35 Week Pregnancy Update

How far along? 35 Weeks! I know I say this a lot, but it is seriously flying by! I am frantically working on my To Do List!

Total weight gain/Measurements? Up 10 pounds!

Maternity clothes: Still living in basketball shorts and maternity camis and one maxi dress. I am getting huge and super low. Even though my maternity jeans and shorts still fit, they are super uncomfortable because of how low I am.

Stretch marks: Just the ones I got with my first giant baby. I'm still using my Mama Bee Oil after every shower, but mainly because it helps with any itchiness. I am carrying straight out in front and my skin is stretched to the max.

Sleep:  Not getting any better at all! This week has seemed to be a turning point with this pregnancy. Everything is getting harder.

Best moment this week: Actually spending time getting ready for this baby. We got the downstairs changing station set up and that was a huge relief. We also got the car deep cleaned and all of the car seats rearranged with the baby's in the car now!

Movement: TONS of biiiiig movement. It is super uncomfortable.

Food cravings: Chocolate pudding and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Anything making you sick? Nope! I did have some stomach cramps once this week, but I never threw up from it.

Gender: We wont know until the big day! It's making me anxious! I just want to meet this little one and find out what it is!

Labor signs: Only a few braxton hicks contractions every day. I HAVE noticed extreme pressure when I sit on the toilet or go from sitting to standing. I also definitely lost my giant mucus plug. Both the pressure and the plug make me think we wont be making it to 40 weeks!

Symptoms:  Horrible horrible pubic bone pain that is only getting worse and worse. I dont see it getting better between now and delivery, so I am just dealing with it and staying busy.

Belly button in or out?  Definitely out and I hate it. I don't think it's ugly but it's so uncomfortable. It seems like June Bug is always poking it out more. Creeps me out!

Wedding rings on or off? On! I have never had to take them off before :)

Happy or Moody Most of the time? Stressed! lol I am running out of time!

Most looking forward to: My 36 week midwife appointment to discuss our birth plan. Some of our amazing friends are gonna watch our kids so we can focus and talk.

Before Baby To Do List (Update #2)

So I made a HUGE list of tasks I want to accomplish from now until the end of my pregnancy. I am currently 35 weeks pregnant and want to hold myself accountable. Each week I will be giving myself some of these tasks to get done and I will share with you all what I accomplished that week. I want to be done with everything by the beginning of June just in case I have this little one at 38 weeks like my last two.


Week 26
- Develop 7 disposable cameras that have been lying around for years!
- Upload all the pictures from my computer to Shutterfly
- Empty my camera and upload the pictures that have been sitting on there
- Begin creating photo books for 2012
- Clean up my computer
- Get pictures into photo albums


Week 27
- Go through all of my clothes and donate a lot of them
- Wash all of our bedding and the kids' bedding
- Start a massive donate pile of clothes, toys, etc
- Make my birth announcement list


Week 28
- Wash my reusable nursing pads 3 times and bleach them
- Strip all of my one size diapers for Josie
- Stack up all baby items in my closet and put all baby clothes on changing table to be washed
- Keep creating photo books
- Register with the hospital and fill out green birth plan sheet midwives gave me


Week 29
- Paint the stair well, upstairs and the loft
- Clean carpet on stairs, upstairs and the loft
- Use chalkboard paint on one loft wall
- Hang rain gutter shelves
- Attach a desk to a loft wall
- Hang white board in the loft


Week 30
- Update all the kids' baby books and birthday books
- Upload and print 100 free prints at Costco
- Create a camping photo book
- Purchase our car seat for the baby
- Purchase drawers for the baby
- Purchase a desk, chair and 2 bookshelves for the office


Week 31
- Clean carpet in the kids' room and our room
- Rearrange the bedrooms
- Hang rain gutter shelves in the kids' room
- Patch walls in kids room and use touch up paint


Week 32
- Organize kids' keepsakes into bins
- Wash the couches
- Rearrange the livingroom
- Hang family tree frames
- Hang pictures in the stair well
- Organize important papers into our lock box
- Organize and label bins of clothes
- Organize armoire and tv stand


Week 33
- Organize the office once we build furniture
- Blow up my birth ball
- Laundromat trip for big blankets
- Sew Michael's blanket
- Clean out and organize downstairs closet
- Schedule Summer portraits for the kids
- Donate all our crap we collect
- Wash newborn cloth diapers 3 times
- Order handkerchief keepsake for Violet
- Make copies of homeschool books


Week 34
- Phoenix trip
- Ikea trip
- Josie's birthday party
- Wash baby carriers
- Start making freezer meals
- Wash pack n play, bouncers, etc
- Wash covers to everything
- Wash newborn cloth diapers 3 more times


Week 35
- Replace batteries in toys and gear
- Wash all baby clothes and bedding
- Wash newborn cloth diapers 3 more times
- Throw couch pillows into the washer


Week 36
- Create more photo books if not done
- Clean all baby toys and put into a bin
- Organize baby dresser
- Pack hospital bags


Week 37
- Organize upstairs changing table
- Build rock n play sleeper and cradle
- Organize downstairs changing area
- Pack bags for the kids
- Install car seat
- Move Violet to a booster seat and turn Josie around


Anything to accomplish beyond 38 weeks - Freezer meals, keeping the house clean.

