July Pregnancy Thread

[helios7]

Okay.. I've never done this before but here goes. Hopefully I didn't miss anyone!

Pregnancy list
Jen - 8/6 - surprise!
JRM24 - 8/20 - surprise!
tholbrook - 8/23 - girl!
Megan James - 8/25 - boy!
Willybean - 9/15 - girl!
SooCookie- 9/14 – boy!
mabvt - 10/6 - surprise!
lbd- 10/7 - girl!
Luv to Cook- 11/?
Bekki - 11/26 - twins!
ChristyMarie – 11/28
Helios – 11/28
Evelyn H - 12/7
MaryMorph -12/18
Beth H - 12/30
Pony - 1/11/09
Fancyn - 2/19/09

Welcome Jack H (sweetpea) and Baby Andrew (Kerri)
Waiting to hear from Honeygirl1971....

[helios7]

We got quiet last month ladies... time to chat it up! :)

I'm hanging in there. STILL not fully recovered, so I took a few more days off this week. I'm enjoying the quiet time, especially as DH is working from home (which he doesn't normally do but his office is having internet problems) so I've been able to see him a bit more and just have some down time. I'm also getting ready to go to a wedding in Virginia this weekend so it's nice to space out the errands instead of packing them in after long (painful) days at work.

DH and I will celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary on the 4th... course we don't really celebrate on the 4th as it's not a very romantic day. We celebrate our dating anniversary on the 11th (10 years together! :eek:) instead. But its still kind of cool to think about. :)

And that's all that's happening in my neck of the woods. Hoping to find out the gender soon... I'll be 19 weeks on the 4th, so things are quickly approaching. Although with my transition to a new OB... hopefully that won't get pushed back any further. The whole world knows what they're having (if they want to) except me!

[willybean]

Hi everyone!

Helios--thanks for getting this started.

My due date is 9/15. I am hanging in there around 29 weeks now and am still feeling pretty good. Have been really busy so not getting to work out as much at the gym but still walking a lot. Not much else going on. I am getting anxious and feel like September will never get here!

How is everyone else?

[tholbrook]

OMG, am I really 3rd on the list now? :eek:
Not a lot to report, I'm still feeling pretty good these days. I finally am starting to get a little of my energy back, at least for a few days at a time. We still have just as much to do as the last time I posted, and even less time to get it done. Well, we did paint the nursery last weekend, so that's one thing we crossed off the list.

We went to an orientation at the birth center last night, and it went really well. If I do end up there, I wouldn't even bother with a birth plan, since they routinely do everything that I want anyway.

I posted last month about my show-down with my doctor. Last night at the orientation, I met another mom-to-be who goes to the same practice, different doctor - and she is having the same problems with them. I'll be seeing her doctor tomorrow as I'm starting to rotate through the other doctors ... so I don't have high expectations. Maybe it's time to search out a new OB. :(

Anyone have any experience with water birth? Apparently 40% of the women at this birth center end up doing water birth, even if they didn't originally plan on it. I never really considered it, but who knows?

[helios7]

Willybean - fixed your due date!

You feel like September will never get here, I feel like NOVEMBER is just never going to come. But I am enjoying all the produce becoming available, so that's helping a bit. :)

[MaryMorph]

I tried posting this once, but it didn't work. Better luck this time?

I'm on cloud 9 today. We got the results of our amnio back and everything was normal. Our NT test last month showed a high risk of Down's, and the amnio attempt to confirm a few weeks ago wasn't successful (baby was feeling frisky!) We tried again on Monday. Last night when I got home there was a message from my OB's nurse--I took that as a good sign b/c the doc called me with the NT results. I was shaking like a leaf when I called them this morning, and cried when she told me the results!

I had no idea how tense I was about the situation, but that cry did feel good! I'm a pharmacist in the intensive cares of a Children's hospital and see sick kids every day, but dealing with the possibilties personally are very different. Please send good vibes out to the parents of these kids---no one should have to deal with the stresses that have become part of their regular life!

The rest of my life is pretty uneventful. I'm waaay bigger this time was with my son. I still haven't broken out my maternity clothes, but my fat clothes are definitely getting some use. Thank goodness for scrubs!

Enjoy the day----it is a great one!

mary jo

[Pony]

DH and I will celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary on the 4th... course we don't really celebrate on the 4th as it's not a very romantic day. We celebrate our dating anniversary on the 11th (10 years together! :eek:) instead. But its still kind of cool to think about. :)

And that's all that's happening in my neck of the woods. Hoping to find out the gender soon... I'll be 10 weeks on the 4th, so things are quickly approaching. Although with my transition to a new OB... hopefully that won't get pushed back any further. The whole world knows what they're having (if they want to) except me!


Helios7, so glad you are feeling better and getting more time w/ the DH. Where in VA are you going? I grew up in Alexandria. Our 5 year anniversary is on the 19th. Guess where we will be, at the in-laws :eek:. Oh boy! Last year we celebrated in Puerto Rico, but this summer is quite hectic, so we may try to do a trip in September. Maybe just to Austin or something close.

I think you meant you will be 20weeks on the 4th! :p So, you are moving to another OB office!!! I don't think I knew that for sure, I knew you were hoping to move. I'm glad!

willybean--glad you are feeling well!!!!

tholbrook--glad things are going well. You are close! No experience on a water birth and I haven't really thought about it either. Have we had anyone on the boards have a water birth? It sounds relaxing, if there is such a thing as a relaxing birth.

mary jo--yay on the good results!!

I'm hanging in there, almost 13 weeks. I have a big appt. on Monday. I meet w/ the genetic counselor, get the 1st trimester scan, and then an office visit w/ my ob. I am still feeling good from my last appt., but start to question if I'm overly confident :rolleyes:. Just waiting for Monday to roll on by. I've been feeling fine. Hungry. I'm HUGE at night, but pretty normal sized in the morning. I wear scrubs to work, so haven't really had to worry about maternity clothes yet. On the weekends, I am very casual and just wear the pants that are bigger. I haven't exercised since I found out. I'm planning on starting to do my walks again, but not as long as I used to. The only problem is this Houston heat/humidity!

My husband has an art exhibition opening on 7/11, so I get to wear a dress that will definitely make me look pg and we will tell our local Houston friends/acquaintances. :D We've been really busy, so decided to keep it a secret until his show.

We have a bunch of travel plans the next 2 months. Going to the in-law's and they are so excited to see us and I'm sure will spoil us rotten :p. Then I'm going to a wedding w/ a bunch of my college girlfriends in Long Island. Then I'm heading to my families home in Charlotte since I will miss xmas w/ them. Can't wait to see my nieces. After that, we will be staying put.

Michelle

[Beth H]

Thanks for starting the thread.

I'm scheduled for an amnio next week - my NT results came back screen negative, but I'm such a worrier that I think it will just give me the final peace of mind. Mary Jo, I'm so glad that your results came back all clear - congratulations!

I am waiting for the results of the amnio before telling work and most people - I'm tall, so I'm not really showing a ton and still can get away with some normal clothes. I certainly am not looking too slim and trim, though.

Good luck to all of those who are at the top of the list and congrats to those who have had their babies.

[Jen]

OMG, am I really 3rd on the list now? :eek:


I had a similar thought when I saw the list - how can I be FIRST!??!?!?! :eek:

Congratulations Mary Jo! You must be so relieved!!

tholbrook - I haven't got any experience with water birth; I don't think it's very common where I live. I like the idea of using the tub during labour (my hospital only has a couple of rooms with tubs, and I didn't get one last time - just used the shower) but I don't know if I'd be comfortable with actually giving birth in the tub. I can see how it would happen unexpectedly though - if you were really comfortable in there it wouldn't make much sense to get out!

I was back to work today after ~10 days off, and it wasn't much fun. :( I have a ton to do before I leave and only 9 days of work left. All this pain is still causing me lots of problems and sometimes I just get so discouraged I have to have a little crying session...then I feel better. I still hold out hope things will be better after the baby arrives. I do worry a lot about how I will cope if I have any significant post-partum pain and this other pain is still lingering. Yet one more reason I'm hoping for a VBAC, despite my low chance of success. Hoping the baby decides to make a slightly early arrival so there's a better chance of that working out!!

[tholbrook]

tholbrook - I haven't got any experience with water birth; I don't think it's very common where I live. I like the idea of using the tub during labour (my hospital only has a couple of rooms with tubs, and I didn't get one last time - just used the shower) but I don't know if I'd be comfortable with actually giving birth in the tub. I can see how it would happen unexpectedly though - if you were really comfortable in there it wouldn't make much sense to get out! So funny that you mention that, Jen - the nurse who gave us the orientation actually said that's why they end up with so many "unplanned" water births. The moms climb in the tubs just to relax - and then REFUSE to get back out. I guess it's something to consider, and yet another reason to shop around for a new OB, as mine stated outright that she doesn't do water births.

I hope the pain eases up for you ... and I'm glad to hear you only have 9 more days before your maternity leave starts (although I'm sure it will feel like forever!).

Sending out good thoughts to everyone! :)

[honeygirl1971]

Hi everyone! I'll be back later to respond to other posts, but I wanted to say that we had our baby last weekend and I have finally gotten a second to post! We decided to induce finally when he was 9 days late--so much for PTL worries and all the talk of an early baby!! Even the induction went slowly--we wanted it to be as natural as possible so we went slow with the Pitocin but although the contractions were regular and close together, they weren't strong enough to really get things going (I could tell I was having them, but they were totally painless). Finally, the midwife decided we had to get the show on the road and she broke the water and that finally did it--Baby Leo was born less than ONE HOUR later!!! He was 8 pounds, 11 oz, and the birth went really well with no other meds or interventions (no epidural, no meds other than the Pitocin which I had been but which was cut way back down once she broke the water since the real contractions started immediately). Baby Leo is perfect and so far he is an extremely sweet and gentle baby. Big brother Lucas is doing well too, and his first word seeing Leo was, "WOW!!" He is fascinated by Leo's tiny feet and keeps pulling off his socks to look at them!

Here's a pic of our newest bundle of joy in his 4th of July finery:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/honeygirl1971/Leo4thofJuly-1.jpg

[Pony]

Oh my gosh, he is so adorable!!! Congrats!!!

[tholbrook]

Congratulation honeygirl!!!
He's darling - and look at that head of hair! :D
Glad labor went well for you, despite the slow start.

[lbd]

Congratulations Honeygirl!! Glad it's summer so Leo's feet won't get too cold with Lucas' inspections. ;) He is adorable!

