8th Month!

We are now officially in week 32, which technically is 8 months. Due date is April 21st so I still have 2 months left. Am i doing that math correctly?

Anyhow, the doc says that all is good. The heart beat does a slow and then quick heart rate which she says is a sign of good health. He is also quite active in my belly all day long which is a good sign. We are now getting to see someone every 2 weeks.

Jack is growing fast and real estate is limited. When he spins and turns, I can feel every inch of him. He jabs and stretches into my rib, into my bladder. I am starting to feel indigestion and acid reflux when I eat so I have to limit my food intake to the size of my fist, only increase the eating to 5 times a day. Only half sandwiches now!

While I was treading water yesterday at practice, I could feel something sticking out of the middle of my belly and it was moving side to side and I was treading side to side. It was freaky! Totally amazing.

The child birth class was great. It informed us on all the things that will and might happen. It gave us our options and informed us about medications. It convinced both Steve and I that I would like to go it without drugs as long as I can. I want to push and get it over with. I would love your support in this! Tell me what you did to help you through labor! What positions helped you during labor?

This week's pic is my swimsuit runway snapshot right be fore getting in to the pool with the Soda Moms.

Peek-a-Boo from Whistler, Canada

Steve and I decided we needed to have one more trip before we had a baby and we would have to settle for little travel for a while. Alaska and Canada were our options since we have never been to either, so our friend Dorothy got to it and found Whistler, Canada to be a great option.

It was quite beautiful. Snow was everywhere. Walls of it. We flew into Vancouver, an okay city, nay a snowflake, with overcast skies and drove to Whistler. Dorothy found all 8 of us a condo that had 4 rooms and was sweet and cozy. The next 3 days were clear skies, bright white snow, and not as cold as we all expected.

6 of us found a snowshoe trail and Paka and Steve went snowboarding. The snow was slightly used since so many people visited the place, but it was still so white, beautiful and fun. The girls also took a day at the spa for some super luxurious massages at the Vida Wellness Spa. It was the best one I've ever had. I think I just appreciated it the most with all the weight I've added and strain on the muscles.

It was a great trip to enjoy the friends we rarely get to see and celebrate our friendships. I really count my blessings in my friends. To see more pictures, click on the link below. Hopefully you can spot a rare looking moose in that lot.
http://gallery.mac.com/stevenandria#100144

almost the 8th Month

(written 2/11/08)

Today is the 30 week mark of my pregnancy. Is that eight months? I guess in pregnancy terms it is. 40 weeks is full term but they don't tell you that 40 weeks is actually longer than 9 months. You just have to be the one to be good at math to figure that out:)

All went well on our last check up. My glucose test results say I do not have gestational diabetes which a woman can often get from pregnancy. It would have not been that bad, except that you have to watch what you eat so much closer and I love sugar too much to part with it at this time!

I am heavy now and my feet hurt from it. It's hard to sleep or lay on my back. I get cramped legs more often. My bottom nerve gets pinched quite often. That is the worst of it, so I am not so bad off. Things are truckin' right along. I love swimming with my water polo ladies. Their mommy stories are great and so is Coach Andrew's swimming support.

The fun stuff like baby showers are coming along soon. I have 3 weeks of work left! I can't wait to celebrate the boy in my belly. We are going to start painting the room and get some decorating in. I just found out that the boy will be spending most of his time in our room for the first couple months anyway, but at least he will have a room, if it's needed.

The picture this month features my nieces Gabby and Madeline who visited us this week. Along with my boy Charlie and bro Brian, father of the two girls.

Registry

If you would like see our registries, click on the store below and you'll be taken right to our online registry!

Also, feel free to make anything because that is such a special thing or please get us something that you think is really cool. I am not picky. Thank you in advance for wanting to help us out with the baby and celebrating with us:)

1 Cleaning person to clean our house for the first 2 months- anyone you have in mind?

Bellini Baby Furniture:
(No online registry. Call or visit store for purchase or to give toward a gift, old school style)
(925) 274-0829, 1651 Botelho Drive, #190, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
-4 Piece Chenille Bedding $160. 85
-Chenille crib sheets cheaper than Pottery Barn:)

Diaper service:
ABC Diapers 925-935-4502
-a month of diapers $74.00 a month, 80 diapers
-Starter Kit- Deluxe Value Pack $24.95 (Includes: one deodorized diaper pail, three Litewrap with velcro and snap closure, one tub of pop-up Tushie Wipes)

Pottery Barn
The softest linens

Target
Necessities like car seats, baby feeding, storage

Babies R Us
Mechanics like rockers, bouncers, monitors, stroller, first aid, diaper bag

7th Month

I am at 29 weeks which means that I am at 7 months! Woo Hoo!

This feels like pregnancy. I have a huge ball in front of me, inhibiting me from tying my shoes with ease, making me sit down whilst I teach, giving me weird sudden sharp pains in my butt muscles if I turn wrong, and the little alien inside it is doing gymnastics all the time! Elbow jab! Somersault! I think the punch, punch kick combo is his favourite. He is an active boy. We are looking forward to holding him in our arms here soon.

All is healthy with him and I. Yes, and Steve too. I am enjoying swimming so much more these days. It stretches out these tight stomach muscles. Showers are being planned, registries are made, decoration ideas of race cars for his room are underway. 3 more months and our lives will be a marathon. Oh man.

Pictures of this enormous belly will be posted this week. People are actually starting to notice that I am pregnant!

The RH Factor- I don't have it

Not the Fear Factor thank God.
The Rhesus is found in 85% of Caucasions. I found out in my first trimester that I am the 15 % of the population of people who don't have this + sign next to my blood type, making me Rh negative. It has gone missing. It was never there. So that makes me a difficult match in the fact that if Steve, my mate, has it (is a + positive) than we might have a + positive blooded baby.

If our baby is + positive (which we will not know until birth) and I am -negative, and our bloods come into contact, then my body can produce antibodies to defend itself against this being that is carrying the + positive blood. My blood would be Rh-sensitized. That would mean my body would kill the little one inside me. Hostile environment! Or my body would kill off any positive blooded baby in the future and Jack a boy would be an only child.

Good news: is that in your 28th week, you can get this shot in your glutious (Rh immune globulin or RhoGam is what the nurses call it) to make your body forget what blood type your baby is and all is right with the world. If your blood mixes in birth or pregnancy, you and the baby and future babies will be fine.

Important for Mothers: make sure you get this done in the 28th week if you are a negative blood type and plan for it now. I was reading an article in my 28th week and realized that I had to make an appointment ASAP. It was not planned for me so make your appointment now.

If this is the only complication I have in my pregnancy, I am thankful. I am so happy for civilized medicine so that I may be able to have 1 or more babies in my life.