And Then There Were 3

Well, with the change in the due date a couple of weeks ago, it feels like it has taken much longer to get to 34 weeks!  I only have 6 more weeks to go.  I just had a doctor’s appointment today, and everything is going great.  My doctor says Zach is VERY active (she even put the emphasis on the word “very”).  I’m sure he will be just as active when he is born if he takes afer Will at all.  About the only time Will ever sits still is when he is sleeping. 

Zach should now weigh about 4 3/4 lbs.  I’ll get an exact weight from my doctor next week from his measurements.  These are just the averages for babies his age.  His skin is getting smoother and fatter.  And his central nervous system and lungs are continuing to develop.

I am starting to feel much more pregnant lately.  It is getting harder to breathe, and I am starting to have to pee every hour.  Sleeping is also getting more challenging.  I can’t really lay in bed the full 8 hours much anymore because my hips and back start to hurt, even though I have pillows supporting me everywhere.  So, I am starting to get ready to have this baby.  And I can’t wait until I get to hold him in my arms!

Speaking of holding babies, I got to meet Taryn Alice this weekend!  She is Melissa and Trey’s 2nd child, and was born on Friday, July 27th.  She was 7lbs 10oz when born, and is just adorable!  Holding her really made it much more real that soon I will be doing the same thing with my own baby.  And soon, my family and friends will be coming to visit me (ok, to visit Zach) in the hospital.  I can’t wait!

Here are a couple of pictures of Taryn:

I also added some more Belly pictures of me under the Baby Pictures album.  Here is my most recent picture.  I am huge!

I went to the doctor this past Tuesday.  She said everything is going good!  But, she moved my due date back a week.  So, instead of being due on September 3rd, having only 7 more weeks, and being 33 weeks along, I am now due on September 11th, I am only 32 weeks along, and I will have 8 more weeks left.  September 3rd was a fun due date because it was on Labor Day!  But, now I am due on a very infamous day for negative reasons.  Thank goodness only 4% of babies are born on their actual due date.  And, if Zach IS born on September 11th, that will just make it a wonderful day!  I can’t say I wasn’t expecting it, though.  Based on the early ultrasound, and on my 20 week ultrasound, both suggested I was due a week later than SEptember 3rd.

So, now I am 32 1/2 weeks right now.  According to my last doctor visit, Zach is now weighing in at 4.1 pounds.  And they said he could double in weight before I give birth….yikes!  Will weighed 8lbs 4oz when he was born.  Maybe Madsen men just make big baby boys.  We’ll have to wait and see for sure.  They also said they can tell from the ultrasound that Zach has a some thick hair on his head.  I had no idea they could see that on an ultrasound!  His skin should be becoming smooth and soft, and he should be plumping up for birth. 

I am still both excited and nervous about the birth.  I am excited to meet our little baby, but nervous about the delivery itself and what that will be like.  I really don’t want to have a c-section if possible.  I’ve started having more lower back pain, shortness of breath (everything is getting pushed up towards my lungs, and it is getting harder to breathe!), and I also started having a little bit of heartburn if I try to lie down too soon after I eat.  But, other than that, I am doing good physically.  Just hanging in there for 7 1/2 more weeks.

We also have to get another new vehicle.  Will’s truck had died a couple of months ago, and we bought a “new” 2005 Chevy Silverado with 4 doors to replace it.  It is a nice truck, and will definitely grow with our family.  But, just a week ago, my Trooper finally decided to give out.  The a/c was already out in the vehicle (YES, it was really hot to drive), but then it started overheating.  I took it in very soon, and they told me that it is leaking coolant into the engine, which is basically major engine work to repair.  The cost of repairs at this point are worth more than the vehicle itself.  So, now we begin the search for a car for me to drive. 

I had my baby shower two Sundays ago!!  It was fantastic!  I got almost everything on my registry.  And, I had so many people there.  I really appreciate the support from all my friends and family.  It was so great to see everyone and have them there.  Will and I were also very overwhelmed by the generousity of everyone.  Some people could not make it to the shower, and gave us gifts before or afterwards.  And of the gifts we did get at the shower, I was surprised by the amount that eveyone gave!  Will and I are truely very greatful to eveyone!

Here is a picture of me all decked out at the shower:

To see all the pics that my wonderful friend Karen took with my camera, you can go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/80745995@N00/sets/72157600627100809/

My other wonderful friend Candy was nice enough to host the shower at her house.  When everyone got there, we started out with a game: Guess the Baby Food in the Jars.  We had baby food jars with no labels, and all the guests had to “guess” what type of food was in each jar by the way it looked and smelled.  My aunt Charlotte and friend Cat tied with the most number of correct guesses!