34 Week Pregnancy Update

 

 

How far along? 34 Weeks! I cannot believe it! If this baby is like my son, then I have 6 weeks left and if it's like my daughters then I have 4ish weeks left! Crazy how fast it is going by!

Total weight gain/Measurements? Up 10 pounds!

Maternity clothes: Still living in basketball shorts and maternity camis and one maxi dress. I am getting huge and super low. Even though my maternity jeans and shorts still fit, they are super uncomfortable because of how low I am.

Stretch marks: Just the ones I got with my first giant baby. I'm still using my Mama Bee Oil after every shower, but mainly because it helps with any itchiness. I am carrying straight out in front and my skin is stretched to the max.

Sleep:  A heck of a lot harder to sleep this week. Like it was super noticeable. I'm up ALL night long peeing, drinking and tossing. It's been a huge pain in the butt.

Best moment this week: Seeing our baby on ultrasound at our OB consult. The consult actually went well. We waited an hour just to sign a damn paper saying we understand the pros and cons of VBAC. Gee thanks. WHY does that cost $1000.00?? The ultrasound was fun though and I will have a whole post about that.

Movement: It feels like this baby is trying to exit my body through my belly button!

Food cravings: Eegees sandwiches! It's a local place.

Anything making you sick? No! No sickness at all this pregnancy! woohoo! But my kids did get sick and I seem to have caught whatever they have, so that is not fun.

Gender: We dont know, but when we were leaving the consult, the OB asks my son, who is holding a picture of the baby, "How do you like that baby sister? Do you want another one?" and I about died! I was like omg he better not have been talking about the baby. Jon swears he was talking about Josie.

Labor signs: Nothing! Not too many braxton hicks either, which is strange for me!

Symptoms:  Pubic symphesis, trouble sleeping, hot flashes. My pubic bone pain is getting WAY worse. Luckily my mom sent me a support belt to use. I cant tell if it has helped yet or not.

Belly button in or out?  Definitely out and I hate it. I don't think it's ugly but it's so uncomfortable. It seems like June Bug is always poking it out more. Creeps me out!

Wedding rings on or off? On! I have never had to take them off before :)

Happy or Moody Most of the time? Stressed! lol I am running out of time!

Most looking forward to: My 36 week midwife appointment to discuss our birth plan. Some of our amazing friends are gonna watch our kids so we can focus and talk.

 Danielle

33 Week Pregnancy Update

How far along? 33 Weeks! 

 

Total weight gain/Measurements? I've gained 10 pounds this pregnancy.

Maternity clothes: I am outgrowing so many of my maternity clothes and just living in basketball shorts, maternity camis and a maxi dress I have!

Stretch marks: Just the ones from my first giant baby. Thank God, no new ones. I am carrying all out front and super low though so who knows if a few more will pop up.

Sleep: I have been getting up a ton to pee at night and I am super thirsty. Definitely waking up every hour or 2 to turn onto a different side because it starts to hurt my shoulder.

Best moment this week: Celebrating my baby girl's 2nd birthday and my Husband's 27th birthday! We had so much fun.

Movement: This baby NEVER stops moving! No more kicks or punches, it's all rolls and moving around.

Food cravings: Cereal

Anything making you sick? No! No sickness at all this pregnancy! woohoo!

Gender: I'm still guessing girl and my husband still is guessing boy! We have no idea.

Labor signs: Nothing! Barely even having braxton hicks contractions.

Symptoms:  Pubic symphesis, trouble sleeping, hot flashes. I can tell I am nearing the end and need to take it easy. The only problem with that is, I have a TON to do! I feel myself getting really tired easily now. This is the first time I have had any sort of sleepiness this pregnancy.

Belly button in or out?  Definitely out and I hate it. I don't think it's ugly but it's so uncomfortable. It seems like June Bug is always poking it out more. Creeps me out!

Wedding rings on or off? On! I have never had to take them off before :)

Happy or Moody Most of the time? Hormonal and impatient lol but I AM happy.

