April 27, 2009 - Due Date

Well, my due date has come and gone and no Michael. Apparently, he's just like his daddy and is in no big hurry...

I didn't think I could continue to get more uncomfortable, and here I am! Oh well, will have to be soon now. Have another doctor appointment this Thursday. They will do an ultrasound and cervix exam to make sure everything is still ok. Then, if no Michael by next Thursday (10 days past due date) they will induce. Keep your fingers crossed we don't make it that long!

April 16, 2009 - Dr. Appt.

I've been on the weekly visits for about 3 weeks now. And we determined that he dropped about 2 weeks ago, but oh dear did I get a bit of a fright at the doctor today! The first thing they always ask when I get in there is if I've been feeling him move and kick like usual and I of course said "YES!" But, when she went to listen to his hearbeat, it took her way too long to find it. I was getting so nervous and starting to doubt if what I had been feeling had really been him moving/kicking (was it maybe something else?!). He has dropped/engaged so far now that she had to go way down low below my belly in order to hear his heartbeat. And he is so engaged already that it was hard to hear (but nice and steady!). Thank goodness she found it!

So, hopefully it won't be much longer now!

April 11, 2009 - Pedicure

Gail gave me a gift certificate at my shower to their new nail spa so I could get a pedicure. So, I went today and met her there and got my toes done. It was so nice since I haven't been able to see or reach my feet in awhile! I got the "signature" treatment which included a mask on my legs, parafin treatment, aromatherapy, salt scrub, manicure polish, etc. It felt really good and was nice to talk to Gail and catch up for a while too.

This is the nail salon/spa they just opened and it is really, really nice inside. Very upscale and clean and everyone is very friendly (and speaks English!). Maybe I'll just have to go back sometime ;)

Now I have "delivery room perfect piggies!"

Thanks Gail.

Final Mural Picture

Mural picture - 3

Another mural picture - 2

Another Mural Picture

Nursery Mural - It's done!

Thomas got the mural finished in the nursery this weekend. He drew the mural in charcoal of mythical creatures with the help of his friend Kyle. It looks great! Overall, the nursery is all ready and looks really good (although definitely not like a typical nursery). Here are some pictures of the mural. Enjoy.

37 weeks - The countdown has begun

Well, we're down to the final few weeks now. I'm definitely feeling it too. Had another dr. appt Thursday. No more weight gain, just maintaining now. He dropped about 2 weeks ago (which means I can breathe better, but also means I'm never comfortable and am cramping a lot more now) and is lined up in the birth canal and ready to go. We're at appointments now every week until he gets here. He's definitely run out of room in there but still insists on trying to stick body parts through my skin!

We've got all of our bags packed, the nursery is pretty much ready, the car seat checked, animal food bagged, and we took our CPR class. The house has been thoroughly cleaned too (which we'll naturally have to do again before he gets here). 

Here's a "belly picture" at 37 weeks.

Updates

Well, I've been feeling pretty rough lately. Getting more and more uncomfortable and harder and harder to sleep at night. Had a great laugh though last night as I was getting out of the shower. He's been squirming a lot more lately and I saw his butt sticking out of my side. That's the wierdest thing to see something pushing out of your own skin!

Had another dr. appt today and everything's looking great. Right on track still with weight (still at 1 lb a week) and my blood pressure is still low (93/55), so no issues. Going back again in 2 weeks!

Thurs. March 12, 2009

Jenny and Karima in my group at work had a baby shower for me today. It was great and Peggy even brought the twins to visit (ohhhh, they're cute - almost 1 yo now). Got some more nice clothes, etc and the baby carrier and diaper pail. Everyone is just being so nice to us!

Mon. March 9, 2009 - JHS Baby Shower

Thomas' group at work had a baby shower for us this afternoon and I had to go meet him there for it. There were a bunch of people there (25-30) and we got a ton of stuff (and bigger stuff too which helps a lot!). Got the diaper bag, lots of gift cards, etc. They are all so nice there and everyone seems to absolutely LOVE Thomas (surprise, surprise). Now it's time to get to writing more thank you cards!

Oh yeah, and Thomas' friend Meigan made his day by getting him stuff from Bama for little Thomas (authentic straight from the college) - sippie cups, pacifier, and a onsie for when football season starts!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

I went out to meet my friend Madeline at her barn today. Got to see her new horse (and he's gorgeous!), watch her take a lesson, meet her trainer, etc. I really liked it out there and miss riding so much! I went out there because I think I'm going to start riding over there when I can get back to riding again. I really liked the trainer, and it's a low-key adult (non-show) barn, which will be perfect for me. Goodness I can't wait!

