Sunday, December 30, 2012

30 Weeks


How far along? 30 weeks! I can't believe I'm 3/4 of the way through!! 10 weeks left! CRAZY! :D
How big is baby estimated to be? Approximately the size of a butternut squash! He doesn't have much more to grow lengthwise but he needs to add a lot of baby fat! I can definitely tell that he's growing quite a bit lately, though! He should be a little over 3 pounds now :] My adorable little baby.
Total weight gain: Still around +14lbs. I'm actually having a hard time gaining weight the healthy way!! I am NOT about to be one of those pregnant women who binges on pints of ice cream and other crap. Not gonna happen. But I still need to gain. I'm just trying to put it on with healthy foods. It's easier said than done, though! I weighed in at 138lbs at my last OB appointment three weeks ago but this week when I weighed myself I was at 134lbs! Oops!! I'm eating extra and I eat when I'm hungry... I'm going to try adding some calorie dense healthy foods like nuts to see if that helps. I have an prenatal appointment this Friday so we'll see what the weigh in says there. I'm always heavier there since I've eaten at least one meal, drank a few bottles of water and am fully clothed (whereas when I weigh myself here I do it first thing in the morning before I shower). We'll see. I still feel healthy and my bump is definitely growing!
Wearing maternity clothes? Still a mix of maternity and regular clothes. A couple of my regular shirts are getting too short now! It's about time, right? Haha.
Symptoms this week: I had a couple random nausea spells this week. I was actually really nauseous on Christmas. It came out of nowhere and disappeared after a couple hours. I'm not sure what caused it but it hasn't been much of an issue. Other than that, I'm still feeling fabulous!! My energy level is good and I'm not uncomfortable yet. I think working out 4-5 days a week has really been helping. My body feels good.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular... that I can think of, haha.
Food aversions: None!
Any movement from baby? Absolutely!! He's still an extremely active baby!! He gets the hiccups almost every day lately and it's so cute. I can feel his movements getting stronger and sometimes I can even tell how he's positioned! Like while we were opening Christmas gifts- it felt like he was sitting straight up in my stomach! I could feel a big hard lump in my upper stomach, which I assumed was his head. It made it difficult for me to take deep breaths, haha. Then I could feel his feet wiggling around in my lower stomach. Then a couple days ago, he had the hiccups and I could feel his head/upper body in the right side of my lower stomach. I just love feeling him move around and watching my stomach contort from his little limbs. It's so awesome.
Gender: Our perfect little boy! I'm still so happy to be having a boy!! Jacob and I really wanted a son first. And I feel like it's important for men to have sons... not that we would've been disappointed if baby was a girl but we're just so thrilled that he's a boy! I feel like I already have this incredible bond with Camden since he's growing inside of me. And I think Jacob will be able to bond with a boy better than he would with a girl. He'll be able to teach CJ so many things and have such a huge impact on his life. Plus, sons carry on the family name which is special. It's hard for me to explain, but I'm just so happy to be having a boy!! 
Emotions and experiences this week: Not gonna lie, it was an emotional week for me. I didn't think it would be so hard to have Jacob gone for Christmas. I knew I'd miss him but I didn't expect my heart to hurt so badly. Then on top of that our third anniversary was the 27th. It was a sad week for me. I just miss Jacob so terribly much. And now that I'm 3/4 of the way through my pregnancy, the reality that Jake won't be home for Camden's birth is really starting to hit me. And that sucks more than I can even put into words. It's so disappointing and heart-breaking, really. Ugh. I can't think about it too much or it makes me want to cry. Part of all this emotional wreckage is probably due to hormones. Not that that makes it any easier to deal with but it helps me feel less crazy, ha. Other than all of that depressing stuff, it was a good week. I do love Christmas and I had a really nice day with my family! My mom had to work in the morning so we celebrated later in the day, after a big brunch and a quick run to Starbucks for peppermint mochas. It was fun to sit around the tree with my family, listening to Christmas music and exchanging gifts. My parents got me a Nikon J1 which I am super stoked about! I'm going to take sooooo many pictures of Camden with that beauty of a camera! My little brother got me the What To Expect When You're Expecting Workout DVD and it is awesome!! Seriously the best prenatal workouts I've tried (and believe me, I've tried a lot!). The DVD has six 10 minute workouts- 3 cardio, 2 strength/toning, and 1 stretch/yoga. I like the whole 10 minute workouts concept because I can mix and match to do whatever my body is feeling up for. I did 5 the first time through and all 6 the second time. There's great variety- the cardio routines vary from ballet to kick-boxing to Zumba inspired! Such a total win! And they aren't super slow paced and overly easy like a lot of other prenatal workouts. I know I can't push myself too hard but sheesh, I can handle doing enough to make my muscles sore! I don't like wussy workouts, haha. So these are awesome. New faves! Any of my preggy (or soon-to-be-preggy!) friends out there- if you're looking for some fun but still challenging workouts, get this DVD!!! Another awesome gift I got came from my big brother. He got me the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! That was my absolute favorite book when I was little!! He even got me one with a CD, too! I used to love listening to the cassette when no one wanted to read the book to me. I've been trying to read to Camden more as his library grows and I was so excited to read this to him!! I think he liked it too because he was wiggling all over the place while I read it, haha. What else... Oh, I did get to Skype with Jake on Christmas :] That was great. It's always nice to see his handsome face. He also sent me a box of goodies that I got to open on Christmas Eve and a few other gifts that arrived in the mail throughout the week! It was all so super sweet of him. But it's still been a rough week for both of us. And I miss him like crazy.
Looking forward to: New Years Eve party with a couple of my favorite girls! This is the first time I've ever had plans with my friends for NYE so I'm excited for it! Then I have an prenatal appointment on Friday. I'm going to start talking to my OB about labor and delivery, since I'm working on my birth plan right now. Other than that, I'm just looking forward to watching my Camden bump grow and checking off the days until his arrival! I'm savoring every day of my pregnancy but I am beyond ready for the time to fly by so I can have my husband back.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Merry Christmas!

