last pregnancy update but heartburn/reflux has reared it's ugly head as of a few weeks ago. Luckily, it's manageable with meds but goodness it can be uncomfortable. I know my insides are being pushed up into my esophagus thanks to a healthy, growing baby, why would I expect to be completely comfortable all the time? :) The price you pay!

Speaking of my growing baby, round ligament hit me hard last week. Ya know, here I work in Labor and Delivery and we get calls at least every week from first time mom's asking about this sharp pain in their abdomen and if that is normal. And what do we do? Just roll our eyes (mind you this over the phone, the patients don't see the eye rolling) and calmly tell them that it's completely normal, it's just round ligament pain from your uterus growing and muscles stretching; drink lots of water and rest, you will be fine. Don't come in, you're NOT in labor!! haha

Okay....after experiencing round ligament pain first hand, it's no wonder these women freak out! It hurts!!! If I didn't know a thing about pregnancy, I might get a little concerned too. I had been laying on the couch taking a nap, woke up and tried to get up but was immediately caught off guard by this awful sharp, stabbing pain in my right lower abdomen. Hmm...that sure doesn't feel good. So I tried getting up slowly but still had the pain. I had to pee like crazy so I knew I was going to have to tough it out and somehow manage the pain.

This pain was so much that it just hurt to walk, let alone reach over to grab the toilet paper off the roll. It was fine when I wasn't moving, but the second I twisted or turned or moved at all...sharp pain. Then I started to remind myself of what I (as a nurse) would be telling a patient to do and just tried to relax. It continued to bother me the rest of the day but lessened up quite a bit by bedtime. A warm bath definitely helped too.

It has yet to return with such intensity but I occasionally get a tight discomfort every once and a while. Oh the joys of pregnancy and the symptoms that just confirm that baby is growing! :)

Ava has started to get the hiccups at least once a day. Sometimes I don't even notice unless my hand is over my belly but I know they will become more obvious as she gets bigger. She is moving ALL the time and I absolutely love it!!! I could just lay for hours watching my belly move, imagining what those movements will look like in just three short months.

Three months!! 90 days exactly today! Wow. It really does feel like just last month that we announced the pregnancy and here it's almost over. I still have the hot, Oklahoma summer to get through but my plan is to just stay inside in the wonderful air conditioning and call it good. :)

I did my one hour glucose test last week. Ugh! Ya know...that test wouldn't be so darn bad if they didn't make you chug 50 grams of sugar in just 5 minutes! No one would EVER drink that much sugar in such a short amount of time. That is more sugar than a can of coke! Ridiculous. The drink itself wasn't too bad. Tasted just like really sweet orange soda but it definitely left me feeling kinda icky the rest of the day.

I came home, ate something, and immediately took a long nap. Woke up, ate lunch, ran a few errands and was back in bed for nap #2 by 3:30 pm. I was exhausted. (This was, by the way, the same day that my round ligament pain decided to take effect) I was a total mess that day. It was a good thing I wasn't scheduled to work because I don't know if I could have made it through.

I keep getting told by other friends who have been pregnant that the fatigue comes back with the third trimester. I was afraid that was the beginning of returning fatigue but I've been okay since.

Now, I figured I wouldn't know the results of my glucose test for at least a week, maybe at my next appointment which is this next week. But I got a phone call from my doctor's office just two days later telling me that I didn't pass my one hour and now will have to do the THREE hour glucose test!!! Ahh!! Seriously? Seriously....

What am I going to do for THREE hours just sitting?? I know...I know...just bring a good book to read. Well...it's not that I don't like to read but I'm not that big of a reader unless the book is really good.

So I thought of a better idea. Call for reinforcements: Mom!! My mom is officially done with school so she can now come to visit whenever she wants so of course I decide to call her and see if she will come sit with me.

When I asked her, her reply was, "Well, what am I going to do for those three hours?" ha "Talk to me and keep me company" I responded. "Okay..." she said reluctantly. :) Thanks Mom!

Let me just say, I love having my mom so close. Although I would love to have her closer, it's so nice to be able to see each other often. We have built such a strong friendship since I have moved out of the house that I look forward to having a little girl that I will one day get to experience that same love and friendship with her. I definitely have a wonderful role model to look up to and can't wait for those special mother-daughter moments with Ava.

Next symptom: Pregnancy brain has officially taken over my brain. Not all the time but I have my moments that there is no doubt that something else is taking over. For example, at work I will go into a patient's room to do something. I come out of the room and ask the other nurses...."now why did I go into that room? what was I supposed to do?". What's bad is I DID do what I needed to do in the room but I just absolutely had no clue what it was just 5 minutes later; not only IF I did it but what in the world it was I needed to do! Ugh...so frustrating. At least I have something to blame it on.

I also had to buy Lexi a new bag of dog food the other day and completely walked out of the store with puppy food instead of adult food. Sheesh....I got the brand right at least! Oh well...I'm sure she will enjoy it!

Let's see...what else...back pain...check! Leg cramps...check! I'm officially pregnant! ha

I will try to take a belly picture soon, I promise. :) Until then, my crazy stories will just have to work.

(I think that was all I needed to blog about....pregnancy brain, I'm telling ya!)