I have no experience with water birth but the whole idea just seems weird to me. Funny you should mention the birth plan though -- with DS I was all prepared to do a plan based on all the books stressing how you needed to push to have baby stay with you, be allowed to nurse right away, etc. But when I did the hospital tour, all the stuff I wanted to do seemed was standard procedure. My two hospital tours this time had similar procedures/attitudes. I wonder if the books are out of date or if I've just been really lucky in my choice of hospitals.

I'm doing okay. More uncomfortable than with DS and, at six months, feel huge compared to this point last time. I can't imagine how I'm going to be in another 3 months. The diabetes is so-so; I'm having a harder time keeping them as low as I did last time. They're still okay but I strongly suspect I'll be on insulin by the time this is over.

We close on our house this Thursday and are busy getting all the last minute stuff prepared. Picked up our new washer and dryer this morning, bought a new microwave last night (had been using DH's from college so was, what, 18 years old?). We have paint for both kids rooms and will do those before we move in but are leaving other redecorating until we've been there for a while.

On a happy note, I was sitting out on the deck Friday afternoon and realized I could not only feel but see the little girl kicking around. She had quite the little party in there for a good 15-20 minutes. And her dad finally got to feel her kicking -- she usually kicks a bit then stops whenever he tries to feel, only to start again as soon as he takes his hand away. :p:p

[JRM24]

hi ladies - i can't believe that i am second on the list! currently in my 33rd week and feel pretty good. my baby was breach for quite a bit, but we learned he/she turned this week! yeah! i am very excited to be able to have a natural birth, but disappointed that i can't schedule it or know when it will be happening. the turning was a little tough, it felt as someone was stabbing me in the stomach and stretching my muscles out. otherwise i feel great, except some rapid heartbeat occasionally.

we have the nursery complete - as much as we can do without finding out the sex. we just found restoration hardware baby and really love the new decorating items - especially the letters for the wall. we registered to get their completion coupon - $100 off a $300 purchase - which we will use for the letters and the curtains.

i am trying to exercise as much as physically possible, but i am getting tired more often. hopefully all the walking will make our little one want to appear a little early - but the best plans are just that - plans!

sounds like everyone else is doing great so far. hopefully everyone had a great 4th. i was dying for a hot dog this year - and did splurge and had a bite! my DH has deprived me from a lot of the foods you should not eat - but a bite was enough to hold me for another few weeks. i really miss eating deli meat - lunches are so difficult to prepare when you can't have a sandwhich (i don't like pbjs) and have no real appetite for a salad.

[Jen]

Honeygirl - congratulations!! He is absolutely gorgeous. I love the full head of hair! Glad to hear everything went well...and isn't it always the way, we can prepare as much as we want and figure we know what will happen, and these babes are always throwing us curveballs!! :rolleyes:

lbd - I hear you on feeling huger and more uncomfortable the second time around. It's funny how people never seem to talk about it, but I've found this second pregnancy about a million times harder than the first, for so many reasons.

As for me, holding in at 35.5 weeks. I've said before that I've felt since day 1 that this baby could come a bit early (not sure why, as I'm 100% sure the due date is correct). I'm getting just a tad worried because in the past week I've developed some interesting new symptoms that I'm sure didn't show up until much later last time...GI problems (TMI, sorry), increased discharge, increased BH contractions, and now I'm starting to get what feel like "real" contractions, although very mild and inconsistent. I'll need to start paying better attention to when they happen...usually I just kind of ignore them. As much as I'd like an early delivery, I was thinking more like a week or two, not four!! 36 weeks is just too early! Has anyone else experienced these kinds of symptoms, and did it mean anything for you?

I don't think I mentioned before that I also spent an evening in L&D a few weeks back, just past 32 weeks...it was so dumb, but I was out at the beach with DH and DD for the evening, and when I went to use the washroom I could swear I lost my mucous plug. I remember losing it with DD and it was a few days (maybe 5?) before I went into labour. I was sure it was fine, but it was Friday night and the hospital recommended coming in to get checked just in case. Cervix was still closed tight and baby was moving around, so they sent me home. But it does make me wonder...I know lots of people don't believe in the mucous plug thing, but it will be interesting to see if this baby does end up coming a bit early, especially with my current symptoms...

[fancyn]

Congrats honeygirl!!! He's beautiful!

JRM24, I just wanted to say I can relate to the turning. DS was breach until 34 weeks and that was painful...then I had back labor. :rolleyes: Glad baby cooperated!

Nothing really to report at a whopping 7.5 weeks, just wanted to whine a little. :o Asside from being extremely moody and constipated (apparently I'm on the 4 day schedule) I was supposed to have my first appt. last Thursday but she got called off to a delivery (how dare they!) so I'm scheduled again for tomorrow at 9:30. Hopefully I'll get to have it.

We did have a fabulous weekend at the lake filled with plenty of R&R. Sad to be back. Happy Monday everyone - I'll check in tomorrow...

[Pony]

Jen, I'm sorry the pain has been so bad. I hope you are able to enjoy these last few weeks. I'm glad you are almost done with work! Unfortunately, I have no advice on your symptoms, since I have yet to be as far along as you are. Thinking of you!

Lorien, exciting that you are closing on your house! Too funny about the microwave. We are still using my husband's tv from high school! My MIL told me for xmas they are buying us a new tv since we will need to switch to HD. Yay for DH feeling the baby move all around.

Jennifer M., I'm glad the baby was able to flip on its own.

fancyn, ohhh, I'm so sorry to hear about your appt. change. I would be so upset, especially for the first one. Good luck tomorrow.

I had my appt. today! It was supposed to be for the first trimester screening, but the baby was measuring a bit long for accurate measurements!!! I'm totally fine w/ that, b/c I feel so good seeing the little one squirming around. :) The doctor reviewing the u/s said she could already tell the sex of the baby :eek:. We are hoping for a surprise, so didn't find out, but I was shocked to hear that. I, of course, assumed boy b/c I thought you would be able to really tell if there was something there. A friend of mine said w/ girls you can see 3 circles (or something like that) very easily for girls, so it could be just as easily a girl as a boy. So who knows. But, my gut is a boy right now. I'm just feeling so relieved to be entering in to the 2nd trimester. My next appt. is not until 8/12. Seems so far away.

Michelle

[Beth H]

The doctor reviewing the u/s said she could already tell the sex of the baby . We are hoping for a surprise, so didn't find out, but I was shocked to hear that.

Wow - that didn't even get mentioned during my screening! I was told it usually was too early. I'm wondering however if they will be able to tell when they do the ultrasound in conjunction with my amnio later this week.

Congratulations Honeygirl - he's a beautiful baby!

[Pony]

Wow - that didn't even get mentioned during my screening! I was told it usually was too early. I'm wondering however if they will be able to tell when they do the ultrasound in conjunction with my amnio later this week.

Congratulations Honeygirl - he's a beautiful baby!

First, the u/s tech did everything and in the beginning I said, "if for some reason you can tell the sex of the baby, we do not want to know". She said, "oh, it is too early, you won't be able to tell at this point." Then the doctor came in and reviewed the u/s images the tech did and then took a look herself and I said the same thing to her. She said, "I'm sure it is too early." Then she got a huge grin and said, "no it isn't". :D She said usually she can guess the sex at that point, but she was very confident about the sex! And the profile picture was sooo sweet and cute. :)

[lbd]

Lorien, exciting that you are closing on your house! Too funny about the microwave. We are still using my husband's tv from high school! My MIL told me for xmas they are buying us a new tv since we will need to switch to HD. Yay for DH feeling the baby move all around.

Yeah, the micro was an old dial one -- it had high and low but the time was only marked with lines at 30 seconds and numbers only at the even numbered minutes. Not great for trying to get a precise time. I usually ended up turning it longer than I needed and counting to myself.

I had my appt. today! It was supposed to be for the first trimester screening, but the baby was measuring a bit long for accurate measurements!!! I'm totally fine w/ that, b/c I feel so good seeing the little one squirming around. :) The doctor reviewing the u/s said she could already tell the sex of the baby :eek:. We are hoping for a surprise, so didn't find out, but I was shocked to hear that. I, of course, assumed boy b/c I thought you would be able to really tell if there was something there. A friend of mine said w/ girls you can see 3 circles (or something like that) very easily for girls, so it could be just as easily a girl as a boy. So who knows. But, my gut is a boy right now. I'm just feeling so relieved to be entering in to the 2nd trimester. My next appt. is not until 8/12. Seems so far away.

Congrats on the appt! With my 2nd semester U/S when we did find out we were having a girl, I was also surprised that it was just the lack of male organs. We could see three very clear lines that the tech say are postive evidence of girlhood.

[mabvt]

Hello all--

Honeygirl, Congrats! What a doll!

After an absence, checking in at 27 weeks...we were gone for a couple of weeks, visiting the in-laws. Overall, it was a nice trip but a bit busy for my taste. The time change (three hours) really wore me out more than usual.

I am in a cranky funk these days. I suppose it is just the post-vacation blues. It also doesn't help that it is WAY hot and humid here. I have been feeling uncomfortable and yuck. I had a dentist apt this morning but had to cancel bc I threw up (for the first time in ages) and spent the rest of the morning feeling sorry for myself. I am alternately terrified that I will be pregnant for the rest of my life and terrified to actually have a baby. :o

Whining over--thanks for listening! I'm off to find something useful to do.

[helios7]

Hi all...

The wedding in VA this past weekend went well. I feel huge - I definitely popped! Getting the maternity dress was a good call - in the last two weeks I progressed from still being able to wear "bridge" clothes (flowy tops on the large side) to maternity all the way. I'm now getting offered seats on the subway :eek:. Who knew some New Yorkers actually have a heart? Things are going well - the baby has been very active. In fact, tonight it's been wiggling/moving up a storm. I had DH come over and feel my stomach, and he could feel a throbbing. I don't know if he/she is lying chest up or what... but there was definitely something there and he was happy to feel it! :) Not too bad for 19.5 weeks.

Pony -glad all's going well and too funny about an early gender ID. I hope our baby cooperates next Tues when we have our big ultrasound. I think it's a girl, but we'll see.

Lorien - hi! The house stuff sounds so exciting, tiring but exciting. I'm glad things are gong so well for you in MA! Funny about the microwave.... we were using my old college 19 inch VCR combo for years until it died one day. We then bought a bigger 26 inch flat screen, and wondered why we waited so long!

Congrats honeygirl!

Hang in there Fancyn.... I feel tired and moody and this humidity isn't helping. Blegh!

Jen - hang in there as well. The clock is running on my last days at work, and I can't wait to be done. Aug 13 will be my last official day, but my schedule will get much better next Thurs so I just have to make it! :)

Good luck getting things done tholbrook! You're still churning out yummy veg food on the monthly recaps, so you're doing better then me! :)

[Beth H]

Good luck getting things done tholbrook! You're still churning out yummy veg food on the monthly recaps, so you're doing better then me!

