Over the past week my sleep has gone from good to terrible...to the point where I dread going up to bed because I know it's going to be frustrating. Months of flipping from side to side (because you can't lay on your stomach and your not supposed to sleep on your back) has left my body sore and my belly is now big enough that I am just uncomfortable. Last night I got myself situated with 3 pillows, 1 body pillow, my boppy, and a pregnancy wedge for under my stomach. I was super comfy UNTIL my right side went numb and it was time to switch to my left side...which requires moving the body pillow, boppy, and wedge to the other side. Sleep has just become a production! AND THEN...having to get up every 2 hours to use the bathroom is just icing on the cake. If I survive the next +/- 7 weeks (figures crossed for less than 7 weeks!) I will have plenty of practice being sleep deprived :(
My awesome husband made me an amazing breakfast in bed this weekend after a rough night...
I am up 19 lbs (which makes Justin very happy, too happy in my opinion). The scale goes up a little more each day and I hit my scary number yesterday. I know, I know...this is all a part of pregnancy and an absolute necessity. It's just a hard transition and I am really hopeful that the emerging double chin is not permanent fixture ;)
We have our last childbirth class tonight! It has been informative and I really enjoy the fact that it gets Justin involved and thinking about what lies ahead of us. To be honest, I don't think either of us got everything out of the class that we would have liked and I think the primary reason for this has been the instructor. But it has given us the broad strokes and has stimulated thought which has encouraged me to do a lot of independent research. There is just SO much information and while there is no way for us to know it all or have all of the answers I think we have a pretty good start.
I have been going to prenatal yoga on Sundays and I think it has been great for me. I get to spend an hour or so really focusing on my breathing and working through the 'painful' parts. Yoga helps me really focus internally and I believe it will be helpful getting me through these last few weeks of pregnancy.
I have been trying to not jump the gun and get things done too early but as Justin reminded me last weekend, we have reached the point where we need to start really preparing. So, I washed Baby V's bedding and I think the nursery is just about done...We need a rug, lamp, and small table but other than that we are good to go! I will put pictures up soon. I would like to start washing the newborn clothes, blankets, etc. this week. I went to Babies R Us today and picked up a breast pump and a few other little necessities. Babies are EXPENSIVE!!! I am really trying to be conservative with my purchases and only get the things that seem to be necessary for the first few weeks. I have a feeling a lot of things are going to be trial and error and I don't want to get too much of something I am going to hate down the road. God forbid our little man come this early but if he decides to make an early appearance...we are ready!
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.
I look at the belly picture from 2 weeks ago compared to this week and it is unbelievable...and scary that I have 8 weeks to go. Can I possibly get ANY bigger?!?!? My innie has officially become a full outtie!
I had an appointment with the midwives yesterday. I am measuring at 31 cm and Mary said that Baby V was weighing in right around 4 lbs (which seems like a lot to me considering how much time I have left!) and that I was having a 'picture perfect pregnancy'. His heart was at 130 bpm and he is still positioned head down. Our little man continues to move like crazy and while I haven't had any direct hits to my ribs yet, some of his kicks and punches are getting a little painful/uncomfortable at times.
I have been getting up to use the bathroom at least 3-5 times a night for sometime now but I have reached the point in my pregnancy that at times during the day I have to run back to the bathroom less than 5 minutes after my last visit. Super unpleasant especially when I am at the store! I have also started to get heartburn almost every night like clockwork and fatigue is starting to rear its ugly head during the day. I have had a wonderful, uneventful and healthy pregnancy but I have just about peaked.
Justin called me Monday afternoon and told me we were invited to Gov. Hickenlooper's inaugural dinner on Tuesday night...the attire? Dressy Western?! Considering I am 8 months pregnant, I thought it was going to be impossible to find something to wear. This forced me to finally go shopping for maternity clothes which I desperately needed and luckily I found something "country". Justin found my old "L" belt buckle that I wore in horse shows when I was little to add a little Western to his outfit :)
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.
Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! Now that the hustle and bustle is over with I am on a new mission...keep busy! I am in the home stretch of this pregnancy however I am afraid that the next +/- 9 weeks are going to go by at a glacial pace. So I have been brainstorming, making lists, and trying to organize a calender so that I have plenty to look forward to and I don't go crazy.