For the next game, everyone got to watch me.  They blindfolded me, and gave me a baby doll.  I had to take off her dirty diaper, wipe her, powder her, put on a new clean diaper, and then feed her.  It was a lot of fun, and interesting to do blindfolded!  I kept hearing all kinds of comments from “the peanut gallery” (aka - my guests) like “It’s 3am, and you’re sleepy and you need to hurry!” or “She’s crying!  What does she want?”.  It was cute and kept me cracking up the whole time!  Here’s a picture of me attempting this game:

Then I started opening gifts.  And boy were there gifts!!  I got lots of cute A&M things, including a couple of onsies, a cap for the baby, a pacifier, and a blanket that all have A&M on them!  I got a ton of cute clothes.  Little Zach will be the best dressed baby in town.  I got so many, now I have to try and pick one of them for the Going Home Outfit so he will look so cute in pictures of him coming home from the hospital.  I also got a lot of great functional items like everything I will need to give him a bath, medicine, diapers, sippy cups, blankets, grooming items, and much much more! 

After opening half of the gifts, we all took a break to eat some cake.  It was a tres leches cake with two layers of filling: one of strawberries, and one of peaches!  And I loved this tres leches cake because it wasn’t too sweet or soggy, but just right!  And the icing was a whipped icing, which is also not overly sweet, but still sooooo good.  Doesn’t it look yummy?

Then it was back to  more opening gifts.  I got a lot of my ”big” items too!  Before the shower, I had already received my crib bedding set (below), my pack-n-play (or ”playpen” for those who are older ), and my car seat that converts from infant to toddler.  At the shower, I got my mobile to go along with the bedding set (it’s so cute!), my stroller and infant carseat/carrier, my high chair, my diaper bag, my swing, and lots of other stuff.  Will’s favorite thing was the “My First Tools Set” which is a little plush toolbox, with three “tools” inside: a plush hammer that is also a rattle, a wrench that squeaks, and a screwdriver that crinkles. 

All in all, it was a fantastic shower, and I hope everyone had as great a time as I did!

Well, it certainly has been a while since I have posted anything!  I am now 28 weeks pregnant and officially in my 3rd trimester.  I can’t believe it has gone by so fast!  My baby (Zach) weighs approximately a little over 2 pounds.  He can now blink his eyes, he has eyelashes, he can see light, he is developing millions of neurons in his brain, and adding more baby fat in preparation for birth!  He also continues to be very active!  Some days he moves a little, and other days (like today) I swear he’s learning karate inside of me or something!  On days like today, I wonder if he sleeps at all or if he is just moving in his sleep.  He also likes to move as soon as I lay down to go to sleep in the evening.  I think it is something about the change in position that gets him moving.

I have started visiting my doctor every 2 weeks now, and have my next appointment tomorrow.  On my last appointment, I took the 1 hour glucose test, and failed it by 6 points!  The glucose test is a routine test they do on all pregnant women around this time to test for gestational diabetes.  This isn’t regular diabetes that I would have to take insulin for or anything.  It just means that I might have a hard time regulating my blood sugar while pregnant, but usually goes away after the birth of the baby.  Well, if you fail the 1 hour test, they make you go back and take a 3 hour test, which I did the following day.  I had to go in at 8:00am in the morning, and I could not eat or drink anything since midnight the night before.  Then they make you drink this really sweet soda-syrupy type drink, which did NOT sit well with me at all on an empty stomach!  I ended up getting sick in the doctor’s office, and could not keep it down.  So, now I have to go back tomorrow and repeat the 3 hour glucose test.  I tried the “Tropical Punch” flavor last time, so I’ll try the “Orange” flavor this time.  They are also going to let me lie down in a room since that seems to help some women from getting sick.  Hopefully all will go well this time.  If I get sick again or if I fail the test, that means they will consider me as having gestational diabetes, and I will get to check my blood sugar 4 times a day, and have to meet with a dietician to go on a strict diet.  No fun!  So, I really hope it goes well tomorrow.