I've been getting going getting Becky and Jo working again. Jo is happy as can be being worked again. She loves the attention and I think she likes having a job with me again too. I've been bringing her out to longe her and you'd think I was bringing her out to pamper her and give her treats. She's the happiest working horse I've ever seen for sure! Sure makes me miss riding her. Becky is quite the difficult one to work with right now. She's gotten very content just hanging out in the pasture, since that's pretty much all she's ever done, and doesn't want to start learning a work ethic now by any stretch of the imagination! It will be fun to start getting on her to get her going!

Feeling pretty good lately, I guess with all things considered. It's definitely getting more and more uncomfortable now. I have very few minutes of the day where I'm not uncomfortable. No swelling, but lots of bach aches and I swear the underside of my right ribs are bruised from him cramming himself up there constantly! Very difficult to sleep at night too. I'm apparently always "gasping" for breath, per Thomas, and wake up constantly to move since I just can't get comfortable. I feel like a walking zombie already and he's not even here yet!

Sunday, March 1, 2009 - Baby Shower

Well, yet another day of unusual happenings. We got up and went to church this morning for the first Sunday of Lent. The three of us went over to the Bella Luna Cafe at the plant nursery up the road and had a wonderful homestyle Italian lunch. Of course, on our way there it started to snow and continued to snow while we were there. A little unsure of how the weather would affect the shower, we made our way back over to the Starr's house. A lot of people ended up not being able to make it due to the fact that some areas around Atlanta had up to 5" of snow actually accumulate! Katie Murtha and Nicole Sheriff even braved the snow to come all the way up from McDonough. But, there were about 15 of us and we had a good time. Mom, Catie and Berna did a wonderful job organizing the shower and the food spread was beautiful. And look at the cake!!!

Thomas' company is planning a shower for us Monday the 9th and then my office is doing one Thursday the 12th. Good grief! This means he's almost here!

Sat. Feb. 28, 2009 - Bama blanket

So, the day continues. We stopped at Hobby Lobby and picked up an embroidered piece (Grammy made) that I had gotten framed to put up in the nursery (looks great). While we were there, we picked up some Alabama fleece to make a blanket for Michael (for Thomas). So, mom and I worked on making on of those no-sew fleece blankets for him for the car seat. It came out perfect and was fun to make with Mom.

Sat. Feb. 28th - Women's Center Tour

Well, This weekend is a very busy weekend for us. We have the tour of the Women's Center, 2 birthdays, and a baby shower.

We've had beautiful, warm and sunny weather lately, and mom flew in yesterday to cold and wet. I got her picked up and settled in just fine.

Today is mom and Thomas' birthday! We got up, had some breakfast, and I gave them their birthday "surprise" I had gotten set up for them. We were supposed to tour the Women's Center, then go to lunch, then I had us scheduled for a surprise 3D ultrasound.

Well, We toured the facility and it is REALLY nice. It just opened in Aug. 2008, so nice/big rooms, whirlpool tubs in all of them, etc (http://www.northside.com/home/Womens_Center_Northside_Forsyth.aspx). Then, we went out to lunch for their birthdays and then went across the street for our ultrasound appointment. Well, we waited out front in the rain because no one was there to finally find out that the lady doing it had to leave for a family emergency so we couldn't do it at all. I was so mad!!!

So, tomorrow is the baby shower...

Feb. 22, 2009 - Thomas felt him kick...finally

Well, tonight while watching TV, Thomas finally got to feel Michael kick. I've been feeling him kick for over 2 months now, but it was finally his chance.

They were much harder kicks back in January when he could still move around more, but they were so inconsistent that it was impossible for Thomas to feel them. By the time I'd feel one, it'd be another half hour or so before you'd get another good one for Thomas to feel.

They're not as forceful for the most part now (although he can do some damage to my insides at times!), but last longer and are more consistent, so it finally happened for him! I'm so glad too because I know how much he's wanted to feel them.

Looking forward to my mom coming in for the weekend this weekend. We have the Women's Center Tour Saturday and a surprise for Thomas and Mom. And Sunday is my shower.