I joined a "pregnacy group" last August which has been a great way to meet other women who are expecting. I started co-organizing with another girl in November(I know, very out of character for me!) and I have met several other women due right around the same time. Some of the other women will be stay at home moms also and it will be wonderful to have some friends in the same situation with babies around the same age.
In addition to the 'moms group', I have plenty of little projects around the house I would like to get done while I still have time to myself. And while I think we are just about set for Baby V's arrival (per Justin, I will contiunue to call him Baby V until he has made his first appearance) I still need get a few final things and organize everything. I also need to look into and sign up for a breastfeeding class sometime in the next few weeks. My goal is to get the essentials done in January and leave February to easy projects.....this quote from Finding Nemo keeps going through my head "just keep swimming, just keep swimming."
Baby V is doing well! He is getting big and starting to give his mama lots of heartburn :( I believe he is still head down judging by his daily hiccups and this position has lead to lots punches to the bladder...a very strange and uncomfortable sensation! I must admit that it totally freaks me out when I have a hand on my belly waiting for him to kick and a little knee or foot rubs firmly against the area under my hand. It is a very 'alien' experience and suddenly reminds me that there is actually a tiny person inside of me! I know when pregnancy is over, I really will miss his kicks....but definitely not the shots to the bladder ;)
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.
I saw this idea on another blog and thought it would be a great post for A Day In the Life. 2010 has gone by so quick (every year goes by faster than the last!) and I have a lot to be thankful for, so I wanted to take a minute to reflect on my year.
10. Starting the blog- I actually stole this idea from someone else (thanks Jill!) but I thought it would be a great way to keep our families involved in the pregnancy (and someday in Baby V's life) and, in lieu of a baby book, a wonderful way to remember a very special time in my life. Never did I expect that it would become such a big hit with my few, but loyal, readers. A Day In the Life has become a very personal outlet for me and it pleases me that it has allowed some of you to get a better glimpse at who I am.
9. Road trip to IL- I drove back to Illinois by myself in April to spend sometime with family and I will admit the drive was long but great! Justin flew in the following weekend and we were able to spend a few days in Chicago with some great friends. We don't get to see them much but when we do we make it count :) J and I went to the Museum of Science and Industry...I haven't been since I was little and it was fun to go back.
8. Baby Shower- During our trip back to Illinois for Thanksgiving my best friend, Nicole, and a friend of my mother-in-law's hosted a baby shower for us. The ladies did a wonderful job with everything and it was a special afternoon for us. Baby V got a ton of great stuff and I think we are ready for his arrival!
7. Christmas in Colorado- We shared Christmas with several family members in Colorado this year and while it wasn't without its drama and stress (I have finally learned that every holiday is going to have some degree of drama and stress), Justin and I thoroughly enjoyed having everyone over to our house for a big Christmas dinner!
6. Celebrating two years of marriage- On November 28, Justin and I celebrated our two year anniversary (and 6 years together in December). I can't believe it has been two years already...time absolutely flies! This year has been a time of extraordinary growth in our relationship. We have spent a great deal of time trying to understand each other and ourselves better...there is always room for improvement! And this has lead to better communication in our relationship which I believe is key to any relationship in life. We have also watched each other begin to grow into our new roles in life...mom and dad. Baby V has not arrived yet but his presence has definitely begun mold our relationship into something new.
5. J's promotion- 2010 started out with some very interesting and eventually nerve wrecking news. Justin's new boss was let go after less than a year with the company and immediately Justin had to take on a new role with the company until a successor was named. It was an incredibly busy and stressful time for him but he took his task very seriously and did the job with great care. He was sent to New York and on his 30th birthday he gave a presentation AND interviewed for the position of CFO. A few days later, he found out he got the job! He is now the head of the finance department for the largest 'beer, wine, and spirits' distributor in Colorado. (Justin, I am done bragging but I am incredibly proud of you and all you have accomplished this year...and you should be too!)
