Enjoying Your Third Trimester — Giving Birth with Confidence

 Just read this and had to pass on. I can testify though, that I'm still getting great sleep! *evil laugh*

Enjoying Your Third Trimester — Giving Birth with Confidence

That was then...

this is now

7 weeks

32 weeks

Wow! 2 more months baby before we kiss your angel face!!

Baby led breastfeeding

We're having a lazy Saturday so I'm blogging while hubby is taking a nap. We picked up the carseat today so that was exciting. We got the Chicco KeyFit 30 in their new design, Graphica which I love because it will go perfectly with the Citi Mini Jogger stroller. Of course it's top rated for safety too.

So, I wanted to share this cool thing I learned this week. We talked about it in both our Bradley class and in the La Leche League meeting this week. Apparently, a great way to get the baby to latch on is after birth when baby is hopefully on you, skin-to-skin, you wait for the baby to start to crawl up to the breast and feed. The baby starts with his head right below the chest and he will start to kick and move his way up till he reaches the breast and latches. The way baby can do this is because he can smell that milk is nearby and the contrast of the nipple with the breast helps him find it too. Of course most babies do not latch on immediately so this doesn't take place right away. The benefits to the mother are amazing too. The baby's kicks act like massages to the mother's belly which will help her expel the placenta and/or contract the uterus which leads to less bleeding. I think you can read more about it in La Leche League's The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding or Ina May's book. Here's a video to see what I'm talking about. I think it's so cool that the baby knows what to do. This is nature at it's best. I can't wait to try it out!

Psalm 103

A psalm of David.

Praise the LORD, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle's! The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.The wind blows, and we are gone -- as though we had never been here. But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! The LORD has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. Praise the LORD, you angels of his, you mighty creatures who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the LORD, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! Praise the LORD, everything he has created, everywhere in his kingdom. As for me -- I, too, will praise the LORD.

The seller's have decided to hold on to their home for the time being since there seems to be a lot of interest in it. So we move on .....

Here are the books on my current reading list

I wanted to share a few cool things we've learned in class but hubby's home so I can't write anymore. See ya next time!

Quick update

We heard we have been the only ones to put an offer on the house which is good. The stinks is that they are only willing to go down so low. 5,000 above what we wanted, but we're going to keep going and ask that the appliances remain and they cover closing costs. The absolute best thing that can happen is that the appraisal comes back lower than they're asking and we end up buying it at a lesser price.
All engines are a go! Pray for us :-)


ps. and my sanity!

pps. I just had a lady tell me "I envy you right now. To get to start life all over again and have a baby. It's the most wonderful thing."  How sweet was that?! Thanks for making my day neighbor!!

Nesting

Or the lack thereof in my case is causing somewhat of a depression. I'm trying (praying) hard to refocus and tell myself a healthy baby is all that matters. Everything will come in God's time. Everything else being a place to live, a nursery to set up, and basically just the chance to settle down and wait for my little guy. I have a thousand thoughts every single day and they pile up. Then I'm so full I need to cry them out and then the cycle starts again. Don't worry I'm handling it the way I know and I'll be just fine in the end.
The message I'm getting loud and clear is to read my bible. Not just read it more or read it daily but plainly: just open the book and hear what God has to tell you! I've been a little mad at Him, because I know He loves me so why are we going through this? Because even Christ followers will go through storms. This life isn't supposed to be sunny and roses. My perspectives need some rearranging, I know this. These times are for drawing nearer to Him, for me to cry out to Him because He is with me.

Oh, no.
You never let go.
Through the calm, and through the storm

Oh, no.
You never let go.
In every high and every low.

Oh, no.
You never let go,
Lord, You never let go of me.

And I can see a light
That is coming
For the heart that holds on,
A glorious light beyond all compare.

And there will be an end
To these troubles
But until that day comes,
Still I will praise You.
Still I will praise You.

House news! **Warning, LONG POST**

 We went yesterday to see the two homes and the first one we saw was the short sale. It's a great house in that it was all brick, had an enormous backyard, totally fenced, and had a bonus upstairs. Huge negative factor was that there's a storage company practically at the end of the back yard. Other things we didn't like, it needed some work, too far from town, small master, and it was a short sale. So, that was a no go.

Then....

We went to see the other house and when I walked in I think I fell in love, lol. I haven't had a house I liked this much since last fall when we started house hunting. This house needs absolutely no work done. You should see the deck! It's gorgeous. The backyard is so private and there's no one behind you. The lot is .75 acres! The house is adorable and small but practically perfect for us. We do have negatives though. The master bath and closet are small, ok almost too small. We're struggling with that, trying to think that we can deal with it since there are 2 other bedrooms. Hmmm maybe we should get rid of some junk?! So, we've decided to put in an offer but will not go higher than what we want. If they don't accept it then we walk. I'll post pictures after everything is done if we end up getting the house.