Celebrating from thousands of miles apart
Merry Christmas from me, Jacob and baby Camden! It was very difficult to spend the holiday apart this year. Honestly, it was harder than I anticipated. I spent half the night Christmas Eve unable to sleep... I did a lot of crying and missing my hubby. It was rough. But I'm thankful and relieved that the holidays (well, besides New Years) are now over and I can look forward to spending them all with my husband and CJ next year! I'm ready to move forward. For me this year the holidays were simply a brazen reminder of my husband's absence. But at the same time they made me think about how fun it will be to have babyboy with us next year! I can't wait to celebrate all his firsts with my hubby! I'm trying to focus on that; trying to focus on all the good that the future will bring. Of course, Camden is on top of that list.

My perfect Camden,
Your Daddy and I are so very excited to meet you in a few short months! I'm so thankful to have you here with me right now. Knowing that you're growing big and strong inside of me makes me feel less alone while your Daddy is deployed. I think you can tell when I'm sad because you always seem to move around a lot more when I'm sad. It's like you know how much feeling you move cheers me up! Spending the holidays without your Daddy was really difficult this year but having you made it feel easier. You're my little blessing! I know that you are going to be an amazing little boy! And I hope you know that your Daddy and I love you so incredibly much! It's funny for us to think that this is our last Christmas not being parents. Next year, you will be here to love on and spoil! We can't wait to snuggle you all up and start fun family traditions with you. Your Daddy and I are going to have so much fun celebrating your first Christmas (and all your other firsts!) with you. We hope that you'll be as happy as we are to enjoy all of these special things together. For now, I will continue to enjoy having you so close to me. Merry Christmas my sweet little belly baby! You keep growing and I'll keep counting the days until I get to hold you in my arms. We love you very much, Camden!
Love forever,
Your Mommy