I've hardly felt like cooking since I've been pregnant - first because of nausea and an almost total lack of interest in food, and now I don't know why! (Wonder if the fact I used to enjoy a glass of wine most nights while cooking contributes to that. :)). I feel like I'm not eating as healthfully as I could be.

[Jen]

I've hardly felt like cooking since I've been pregnant - first because of nausea and an almost total lack of interest in food, and now I don't know why! (Wonder if the fact I used to enjoy a glass of wine most nights while cooking contributes to that. :)). I feel like I'm not eating as healthfully as I could be.

Me too, Beth! I confess that lately we've been very last-minute around here...trying to scrounge something together out of the pantry/freezer at dinnertime. The fact that I don't have a very well-stocked pantry or freezer at the moment is not helpful. :) I really wish I could find the motivation to do some proper meal-planning so we could have more healthy meals!

[tholbrook]

there was definitely something there and he was happy to feel it! :) Not too bad for 19.5 weeks.
...
Good luck getting things done tholbrook! You're still churning out yummy veg food on the monthly recaps, so you're doing better then me! :)

Helios - Not too bad at all! :D I didn't feel anything definite until around 22 weeks. And DH didn't get to feel it for another week or so.

I'm just making up a weekly menu and going with it, no matter what I feel like. Now that I'm not in the mood for anything in particular (like Beth said, not much interest in food), if I already have a plan, I make it and usually end up enjoying it. Otherwise it would be frozen pizza or veggie burgers every night!

I'm completely identifying with everyone who is mentioning the heat and humidity. We've had a few cold/rainy spells which I've been very grateful for (even though it's killing my garden). Now it's back up into the typical July weather, and just knowing that it's hot outside makes me tired and grumpy.

mavbt - sorry you got sick again - hopefully it was just a one-time thing and the MS isn't coming back. I am alternately terrified that I will be pregnant for the rest of my life and terrified to actually have a baby. I've bounced between the two as well, but I'm stuck in the "terrified to have the baby" mode now.

We went to a "caring for your infant" class last night where they show you how to change diapers, bathe the baby, etc. I have 4 half-brothers and sisters that are 12-15 years younger than me, so I grew up doing that stuff. DH, on the other hand, will be in completely foreign territory. With the dolls that we were practicing on, they left us a nice little surprise in the diaper (butterscotch pudding, if you really want to know!). DH was all set to practice changing the diaper, saw the "mess" and practically shoved the doll at me. :rolleyes::D So this will be quite an adjustment for him. We did see more slides last night on baby poop than I care to recall, but overall it was interesting. The swaddling thing will be a new one to me. But it just looks so darn uncomfortable!

Pony - congrats on the ultrasound! Really cool that they can tell so early! And I'm always facinated by people who decide not to find out boy/girl until the birth. I wouldn't be able to stand the suspense.

[lbd]

Tholbrook - my DH had also never changed a diaper in his life before DS was born, and was very nervous about the whole diaper/bathing/etc aspect of fatherhood. Once the time came though, he came through like a champ. In fact, I'm not sure I changed a single diaper the whole time (4 weeks?) he was on paternity/personal leave. We used to joke that I handled all input and he handled all output. I'm sure your DH wil do great -- just keep reminding him that the baby will never remember any goofs!

[SooCookie]

Hi everyone! Sorry I didn't have much of a chance to post last month other than to start the thread! I am sure I didn't have much to contribute anyway since things have been pretty uneventful lately.

Checking in at almost 31 weeks, and I have to say I am really enjoying watching this little one move around in there. He is far more active than DD ever was, and for some strange reason, gets the hiccups much more frequently. I also have decided to hire a doula since I am still really going to try my hardest for a VBAC. If it doesn't work out this time, oh well. At least I can say I tried.

Honeygirl - congratulations! He is a cutie! You will have to report back how life with two is going!

Michelle

[helios7]

Okay... the registering madness has begun. We're having an early shower while my parents are in the states (they live overseas) in early August. My mom wanted to be part of a shower... so we're having a family shower with most of DH's family then. And a friend has offered to host a shower for me later in the fall, so then it will be just friends which I think is nice.

SO... 4.5 hours at Buy Buy Baby later..... I have a couple questions.

Pack and Play - I get the idea, a bassinet, a play pen (of sorts) and a changing table. I think we'll get one... but there were several with various features. Anyone have any input into necessary/beloved or nonessential features that they like/dislike?

Right now we've registered for both a swing and a bouncy seat. I feel like they're different, and have different purposes... DH isn't so sure as the swing can come off into a carrier. Thoughts?

Finally - maternity pillows. I'm diligently sleeping on my side (which isn't too hard for me thankfully as I tend to be a side sleeper anyways) but I often find I wake during the night with pain in my hips. Do maternity pillows help with this? Anyone have one they like/recommend?

Thanks ladies...

[Delanl]

Helios7, mind if I chime in?:)

We have a Graco pack n' play for DD, who is 5 months old. So far we have only used the changing table on it. She is going to outgrow it soon, so once that is removed I am hoping to use the play pen part for afternoon naps and what not.

We also have a swing and bouncy seat. In the beginning, the swing was a god-send for us, that's where Kylie took most of her naps and during her colicky phase, it helped tremendously. As for the bouncy seat, she didn't like it at first. I would only put her in it for short periods of time, while I took a shower, etc. Now, she loves it! She grabs and swats at the butterflies on the bar and has a good old time.

I bought a maternity pillow, can't remember what kind, but didn't like it. My mom sews, so she made me a pillow that was more comfortable. I still use it some nights.

Good luck, there is so much stuff to get, its overwhelming! I highly recommend the book, Baby Bargains, it was my bible during registry time! :D

-Leigh

[2HUNGRY!]

I love the rocker/seat we got for DS. I like it because it is good until 45 lbs so you don't have to get rid of it right away. Here is the link:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2508004

We have the pack and play with the vibration feature. Right now its in our living room and DS naps in it during the day (using the basinette feature). We haven't used the changing table part yet but plan to when we travel later this month.

For the swing we have the one that our Graco Snug Ride car seat clips into. He's not that in love with it, but its a great thing to have when he falls asleep in the car/on a walk and then I can just clip in the seat and the motion keeps him quiet for another 1/2 hour or so.

I just got a body pillow for $9.99 from Sears. Its was great the 2nd tri, but to be honest at the end I don't think the greatest pillow in the world would help at the end when the majority of the weight comes on.

[SusanPC]

I'll chime in too....

We got the pack-n-play with the bassinet with vibration and the chainging table attachment. We have this set up on our main level and use it for changing when I don't feel like going up to the nursery. The bassinet with vibration is nice, although Maddie really doesn't stay in there for long. On a trip, you can remove the bassinet and the changing table and the playpen bit is very compact, I took it to the beach and she slept in it just fine, although I'm short and getting her in and out of it was a little hard on the back b/c the sides are so tall.

We have a swing (not that carrier clips into) and a bouncer. Maddie HATES the swing and LOVES her bouncer. She plays/sleeps in it each AM while I shower, etc. It is portable so I can move it to whatever room I am in. It isn't pretty (Rainforest) but is the best product we have so far. I've got a friend who is the reverse, her daughter loves the swing and hates the bouncer....

I had a snoogle pregnancy pillow....I liked it but it did get hot at times and by the end, I just used lots of pillows.

[Pony]

fancyn, how was your appt?

mabvt, hope the post vacation blues have passed. I'm sure I will be getting those soon. We are heading to the inlaw's next weekend and I'm sure I'm going to be spoiled rotten ;), then to a college friend's wedding w/ a bunch of girlfriends, and then to visit my family. After that, we will probably stay put. I wanted to get a lot of family time in now, since I can't fly over the holidays.

helios7, glad you had a nice time at the wedding. I will be 18 weeks at my friends wedding. I feel like I have popped already, but only after meals :p. In the AM, you can't tell. Anyways, I have one dress I know will fit next month, but I may ask my friend who is also pg if I can borrow a dress. She has a ton! When did you start feeling the baby? I'm looking forward to the answers of your baby stuff questions. We are only wanting necessities. We don't have much room and not much storage. I think we are going to get a pack and play. My SIL called me a few days before my husband's bday and told me she was going to buy a pack and play for my husband's birthday. :D She loved hers. I think it will be good for us, b/c we plan on using the bassinet part, so the baby can be in our room in the beginning. I went to Babies R Us to look around and got sooo overwhelmed. I thought the Graco's seemed sturdy. I thought the Evenflo brand seemed flimsy. The one thing I'm not too happy about is how wide they are. I don't think we can move them through the doors w/o breaking them down. Oh well. I liked this one. I like the style and it is neutral for boy/girl. (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2966845) Good luck Tuesday!

tholbrook, I know a couple of friends who waited to find out, but a majority of mine found out early. One friend waited w/ her first and found out w/ her second. She said either way it was a surprise and enjoyable. There is a possibility we may only have one and I figured I would rather experience once in my life the surprise of finding out in the delivery room. There is something romantic about having this moment where the baby is in this world and in our arms and only my husband and I knowing. Well, besides all the RN's and doctors, ha! :) Too funny about the butterscotch pudding diaper!

Michelle, glad things are going well.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

We had a friend in town this weekend and she brought wine as a housewarming gift. We opened it last night and I soooo wanted some. I just had a sip of my husbands. I think I may have a small glass at the wedding next month. I just feel strange about it, but I'm sure it really isn't that big of a deal. :o We told a lot of local friends about the news this weekend. We had not seen them lately, b/c my husband has been so busy. It was fun!

Michelle

[Pony]

We have the pack and play with the vibration feature. Right now its in our living room and DS naps in it during the day (using the basinette feature). We haven't used the changing table part yet but plan to when we travel later this month.


We got the pack-n-play with the bassinet with vibration and the chainging table attachment.

Hi 2HUNGRY and Susan. :)
What brand did you all purchase for the pack and plays?

[SusanPC]

Hi Michelle.

This is ours (Graco).

http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=9965MIN&CategoryID=3

[2HUNGRY!]

We have the same as Susan only the pattern is Devon.

[Beth H]

I just feel strange about it, but I'm sure it really isn't that big of a deal.

To me, having one glass of wine now and then while pregnant is not a big deal at all. It's the "now and then" and "one" parts that are important. DH and I are going to Vegas next week and I plan to on two of the nights while we are there to have a really nice (expensive) glass of wine with dinner.

[Pony]

Thanks Susan and 2HUNGRY. I saw the one Susan bought at BRU and loved it!!!

To me, having one glass of wine now and then while pregnant is not a big deal at all. It's the "now and then" and "one" parts that are important. DH and I are going to Vegas next week and I plan to on two of the nights while we are there to have a really nice (expensive) glass of wine with dinner.