It's funny how many thoughts and ideas go through your head when you're looking for your first home. A lot of stress has to do with the fact we have a son on the way and we want the best for him, we're not sure if we're jumping the gun, what are our chances of reselling in 5-6 years, etc. This is the biggest decision I've had to make when it comes to money. This economy doesn't help either. It feels like a big gambling game. Maybe life is just a gamble. Normally, I wouldn't be so scared, but having a baby changes your views. I'm not thinking of myself anymore. I wear baby D lens 24/7.


Speaking of baby, I'm also coming to another conclusion. To not go with the birth center come hell or high water. To just birth at the hospital. I know, here we go again on Joanne's mental ride. I had my appt yesterday morning and met the midwife. Yes, she's great. Yes, I would love to have baby there. But insurance is not going to allow it without a big price tag I just know it. With everything going on right now, it's not sane to take this battle on as well. The midwife advised should I end up at the hospital to get a doula.

I'm starting to feel at peace about it and the thought of having a doula really helps. What I really need right now is that peace. To stop freaking out about what might happen at the hospital and just trust God, that my body will know what to do. After all, at the end of the day, I can't fully control how my body goes into labor. But I need an advocate (the doula) to be beside Justin and I at the hospital. Someone who can remind me why I don't need interventions, to stand in for us if someone wants to push something on me, and to be my mind when I'm going out of mine.

I've heard only wonderful things about the midwives I've been seeing at my obgyn's office so it's not like I'm walking into some torture chamber. I might make it sound like that, but each person has to go through their own pregnancy journey. Each woman has to make the decision for herself and child about how they want their birth to be. For me, I've just learned a lot in the past 7 months that I have my convictions for what I want. I don't think any less of those who have had C-sections, epidurals, home births, and so on. We just want our babies to be healthy and thriving at the end. We are blessed now to have options and if I don't get the birth center this time around, then I know I'll have another chance again.

Whew. I had a lot to say today. Pray for us on the house decision!

The day you give birth 300,000 women around the world will be giving birth too
Imagine all of you becoming mothers together.

-From Birthing From Within

Where is it going?

Time that is.

It's starting to speed up on me and I'm not sure I like it. This week marked 30 weeks which got me thinking that baby D will be making his appearance in possibly two months. Hopefully, no less than 2 months of course. OMG!! If I stop to think about it, it's down right scary but so so exciting!

The little guy loves doing his baby-robics in my belly and I love it too. I'm going to miss that. Miss talking to my belly and daydreaming of what he's doing. I'm moving on to the real thing, which is going to blow pregnancy away I'm sure, but pregnancy has truly been amazing.

My symptoms as of late? Well, I was wondering what this soreness around my crotch was and come to find out it's my body releasing relaxin to loosen up my joints and ligaments to get ready for birth. Fun! I've read some people feel it worse than others, but it just feels like soreness to me. I haven't felt any Braxton Hicks either. My belly button is still an innie. No stretch marks. I did take off my wedding rings this week, because I was paranoid I wouldn't be able to take them off if I waited any longer. I'm wondering if I'm the luckiest preggo in the world really, LOL.

I do want to share that if anyone is thinking of making one of these little guys, make sure you know your health insurance to the T!!! We would've gotten all this straighten out ahead of time had we planned to become pregnant, but instead we're learning as we go. That is a pain. It has been a battle because I want to know where every cent is going. Today I finally understood mine a little better and I noticed my obgyn office completely ignored a payment I made. I'm going to get them on that tomorrow.

As of now, I still have my appointment for tomorrow. I also have my appt at the birth center in the am. I don't think that's going to turn into an actual prenatal appt though. I'm still trying to get them to be in network. Otherwise, we'll be paying A LOT more than we bargained for and we need to discuss that a little further. It is so annoying that we have to go through this just to have the most natural birth you can want. Crazy world.

Well, tomorrow we're going to see two houses (say a prayer for us!) and one is a short sale which sucks, but I'm actually really excited about these. It's funny that we have come a long way from last year as far as our expectations in our first home. We've come from dreaming up one house to realizing something else is much better for us now. I think we've grown up a lot in this area and I'm feeling more confident that we'll make the right decision.

I leave you with last week's pic :-)

29 weeks

I had a meltdown last night. If it wasn't for Justin, I would've been literally wailing. Things are stressful right now, or at least they are in my mind. I guess it builds up and there's only one way for me to release it. Unfortunately, the baby knew too, because he went nuts. I can't let that happen again, I felt horrible that I may have stressed him out. We're moving out July 30 and we don't know where we're going and I'm not handling that too well. Everything else is perfect, it's just for some reason I need to know we have a place where we'll be for a even a little while. Maybe I need to nest? I just can't seem to fully relax until I know we have a plan of action.

Ugh, too many emotions right now and I need lots of prayers.