Monday, December 24, 2012

29 Weeks


How far along? 29 weeks & 1 day!
How big is baby estimated to be? He's about the size of an acorn squash or a small cabbage... He should be about 3 pounds now! It's crazy to think that he's around half as heavy as he'll be at birth!
Total weight gain: Approximately 14lbs; up from 124 to 138. I've been somewhere between 136-138lbs all week so I'm just estimating on the higher side... I feel like Camden had a growth spurt this week, though!! I was hungry almost nonstop and a little more tired. Plus I feel like my bump has popped more! He's getting bigger everyday and I love it! :D
Wearing maternity clothes? Some mixed with regular clothes. I'm definitely wearing maternity jeans with the panel rolled down in the pictures above, haha. It's just more comfortable than my regular jeans at this point. Still wearing mostly all my regular tops. And still trying to get away with maternity leggings when it isn't too cold out.
Symptoms this week: Been a little more tired this past week. But I also had a busier-than-usual week so that contributes to it as well. I'm not exhausted again yet like I've heard happens in the third trimester, though! I still feel really good. Some minor heartburn here and there, some dizzy spells, a little shortness of breath... Nothing bad.
Food cravings: Well, I had been craving some good tiramisu for about two months but I wasn't giving into the craving... Then, my daddy brought home a fresh piece of tiramisu from our local Italian bakery! Yes, I definitely devoured the entire thing and it was delicious! Definitely the best tiramisu I've ever had. Other than that, I've still been eating healthy- lots of fruits and veggies, egg whites, chicken, whole wheat bread and pasta... No super strong cravings. Oh! I did discover my new favorite snack, though. A banana, sliced up, topped with a little dab of peanut butter and a couple mini chocolate chips, FROZEN. Yes. It is absolutely incredible! Perfect cure for a sweet tooth without being really unhealthy.
Food aversions: None. Although my little brother cooked turkey bacon yesterday and the smell totally made me nauseous. Odd. 
Any movement from baby? Still lots and lots!! And I still love it all!! It isn't painful or uncomfortable yet so I'm enjoying every little kick, wiggle, jab and hiccup. His movements feel so much stronger these days as he gets bigger. I get a lot more bulges out of my belly and funny movements like that. It's all so incredible and fun! This morning after I talked to Jake, Camden was SUPER active!! He was moving in ways I never felt before! It was great. Then he got the hiccups and I could tell, from the little jumps of the hiccups, where his upper body was. That gave me a pretty good idea of how he was positioned in my tummy, which I thought was really cool :]
Gender: Boy <3 
Emotions and experiences this week: This week was good and little busy for me. I did a lot of last-minute Christmas shopping with each of my parents, which was a lot of fun. But spending 10 hours on my feet braving the crowds made me tired and sore! Which made me sleep really well, so I guess that's good! It's surprising how much carrying around an extra 14 pounds can make my feet so sore! Haha. I had fun being out and about shopping, though! It was nice to be a little busier. And it made me feel more like it's Christmastime. But at the same time it definitely made me miss Jacob. It's so weird not having him here for the holidays! This is the first time in 4 years that we haven't spent Christmas together. We did get to have a wonderful Christmas Eve Skpye date this morning!! That was definitely the highlight of my week. He woke me up around 5am because we got the two most recent care packages I mailed him and wanted to Skype while he opened them. It was soooo fun to see his reactions!! I love sending him boxes. It makes me feel more connected to him. And getting to watch him open them is even better! It's so great! And I got to open my box of Christmas gifts that he sent to me!! He's so sweet and thoughtful- there were all sorts of goodies in there for me! It was the perfect way to start my Christmas Eve! Sweet and special.
Looking forward to: Christmas tomorrow!!! I'm looking forward to spending the day with my family, exchanging gifts and having a delicious dinner. This week (the 27th) also marks mine & Jake's third anniversary! It's exciting but sad since we can't be together... Luckily we're almost halfway through this deployment! It feels so much longer, though. Other than that, I'm looking forward to this year coming to a close. I just want to start a new year and be even closer to Camden's arrival and Jake's homecoming! 