Ok, if you do it, then I will do it. :p;) I will most likely have a glass at the wedding and enjoy it!

[Beth H]

OK - I'm now obsessing about something shallow: swimsuits. DH and I are headed to Vegas on Saturday, and I'm looking forward to spending time by the pool. I will be 16 weeks next week - I haven't gained too much weight, and I'm not too big yet.

What kind of suit do you think is OK? I ordered a tankini from Victoria's secret - the top fits snug, but still looks attractive (I thought). I also ordered two one-piece suits from Newport News - one of which fits well, again, snug (I look pregnant), but it fits. Is it OK to wear a snug suit when pregnant?

I just don't feel like I'm big enough yet for a true maternity suit. Any opinions/thoughts?

[fancyn]

To me, having one glass of wine now and then while pregnant is not a big deal at all. It's the "now and then" and "one" parts that are important.
I agree too - with DS, I waited until after the first trimester (you know, while the important parts, ie. spine, brain, lungs were developing ;)) but towards the middle of the second and the third, I had a handful of glasses and Nick is perfectly wonderful (most days :p).

Thanks for asking, Pony! Since I've posted, I've had a hard time keeping up! Nick started swimming last week. We get home around 7:15ish and by the time we do dinner, bath, bedtime, and back to clean up dishes, it's almost 9:30. And then I'm ready to crash. I don't remember being nearly this tired the first time around. Maybe b/c I could lay down as needed w/o being interrupted OR actually sleep in on the weekends. Who knows. All I know is nausea has set in, first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon - this is new to me too. OK, done whining now!

First appt went fine. I was already up 6lbs, though the dr of course blamed it on not pooping. Now, I swear I"m up 8 - I'm trying not to stress but I'm turning into porky the pig at record speed. Sigh...:o I go back on Aug 4 and I'm so excited to hear the heartbeat. It's not standard procedure in her office to have an u/s on your first appt, so i have to wait. BUT I'm so excited!

Pony, we also have the Graco pack n' play. We never used the changing table feature and he screamed bloody murder the entire time he was small enough for the bassinet, so that really wasn't used either. By the time we used it for naps and containment, it was just fine. I'm hoping this one will get more use out of it.

Beth, I say wear whichever swimsuit suits your fancy the most. Otherwise, I know I'd be tugging and pulling at it and more self conscious. My vote, the two piece FWIW.

Ah, DS is finally down and I'm off to a hot bath...

[Jen]

I agree that both the bouncy seat and swing are very useful. I used the bouncy seat a ton (we have an older version of the one 2HUNGRY! posted, an infant-to-toddler rocker, and it still gets occasional use at age 4!). It was great for when I was showering or whatever. We also learned that when DD fell asleep in the car in her bucket seat, we could fit it into the bouncy seat backwards and turn on the vibrate feature, and she would continue sleeping for quite awhile! (Obviously this was only under supervision and for tiny babies that don't move yet...not the safest situation, but you do what you have to do to get them to sleep!!). We didn't get a swing as a gift, but ended up buying one after a few weeks. Honestly she used it for a very short time, but it was a lifesaver during that time. We just got one of the portable, folding ones - cheaper, and easier to move from room to room.

We had a pack and play, but used it mostly when out somewhere or traveling. I'm still glad we had it, though. We did have and use the bassinette, but we didn't get the change table feature because our house has all the living area on one floor, so the nursery/change table were always close by. Friends who had nurseries on different floors than living space used their pack and plays with change tables a ton, especially if they'd had C-sections, because it helped them avoid going up and down the stairs! My parents live close by and we go over there quite often...this was an item my mom bought too for her own house and it got a lot of use there. We'd put DD down to sleep when we were over for dinner. I think it will also be more useful with a second child - we can pop him/her in there if necessary to avoid any trampling by DD's feet!

I've never had a body pillow...swore I would get one this time, but never got around to it. I've heard good things about the Snoogle.

Beth H - I bought a maternity suit this time...never needed one last time. I got one of the tankini ones from Motherhood and it was pretty cheap. I'm not a small person and to be honest I feel better in the maternity suit than I ever have non-pregnant in a normal suit! At least for once my belly is SUPPOSED to stick out!! :p

I'm hanging in there...just 2 days of work left! Whoo hoo! :D I will be 37 weeks on Wednesday. Still hoping baby might come early - I figure about another 10 days or so would be perfect, but who knows. It's been pretty warm here and I haven't been doing so well in the heat. Not too much longer though!

[mabvt]

fancyn- I have thought many times to myself over the course of my pregnancy, how do people with older kids do it? Bless you!

Beth- I have a maternity swimsuit that I inherited from a friend. Believe it or not, I haven't had the opportunity to wear it yet this summer. It is a one piece. But if I were picking one out for myself (and actually shelling out the cash) I would get a tankini. The one piece isn't uncomfortable, exactly...I just think tankinis are more comfortable (I'm tall and tend to have issues with one pieces riding--sorry TMI!)

Pony--I hope you have a great trip. You didn't say how far you are traveling, but FYI--we went to the West coast where it is 3 hours earlier than MI. The time change completely knocked me on my butt, esp on the way out there. I "played the pregnant card" frequently! Gosh I'd love too, but...I think that also played into my emotional crash when we came home.

I'm at 28 weeks! It's hard to believe. Today I had my second ultra sound. We have the more intensive ultras (I can't remember what they are called) bc my husband has a heart condition. The baby's heart looked "beautiful" which is good news. It does have an enlarged kidney, which apparently is not that uncommon. So I have to go for another US in 6 weeks (yay). Also, baby is measuring in at 3 1/2 pounds right now and is in the 75th percentile for size! Yikes! I weighed 9 pounds and my brother weighed 10, so I can't say it's completely unexpected. The funny thing is that on the US we could see big chubby cheeks. :)

Melissa

[tholbrook]

I'm at 28 weeks! It's hard to believe. Today I had my second ultra sound. We have the more intensive ultras (I can't remember what they are called) bc my husband has a heart condition. The baby's heart looked "beautiful" which is good news. It does have an enlarged kidney, which apparently is not that uncommon. So I have to go for another US in 6 weeks (yay). Also, baby is measuring in at 3 1/2 pounds right now and is in the 75th percentile for size! Yikes! I weighed 9 pounds and my brother weighed 10, so I can't say it's completely unexpected. The funny thing is that on the US we could see big chubby cheeks. :)

That's wonderful news about the baby's heart! And too cute about the chubby cheeks.

I'm checking in again at 34.5 weeks. I had another ultrasound yesterday to follow up on the low-lying placenta situation. It has moved upward to 3 cm and I am now considered "normal". Yay!
And like Melissa's baby, the ultrasound really picked up on those chubby little cheeks! I can't believe how much she has filled out in the last 4 weeks or so - she's zoomed up to an estimated 5 lbs, 2 oz.

I had my baby shower last weekend - we did a co-ed shower and kept it more like a casual get-together than a typical shower. It was a lot of fun, even though I'm not crazy about being the center of attention (although I shared the spotlight with DH). We got lots of great stuff!

Oh yes, and I'm also on bedrest for a week :(. I've had a little bit of bleeding for unknown reasons (first time in the entire pregnancy) over the past few days, and to be on the safe side, my doctor wants me to move as little as possible and let whatever it is heal up. It's only my first day, and since I feel great, it's quite a challenge for me to stay quiet. I'll get evaluated again next week, so I'm really hopeful that I am able to resume my usual activities. The baby is still fine - lots and lots of kicking! Doesn't she ever sleep? :D

Pony - just throwing in my 2 cents about the wine. I'm also in the camp that an occasional glass is not a problem. There have been several occasions in the past months where I've celebrated with a glass of champagne. Go to the wedding and enjoy!

[Beth H]

Thanks for the advice on the swimsuit issue. For some reason I was fixated on that. I may look at cheapy tankinis at Target this week too. I just don't think I'll be in a suit much the rest of this pregnancy (if at all), so I hate to spend the money on a suit I might never wear again.

[Pony]

Thanks for everyone's input on the occasional glass of wine :D

Beth H, have fun in Vegas! Are you going just for fun, will it be just the 2 of you? Enjoy!

fancyn, glad all went well at your appt!!!

Jen, enjoy your last day at work!!!!

Melissa, I'm traveling from Houston to Jacksonville, FL, so I'm losing an hour. It will be a very relaxing time, b/c we have no plans just hanging out w/ family. I'm very glad all went well at your appt. I'm sure you are so relieved.

tholbrook, we plan on doing a co-ed shower as well. I hosted one for my friend last year and we all had such a great time. I think she is doing the same for me this year. What time of day/night was it? Did you all have drinks and food? For my friends, we had it around 7pm and head heavy appetizers and wine. I'm trying to think how I want mine to be...hers was a bit more formal and I would rather more casual. A BBQ would be fun! We might have to have it in October even though I'm due in Jan. I don't want people to have to deal w/ a shower and the holidays!
So sorry about the bedrest.

Looking forward to seeing the family this weekend. This will be the first time since we found out we were pregnant. My MIL scheduled a facial for me on Friday, yay, and we will probably go shopping. My husband is staying longer, so I get back on Monday and back to work on Tuesday. I went to my friend's house yesterday to find a maternity dress for the wedding next month. I'm sooo excited, b/c she has some beautiful dresses and I took three home w/ me!!! Yay! Most of my coworker's know I'm pregnant, but I haven't told any of my patients. I see them 2 to 3 times per week and assumed someone would notice soon. I wear scrubs, so it is a bit hard to tell what is going on w/ my belly. I was wondering recently if a patient would notice anytime soon and I was wondering which patient it would be, well, a lady this morning asked me when I was talking to her, ha! That was fun :). Hope everyone is doing well today.

Michelle

[tholbrook]

What time of day/night was it? Did you all have drinks and food? It will probably sound weird to everyone, but it suited me perfectly. We had it in the early afternoon and did just a potluck-style meal. A lot of the guests were my yoga students - both men and women - many of whom I've known even before I started teaching. So we did a yoga class in the late morning (my best friend, also a teacher, taught the class), and the shower followed. It was an optional thing, so DH's friends and other non-yoga people just came later for the shower. It was very informal - we all just hung out, eating and chatting.
We did have a party that night at our house for our cooking club friends, who drove about an hour to be at the shower. So they hung out at our house for the rest of the evening with lots of great food (we fired up the grill) and plenty of beer (yes, I did have a sip, but I'm not a beer drinker so I didn't really partake:D). All in all, a fun day, but LONG - I was exhausted by the time everyone headed home.

I think an October party sounds great - fall is definitely a great time of year for a BBQ. Great idea about not having it coincide with the holidays!

Enjoy the facial - you certainly deserve some pampering! :)

[mst]

Michelle- I don't think I have congratulated you yet! I am really happy for you and your DH.