I did want to share about our tour last weekend of the birth center. It's awesome and I want to have baby there. They have 2 huge rooms with king size beds, huge walk in showers, birth tubs, and the rooms basically look like they belong in a house. They're beautiful and comfortable and natural. Oh man I hope our insurance will cooperate and we can transfer to the center. I'm calling tomorrow to find out what our options are. We have an appointment with a midwife there next Wed. and if insurance is a go, then she'll be my one and only midwife. I have an appt that same afternoon at my regular obgyn office, but if everything goes well, I will cancel it and be done with them. Just thinking of having baby at the birth center makes me so excited!

Our Bradley classes are going great. Last night we got to hear another birth story from a mom who also tested positive for Group B Strep (GBS; read more here) and had her baby at my hospital with my favorite midwife. Her story was amazing and it almost would be what I would want if I have to deliver at the hospital.
She did reaffirm however why I don't want a hospital birth. She was induced, monitored, hooked up to an IV the entire time. She got lucky however because she had the best midwife and nurse on call that night. She didn't even tear! I can only hope.
(ps. we discussed hospital procedures last week and this is what we covered. Note, every hospital is different. Hospital Procedures )

We also practiced a relaxation technique with ice cubes and it wasn't so bad. I hope contractions are like holding a cube for 60 seconds, LOL. Seriously though we need to start practicing more relaxation techniques to be better prepared.

As for baby D. he's moving like crazy all the time! My favorite thing to do now is just sit and stare at my stomach. Am I weirdo that I can literally do this for hours? What is possibly entertaining him in there? My love for him is growing to unbelievable proportions. Words can't express what I feel for this little guy, but it's fierce for sure. I love being pregnant! This journey has been such a blessing.

okok enough gushing.

Wanna see my diaper bag?

I got it a few weeks ago for $30 and change! It retails for $98. :-)

Wanna see another sweet pic?

my babydoll

 

Sun-kissed

We're back from a sweet and beautiful babymoon to Oak Island. It was also my first time seeing a North Carolina beach and I was not disappointed. The weather was just magical. So magical in fact, Justin came back with a BAD sunburn. I just came back looking like a Latina :-) I will definitely want to have a family vacation here someday.

Home we stayed at-LOVED

Luna's response to the ocean water

Happy mommy

Lunchtime

Sunset

She sums it up well

I bought my bathing suit at Target and I'm glad I didn't wear a bikini. Yes I really considered being one of those preggos who bares her belly, but that's just not me. Reviews on the sportbrella: not so great in high winds so we just used it as an umbrella and not the laid back-canopy style you see in pics. It worked great as an umbrella.
Luna's reviews on the beach: Not a fan of the water or sand in her mouth, but she eventually chilled out and sorta seemed to enjoy it.
The house we stayed at was wonderful. Our room had a kitchenette so we were able to make s'mores, coffee, and bagels. The hosts were so nice and were available anytime. They lent us their chairs, mats, and bikes, but we didn't have time to ride them. They even made me a virgin cosmo :)

During our stay I started the 3rd trimester! I had forgotten how far along I was. I thought I was 27 weeks but we're now 28 weeks! Baby D still doesn't have a name even though dad read a book with over 50,000 names. We have a few in the running though. Boy names are tough.

Today I went in for my glucose test and I had to drink a glucola 45min prior to my appointment.

It tastes like an orange soda so I think it tastes fine, it's just afterward I felt gross from all the sweetness. When I got to my appt they took some blood and I did the usual pee in a cup. The nurse actually told me she "wishes her urine was as clear as mine" HAHA! The midwife told me they will call me about the test only if I fail. No news is good news in this case.

Baby's hb was 140 and he was measuring perfect. I start going every two weeks now, however I have some news...

This Saturday Justin and I are going to take a tour of the birth center in South Carolina. It's about 45 minutes away. We'll have a birth center closer to us but unfortunately they don't expect to open until September. So anyway, I'm looking into this birth center (again) because my gut just has an uneasy feeling about birthing at a hospital. I've had talks with our practice about how I want the birth to go and how they can accommodate my wishes, but bottom line is it's a hospital and they have their procedures. I just don't want that for myself or baby.

At the birth center, you will have two midwives attending to you and the setting is very home-like. They have tubs too, should I choose to birth in one. I'm really excited about this! The only deciding factor left will be how our insurance is going to handle this or more so how WE will handle it. The center is considered out-of-network but, we're going to see what happens.

I almost forgot. I wanted to share that I went to my first La Leche League meeting last week. I am so glad I went! There were about 12 women there and some had their babies and I was one of 3 expecting mothers. Every meeting they will cover something different. Next month will be about pumping I think. I plan on going from now on. My main reason for going was to find out about breast pumps, but if everything goes well with the birth and feeding, then I won't really need to buy a pump hopefully at all. Maybe at around 6 months if baby is still breastfeeding, which I hope so. I highly recommend other expecting mommies to go!

Lastly, we turned in our request to move out to our apartment and the date is set for July 30th. I'm still trying to just let go of the stress when I think about where we're going to live. Please pray that we can figure this out and God will tell us where to go. I'm ready to nest!