Monday, December 17, 2012

28 Weeks


How far along? 28 weeks & 1 day!
How big is baby estimated to be? The size of a head of cauliflower. Or an eggplant? Either way, he's definitely growing! I love reading about all the ways he's growing and developing. It completely fascinates and amazes me! His lungs are pretty well developed at this point and he's adding that beloved baby fat! Eeee, I can't wait to see his chubby little face in 12ish weeks!! :D :D :D
Total weight gain: I'm up about 13 pounds. I've been staying right around 135-137lbs for the past few weeks... I'm waiting for my weight to surge as baby boy grows, haha. He does seem to be growing a lot these days. My tummy is definitely getting bigger! I guess I'm just not putting on much weight right now. Apparently I should expect to gain 11ish pounds throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. I hope that's true because then I'll be right at the 24/25lbs gained mark which is what I'm aiming for! My OB told me that she thinks I'll gain on the lower end of the 25-40lbs scale that's recommended for the average woman.
Wearing maternity clothes? Still just pants and leggings. I have a couple tighter fitting maternity tops that I'll wear but most of them are still too big, haha. I bought a cute pair of maternity cords from Target that I really like. They're a red wine color- so pretty. I was surprised I had to buy at xsmall, though! Maybe I should buy a couple xsmall tops...
Symptoms this week: Didn't sleep too well again this week. Still not sure if it's pregnancy related but it's not too fun. So I'm going for a quantity over quality approach, haha. I couldn't fall asleep until 2:30am the other day then I woke up at 5:30am! I fell back asleep an hour or so later and snoozed off and on for a few more hours. That was the worst night sleep I've had since the night Jacob left. I'm blaming it on the fact that I wasn't wearing Jake's dog tags. I only take them off to shower but I forgot to put them back on that night. So that must be why I slept so poorly ;]. I've actually slept much better every night since then. With his dog tags around my neck where they belong, of course. Other than that, I'm feeling good. Still some occasional not painful Braxton Hicks. Been feeling some growing pains in my tummy as well but not bad. I honestly still feel fabulous! :D
Food cravings: Peanut butter! I eat a multigrain English muffin with peanut butter on it every day. I know lots of PB can be bad because it's so calorie dense but I don't eat more than a serving or maybe two a day. Smart Balance is my PB of choice lately. It's just so tasty! I need to whip out my peanut butter sauce recipe for some chicken and pasta this week... Oh I also learned that not consuming enough DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) during pregnancy has been linked to postpartum depression. The Smart Balance peanut butter I buy has omega-3s in it! Win.
Food aversions: Nada.
Any movement from baby? Yes! He's still a very active baby!! Lately I've been noticing that if I put loud music on he wiggles around. It's like he's dancing, haha! It's probably just coincidental but man, it sure does make me smile! I still love feeling his precious little movements. Even those startling rib jabs that are starting to happen, haha. A couple nights ago he was wiggling all over the place and making my stomach look like it was doing the wave! It was so stinkin' funny! I sat here for like an hour just watching him make my stomach dance. I seriously love those moments! He has the hiccups again this week, too. I say it nonstop, but I love feeling Camden move. It's just so amazing and special.
Gender: Boy <3 
Emotions and experiences this week: It's been a pretty low key week for me... Nothing really exciting going on. My pregnancy hormones are definitely in full swing, though. I've cried a lot this week. Mostly over silly things- a song on the radio, an old picture of me and Jake together... I've been a little more emotional this week. Part of that could be due to the holidays and Jake being gone, of course. But I've cried more than usual. I've heard that hormones get a little wacky in the third trimester so I think that's what's going on. I also don't think my family really understands what I'm going through. They don't get that I'm trying to deal with all these crazy hormones on top of Jake being gone... It's just tough. What else... I never got a phone call from my doctor's office about my blood work so I'm going to say everything looks good! That makes me verrrry happy! I didn't want to have to do the dreaded 3 hour glucose tolerance test so I'm pumped that I passed this one! I mean I don't know for sure but I'm assuming that they would've called me if there were any problems. And apparently I haven't developed anemia during my pregnancy either! I feel like that's rare, haha. Props to my healthy eating! I'm so happy that my pregnancy has been so healthy and easy so far. 
Looking forward to: Christmaaaaaas! Jake sent me a box of gifts that I'm SUPER anxious to get and open!! I have to wait until Christmas morning to open it but you better believe it's the first thing I'll be tearing open! I love that he took the time to send me some special gifts from overseas! He's such a sweet and thoughtful man <3 I can't wait to see what that box contains! And I love giving gifts, too. I didn't get anything super awesome for my family this year but I did get each of them a nice gift. It's going to be a bittersweet day without my hubby but it'll still be fun... and it will mean that we're *almost* halfway through this deployment! Almost. Other than thaaaaat, I'm excited for Jake to get the most recent boxes I've sent him! I have so much fun with his care packages. I sent him one for our anniversary (which is two days after Christmas) and one for New Years. They're both creative and fun so I'm excited for him to get them! And as always, I'm looking forward to watching my tummy grow more and have the days tick by. I can't wait to have my whole little family together.