As for the wine issue- be prepared for funny looks and lots of tsk, tsks. I have an occasional glass of wine while nursing, and certainly get lots of comments.

Pack and Play is great to own, and great to hold onto after your kids are too big for it (if a friend comes over with a little one). My 2.5 year old still sleeps in it when we go away (although she has to be pretty tired- they are not as comfortable as a mattress.) I used the changing table feature all the time. My house is two floors. I have a p&p on both floors, and with my newborn, I use them more than the changing table. But, both my girls refused to sleep in my expensive one. The cheapy that we inherited, they both slept in. Go figure. (My expensive one is so pretty...):p

[JenZen]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've posted on the CL board.

I'd just like to lurk for a while yet, but we found out this week that baby No. 3 is on the way! Wow. I haven't wrapped my head around this yet. :)

So, I'll be reading along for a while. Would like to wait a bit before officially joining.

Jen

[EmilyK]

Wow, congrats Jen!!! :D :D :D ...back to lurking...

[helios7]

Thanks for all the feedback on Pack and Plays and various stuff everyone. We do have the Baby Bargains book, and consult it regularly (someone asked... Delanl maybe?) but it's also nice to hear what real moms have liked/disliked.

Well, we had our 20 week ultrasound, and my mother's instinct was way off! I was pretty convinced it was a girl but nope! He definitely wasn't shy, and showed us his "boyness" several times. It took me a minute to get aboard the boy train but I think I'm there now. I just want a girl at some point.... but big brothers are a good thing too! :) He was very active during the scan, although the OJ I drank before going in may have helped in that department. :o I wanted to be sure he'd participate and not be snoozing. I've noticed when I drink OJ, he's an active little guy afterwards. And it did the trick.

It's funny being able to call him him. And not he/she, or it. :) And it will help with the last few things we have left to register. That's for sure.

Interesting conversations about the wine/drinking thing. I personally have completely abstained. Although my 30th bday is next week, and I plan on having a sip of champagne. I'm not comfortable with a glass, and not in public so I personally will abstain at the wedding I'm going to next weekend. But I wouldn't judge anyone for their choices. Seeing what happens after OJ on the ultrasound screen only strengthened my resolve ....but I know there's countless scientific evidence saying it's fine occasionally etc. It's a personal decision - what about pregnancy and parenting isn't? :)

[lbd]

OJ will definitely get the baby kicking -- all that sugar! At my last appt, I mentioned I'd gone about three days without feeling the baby kick and my doctor said they'd usually recommend drinking a glass of fruit juice to kick-start things so to speak.

Pony (and everyone else who's chimed in on this since I logged in) - not to rain on anyone's parade but I'm in the no-alcohol-at-all camp. I'm just seen too much of the effects it can cause and, for me, the risk's not worth it. I do, on the other hand, eat the occasional feta or blue cheese (pasteurized!), and will have nitrate/nitrite-free turkey dogs or deli meat once or twice a week. Different people have different comfort levels for all sorts of things. I would never dream of tsk-tsking at someone for having a glass of wine though. I know there's plenty of stuff I let DS do that would make lots of people cringe but that we're comfortable with and think is beneficial for him.

Welcome Jen and congrats! (even if you're only lurking for now)

I go in for a PN checkup tomorrow morning. Last time I saw this NP I was concerned I was gaining weight too quickly but now I've lost just over 2 pounds over the last 7 weeks and am afraid that's a problem. My blood sugars are all over the place and I really don't know what they do -- they're not consistently too high but more than rarely and often without any specific reason I can point to (ie, I had an ice cream sundae before bed).

Heather - congrats on the boy! My initial reaction on finding out DS was a boy was "huh? but I don't know anything about raising a boy!" It wasn't so much that I wanted a girl then, just that I had a niece and felt like that would be a little more familiar. Of course, I had the same reaction with this pregnancy when I found it she's a girl -- "but I've figured out the boy thing!"

We closed on our house last Thursday without any problem and have been moving in over the course of the last several days. We're painting both kids rooms before actually moving in so we're still sleeping at my folks and heading over there every morning to unload the storage containers and unpack boxes. I love the colors we picked out -- bright blue for DS and bright yellow for the baby, white trim and doors for both -- and am so happy with how they look on the walls. We'll probably start sleeping there this weekend. Tomorrow we're actually taking a moving "vacation day" to recharge -- DS is definitely showing the strain of shorter naps and all the changes.

[Pony]

Jen, congratulations!

mst, thanks for the congrats :). It has been a rough 2 years and I can't believe we are here!!! And in the 2nd trimester. Crazy. Thanks for the input on the p&p.

tholbrook, doesn't sound weird at all. Sounds like a perfect day filled with friends and loved ones.

helios7, congrats on finding out it is a boy! Yay!!! I love my big brother and can't imagine life w/o one! :) That is funny about the OJ. I have a cup of coffee every morning. My last appt. was early and the baby was all over the place. The tech was having a difficult time taking measurements, ha!

lbd, good luck on the closing and the appt. I hope they can get you some answers on your blood sugars.

I really appreciate everyone's POV's on the wine sipping/drinking. Very helpful.

[AliKat11]

Interesting conversations about the wine/drinking thing. I personally have completely abstained. Although my 30th bday is next week, and I plan on having a sip of champagne. I'm not comfortable with a glass, and not in public so I personally will abstain at the wedding I'm going to next weekend. But I wouldn't judge anyone for their choices. Seeing what happens after OJ on the ultrasound screen only strengthened my resolve ....but I know there's countless scientific evidence saying it's fine occasionally etc. It's a personal decision - what about pregnancy and parenting isn't? :)

I hope I can still lurk here--my son is 4 months now but I still enjoy hearing about everyone's pregnancies. Being pregnant wasn't my favorite state of being, but now I look back with a sense of longing about all of the anticipation and excitement. :)

I've read about the wine with interest as well. I know many people that abstained altogether, but I personally was used to enjoying wine with practically every meal, and did a ton of research past the top 25 google hits telling you "just don't, AT ALL." After this, I felt comfortable still enjoying a single glass of wine once or twice on most weeks once I got past the first trimester. I also quickly found out that although I was comfortable with this, most people weren't so this was reserved for nice dinners at home with just me & DH.

My OB was great--her opinion on controversial subjects (and most others) is that you'll get 10 different opinions by asking 10 experts, and the bottom line is to educate yourself as much as possible and remember that births and kids don't always go as planned so the 10-million dollar question is: Am I comfortable enough doing this, that even if something goes wrong, I'm not going to look back on this as something I need to forgive myself for?

[aprilbride]

Congrats Jen and Nancy:-)) I remember being on the preggo board with you when we were pregnant with our boys:-)

[mst]

Jen- I have missed reading your posts. Congratulations! How are the big sibs-to-be?

[MinEaston]

delurking to say congrats to Jen and to weigh in on the wine...

I went to a fancy (black tie) New Years Eve party when I was 7 months along. My primary doc was there. He hadn't realized I was PG, but came up to me and when he discovered the glass of champagne in my hand, he said "good for you! A relaxed mom-to-be is the best thing you can do." :rolleyes:

[JenZen]

Awww ... thanks for the congrats, everyone! I love seeing some of you on here who were here for my first goaround ... and second. :D

Let's see, kids ... Gabe is 3.5, full of spit and vinegar somedays, but all in all, a good kid. He's into Star Wars, action figures, Transformers, squirting his sister with squirt guns, collecting sticks, swinging on the swing, sliding down the slide ... typical little boy stuff.

Ada is nearing 2. She's pretty bow-legged, which had me concerned, so I called the nurse today and she said not to worry because she was a late walker (17 monhths or so) and she's still developing. Ada loves playing with cups, dollies, coloring. She's uber-social. Loves to talk to strangers, which worries her momma a little.

This baby. I guess I"m due in March. It was a bit of a surprise, and I told my mom that that's the last time my kids stay over at their place so Al and I can have some "quiet time!" She laughed when she found out I was pregnant, saying that she and my dad talked about how they might have another grandchild in 9 months the weekend my kids stayed there. First, ewwwww, for my parents thinking that!

I'm cramping a bit the last couple of days. I know it's normal and I had it with both of my other kids, but it still freaks me out. I did have a miscarriage between my two, so that's always in the back of my mind.

Whoah. That was a long post. Can't wait to read along. Really can't wait to get out of the first trimester. :)

Jen

[mabvt]

Congrats Jen!
Wow, you are going to have a busy household, aren't you! I'm sure the older siblings will be great helpers when baby comes. Oh, how I remember that first long trimester! As my mother often says, "This too shall pass!"

I have the dreaded glucose test this afternoon. I'm not even sure why it is so dreaded...but I'm not looking forward to it.

How is everyone holding up? Any tricks for lasting in the heat? I've been eating a lot of popsicles!

Melissa

[tholbrook]

Popping in for a second to say...

Congrats Jen! I hope the pregnancy goes smoothly for you!

I had my follow-up doctor visit today, and was officially released from bedrest. :D I'm very happy, but of course, I will ease back into things. I certainly don't want to go back to being restricted.

We had a childbirth class over the weekend with a doula (yes, while I was on "bedrest" but my doctor okay'ed it as long as I was careful). It was a little different (or maybe a lot) than a hospital-taught class, but I felt pretty good about it. I think I'm at a point where I've made most of the big decisions (I hope) for the birth and don't want any new information that might make me question myself.

Well, I'm off to make an appearance at work. Hope everyone is staying cool!

[Pony]

Hi everyone. Hope everyone is well.

tholbrook, congrats on being off bedrest!!!!

Melissa, good luck at your glucose test! It is really hot in Houston and I have been staying inside :o. I need to get back in to my walking routine, but it is just so hot. Usually, I don't care and will walk anyways, but I'm not wanting to be out in the hot hot afternoon.

I'm back from the in-law's. It was great. My MIL took me shopping at Old Navy and I got a bunch of stuff on clearance.....yay!!! I hadn't shopped for maternity yet, so wasn't really sure what to get. I typically wear XS in shirts and got some XS and Smalls in maternity, but am wondering how I will fit in to those when I'm bigger in the belly. ???? MY SIL brought us some outfits for the baby. Everyone was just so excited to see us and were surprised I had a belly already, ha! My MIL is great, but made one comment that made me cringe. She said something about me not eating enough. :rolleyes: Only b/c I couldn't stuff the dessert down after a HUGE meal they took us out for. I mean, I ate 2 pieces of butter bread, cup of this awesome french onion soup, a big filet and green beans! So, I guess I'm not eating enough. I quickly told her I tend to eat small, frequent meals now and not huge meals like these b/c I get full faster. Plus, my desire for dessert is a lot less, I crave more salty foods, which is opposite for me. Other then that, she was fine :)

I'm have a pass for a free prenatal yoga session, so a friend and I are going to sign up for that. I also want to look in to other birthing classes....need to start researching the options.