Most looking forward to: Hitting 36 weeks and having my birth plan appointment with my midwives. I did have a midwife appointment this week and they scheduled my OB consult for May 8th. My insurance finally approved it. The midwife I saw told me I have done excellent with my weight gain and baby looks healthy. She did measure my belly and I am measuring right on but when she felt the baby, she looked concerned and said "If the OB doesn't do an ultrasound, we will send you back to have one done." So I don't know if she thinks baby is big or not. I did tell her I would be missing my 37 week appointment because we can only go Mondays and it's Memorial Day. She said it was fine and I could do whatever I wanted since I had no issues. She said if I felt like crap or something, then I should come weekly, but if I feel good then I dont have to go weekly at the end. I say woohoo to that because it's an hour drive!

Danielle

32 Week Pregnancy Update

 

 

How far along? 32 Weeks! I cannot believe I am already 32 weeks pregnant. At this point in my pregnancy with my 3rd, I was in preterm labor and hospitalized! So glad that hasn't happened this time and I am hoping it doesn't happen at all.

Total weight gain/Measurements? Still up only 8 pounds! woohoo

Maternity clothes: I am living in my husband's basketball shorts and maternity camis. I live in Arizona and it is hot. My belly is so low that even maternity jeans that are too big are hurting me. I'm picking comfort over style!

Stretch marks: No new ones. All my damage was done by my 1st big ol baby. I am putting Burts Bees Mama Bee Oil on every night though to help with the itching. And this baby is all out in front!

Sleep: Using my pregnancy pillow this week for the first time and it is heavenly. I really needed the support at this point in my pregnancy. My baby is all out front and super low. The pelvic pain is NOT going to go away, so I am finding ways to deal with it.

Best moment this week: Getting the office done! We have been working on organizing the office for the past few days now and it is such a relief. It was a huge task on my do before baby list. I also washed my very first load of baby clothes in Dreft! Oh my goodness, they smell amazing. I washed all the 0-3 boy outfits we have and put them in a bin until we get some drawers.

Movement: Lots of rolls and jabs from elbows and knees!

Food cravings: Tastykakes! And watermelon still.

Anything making you sick? No! No sickness at all this pregnancy! woohoo!

Gender: Still don't know. My OB consult appointment and ultrasound got cancelled because my insurance had not approved it. My midwife didn't want me getting an over $1000.00 bill(For a CONSULT!) in the mail. I have no idea what is happening with that, but I have a midwife appointment on Monday, April 29th and I guess we will figure it out then.

Labor signs: Nothing! Thank goodness we aren't having a repeat of Josie's nightmare!

Symptoms:  Pubic symphesis, trouble sleeping, hot flashes. I can tell I am nearing the end and need to take it easy. The only problem with that is, I have a TON to do!

Belly button in or out?  Definitely out and I hate it. I don't think it's ugly but it's so uncomfortable. It seems like June Bug is always poking it out more. Creeps me out!

Wedding rings on or off? On! I have never had to take them off before :)

Happy or Moody Most of the time? Hormonal and impatient lol but I AM happy.

Most looking forward to: Talking to my midwife about what is going on with these darn maternal specialists.

Danielle

Before Baby To Do List (Update #1)

So I made a HUGE list of tasks I want to accomplish from now until the end of my pregnancy. I am currently 29 weeks pregnant and want to hold myself accountable. Each week I will be giving myself some of these tasks to get done and I will share with you all what I accomplished that week. I want to be done with everything by the beginning of June just in case I have this little one at 38 weeks like my last two.


Week 26
- Develop 7 disposable cameras that have been lying around for years!
- Upload all the pictures from my computer to Shutterfly
- Empty my camera and upload the pictures that have been sitting on there
- Begin creating photo books for 2012
- Clean up my computer
- Get pictures into photo albums


Week 27
- Go through all of my clothes and donate a lot of them
- Wash all of our bedding and the kids' bedding
- Start a massive donate pile of clothes, toys, etc
- Make my birth announcement list


Week 28
- Wash my reusable nursing pads 3 times and bleach them
- Strip all of my one size diapers for Josie
- Stack up all baby items in my closet and put all baby clothes on changing table to be washed
- Keep creating photo books
- Register with the hospital and fill out green birth plan sheet midwives gave me


Week 29
- Paint the stair well, upstairs and the loft
- Clean carpet on stairs, upstairs and the loft
- Use chalkboard paint on one loft wall
- Hang rain gutter shelves
- Attach a desk to a loft wall
- Hang white board in the loft


Week 30
- Update all the kids' baby books and birthday books
- Upload and print 100 free prints at Costco
- Create a camping photo book
- Purchase our car seat for the baby
- Purchase drawers for the baby
- Purchase a desk, chair and 2 bookshelves for the office