Monday, December 10, 2012

27 Weeks


How far along? 27 weeks & 1 day! Hellooooo third trimester!! 
How big is baby estimated to be? The size of an English cucumber or a rutabaga. Weird associations this week, haha. He should be around 15-16 inches and 2 1/2 pounds!
Total weight gain: My official (from my OB) weight gain is +14lbs. According to my weigh-ins, though, I'm at 12-13 pounds gained. From 124lbs to 136-137lbs. I only gained 3lbs this past month! My doctor said that isn't a problem at all, though. She told me that I'm right on track and growing beautifully. Yay!
Wearing maternity clothes? Yes to maternity pants and leggings but I'm still wearing my regular tops. I have worn a few maternity shirts on occasion but I don't really need them yet. My baby bump is still so little! I'm ready to be big enough to fill out some of the cute tops I've bought! Haha. 
Symptoms this week: Feeling really good! I haven't been sleeping the best this week, though. It takes me awhile to fall asleep then I wake up multiple times a night. Not to pee, just randomly. It seems like I wake up every time I roll over... It's weird and I'm not even sure if it's pregnancy related but it hasn't been too bad. I've also had some Braxton Hicks this week. They don't hurt (yet) but I've just been aware of them- my stomach will randomly get tight like I just did some crazy ab workout and then relax. I don't mind them so far. It just reminds me that my body is meant to give birth and it's getting ready for just that! This probably sounds crazy, but I hope I keep having Braxton Hicks and they get more intense so that I can try some pain coping techniques out and learn how to manage the pain. Right now, though, they don't bother me. That's all I can think of!
Food cravings: Scalloped potatoes! That's the only strong craving I had this week. So I made up a skinny version (with skim milk and low-fat cheese) and it was delicious!
Food aversions: Nothing.
Any movement from baby? Yes!! Such an active baby! He's still kicking and wiggling around a lot and I'm still loving it!! I felt him have the hiccups a few days ago and it was so funny and cool! My whole stomach was jumping and flinching, haha. It felt just like when I have hiccups but without the tickle and in my stomach. And not as strong. It was so cool! And it made me laugh. Then, the night before last, I was watching TV and Camden was positioned in this funny way that was making one side of my stomach stick out! I don't know if it was his head or his bottom but when I poked my tummy at the bulge it was hard as a rock! And the other side of my stomach was squishy, haha. It's like he was wedged sideways on the right side of my belly. Silly boy! I love all of these new feelings and experiences!
Gender: Boy <3 
Emotions and experiences this week: I had my glucose tolerance test and my rhogam shot this week. I was basically dreading that appointment because I HATEHATEHATE needles and blood draws. I guess little man is trying to help me get over that ;] haha. I wasn't nervous about the drink because I expected it just to taste like flat soda (which is exactly how it tasted). I didn't like sitting around waiting for the blood draw. The anticipation gets to my head and I get so nervous! But the blood draw really wasn't that bad. It was only the 2nd time I've ever had my blood drawn (my first was earlier in the pregnancy) so I'm not used to it yet. And I didn't have my hubby here to hold my hand this time :[. My mom went with me, though, so that was nice. And luckily they only took 3 vials as opposed to the 9 they drew the first time. It was quick. Then I had my rhogam shot, which wasn't too bad either. It was a bigger shot and it burned/stung but I'm glad it's all over with! It's such a relief to have that appointment over! I feel like it's just smooth sailing from now until I go into labor! I also got all the paperwork for Camden's birth certificate at my appointment! YAY! I already filled it out so I'm going to bring it back to my appointment next month. It's crazy to think that Camden is due THREE MONTHS from today!! Ahhh!! He's going to be here before I know it! I'm soooo excited!! Other than all that from my appointment, I've been feeling CJ move a lot and I've been trying to read to him more. I talk to him everyday throughout the day. I love talking to him. I make sure to tell him that daddy and I love him. And usually I tell him how awesome his daddy is ;] Jacob is our superhero! I know that CJ is going to look up to Jake SO MUCH. I can't wait to see the two of them together! So I guess we can say that this has been a good week, haha. Hopefully I get my blood test results back soon and it's all good news! Or I'll go by the "no news is good news" rule. Hmm, what else. As Christmas gets closer I feel like I miss Jake more and more. It's weird to celebrate a major holiday without him. It doesn't feel right! But I'm having fun buying Christmas gift to give him once he gets home! That's all I can think of right now... :]
Looking forward to: Camden's arrival, haha. I'm excited for Christmas but, like I said, it's making me miss Jake a lot so I'm just ready for the holidays to be over. I'm ready for it to be March. But I do have some things to look forward to between now and then! I have a family Christmas party this weekend... some fun boxes to send to Jake and his buddies... bi-weekly OB appointments through January and weekly starting mid-February... my baby shower in February... Some fun things going on! But at this point, time feels like it's going slowly and I just want my hubby back. And Camden to be here. I just wish it could be in that order.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Second trimester reflections