4. MEXICO!- During the last week of May, Justin and I FINALLY took a vacation together! We went to the Rivera Maya and stayed at Secrets Silver Sands.....and it was AMAZING! This was the first trip (anywhere) that Justin left his computer and work at home. It was so nice to see him email free and finally able to completely relax. I hope we can make it back someday...
3. Personal Growth- You're never to old to stop growing and learning about yourself and I feel like this year has been a big year for me. The year started off with Justin and I working on better communication. The things we have learned and the progress made has led to a better marriage. I have also learned a lot about family this year...the new role you play when joining a family, the dynamic of the family you are born into, and how to be firm in what you need and expect from family. The funny thing about family is that you can't choose who is a part of this intimate group. But eventually you can choose how these people will effect your life by deciding the role they will play. And finally, I have learned to chill out! You can't be swearing and honking at every bad driver you encounter, especially with a baby in the car ;) People will always be inconsiderate and rude but it's really up to me to pick and choose my battles...and sometimes you just have to roll with the situation.
2. The passing of my grandmother, Dede- While this isn't the happiest memory of 2010 it is nonetheless a big memory from this year. Dede, my father's mother, passed away in June. We traveled to Florida for her funeral and then to Illinois for her burial a few weeks later. Her death was unexpected and swept us off our feet. I know this has been especially difficult for her husband, Rod. I hope that in the new year, he can begin to find peace and happiness again in everyday life.
1. Pregnancy! This is the obvious choice but nothing else this year has been so consuming and life changing. June 29,2010, is the day that changed my life forever. I'm assuming that I am no different than most women during their first pregnancy in the fact that concerns over Baby V's development and educating myself about pregnancy, childbirth, and what happens after have become an instant priority in my life. The past 30 1/2 weeks have truly been a journey and I feel incredible fortunate for all of the love and support we have received during this time.
I hope that everyone has a safe New Year's Eve...I will probably be holding up my NYE tradition and going to bed early :) 2011 is garanteed to be the biggest year yet as we welcome Jack Gregory Voigts into our lives!
Woohoo!!! The end is in sight :) We have seven weeks until Baby V is considered 'full term' and no matter what he will be here sometime in the next 12 weeks. I have had a feeling he might be a little early but people are starting to freak me out with stories past due babies. I suppose he will come when he's ready and there is no way for me to predict so I'll just enjoy these last weeks of the intimate bond we have already formed.
I had my 30 week appointment with the midwives today and Baby V is continuing to develop on schedule. I measured right at 30 cm, his heart was at 155 bpm and he is still positioned head down. The glucose test from our appointment 2 weeks ago came back normal and I am currently up 14 lbs (up 3 lbs from 2 weeks ago!). Our midwife, Jen, did say that I am a bit under the weight gain she would like to see at 30 weeks and said that I should be at about +20 lbs. I explained that I eat when I am hungry and I don't restrict myself. In fact, I am embarrassed to admit the amount of cupcakes, sugar cookies, and peanut butter balls I have eaten in the past month. But despite the excessive amount of sugar consumed, I feel that my every day diet is relatively healthy and has played a big part in avoiding extra weight gain. Overall, I'm not worried. I seem to be gaining about 1-1.5 lb(s) per week so by the end of my pregnancy I should be on track for a healthy weight gain.
Here I am at 30 weeks.
Baby V's growth from 10 to 30 weeks.
We went to an open house at Stapleton Pediatrics a few weeks ago and met with Dr. Kono, who will be joining the practice in January. Unfortunately, the office is not right around the corner but it was a very welcoming office and we were very happy with Dr. Kono and his philosophies. We decided we will be using Dr. Kono as our pediatrician...one less thing to do!
I hope that every one had a wonderful Christmas. This was the first year that we stayed in Colorado and had our family come to us...it was wonderful! Unfortunately, not everyone could make it out...we missed the Bartletts' and my mom and gram. But for those of you who were here, Justin and I loved being able to spend Christmas with you. I know not everyone will like to hear this but we thoroughly enjoyed spending Christmas at home in Colorado and I have a feeling that our Christmas trips back to IL will become far and few between in the future. I suppose it is just the natural progression of life when families live in different states.