It feels like it has been forever since my appt. and I still have 3 more weeks until my next one. ahhhhh! This is the longest stretch I've had and will have. TOO LONG!

Michelle

[SooCookie]

Welcome to Jen and Nancy! Yay! :)

Melissa, probably too late to help ease your fears but the glucose test isn't that bad. The drink was just like warm Sprite (not too terribly tasty, but not horrific either). The only thing is that you have to stay put for an hour and cannot leave the building. Bring a book or magazine!

tholbrook, glad to hear you are off bedrest!

Michelle, I know how you feel about the long wait in between appointments. My Dr. is on vacation, so I don't go back until next week. By that time, it will be 6 weeks since my last appointment! And let me tell you, even though this is my 2nd pregnancy, my list of questions to ask him is a mile long!

I also wanted to put my $0.02 in about the childbirth classes. The ones I took from the hospital the 1st time around were basically useless. While at the time, I thought they were somewhat helpful, they really didn't teach me anything that I wouldn't have figured out on my own anyway. They seem more focused on teaching you how to be a better "patient". The "real" childbirth classes (ie, those offered by doulas or midwifes) are far better in my own humble opinion. Even though they are more expensive, I feel these classes are money much better spent.

Speaking of doulas, I met with mine yesterday, and we worked on a birth plan. I still have some things to finalize, but for the most part, know what I want and don't want. Just need to get it in writing and have my Dr. agree to it! I can't believe it is so close already!!! :eek:

Michelle

[Jen]

Congrats Jen! How exciting!

Michelle, I agree, the glucose test isn't so bad, just a bit yucky-tasting. Here we don't get a choice of flavours - it's always orange, which isn't a favourite of mine at the best of times. But it's never been a problem for me.

lbd - wow, I can't believe you have the energy for a move when you're pregnant!! All we have to do is get the nursery ready again for the new baby, and we can't even seem to manage that! DD moved out of it 2 years ago so it's been used as storage ever since. It's been a huge job to get things organized. Plus, DH was building a shelf unit in a corner, which turned out to be a bigger job than we expected (as most of DH's projects do :rolleyes: ). It turned out great though - I'm really happy with it! There is a picture here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenandjeff/2690268880/) if you're interested (although the stuff on the shelves is only temporarily arranged right now). After that was done, we got the crib up and started washing the clothes and bedding, so at least I feel like we're getting closer for baby to arrive.

As for me, I'm 38 weeks tomorrow and no real indications that much is happening. Lots of BH contractions, several "real" contractions a day, but nothing regular or concrete. I'm still hopeful that the baby could be early but I'm starting to think it could be firmly entrenched!! It's great to be off work though and have some time with DD before the new baby comes.

[mabvt]

So you guys were right, the glucose test was not so bad. The worst part was sitting around the dr's office for such a long time and having to listen to people talk on their cell phones. There was one woman in the lobby who I assume was there for her six week follow up with a teeny tiny baby. Yikes!

Michelle--Don't worry, you will have apts every two weeks soon enough. And then you will feel like you are at the Dr's constantly. Between those, a couple of ultrasounds and some dental work I've gotten done, my apts feel like a part time job!

Other than that a good check up today. Heartbeat was at 147--the lowest it's been so far! Does this mean girl?

Jen--The bookshelves/cabinets look great. Also, loved DH's caption.

Melissa

[helios7]

Hi ladies...

Not much new here. Just going around life feeling my little boy move.... :) And trying to stay cool in this interminable heat. Blah. I hate summer to begin with... it's not more fun pregnant, that's for sure. :( Work is slowly starting to slow down, by the end of next week I'll be working only Mon/Weds afternoons with an occasional morning. And as of 8/13 - done! I'm really looking forward to it. I love the kids I work with but at this point I'm just done. Doing my job properly and meeting their special needs is just requiring more then I have to give right now. But I did learn that my latest bloodwork shows some anemia, so that may be part of the problem.

So... one of DH's co-workers had a baby yesterday. Noteworthy because she was due in early OCTOBER! Apparently she didn't feel the baby for a day or two, got nervous and went to the hospital. Something (possibly heartrate? - this is all second hand info) made them decide that instead of stopping the early labor that was beginning, it would be better to take the baby out. So one emergency C-section later... her daughter was born. Supposedly everything's going well, baby looks healthy but please keep fingers crossed!

My brain is too fried for individual comments - but welcome to JenZen, Lorien I hope the move continues to go well - i really don't know how you do it, Pony - stay cool, tholbrook - glad you're released from bedrest. Okay... I know I missed many people - sorry! Next time, I promise.

[lbd]

Wow! I'm due in early October and am not even close to ready for this baby to come yet, mentally, physically, geographically... Nothing. Glad to hear that the baby is healthy so far. It's amazing how much earlier babies are viable now than in the old days. A friend's nephew was born almost 4 months premature and, although he spent a lot of extra time in the hospital, has basically no long term side effects. He's the same age as my niece who was pulled out 2 weeks overdue and is probably twice her size by now.

The move is going well. We're keep adding extra things to add to our list of things to do, but DH has finally accepted the fact that it's not going to all get done in a week so is a little less testy than before. The guy we bought from fancied himself quite the handyman but was either incompetent or just lacked any followthrough so we keep finding things that just make you go huh?!

Jen - I didn't have too much choice in whether to move. We were in a one bedroom apt that was already pretty crowded with just the three of us. Squeezing a fourth person in (even a tiny one) plus all her stuff would have been impossible. Plus, we'd wanted to relocate for ages so when the job opportunity came up, it was pretty much a no-brainer. We could not have done it without my folks though. They were here pretty much all week carrying stuff, cleaning, and entertaining DS while I unpacked.

Don't think I've posted since my appt last week, everything went smoothly and I go back next week already. She agreed my fasting numbers were high but gave me some suggestions to work it out with diet before going to insulin, and said she wasn't concerned at all about the other scores. I think I'd gotten used to having scores way below the "target" that I stress when they get close but the docs are really only concerned if they exceed "target".
Melissa -- am I reading right that you did your glucose test at your regular doctors? I've always gone to a separate lab. I guess it doesn't make too much difference, you're still twiddling your thumbs for an hour (or three).

Well, that was a novel. As I settle I'll try to check in more often and shorter...

[Sarah45]

I've been lurking on this thread for a few weeks now and have decided that today's the day to out myself :eek:

Our first baby is due Feb. 16, 2009 :D :D

So far we've been keeping the news pretty tight, parents, siblings and only a couple very very close friends. But then last weekend my brother got married and we decided to tell my extended family since it's the only time we will get to see them until Christmas. It was really fun :)

So far, so good though. I had an ultrasound last week to determine how far along I was and it was just amazing. I think it's really starting to seem real (and not just like I have an extended case of the flu :rolleyes:)

I'm looking forward to all of your wisdom on these threads, cause I have no idea what I am doing :D

[helios7]

Welcome Sarah45! Glad to have you aboard.

I just wanted to pop in and say that I'm SO GLAD i changed doctors. My new doctor is so great. I really liked her last week when I saw her, and I just called to leave a message as my GP's latest round of bloodwork showed mild anemia. She called back within 10 minutes! 10 minutes! Even my beloved GP usually takes at least a couple hours, if not until the end of the day. We discussed the options, and she was calling in a prescription. And she ended the conversation saying that if anything else came up in the three weeks before I see her again to please call again!

I'm just really pleased. So...ladies who are having doctor issues. I urge you to consider a change - there's just too much stress out there to add doctor issues on top of pregnancy stress. :)

[Megan James]

I can't remember if I posted about my trip but I am back. My cousin got married in Whistler so we just spent a week there and in Vancouver. I was excited for the trip but a little worried since I am now 35 weeks and we just got back yesterday! I was mostly worried about how insurance would play out if I delivered in Canada. But no sign of this little fellow appearing yet, phew.

I'm actually feeling pretty good. I waddle like a duck when I walk and I look like a cow in all the vacation pictures. I have a slight twinge of nausea coming back but nothing at all like that first trimester. For me the third tri is SO SO much easier to handle than the 1st 4 months. And of course now is when everyone is asking "how do you feel" "are you ready to be done".

The babies room still isn't ready, there is primer on the wall and we're ordering carpet tomorrow but I still feel way behind. We also still need to pick out a name and decide if he is going to be circumsized or not. Lots to do!

[Pony]

I also wanted to put my $0.02 in about the childbirth classes. The ones I took from the hospital the 1st time around were basically useless. While at the time, I thought they were somewhat helpful, they really didn't teach me anything that I wouldn't have figured out on my own anyway. They seem more focused on teaching you how to be a better "patient". The "real" childbirth classes (ie, those offered by doulas or midwifes) are far better in my own humble opinion. Even though they are more expensive, I feel these classes are money much better spent.

Michelle, thanks for this info. It helped me a lot. I was considering the more affordable hospital class, but I think I will go to the Motherhood Center in Houston and take their class. It is a bit more expensive, but I think I will get more out of it.

Jen, we still have a lot of time before the baby arrives, but the idea of trying to organize our house right now freaks me out!!! It is just overwhelmed w/ my husband's art stuff. I just don't know how we will find room. Luckily, I love his art and do not mind if it is displayed, ha! I love the shelf and my husband is the same way about projects taking longer.

Melissa, glad the glucose test wasn't too bad. I have mine on 9/29. I thought the prediction for a lower heartrate was boy.

helios7, I'm so jealous you can feel the little boy move. I can't wait. Sometimes I wonder if the little flutters are the baby, but I'm sure it is too soon. But, I am very much aware of what gas feels like and it really doesn't feel like gas. Plus, it is in the spot where the doctor always finds the heartbeat. Nothing regular, so I'm excited to finally feel it! Congrats on being done with work so soon. Very exciting. Glad to hear your coworker's baby seems to be doing well. I'm very glad you have a great doctor now! And that is quick timing with the callback. Yay.

lbd, glad things are calming down. We bought from a man who also thought he was a handyman. So odd some of the things we found. Glad you had a good apt. My glucose test is also at my doctor's office. Right afterwards I have an appt. w/ my doctor.

Sarah, congratulations and welcome. This is our first as well.

Megan, I'm glad you made it home safe. Good luck getting everything done.

Not much going on here. Looking forward to my friend's wedding in a couple of weeks. I will be with my 8 close college girlfriends and we are leaving the boys behind ;). Actually, our last reunion was when I m/c'ed with my 2nd baby while visiting Chicago. I'm feeling really good about seeing everyone during a healthy pregnancy this time around! Can't wait to see them and wear the fun dresses I borrowed.