Since I last wrote, I have been to El Paso, TX and to Phoenix, AZ on business trips.  I should not have to fly anymore for the rest of my pregnancy, so that will be good.  It is getting a little harder to travel when my tummy is getting so big.  There were some fun things about each trip.  On my first night in El Paso, I ordered a bacon cheeseburger (because it sounded good even though I know it probably wasn’t best for me), and then I also asked for a glass of chocolate milk.  Well the waiter repeated my order in the form of a question asking, Waiter: “Chocolate milk?  Are you sure you don’t want a chocolate shake?”  Me: “No, just a chocolate milk.  And I would also like a side of fruit.”  (I was trying to be somewhat healthy by ordering milk and fruit.)  Waiter: “A side of fruit? (like he couldn’t really comprehend that I would actually be ordering fruit).  Me: “Yes, please bring me a side of fruit”.  I’m not sure if he could tell that I was pregnant or not (not that it would have really mattered to him), but he had the hardest time comprehending that I would want to order milk and fruit with my dinner.  So, I recommend that everyone try ordering something like that when you are at a restaurant next and see if the waiter looks at you funny.

While in Phoenix last week, I found a really good deal at a “resort” hotel in Scottsdale (Just outside of Phoenix).  They had a really nice pool that I got to visit a couple of times!  One night, me and my coworkers went to the pool after work, and we stayed there all night.  We even ended up ordering food from the bar by the pool and they delivered it to us right by the pool!  I could have really gotten used to that.  The pool was a really good size, it was crystal clear and blue, and they had palm trees all around the courtyard there.  It really felt like we were on a mini-vacation for a while.  And then when I got back home, it was REALLY hot this weekend!  It was 108 degrees on one of the first days I was in Phoenix.  But, I’m not even sure if got up to 100 this weekend in Houston, but I swear it felt MUCH hotter because of all the humidity and everything!  So, it would have been a great time for a dip in the pool.  But, they were starting to have problems with the filter before I left for Phoenix, and it obviously hasn’t been fixed yet, because it was green this weekend!  Not at all what I would call a “mini-vacation”.  Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there!  I tried to write yesterday, but I could not get online.  I am in El Paso now for business, and will be here until Friday.  I arrived yesterday on Mother’s Day.  One thing I have noticed since I have been pregnant is other pergnant women.  They are everywhere!  I am sure they were there before, but I never had much of a reason to pay attention to them.  Between the airport in Houston and the airport in El Paso, I saw 8 pregnant women yesterday!  Seriously, they are everywhere!

I got to celebrate Mother’s Day and my birthday (which is this Thursday) a day early on Saturday evening.  I went to dinner with my mom, sister, her boyfriend, my grandmother, and two of my aunts.  It was a lot of fun!  We went to Hungry’s Cafe (http://www.hungryscafe.com/) and had some great Greek food!  We also shared a lot of great conversation and got to catch up.  I also got a couple of birthday/mother’s day/early baby shower presents, which is always fun for me!  I already have about 9 outfits for my baby, and I know I will need them all!  I think my favorite so far is a sleeper outfit that has a bear on the front, and bear paws on the “feet” of the pajamas.  It is so cute!  (By the way, I was looking for this link, but instead I found some footsie pajamas that say “Daddy’s Little Helper and have a little toolbox on the front.  Will will love that one!  I added it to my registry.)

It was also a very long week last week.  We started to move last weekend, and then after putting a few things in the new apartment, decided that we didn’t want to move after all.  There were a lot of reasons we made this decision.  Mostly, the new apartment wasn’t quite as big as we thought it would be.  We also realized that some of it was smaller.  The kitchen was much smaller, and we still wouldn’t have had any more room than we did in the current apartment.  It was also supposed to have a “back” entrance, which it did.  However, the lock was a small puny lock to a back sliding glass door.  So, it would not have been safe to actually use it as a back entrance.  And, to get to the front entrance, you had to walk all the way around the building.  Will was also there at night, and he said it was very dark back there, and it was towards the back of the apartment complex.  So, it didn’t seem as safe to get to either.  So, we are staying in the old apartment!  And, while I am here in El Paso, and while we still have a lot of our stuff packed up, they contractors are coming to fix the ceiling and anything else in the apartment that needs fixing.  Poor Will is having to overseer the work that they are doing, but because he is, I can be rest assured that they will do a very good job fixing it!  I already talked to him today, and he already sent the contractors back to the store to buy some extra tubing stuff to make sure and fix the leak properly.  That’s my husband!

Baby Update: I am now 24 weeks pregant, and my baby is just over a pound (he gained about a quarter of a pound since last week), and almost a foot long!  His taste buds are also developing now, and his lungs are developing more too (developing the “branches” of the respiratory “tree”).  My uterus is also about the size of a soccor ball, which is kind of interesting.