Week 31
- Clean carpet in the kids' room and our room
- Rearrange the bedrooms
- Hang rain gutter shelves in the kids' room
- Patch walls in kids room and use touch up paint


Week 32
- Organize kids' keepsakes into bins
- Wash the couches
- Rearrange the livingroom
- Hang family tree frames
- Hang pictures in the stair well
- Organize important papers into our lock box
- Organize and label bins of clothes
- Organize armoire and tv stand


Week 33
- Organize the office once we build furniture
- Blow up my birth ball
- Laundromat trip for big blankets
- Sew Michael's blanket
- Clean out and organize downstairs closet
- Schedule Summer portraits for the kids
- Donate all our crap we collect
- Wash newborn cloth diapers 3 times
- Order handkerchief keepsake for Violet
- Make copies of homeschool books


Week 34
- Phoenix trip
- Ikea trip
- Josie's birthday party
- Wash baby carriers
- Start making freezer meals
- Wash pack n play, bouncers, etc
- Wash covers to everything
- Wash newborn cloth diapers 3 more times


Week 35
- Replace batteries in toys and gear
- Wash all baby clothes and bedding
- Wash newborn cloth diapers 3 more times
- Throw couch pillows into the washer


Week 36
- Create more photo books if not done
- Clean all baby toys and put into a bin
- Organize baby dresser
- Pack hospital bags


Week 37
- Organize upstairs changing table
- Build rock n play sleeper and cradle
- Organize downstairs changing area
- Pack bags for the kids
- Install car seat
- Move Violet to a booster seat and turn Josie around


Anything to accomplish beyond 38 weeks - Freezer meals, keeping the house clean.

31 Week Pregnancy Update

How far along?  31 weeks! I cannot believe we are down to single digit weeks. If this baby is like my son, I still have 9 weeks to go. If this baby is like my daughters then I could have him/her in 7 weeks! Craziness!

Total weight gain/Measurements? I'm up 8 pounds so far for the whole pregnancy. Definitely not bad, but I need to watch it for sure! My fundal height is measuring exactly 31 weeks, so there is no concern of a big baby.

Maternity clothes: A must at this point. I find myself wearing sweats and maternity camis when home and am utilizing my maternity clothes when out and about. I have a feeling I will need some longer shirts with my super low belly.

Stretch marks: No new stretch marks! But my belly is super itchy. Trying not to scratch and using my Mama Bee Oil like crazy!

Sleep: Definitely harder this week. It was a crazy noticeable difference. I find myself tossing and turning quite a bit. We are still co-sleeping, which has prevented me from using my pregnancy pillow, but I am having to move Josie to her bed and bust it out this week because sleep is getting more difficult. Baby definitely has had a growth spurt, which is why I packed on 5 pounds!

Best moment this week: Getting to talk to my midwife at my appointment. She told me about chiropractic care for the pubic symphesis pain and said the belt should help once I get it. She also reassured me that is wont cause the baby to engage in a weird position, but it will cause me to change how I move around, which could impact it. I want to be really careful and help baby get into a good position. Right now he/she is head down. Heart rate was 142. My blood pressure was perfect and all my blood work came back fine. I don't have gestational diabetes or anemia. Wooo. Baby June Bug also got hiccups for the very first time!

Movement: Baby loves cramming itself all the way to the left or right of my abdomen and pokes my hips!

Food cravings: Corned beef hash, watermelon and chips and salsa.

Anything making you sick? No! No sickness at all this pregnancy! woohoo!

Gender: Don't know! We have a consult appointment with the midwives perinatologist back-ups and we were told they will do a growth scan of their own. That makes me mad because I don't want to accidentally find out what it is and I don't think the size matters. Anything to make me have a c-section, I swear.

Labor signs: Nope and I want to keep it that way. I went into preterm labor with my 3rd at 32 weeks. Just having braxton hicks but nothing alarming. No changes.

Symptoms:  Pubic symphesis, trouble sleeping, hot flashes. Just a general uncomfortable feeling. I hope this isn't going to last the entire time!

Belly button in or out?  Definitely out and I hate it. I don't think it's ugly but it's so uncomfortable. It seems like June Bug is always poking it out more. Creeps me out!

Wedding rings on or off? On! I have never had to take them off before :)

Happy or Moody Most of the time? Impatience! Big time! I promise I am trying though lol

Most looking forward to: Getting my 32 week consult appointment over with!

Danielle

30 Week Pregnancy Update

How far along?  30 weeks! Only 10 weeks left!

Total weight gain/Measurements? Up 6 pounds! Uh oh. I wonder if this pound a week thing is a new trend?

Maternity clothes: Wearing lots of lounge clothes at home and maternity camis. I just want to be comfortable for as long as possible. I still have so far to go!