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)
Hello 3rd and final trimester!!! We had an appointment with the midwives this morning which turned out to be way more traumatic than expected. At this appointment they were schedule to run a glucose test on me (this tests me for gestational diabetes). I had to drink this stuff that tasted like super sugary, flat Sprite and on the trip to the hospital it made me nauseous and dizzy. An hour after having the drink they needed to take my blood. Pre-pregnancy I was terrible with needles and having blood taken (passing out was the norm for me) but since I have been pregnant and had to have my blood taken multiple times, I have gotten so so so much better. So I wasn't to concerned about having a blood draw today. When she put the needle in my arm it hurt like hell and no blood came out. So then she tried my hand...same thing...and then she tried my other hand...again, no blood. By this point I have broken out in a sweat and I am on the verge of passing out. They called in the other midwife who tired my hand again and was only able to fill half a tube. Luckily this was enough to run the test. Fingers crossed everything turns out ok and I won't have to go in for the 3 HOUR glucose test!
Besides the blood draw, everything went great. I am measuring right at 28 cm and Baby V's heart was at 150 bpm. She was able to tell that his head was down, let's just hope it stays that way!
From now until 36 weeks we will go to the midwives every two weeks and after that we will go every week until baby boy arrives!
We have an appointment on Thursday to go meet with a pediatrician. A friend of mine has been taking her little girl to him and highly recommends him. From what I have heard he is an MD but he is also open to a more holistic approach to certain situations and he is very attentive to his patients and their overly concerned parents ;) Hopefully we are comfortable with him and this will be one less thing to do!
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. HE can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.
10 weeks until we reach full term status! Justin and I were talking the other day and we both are beginning to realize that time is flying....with frightening speed!!! The weeks are literally flying by and Baby V will be here in no time. We have spent so much time talking and thinking about the actual pregnancy and the labor/delivery part that we temporarily forgot that in the end there will actually be this whole new person in our lives. Holy crap....then what!?!?!?!?
We are realizing there is so much we don't know and I think deep down we are both starting to freak out a bit. Justin has had some experience with his nephews when they were babies and I have had minimal exposure to babies and zero experience with baby boys. Since I found out we were having a boy I have been trying to figure out the logistics involved in changing a little boy's diaper...I even looked into pee pee teepees (if you have never heard of them Google it, you'll get a good laugh!) I realize that a 'golden shower' from my son is inevitable but I think after the first time I will have figured out the error in my ways...and my dodging reflexes will have been sharped ;)
There are so many answers we don't have and so many questions we haven't even thought of and I know everyone will say "You'll figure it out" but still the great unknown is becoming a bit overwhelming! How many bottles do we need? Glass vs plastic bottles? Cloth vs disposable diapers? How will we know when and what we can feed him? And the list goes on and on...
For those of you who don't know me well, I'll let you in on a secret...I am super anal about how things are cleaned and kept in my house. I don't trust anyone to clean my house except me (I will admit that sometimes I refold laundry that J has already folded because it's not 'right') and I need for things to be kept organized and picked up. Our home isn't always spotless but it is generally void of big messes. My husband will be the first to tell you that I LOVE to 'purge'...meaning I absolutely hate clutter and have no problem throwing useless items away. So you get the picture....I see this being a HUGE problem for me when Baby V arrives!
Let's be honest, babies are sticky, messy, and generally come with a lot of loud, bright, plastic STUFF! I have finally achieved my 'adult' house; it is nicely decorated and it is filled with nice things. And if our dogs haven't done enough damage to some of these 'nice things', I'm sure our little boy will finish them off :(
While I have not fully accepted this soon to be new reality, I am beginning to mentally prepare myself for the fact that my lovely, adult, organized, and uncluttered home is about to be a thing of distant memory. I am going to need to learn to relax, let go, and accept that this is just another unavoidable change associated with having a family.
Please don't misconstrue my comments to think that I am regretful or unhappy about Baby V's arrival, I am quiet the opposite! But these are just some of the things I am afraid I will struggle with once he is here.
Our little man has been super active over the past week. His little reflex punches are turning into actual movements that run from one side of my belly to the other. Justin has been able to feel his hiccups and the other night Baby V ran a hand or foot under Daddy's hand...a very new experience for both of us and one that left us with a shocked look on our faces.
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.