This weekend should prove to be a busy weekend!  First and foremost, I finished my baby registry last night!  I am now registered at Target and also at Babies R Us.  Both registries can be accessed online.  Most of the big stuff, I registered for at Babies R Us.  And, at Target, I registered for more clothes and cute things like that.  It was a lot of fun getting to do that this week!  But, it was also a little tiring.  It’s a long time to walk around and be on your feet when you are pregnant.  I can’t wait to get all the stuff and get to use it for our sweet little baby!

 We are also starting to move this weekend!  We are moving into a bigger apartment in the same complex.  Part of what started the process was all the things that are going wrong with our existing apartment lately.  We kept calling them because we have some sort of water leak in the bedroom ceiling.  When it started,  it was just one water spot, which they fixed just the sheetrock.  Well, over the past couple of months, it has grown to a much larger probelm!  There is a whole line of water spots down the center of our bedroom ceiling, and I think a couple of them are growing mold.  Yuck!  Also, at the same time, the apartment came out to check for foundation issues.  It turns out, we are one of the only 2  units in the complex that will need foundation work.  So, when my husband went to go talk to the leasing office about how they were going to fix all our issues, they told him of a special they have going on a new apartment.

 Our new apartment will be bigger, it will also be a little bit cheaper per month (because it was on special, and every little bit counts when you are having a baby!), it will be freshly painted, have fresh carpet, and most importantly, it doesn’t have any of the issues that our current apartment has.  Yeah!  That will be good for both Will and I AND the baby!  Will already started moving a few things last night, but we still have a looong way to go.  I am taking a break from packing right now.

 Baby Update:  My baby is now more than 11 inches long, and weighs just over a pound!  One website says he is “the size of a small doll”, although I am not sure how that works because dolls come in all shapes and sizes.  Although, he does look like a minature newborn, but his skin is all wrinkled because he has no fat on him yet.  He can definitely hear now!  I’ve started singing to him a little bit.  But, I haven’t started reading to him yet.  Anyone have any baby books I can borrow?  I can also feel him moving around pretty good in there!  He is most active in the early afternoon, and at night when I am trying to sleep. 

Sometimes I wake up, and I swear I am bigger than I was the day before!  I do feel like I have gotten a lot bigger!  But, when I look at my pictures, I realize I am not as big as I think I am.  And, that I have a loooong way to go and will get much bigger!  Each week, starting at 14 weeks, I have been taking a picture of my belly to see how it is expanding.  I have put some of the pictures below.  Also, I know have an Album to the sidebar on the right.  Just click on the link that says ”Baby Pictures” and you can see all the pictures I have so far, including my belly pictures (of the baby in the womb), and of my ultrasound pictures.

Speaking of ultrasound pictures, I got to redo my ultrasound this past Friday because the firt time around, the DVD did not record.  I now have a recorded DVD of my baby!  He wasn’t as active this time around as he was last time.  But, he still isn’t shy about being a boy!  I am not sure yet if I can upload the video here, but I can try.  I will keep you posted.  I also got some new ultrasound photos, which I haven’t had a chance to load yet.

Today I went to another baby shower!  This is my 2nd baby shower to attend in the past month or two.  Starting in May, I know one person due every month until I am due in September!  Whew.  That’s a lot of babies!  Be warned before you drink the water!!  But, it was really fun at the shower.  This friend is having a girl, so she got lots of pink things!  I can’t wait for my own shower.  It will be fun to see all the cute baby things that we will get!  Although, they don’t make near as cute boy clothes as they do girl clothes, but I am sure I will get some precious stuff anyway.

I am feeling pretty good, although my back has started to hurt a little bit by the end of the day.  I am going to have to start doing some exersizes to strenthen it.  Well, I am almost 22 weeks.  Only 38 more to go!

Here are some of my belly pics:

   14 Weeks 

     16 Weeks

  21 Weeks

Will and I had the “big” ultrasound this past Monday!  We are definitely having a boy!!  We are both so very excited!  We ended up having to go to Katy for the ultrasound, more out of the way, but we were still able to have the ultrasound on Monday.  I did NOT want to reschedule! 

It was really neat, and I was so glad Will got to come with me.  We got to hear the baby’s heartbeat which was nice and strong.  And, we got to see everything inside the baby too.  We could see the heart beating, and we could see a lot of the bones including the spine.  And we also got to see the brain!  It was a lot of fun!  The baby was pretty cooperative through the whole thing, so it didn’t take as long as I thought it would.  I kind of hoped we would get to be there longer because it is fun to watch our baby on the screen.  He was moving around in there the entire time the tech was doing the ultrasound.  And we were able to tell from a few angles that we are definitely having a boy! 