Stretch marks: No new stretch marks! But my belly is super itchy. Trying not to scratch and using my Mama Bee Oil like crazy!

Sleep: Still having pelvic pain that is driving me craaaazy but other than that I am sleeping well.

Best moment this week: Turning 30 weeks! We also got a lot of house projects done and that feels really good. No new milestones this week. Just hanging in there and working away at my To Do List.

Movement: This baby loves to dig his or her elbow into my belly. Tons of big movements.

Food cravings: Plenty of sandwiches and a random McFlurry craving.

Anything making you sick? No! No sickness at all this pregnancy! woohoo!

Gender: We still don't know and have no intentions of finding out. We do have a girl name and boy name now though! If it's a girl - Lilah Ann and if it's a boy - Lawson James. Everyone is saying boy because of how low I am carrying.

Labor signs: Nope and I want to keep it that way. I went into preterm labor with my 3rd at 32 weeks. Just having braxton hicks but nothing alarming. No changes.

Symptoms:  Pubic symphesis pain! My mom works in physical therapy and is sending me out a SI belt to help with it. I cannot wait to get it! This pain is only getting worse. I also have a feeling I am going to have to bust out my pregnancy pillow to help me sleep at night. I am carrying baby so low and it's making it harder to get comfortable. I also have one hell of a time shaving! I have never had a baby be this low.

Belly button in or out?  Definitely out and I hate it. I don't think it's ugly but it's so uncomfortable. It seems like June Bug is always poking it out more. Creeps me out!

Wedding rings on or off? On! I have never had to take them off before :)

Happy or Moody Most of the time? Happy, but impatient for sure lol. This pubic pain is not helping things. And it seems my kids are out to push my buttons this week, which is really testing my patience! Still working on it and trying my hardest. It's hard growing a baby!

Most looking forward to: My 31 week midwife appointment and 32 week OB consult. I am NOT looking forward to meeting the perinatologists, but I want to get it over with.

Danielle

29 Week Pregnancy Update

How far along?  29 weeks and I cannot believe how fast it is going! I say this every week, but it's crazy!

Total weight gain/Measurements? I've gained 6 pounds total. Not too bad! I still want to keep a close eye on it though! I'd hate to pack on a ton of weight now at the end!

Maternity clothes: Wearing about 5 different outfits and making it work. I'm definitely going to need a couple of bigger maternity shirts though. This baby is LOW and my shirts aren't reaching.

Stretch marks: No new stretch marks! But my belly is super itchy. Trying not to scratch and using my Mama Bee Oil like crazy!

Sleep: The pelvic pain and getting up to pee are making it challenging, but it's still manageable.

Best moment this week: Feeling good still! We went to the kids' ballet and karate classes and had a ton of fun with that. It was a pretty uneventful pregnancy week though. We got back from camping and it was a blast. Cannot wait to go camping with our amazing friends again soon!

Movement: Big movements from this little one. Rolls more than kicks.

Food cravings: Sandwiches! and Watermelon!

Anything making you sick? No! No sickness at all this pregnancy! woohoo!

Gender: We still don't know and are hoping to keep it that way. I still say it's a girl.

Labor signs: Nope and I want to keep it that way. I went into preterm labor with my 3rd at 32 weeks. Just having braxton hicks but nothing alarming. No changes.

Symptoms:  Pubic symphesis is the devil!

Belly button in or out?  Definitely out and I hate it. I don't think it's ugly but it's so uncomfortable. It seems like June Bug is always poking it out more. Creeps me out!

Wedding rings on or off? On! I have never had to take them off before :) but they did hurt when I swelled up while camping.

Happy or Moody Most of the time? As I get more and more uncomfortable, I find myself getting crankier and crankier. Keeping it in check though because my husband and kids don't deserve that! I need to find my patience!

Most looking forward to: Getting to 30 weeks!

Danielle

Conner Baby #4 Birth Plan

Here is our birth plan for baby #4!

We are expecting our 4^th child and are very excited to meet him/her through a non medical birth. Our goal for our birth is to experience a home like birth in a hospital setting. Please review our wishes and help us achieve our natural birth goals.

Admittance and Labor

-          I will be laboring at home until I feel the need to come to the hospital, so chances are I will be arriving in very active labor.

-          I would like to labor and deliver in my own clothing.

-          I request to not have an IV placed, but I will consent to a hep lock.

-          I wish to labor as freely around my room as possible using my husband for support, as well as a birth ball. I am willing to sign any consent necessary to use my birth ball.

-          I wish to snack and drink freely throughout labor to sustain my energy.

-          I will not be using pain medication at all and prefer not to be asked.

-          My labor is to remain non induced and non augmented.

-          I wish to not receive pitocin at any point in time nor have my water broken.