Sunday Feb. 8, 2009 - Glider and Childbirth Part II

Today was the 2nd/Final session of our childbirthing class. I've been putting off getting a glider for a while now, and mom keeps asking me when I'm going to do it. Well, Babies R Us is having a pretty big sale most of this month so we went over there before our class to finally pick one out. Didn't think it'd be so hard, but with us both being short, it was hard to find one that wasn't too tall/deep to be able to comfortably operate. So, after a while of deliberating and trying different ones, we of course found the most expensive brand to be the one that fits us best (of course it's the only one that gets good reviews too). We finally decided to get it, and the girl there was so helpful, she saw that there was an extra one that had just been set out on the floor because it couldn't be restocked and it worked perfectly fine, had no scratches, dings, spills, or anything on it. And, she marked it down 25% off. Plus we got another 25% off on top of that. So, we got the whole set for less than what the chair originally cost and less than what the cheaper chairs cost too. WOO HOO!

The class was slammed with a bunch more info again today so it went by pretty fast. Enough information for me again to confirm that I don't want to do the epidural or pain drugs. I've read through my Bradley Method book twice now and have studied everything in it really well. Now, Thomas is reading it and we're going to start practicing everything so we'll be ready to know what we're doing when the time comes (which is so close!). I can't believe it's only a little over 2 months away!

Well, here's a picture of Maxwell and I trying out the new glider.

Sat. Feb. 7, 2009

Thomas and I worked hard this morning on getting some more tile laid in the front room (the room we've been working on converting from our front porch). Then, we took a break and Dad Starr came over to help Thomas get more tiling done. They got most of the rest of it done, now what's left is to lay all the pieces we have to cut around the edge of the room, which we can hopefully get done this week! Meanwhile, I worked on sanding down the drywall mud in the one corner of the "nursery" praying the whole time that it would be enough to be able to paint it and have the room ready for furniture. And, YES, it appears that that will finally be enough, so I was able to vaccuum up the mess and work on dusting everything down in there so we can start moving stuff in and setting things up. Still feels like we have so much to get finished on the house by April, but we are making progress at least!

Feb. 1st - Childbirthing Class Part 1

Well, today we had part 1 of our Childbirthing class. 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon after being out late last night for Thomas' company party, whew! There were 6 couples, including us, there. So far, it's proving to be a good class. I haven't really learned much new that the book I have didn't already go over, but Thomas is definitely finding it much easier to learn in this environment. They showed us a video, learned about the physical mechanics of childbirth, practiced relaxation techniques and labor positions, etc.

The other nice thing is I think it's really making Thomas feel part of the process now. He didn't want to go to the class at all, but came home talking about what we needed to make sure we had in our bags, etc. I think it's really becoming real for him now. Part 2 is this next Sunday for another 4 hours.

And, we're ready to start practicing at home. I fully intend to do this naturally with no drugs, so we're working on being as prepared both mentally and physically as possibly with lots of exercise and practice!

1/31/09 - Updated Belly pic

Here's an updated belly pic from when I was dressed up for Thomas' company party Saturday night. Belly size at 28 weeks...

1/31/09-Thomas' company party

Saturday we went to Thomas' company party at the Georgia Aquarium. I had to order myself a formal maternity dress, but it ended up being quite comfortable and I had a good time. The ballroom we were in had 2 large viewing windows into 2 of the tanks, it was really cool. Here's a picture of Thomas and I from the party (I'll try to post another one from the photographer there when I can get it).

Baby Swing

Thank you Brendan and Sandra for the baby swing, so sweet of you. Well, Thomas and I spent the morning Saturday working on putting it together. I've seen better instruction manuals but we finally won the battle and it works. Sad when the crib is considerably faster to assemble! Looks great in our living room already ;)

Jan. 29, 2009

Well, nothing major has happened. But, I figured it was time to publish a post about Michael's activity level. I've been feeling fairly strong kicks for a couple of weeks now, definitely more than a flutter. Unfortunately, Thomas hasn't been able to catch one yet :(

He is one active little fellow and I'm still getting used to them, as they are still catching me off guard a lot of the time and will leave me with a surprised expression on my face mid-conversation. It's funny because sometimes, it feels like he's kicking on one side and then punching up a storm on the other side of my stomach - I think he knows Karate! And the other night was the first time I've felt him kick against anything inside, it felt like he was dancing on my bladder.

I've been busy reading my childbirthing books and practicing to be prepared for natural labor. Our first class is this Sunday from 1-5, so we'll see how it goes!

Jan. 13th - Glucose Results

Ok, got the call today that my test results are in. So, went to the website and logged on after saying a little prayer, and.... YES.... results are ok!! Woo-hoo, no gestational diabetes to worry about what I eat for the next 3 1/2 months! Thank goodness!