Here are the pictures we have:

We still haven’t registered yet, but hope to do that this weekend.  I am currently 20 weeks along, half way through the pregnancy!  I can’t believe it.  Time goes by so fast.  I can’t wait to have my sweet little baby boy in my arms and get to smell his sweet little baby smell. 

I am 19 weeks pregnant….almost half way there!  I can’t believe the time has flown by so quickly!  On one hand, I can’t wait.  But, I know there is still so much to do before the baby arrives.  Right now, my baby is the length of a zuchinni.  He/she’s getting bigger every day.  And speaking of “he/she”, only 5 more days to my ultrasound!  Hopefully we will find out if the baby is a boy or a girl!  (Assuming it isn’t bashful, of course).

 My trips to Phoenix and Beaumont went well.  The baby is starting to move more now, and I can feel it better!  It’s also getting a little distracting at times.  Once, while in my meeting in Phoenix, I was about to say something when the baby kicked.  It completely ruined my concentration!  Also, I think the baby likes vibrations.  I could feel it moving a lot when the plane or my car was vibrating.  Although, anytime anyone tries to put their hand on my stomach (even me!), the baby stops moving!  And as soon as they take their hand away, it starts moving again.  It is either very shy, or just playful.  Knowing its parents, I am more apt to opt for the “playful” side.

Everything else is going really well.  I am starting to get some lower back pain, especially if I lie in bed too long.  Well, I better get used to getting up early now!  And I’ve also had a cold, probably a sinus infection, the past couple of days.  I kind of sound like a frog if you talk to me.  I usually get this about twice a year.  Thankfully, though, I don’t think this time is as bad.  I haven’t missed any work yet (which I am trying not to do so that I will still have the sick days to use for my maternity leave!).  I’ve been taking the “approved” medicines that are on my doctor’s list.  So far, the Sudafed hasn’t done a darn thing.  I know there was a reason I didn’t use it in the past.  But, the Robitussin is doing its job pretty well.

 (Side note - The baby has been moving around the entire time I have been writing this post!  He/she is starting to get active!)

I am 17 weeks pregnant now, and my baby is the size of a large onion!  That sure does make me like onion a lot more!    Also, my baby’s ears should be developing, and if I talk to him/her, he/she will start to be able to hear me!!  And I have some exciting news to announce!  I will have my big ultrasound on April 16th!!  I now know the date!  And, assuming the baby cooperates, I will know if we are having a boy or a girl.  I am really excited about finding out the sex of the baby.  Of course, I will be excited if it is either a boy or a girl.  But, if it’s a girl, I won’t be disappointed, but I may be surprised.  I have completely convinced myself that I am having a boy just because that is what I feel like I am having.  And, we have one boy name picked out.  But, for the life of me, I cannot think of a girl name that I want to name my child.  I have looked at many, many girl names, but nothing is jumping out at me as the one I should name my baby.  Well, I should know more in a few weeks.

 One of the other side affects of pregnancy are crazy dreams!!  I’ve had a few so far, starting as soon as I found out I was pregnant.  My most recent dream goes like this:

The other night, I dreamt that I had my baby, but when it came out, it was my cat, Belle!!  But, it was partly human, but had a cat face.  And she was bigger than she is now, so it was a HUGE baby!!  She could also already talk.  So, I asked her if she wanted to breastfeed, and of course she did because she is a cat and likes milk!  All of a sudden, we were at my church, and I was lugging around my humongous cat-baby, and trying to find a room to breastfeed her in, but there were people in all of the rooms I tried!  And my cat-baby was getting really hungry.  So, I ended up going into the bathroom.  But, that’s when I woke up (because I had to pee!) and the strange dream was over.  I HAVE noticed that my cat has been more clingy since then, though…..coincidence?  LOL!

I am leaving for Phoenix tomorrow, and have to go to Beaumont a couple of days the following week.  This will probably be my last trip to Phoenix for a while, because I think I will be too big by the time the next meeting comes around!  I’m excited to show off my new maternity clothes in Phoenix to all my coworkers!  It will be fun to see if they think I “look” pregnant.  I am still getting mixed reactions.  Some people can’t tell I am pregnant at all, and don’t think I am even showing at all.  And others say that I am showing.  Although, no one has really said that I REALLY look pregnant!  But, I guess I am kind of glad about that because I am only 17 weeks along and don’t want to be too big yet!