-          I do not want any cervical checks during labor unless I request it.

-          I wish to handle my pain using breathing techniques, massage and Bradley Method techniques.

Pushing

-          I wish to take advantage of various positions while pushing such as standing, kneeling, using a squat bar or birth stool.

-          I wish to push with the natural rhythm of my body and do not wish to be coached at all.

-          I would like for there to be no time limits on pushing.

-          I wish to not use stirrups at all.

-          I would like my husband or myself to catch and pull baby to my chest.

Birth

-          Absolutely no episiotomy.

-     We wish to find out the gender of this baby on our own without anyone else saying what it is

-          We wish to leave the cord unclamped and uncut until it is finished pulsing or the placenta delivers.

-          We wish for the baby to be placed on my chest immediately and remain there for an extended period of time.

-          We wish to have baby remain with a parent at all times and during all procedures.

-          I wish to deliver the placenta without cord tension and without routine pitocin.

-          We will be breastfeeding exclusively. Nothing besides my breast is to be given.

-          We wish to take pictures and video of the birth.

-          We wish to delay weighing and any other procedures until we have bonded and baby has breastfed on both sides.

Baby Care

-          We will be cloth diapering from the first diaper and will continue to during our stay unless we run out. Please do not diaper or dress our baby.

-          If baby is a boy, he will not be circumcised. He will remain intact. His foreskin is never to be retracted or forced back.

-          We will NOT be consenting to the following:

o       Eye drops

o       Vitamin K

o       Hepatitis B or any other vaccinations

I have no issues with signing whatever waivers I need to sign to decline these procedures.

-          We wish that baby not be separated from us at any point during our stay. We wish for all procedures and examinations to be done in our presence in our hospital room. This includes routine hearing screenings and PKU testing.

-          Please do not bathe our baby. We wish to give the first bath ourselves.

-          We wish to leave the hospital as soon as possible after birth.

-          We wish for our other children to be allowed to visit with me as long as we want

C-Section

-          My partner is to be present at all times.

-          Ideally I wish to remain conscious.

-          I wish to be shown the baby immediately.

-          I wish to have contact with the baby as soon as possible in the operating room.

-          I prefer to have a hand free to touch baby.

-          We wish to take pictures once baby is born.

-          I want only low transverse incisions on my uterus and abdomen.

-          Please respect my wishes for a calm, quiet birth with no small talk.

Recovery

-          If baby is healthy, I would like to hold and nurse it immediately in recovery. I will sign whatever waivers are necessary to permit baby to be in recovery with me.

-          I wish for the baby’s father to be its constant source of attention when I can’t be. This includes him holding the baby, doing skin to skin, etc.

-          I want my catheter and IV removed ASAP once I am in my room.

-          We also wish for all of our baby care wishes to be respected even if we have a c-section. Everything still applies. 

           - NO VITAMIN K, EYE OINTMENT OR HEP B SHOT

           - No bathing our baby, we wish to give first bath

So there you have it, our baby's birth plan. We thought about it a lot and included both of our wishes for what we wanted and we feel really good about it!

Danielle

Before Baby To Do List

So I made a HUGE list of tasks I want to accomplish from now until the end of my pregnancy. I am currently 29 weeks pregnant and want to hold myself accountable. Each week I will be giving myself some of these tasks to get done and I will share with you all what I accomplished that week. I want to be done with everything by the beginning of June just in case I have this little one at 38 weeks like my last two.


Week 26
- Develop 7 disposable cameras that have been lying around for years!
- Upload all the pictures from my computer to Shutterfly
- Empty my camera and upload the pictures that have been sitting on there
- Begin creating photo books for 2012
- Clean up my computer
- Get pictures into photo albums


Week 27
- Go through all of my clothes and donate a lot of them
- Wash all of our bedding and the kids' bedding
- Start a massive donate pile of clothes, toys, etc
- Make my birth announcement list


Week 28
- Wash my reusable nursing pads 3 times and bleach them
- Strip all of my one size diapers for Josie
- Stack up all baby items in my closet and put all baby clothes on changing table to be washed
- Keep creating photo books
- Register with the hospital and fill out green birth plan sheet midwives gave me


Week 29
- Paint the stair well, upstairs and the loft
- Clean carpet on stairs, upstairs and the loft
- Use chalkboard paint on one loft wall
- Hang rain gutter shelves
- Attach a desk to a loft wall
- Hang white board in the loft


Week 30
- Update all the kids' baby books and birthday books
- Upload and print 100 free prints at Costco
- Create a camping photo book
- Purchase our car seat for the baby
- Purchase drawers for the baby
- Purchase a desk, chair and 2 bookshelves for the office