Hope everyone is having a nice night.

Michelle

[Pony]

Happy Birthday helios7! What are you doing today?

[Sarah45]

Jen, we still have a lot of time before the baby arrives, but the idea of trying to organize our house right now freaks me out!!!

I hear you on this one! I tend to be a "planner" and the thought of clearing out a room for the baby and then making it a comfy place for the baby seems beyond the scope of what my mind can deal with ;) Not to mention figuring out what gear we actually need vs. what would be nice to have. It was funny though, the one thing I already decided that we didn't need was a travel system and my cousin told me over the weekend it's the one thing she wouldn't live without, so maybe back to thinking on that one :p

Does anyone know good websites/bulletin boards to info on gear? Reviews and such? I am going to look into the Baby Bargains book...

Still feeling very "eh" and I'm really tired of it. Let's get these first three months over with so I can go back to feeling like eating real food again! :)

[Pony]

Not to mention figuring out what gear we actually need vs. what would be nice to have. It was funny though, the one thing I already decided that we didn't need was a travel system and my cousin told me over the weekend it's the one thing she wouldn't live without, so maybe back to thinking on that one :p

Does anyone know good websites/bulletin boards to info on gear? Reviews and such? I am going to look into the Baby Bargains book...

Still feeling very "eh" and I'm really tired of it. Let's get these first three months over with so I can go back to feeling like eating real food again! :)

The need vs. nice to have is such a big deal to me right now!!! We do not have extra space at all. I have asked friends about the travel system, b/c it is not something I think I want. When I was looking at BRU (so overwhelming!) I noticed a couple with one of these Infant Car Seat Frames (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266236&cp=2256189) and they were buying a lightweight stroller like a Maclaren, since the baby was bigger. I think that is what we are going to do. I also want a good jogging stroller. So, I think that is our plan for now. A lot of my friends recommended this as well, but of course, I had a lot that like the travel system. To me, the travel system seems heavy and bulky. I want to try to use slings/wraps as often as possible as well. But of course, I have no idea how this will all work until the baby is here.

I have looked on babycenter.com for reviews, but I would like to hear of other websites. I also still need to get the baby bargains book.

I hope you start feeling better!!



I just got to work and the nocturnal nurses and staff blew up a bunch of balloons and had them at my door. They say "baby on board" "take your vitamins" "eat your protein" (I'm a dietitian, so pretty cute!) "baby makes 3"....very sweet and made my day!!! I love my coworkers!!!!

[bekki]

I've just finally finished all my registry stuff, there's SO much to think about.

The baby bargains book is super helpful, I read it cover to cover and then referred to it every time I went to add something to the list.

A couple of thoughts about the "travel systems."
1) Infant car seats are safer for infants than the convertable, or so I keep reading
2) My babies will be fall/winter infants and it gets COLD here. My friends all said it's so much better to be able to keep them bundled from house to car to doc's to store, without having to keep getting them in and out of the seat.
3) All the twin moms I have met swear by the Snap and Go stroller for the first few months.
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Trend-Single-Snap-Stroller/dp/B000BMKEVC
It's way cheaper than many of the "travel system" built stollers (I'm looking at you Graco!) and it works really well until you figure out what kind of stroller will work best for you. And, craigslist always has one or two available.

[Sarah45]

Pony - You and I are thinking exactly the same way in regards to strollers/car seats. I was thinking that the frame was the way to go until we saw how much we actually even used a stroller and could get an appropriate one for more of a toddler. We kind of live in the country and have no sidewalks so I am having a hard time imagining that we would use a stroller more than once a month. I definitely want a BabyBjorn for my Farmer's Market and grocery store trips - I love that idea.

Your co-workers are so sweet! That would totally make my day too.

Bekki - Thanks for your thoughts on the travel systems and convertible seats. Since I haven't told my friends that we're expecting I haven't been able to pick their brains yet so it's nice to have your friends' knowledge :D

[chefbecky]

Just delurking for a second on the subject of gear ...

Do keep in mind that it's possible you'll have a big baby (I've had two) and that the infant seat won't work for more than a few months. Both of my kids were out of the seat by 3.5 months. They technically could have been in it for a bit longer, but there's no way I could have carried them in it, and even so, weight-wise, my son would have been out of it by 5 months, and my daughter (5 months) now is 18+ pounds, so it wouldn't be long either.

That said, I know plenty of parents who've used the infant seat for much, much longer, so that's the other side. But I always advise my friends who are expecting not to assume that they're going to have that option for a super-long time. With our first, we were planning to use the infant seat and snap-in base for at least six months, and we got about half that! (FWIW, this time, we went straight to a lightweight Maclaren (can't remember the exact model), and it's perfect.)

[Pony]

I did read on babycenter.com that there are some infant car seats that hold up to 30 pounds. I think mainly they hold up to 22 pounds. Here were the ones mentioned--Graco SafeSeat, Chicco KeyFit 30, new Peg Perego Primo Viaggio. I figured I would get one of those, hopefully. But again, I have no idea yet, ha!

ETA: chefbecky, I love the Maclarens.

[SooCookie]

Welcome Sarah45!

Megan - I have the pregnancy waddle too, and although people are always telling me how cute it is, I know they are just being nice! :rolleyes:

Regarding baby gear, I personally went with a travel system, but know many people who have the snap and go and are very happy with it. It works out well in the beginning so you have time to decide what you really want in a stroller, or if you need one at all.

One thing off the top of my head that was not really necessary to put on the registry was clothes, blankets and toys. I put maybe 3 blankets on my registry, but ended up getting those, plus about 10 other handmade blankets at my shower. While they were pretty and nice and all, does the baby really need that many??? Of course, I feel terribly guilty giving them away or selling them since someone went through all that trouble, so now my DD has millions of blankets that I am sure she will never use. The clothes, people are going to buy it whether or not it is on there, and the toys, while nice to have, aren't really used much in the beginning! So if storage space is an issue, definitely hold off on the toys, especially the big ones.

Doesn't babybargains have a website with a bulletin board???

ETA: yes they do. Here is the link: http://www.windsorpeak.com/babybargains/default.html

[Jen]

Wow, this thread has been busy this week!!

helios7 - that's such an early baby! Please let us know how they're doing! I can't imagine how stressful that would be but I'm glad to know the baby looks OK. I agree, the miracles of modern medicine are pretty amazing! And I'm glad your doctor issues have resolved. It makes such a big difference to have a doctor you like and trust. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Sarah - CONGRATULATIONS and welcome!! Don't worry, most of us don't know what we're doing either (and I include myself as a second-time mom in there as well!) :p

Megan - hey, you were in my 'hood!! :D You were lucky - the weather has been great here for the past few weeks. Even though our summers are pretty nice, it's rare for us to get an unbroken sunny stretch for such a long time. I hope you enjoyed yourself! What did you see while you were here?

Michelle - yeah, what's up with DH's and their "hobbies"?? (Well, maybe your DH's art isn't a hobby but an actual career...maybe I am only speaking for myself here. ;) ). My DH is great, but his hobbies tend to overrun the house. He insisted on doing the shelves because he's gotten really into woodworking and wanted to have a project. I kept saying we could just buy a Billy bookshelf from Ikea and be done with it, but nothing doing. It turned out much nicer of course, but cost about 5X as much and took about two weeks!! Not that I'm complaining because it's very nice. His other big hobby these days is fish, which do take up a ton of room and drive me a bit crazy.

On the gear...we got a Graco travel system, and I don't love it, but it did the job. It was great for the mall etc., but I would have loved to have something different for walking outside (we do have a cheap jogging stroller we picked up second-hand but it's only OK). A new trendy stroller would be top of my list if we won the lottery, but alas, I'm not holding my breath. On the other hand, DD was a kid who would not go in the stroller once she started walking, so we really only used it for the first year. I would have hated to spend $1000 like lots of my friends only to use it for a year. The other issue is that strollers seem to be a ton more expensive in Canada (even though our dollar has been at par for months now...grrr :mad: ) and I just can't justify that kind of $$$. Oh well, c'est la vie!! In my next life I want to be rich!!

One more note about the infant car seats...I'm a bit believer in the bucket seat, because it was a huge drag once DD got big enough that we had to switch her to the big seat and wake her up every time we got out of the car. If for no other reason, being able to move them without waking them is a huge plus. I didn't know there are some that go up to 30 lbs, but you also have to watch the length - as far as I remember most of my friends' babies grew out of them by length before weight. I think the rule is that their heads can't come past 1" from the top of the seat, or something.

Sorry for the novel...it's dangerous having me off work!! :)

[Megan James]

Re: Infant Carriers
I would definitely go for the bigger one. With DD our problem was actually the height not the weight. Ours only went up to 25" (I think) and she was that tall before 4 months. There is a get out of jail free card on the height that if their head is still below the top of the seat it's OK. But there are seats that go up to 29" and I would highly recommend it. I loved the infant carrier especially in the winter. It gets heavy as the kid gets close to 6 months but being able to take it out of the car w/o waking the kid is priceless.

Jen I loved Vancouver! So many great things for outdoorsy/athletic people and for familys! We hit 2 free outdoor water parks (1 in Stanley Park and 1 on Granville Island). I loved the outdoor salt pools at Stanley park and Kits beach too. And Granville Island with that kids shopping area was fabulous. My mom and I were drooling over all the great kid toys. The weather was absolutely fabulous while we were there (leaving us happily deceived about what it's normally like). The only thing I didn't like was how expensive everything was. I'm not even going to add up how much this trip cost!

[Pony]

One more note about the infant car seats...I'm a bit believer in the bucket seat, because it was a huge drag once DD got big enough that we had to switch her to the big seat and wake her up every time we got out of the car.

Hey Jen, what is a bucket seat? :)

[valchemist]

I'll answer since I am here. a bucket seat is just a nickname for an infant seat because it looks like you are carrying them around in a bucket.

I am also all for the bucket seat and I have big babies. for example, nelson is now approaching 7 months and he is 24 pounds and still in the infant/bucket seat. I'll move him out soon. but it is so much easier when you are in and out of the car a lot to have them in the infant seat.

also, I know there are other opinions on this one, but I got a jogging stroller travel system for julia (6 1/2 years ago) and it is still the only stroller I ever use now for nelson. so we are a one stroller family. I know other people have found that they have several strollers for different functions, but we are just a "one stroller all the way from infant up through preschool" kind of family. that Graco jogging stroller travel system we have is still functioning fine for nelson 6 1/2 years later!

[fancyn]

Hi Val, nice to see you - I always appreciate your insights! Also, you were right. I'm sitting right at 10 weeks and I just sort of "popped out" this week. What the hey?! I was trying to hold off telling people but I really don't need to say anything...:rolleyes:;)

You all are so busy! Congrats Jen and Sarah and thanks for all the warm welcomes. I need to get more active on this board, I swear. Hard to keep up!