Jan. 8th - Glucose Test

Today was the nasty glucose test. Please, please, please let it be good news (I don't want to count carbs, etc for the rest of pregnancy!). They have you drink a super sugary drink in less than 5 minutes and then they do bloodwork to test for glucose levels.

It was a 10 oz. orange drink. Started off not tasting too badly for the first few gulps. Then, YUCK! It was so sugary it started to feel like I was swallowing nails. Then, I was so loaded up on sugar, they of course had me wait 45 minutes in a hot, stuffy waiting room. Oh my Goodness!!!!

Then, they of course had trouble getting my vein, it kept popping over to the side. But, after 5+ pricks we finally got it, thank goodness!

Rest of the visit went well. His heartbeat is strong and I'm gaining weight exactly at the rate I should be (3/4 pound a week, even over the holidays!! Go me!). I'm starting to get much bigger now. Next visit will be my last monthly visit, then I'll be going to every other week.

Crib

Here is a picture of Michael's beautiful crib. Thank you Mom Starr! In putting it together, it seemed to be nice, heavy-duty construction and looks beautiful put together.

Saturday Jan. 3, 2009 - Baby Registry!!!

Today was a busy, busy day. But, lots of fun too! I started the day off by going to the hair dresser and getting my hair cut by an actual hair dresser for the first time in over 5 years. I really liked the girl who cut my hair and it's very convenient, so we'll try again next time.

Then, Mom and Berna came by and picked me up for our Baby Registry outing. We went to lunch at PF Chang's and had a wonderful "sampling" lunch together. Ate like pigs, had some laughs, and had a good time.

Babies R Us is right across the street, so next step, baby registry setup (ugghhh). I convinced Mom Starr to come along and help me with this huge task since I'm pretty much an idiot when it comes to what to get. I had spent the week studying the Baby Bargains book (which everyone had recommended), which I found to be very helpful. So, we started off with me using the scanner, and Mom Starr quickly stole it from me because I was taking too long and doing too much "bargain shopping." Surprise, surprise. "It's a registry," she said, "let people get you what you like!" I just can't help it I guess.

We also picked out our crib (which we will bring home tomorrow), and picked out some adorable bedding to go with it. Very boyish with courderoy and sports.

So, we completed the headache of a task in about an hour and I can honestly say that by the time we were done, I had NO IDEA what we had registered for!

We spent the rest of the evening stopping at Queen of Hearts Antiques, Dover Saddlery, and finished up at Tractor Supply Co. (where we found a great wagon with sun shade). By the time we got back home it was 8:00! Whewww! What a day.

Thanks Mom and Berna for making it a bearable trip!

Dec. 25, 2008 - Christmas

Well, we had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner over at the Starrs, as well as a nice Christmas Eve service at church next door last night. We did however have a bit of excitement when the motor on the wiper blades went out on the way home during torrential rain! Good thing we were almost home, we couldn't see a darn thing. 

Woke up Christmas morning and had Christmas together at home. Thomas got me the sweetest surprise too. I was almost done unwrapping all of my gifts and there was a blue box back behind the tree that Thomas insisted he knew nothing about. When I looked at the label, it was a custom label that said "to Michael, From his Mommy." I opened it to find Twilight Turtle ( a really cool turtle that projects the constellations onto the ceiling in different colors that I had wanted for the nursery). Thomas finally owned up to putting it together for me... He also got me a Sony Cybershot camera so I can take tons of picture of Michael when he gets here!

Spent the rest of the morning/afternoon over at the Starrs again for brunch, presents, and played with Gavin with his new castle toy from Gigi.

Here is a picture Thomas took of me the day after Christmas in front of the tree. Hard to show how much bigger my stomach has actually gotten!

Dec. 11, 2008 - It's a BOY! (continued)

Dec. 11, 2008 - It's a BOY!

We had our ultrasound appointment today. It's a BOY! He measured in at 13 oz and at the 71 percentile. They commented on the big hands and feet (oh boy...). 45 minutes in the ultrasound. He was moving so much that they had a difficult time taking all of the measurements, etc. It was funny because he was "talking" the whole time too. So amazing to see how much he already responds to outside stimulus. She would poke at my stomach to get him to move where she needed him and it was like he would try to hit back. Just too amazing though to see all the fingers, toes, eyes, ears, chin, mouth, etc already! And everything looks good with his heart, which is a blessing. 

Of course, when they weighed me in, 12 pound gain (whew!). Boy, that seems like a lot but they said I'm right on track.

He'll be named after his grandpa - Michael Thomas Starr