Week 31
- Clean carpet in the kids' room and our room
- Rearrange the bedrooms
- Hang rain gutter shelves in the kids' room
- Patch walls in kids room and use touch up paint


Week 32
- Organize kids' keepsakes into bins
- Wash the couches
- Rearrange the livingroom
- Hang family tree frames
- Hang pictures in the stair well
- Organize important papers into our lock box
- Organize and label bins of clothes
- Organize armoire and tv stand


Week 33
- Organize the office once we build furniture
- Blow up my birth ball
- Laundromat trip for big blankets
- Sew Michael's blanket
- Clean out and organize downstairs closet
- Schedule Summer portraits for the kids
- Donate all our crap we collect
- Wash newborn cloth diapers 3 times
- Order handkerchief keepsake for Violet
- Make copies of homeschool books


Week 34
- Phoenix trip
- Ikea trip
- Josie's birthday party
- Wash baby carriers
- Start making freezer meals
- Wash pack n play, bouncers, etc
- Wash covers to everything
- Wash newborn cloth diapers 3 more times


Week 35
- Replace batteries in toys and gear
- Wash all baby clothes and bedding
- Wash newborn cloth diapers 3 more times
- Throw couch pillows into the washer


Week 36
- Create more photo books if not done
- Clean all baby toys and put into a bin
- Organize baby dresser
- Pack hospital bags


Week 37
- Organize upstairs changing table
- Build rock n play sleeper and cradle
- Organize downstairs changing area
- Pack bags for the kids
- Install car seat
- Move Violet to a booster seat and turn Josie around


Anything to accomplish beyond 38 weeks - Freezer meals, keeping the house clean.

28 Week Pregnancy Update

How far along?  28 weeks! Getting closer and closer. Time is flying by!

Total weight gain/Measurements? I've gained 5 pounds total for the whole pregnancy. I have a feeling it's gonna go up, up, up now! Mama is hungry!

Maternity clothes: Wearing about 5 different outfits and making it work. Let's see if I can keep wearing these maternity shirts throughout the rest of the pregnancy! I have a feeling I may need a couple more.

Stretch marks: No new stretch marks! But my belly is super itchy. Trying not to scratch and using my Mama Bee Oil like crazy!

Sleep: Still having pelvic pain that is driving me craaaazy but other than that I am sleeping well.

Best moment this week: My 28 week midwife appointment. I met the last of the 6 midwives, Fran, and she was awesome. An older lady who really knows her stuff. I would be so lucky to have her deliver my baby. She said my weight gain has been phenomenal. Blood pressure was 114/70. Baby's heartbeat was 140 and it has been in the 140s this entire time. She also told me baby was head down for the time being, which may be the cause of my pelvic pain since this is my 4th baby. She suggested buying a maternity support belt, so I am going to look into them. This pain is clearly here to stay. We also talked about Spinning Babies and I told her I was doing some of the exercises on there to help baby from being posterior like my last 3. She talked to me more about this OB consult I have to have and told me they will be doing a growth ultrasound. I'm irritated with that since I don't want them finding a reason to give me a c-section. And we had better not accidentally see the gender! It was a great appointment, I'm just hoping I can keep my weight gain in check over the next 10-12 weeks.

Movement: Lots of rolls and big movements this week. Not so many kicks, but definitely rolling and turning.

Food cravings: Watermelon!

Anything making you sick? No! No sickness at all this pregnancy! woohoo!

Gender: We don't know and we have no idea! I say it's a girl. My husband says it's a boy. I am ALWAYS wrong and he is always right haha. The girl name is still set, but we are working on a boy name still. Naming a person is so hard!

Labor signs: Nope and I want to keep it that way. I went into preterm labor with my 3rd at 32 weeks. Just having braxton hicks but nothing alarming. No changes.

Symptoms:  We went camping and I had a lot of swelling. According to my scale, I have gained more weight since my appointment a week ago, but I am thinking it's from swelling. It was warm out and I think I am retaining water. Plus I am probably holding on to water from the camping food we ate. I'm drinking a ton of water and eating healthy and we will see what the scale says in a week or so. I am not going to stress, just eat healthy and hope for the best. Still having the pelvic pain, but no other symptoms. Hiking while pregnant did NOT help the pelvic pain at allll.

Belly button in or out?  Definitely out and I hate it. I don't think it's ugly but it's so uncomfortable. It seems like June Bug is always poking it out more. Creeps me out!

Wedding rings on or off? On! I have never had to take them off before :) but they did hurt when I swelled up while camping.

Happy or Moody Most of the time? I was definitely more moody and stressed out on our camping trip and I felt bad. That was only about the 1st day or so though thank goodness. I can feel my patience getting shorter and shorter and I hate that. I have to keep reminding myself to be patient with my kids. Other than that, I feel happy.