I'll weigh in on the infant carriers too - love them! They are especially nice in the winter for quick in's and out's but they're also nice even at the grocery store. Just set them on top of the cart and go, no messing with a stroller. DS has always been smack dab in the 50th percentile and he lasted in his until he was over a year. As far as the travel systems go, i have no opinion b/c we never had one. We have a really nice jogging stroller we use around the neighborhood and a compact 'travel' stroller I always keep in my trunk. Both have served their purposes well so I have no complaints.

Things are fine here at 10 weeks - My permanent bad mood seems to slowly be disappearing. Great news for DH, eh? ;) Nausea is subsiding so things are on the up and up, yay!! Happy to be happy again. I will have to say, my appetite is still out of control. I know most woman never feel like eating in the first trimester but I seriously don't have that issue.

I'll try and post more personals later, just wanted to say happy belated birthday to helios7 and congrats to tholbrook for getting off of bed rest. Woohoo!

[chefbecky]

Clearly there are moms on this board with stronger arm muscles than me!! It was a struggle for me to carry my kids in the carrier (especially now that I am also wrangling a 4-year-old) when they get bigger. But I agree, there are definitely benefits, such as moving a sleeping child. Also, I would like to say that I do NOT recommend the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio seat, and one of the major reasons is that the seat is so heavy. (And that's with no child in it!!)

[lbd]

I guess what I ended up with was a Graco travel system. That's an infant/bucket seat that snaps into a stroller and then the stroller also works on it's own, right? We got the infant seat from my brother so only bought the stroller but they worked together well. I loved being able to take him in from the car without waking him up, we did that a LOT in the early months. We didn't actually use the stroller much early on because I used a Bjorn and then an Ergo as much as possible. For the rare times we would go to the mall and I couldn't wear him, we used an umbrella stroller we got as a gift (although that might be a minimum age of 6 months).

The last 6 months or so, we have gotten more use out of the stroller than we did the entire first part. Part of it is the combo of me being pregnant and DS being a little older -- it's just hard to wear him for lengthy or fast walks. But it's also that he seems to like it for walks around the neighborhood -- he can carry his stuffed dog or another friend, he can look all around and point to stuff, eat snacks, all kinds of stuff he couldn't really do in a carrier. Plus, he has a better view since he's not tall enough to see over my shoulders in the Ergo. I'm expecting to continue using it once the baby comes with her in the Bjorn.

I guess my point is, we thought for a long time we weren't getting our money's worth (and I think it was less than $100) but now definitely are. So you just never know.

[mabvt]

Hello girls!

Goodness, I don't check the board for a couple of days and you're all going nuts. I confess, I didn't read every post word for word, but hopefully I got the gist.

Sarah--Welcome to the club! There's a fair amount of the blind leading the blind around here. :D I'm learning as I go!

Megan & lbd-- I can certainly relate to the baby's room not being ready/organizing thing. For the past couple of days I was having a garage sale with a girlfriend. It's called "Project Purge" at our house. We've gotten rid of so much stuff! This afternoon I dropped the last of it off at Goodwill. Man does that feel good. Now I feel like I can really start planning/decorating/organizing/etc.

Re: Travel Systems--If you are interested in a Graco I'd recommend checking your local Target. I got one last week on clearance for $95. (Target actually has a lot of baby stuff on clearance right now) It is normally a $180 system, and from what I can tell they are discontinuing the print/color, not the actual system. They weren't that cheap online, just in the store.

Sarah & Pony--I hear you on the trying not to overload on "stuff." For me it is part space and part principle. I don't really want to raise my kid in an atmosphere where stuff/gear needs to be big and shiny and new and expensive and excessive...DH and I live pretty modestly. But I want to start preparing for baby and to provide the best possible atmosphere.

Isn't the weight gain and waddling thing weird? I had an ultrasound last week and they told me baby is in the 80th percentile. A real chunk, it already weighs almost 4 pounds at almost seventh months. The strange thing for me is I have a tummy but it is not as huge as you'd expect. I'm 5'10" and am feeling the weight gain in my legs and butt (oh joy). It is just so odd how everyone "wears" pregnancy differently. My center of gravity has been different for months and I'm suddenly feeling the clutziness setting in.

Sheesh, I'm writing a book too! And I now I have to finish washing the supper dishes.

[Beth H]

I'm back from a wonderful vacation in Vegas. I did indulge in a glass of wine with two of the meals - nothing has ever tasted so good.

We had our detailed ultrasound and amnio on Friday. For those who may be weighing having amnios, I''ll say that it was a very easy procedure. We also found out (from the ultrasound) that we are expecting a boy! It was unambiguous. :) It was a miracle DH restrained himself from comments during that part of it.

I actually have not yet told my work or many friends - we had been waiting for amnio results (I was originally going to have it before vacation, then it was moved). How did you all tell people (not family and closest friends, but colleagues/other friends)? I'm wishing now we had just gone ahead and told people as now I think it seems a bit odd. "Oh, by the way, I'm 17 weeks pregnant."

[helios7]

Hi ladies...

I finally have a chance to check in! We were away all weekend, and a full day of work plus plans last night wiped out my desire to spend much time online last night.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! It was an okay day. This sounds a bit petty and childish, but many of my friends have a lot going on this summer (weddings, moving etc) and I was disappointed not to hear from most of them. Rationally I understand that they're busy, but since I made sure to call all of them on their birthdays it was a bummer not to hear from them. And no one in the schools I went to that day knew it was my bday, so that was just a bit depressing. Still, DH and I had a lovely dinner out and I'm looking forward to a barbecue we're hosting as a belated bday party this weekend. Hopefully that will boost my 30th bday memories.

Pregnancy-wise - I'm feeling more and more pregnant. Definitely starting to slow down - the wedding this weekend wiped me out! I'm glad to have this afternoon off today. I'm just worn out. I'm now taking iron supplements - my last bloodwork showed I'm mildly anemic. Initially I did feel better but it took a day of work to erase that feeling. Only half days from here on out!

The nursery is coming along - DH built the crib last night. And he did a lot of work the weekend before last... I'll try to post a picture. It's minus the crib, but it gives an idea of the work in progress. http://www.cheesenpickles.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/dsc03314-225x300.jpg

I'm going to skip personals - I've got a headache. But I've loved reading all the activity on the board.... !

[SooCookie]

Helios - Your nursery is adorable! You mentioned that your DH built the crib... meaning he built it himself from raw materials? Wow! I'm impressed, and would love to see the finished product.

Beth - glad to hear you had a great trip, and indulged in a little wine! I have no advice on how to tell people about your pregnancy though, since I was so sick in the beginning, people already could tell.

As for me, I had a very discouraging doctor appointment yesterday. My OB, who previously gave me the impression that he would support me when I asked him earlier in the pregnancy, has done a complete 180 turn about my wishes for a VBAC. I am left feeling that if I were to try for a VBAC with him, he would not try earnestly to honor my wishes since he is so very much against them. At this stage in my pregnancy, I have no energy to fight the system and try to find a different doctor or hospital, which I think is what I would have to do if I wanted to continue to try for a VBAC. I am so discouraged right now, and just don't know what to do. I have to go back again next week and DH will come with me to try to understand where he is coming from and ask his own questions. Sigh. :(:mad:

[Megan James]

Soo-Cookie - That is so discouraging to hear about your doctor not want your to go VBAC! Especially after giving you the impression earlier on that he was supportive. I see you are in Michigan, any chance you are near Kalamazoo? My practice is great.

I'm on the weekly appt schedule now. I'm starting to feel at home down at the hospital ;) My belly is quite big, the only positive of that is it makes my butt and legs look comparatively smaller.

I had funny comment at work today. A women (who I know has a kid) saw me in the restroom and asked "do you know how far along you are?" Um yea! Down to the day at this point! I think english is her second language so maybe there was some communication error between what she meant to say and what came out.

And we have made progress on this little fellow's room. Paint is 85% done, carpet is due in next week. So hopefully it will actually be decorated before he arrives!

Megan

[Sarah45]

Just though that I would pop in on this last day of July :eek:

Thanks so much for all of the thoughts on strollers/car seats. In my mind that's one of the biggest/most important purchases since it is such a safety issue as well as an ease of use issue. It's awesome to have many opinions.

I've had a really up and down week. Monday - I felt great and was thinking that maybe this nausea would be over soon. Tuesday - didn't feel great but was still able to eat. Wednesday - couldn't keep a bit of food down. And now today I am back to feeling fine. Between the nausea and needing more sleep I feel like such a worthless being right now :o Next week is week 12 though so maybe I'll get back to being a productive member of society soon.

helios - Love your nursery, it's so cozy, bright and beautiful :D

[willybean]

Hi everyone!

I am just over 33 weeks now so just sort of getting more anxious. I am trying to get the basics for what I will need right after the baby is born and am wondering how many and what I will need of different things? Clothes (how many and what types), diapers, bottles, pacifiers, receiving blankets, etc?

I appreciate any thoughts on this. I want to be sure we are stocked with the basics for now.

Thanks! Hope everyone has a great day!

[SooCookie]

Hi willybean!

I can give you an idea of what I used with DD, but everyone and every baby is different, so take this as just advice only, and not what you absolutely should do.

Clothes - I didn't put DD in anything other than those sleep and plays for probably the first 3 months of her life. I had a few cute outfits that we wore if we were going somewhere, but probably no more than 5 outfits for the newborn stage. In the very beginning, she wore those plain white t-shirts that snap in the front, but we didn't buy those. We, umm, "borrowed" them from the hospital I delivered at. She was only in them a week or so, until her umbilical cord stump fell off.

Diapers - definitely have at least one package of either the newborn or size 1 diapers, but again, the hospital I delivered at supplied us with a few extra packages. They grow out of the newborn size pretty quickly, so don't get a ginormous box of them. If you want a large stock of diapers, go with the size 1's, not the newborn size.

Bottles and pacifiers - Do you plan to breastfeed? If so, just use the bottles that go with your pump. If not, don't go all crazy buying just one type. I did that with DD, but she would only take the Avent bottles and NUK pacifiers. With some defiant babies (like my DD), they will only like a certain type of nipple. Nipple type doesn't bother some others though.

Blankets - are you having a shower? If so, don't worry about blankets. I am sure you will get more than you asked for. If not, the hospital also supplied us with extras to use. But if you want one or two cute and soft fuzzy ones, you might want to get that.

Make sure you have lots of burp cloths, a few extra sheets and waterproof mattress pads. The spit up and diaper leakage episodes requires changing of those often.

If I think of anything else, I will let you know.

Michelle