Most looking forward to: Getting to 30 weeks!

My next midwife appointment is at 31 weeks on April 15th and I have my OB consult at 32 weeks on April 22nd.

Danielle

27 Week Pregnancy Update

How far along?  27 weeks! I'm so excited to be this far along. For some reason, 27 sounds like such a big number!

Total weight gain/Measurements? I gained 2 more pounds putting me at a total of 4 pounds. I have a feeling I am going to start packing on weight now though because I am soooooo hungry all the time!

Maternity clothes: Definitely in maternity clothes and trying to make due with the few outfits I have. I don't want to waste anymore money on maternity clothes I wont even be able to wear after baby comes.

Stretch marks: No new stretch marks! But my belly is super itchy. Still using Burts Bees Mama Bee Oil and it seems to be the only thing helping this itchy belly.

Sleep: Back pain is gone, thank goodness, but it is replaced with horrible pelvic pain at the end of the day. It feels like someone kicked me right in the crotch and it hurts to turn onto my sides at night. Other than that, I am sleeping really well. Still getting up about once a night to pee, which is not too bad.

Best moment this week: Going on our hospital tour! Getting to talk to their childbirth educator during the tour really put me at ease. They have birth balls in every labor and delivery room, as well as squat bars for the beds. The labor and delivery rooms as well as the postpartum rooms are SO nice. The nicest rooms I have ever had when having a baby, so that is nice. She told me the lactation consultants are amazing and helpful. They encourage baby to use mom as an incubator and not the warmer, which is part of my birth plan. There were only a couple things I was nervous about, but I have the power to say no to anything I want, so it should be a non issue.

Movement: Tons! Movements are becoming much stronger now and Michael LOVES feeling the baby kick him. He gets such a kick out of it and it melts my heart. Josie tries to feel the baby move too lol but she wont hold still long enough.

Food cravings: I craved watermelon like crazy this week as well as cereal and french bread! I have a feeling I probably packed on another pound or two!

Anything making you sick? No! No sickness at all this pregnancy! woohoo!

Gender: We still dont know and hope to keep it that way! We are also still working on a boy name!

Labor signs: Nope! Just plenty of braxton hicks contractions, but nothing worrisome.

Symptoms:  Just the annoying pelvic pain. I have a feeling it is not going anywhere either!

Belly button in or out?  It's popped out now and baby loves to play in the belly button. For me, it's super uncomfortable! Stay out of my belly button baby!

Wedding rings on or off? On! I have never had to take them off before :)

Happy or Moody Most of the time? Feeling impatient this week and I am trying to reel it in for my kids' sake. I don't want to be a cranky mommy :(

Most looking forward to: Getting my OB consult over with!

Danielle

Baby Buys #3

So here is the 3rd installment to all the goodies we have purchased for Conner baby #4! Hope you enjoy!

I placed an order at alvababy.com and purchased 2 regular diapers, 3 color snap diapers, a wet bag and 2 newborn diapers. One of my newborn diapers was not sent and I am waiting on it. It's orange. The other one is that black one.

 

 They had Bambino Land organic cotton muslin swaddle blankets on babyhalfoff.com for $20.00 shipped, so I snagged these gender neutral cuties!

 In my Citrus Lane box came a Taggies blanket, sanitizing wipes and Kushies washcloths.

 In various other boxes we also got this wash mitt and two musical toys from Hohner Kids.

 My favorite diaper bag items - Boogie Wipes in a 45 count pack and also a travel pack. We LOVE the Shout wipes for baby stains and they are super handy in the diaper bag.

 Gymboree had a promotion for a free onesie and free shipping if you placed a 10.00 order, so we did! We got 2 newborn gender neutral onesies and I loooove them. So tiny.

 I had a $5.00 off coupon and discounts for this waterproof play yard pad, so we paid about $3.00 for it and it is usually $10.00!

 I also used coupons to snag these items super cheap. The Aveeno Calming lotion in my favorite baby lotion!

 Earth Mama Angel Baby organic Postpartum Bath Herbs, Angel Baby Bottom Balm and New Mama Bottom Spray! Cant wait to use these items and they are coming with me to the hospital.

My first Lil Joeys purchase! A seller had these in this print only for $19.00 shipped brand new! Had to snag it up!

I love these waterproof pads for putting on the changing table. These were 3 for $5.00 on Amazon. 

And I also purchased a 3 pack of white muslin swaddle blankets from Target.com. With discounts I paid $20.00 for these AND a package of Seventh Generation Newborn diapers. So that was a steal for sure!

Hope you all enjoyed seeing the goodies we have for baby Conner!

Danielle