As my second trimester is coming to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to share some thoughts, reflections and insights... Just some musings, really :] 

This trimester has seriously been amazing! I was extremely lucky not to have had a rough first trimester so the second was really just an even better continuation of the first for me. I've felt really good the whole way through. This trimester was big for us! Here are the highlights:
  • We found out baby's gender on September 20th (15w4d)
  • Jacob deployed on September 28th (16w5d)
  • I felt Camden wiggle for the first time on September 29th (16w6d)
  • We got Camden's new due date of March 10th on October 10th (18w3d)
  • We had our anatomical ultrasound on October 16th (19w2d)
  • I felt Camden's first strong, definite kick on October 25th (20w4d)
  • I felt Camden kick from the outside around 21 weeks (I don't remember the exact date)
  • We had our possible preterm labor scare on November 27th (25w2d)
  • The countdown to CJ's due date got down to double-digits on December 1st (25w6d)
  • I felt Camden's hiccups for the first time on December 3rd (26w1d)
I absolutely love feeling Camden wiggle and kick! I know I say it all the time but it really is the coolest feeling ever. It makes me so happy every time I feel his movements! And it puts me at peace knowing that he is still doing well in there. It's very comforting. Finally feeling baby boy move has been my favorite part of this trimester. It isn't weird or uncomfortable to me. It's just... a reminder of the little miracle of life that is growing inside of me! I can't say enough how much I love it.

It's been really tough having Jacob away during this time. It's sad that he's missing out on so much. I wish he could feel Camden's kicks and watch my tummy grow in person. It's just difficult that he's so separated from this whole experience. But at the same time, having Camden makes me feel less alone; like a part of Jake is still here with me. Because, well, CJ is a little piece of Jake here with me! That's comforting. But at the same time it isn't the same... We won't get this time back. I miss Jacob so much. And now that labor is getting closer, I'm starting to wonder how I'm going to make it through delivery without him! I know I'll do it because I'm strong but the fact that Jacob won't be here is becoming more and more real to me. I hate that he's going to miss such a major experience in both of our lives! It's a difficult reality to cope with. He has now been gone for 10 weeks of my pregnancy. I'm glad he was here for all the initial stuff- finding out I was pregnant, having our first few appointments and a couple ultrasounds, finding out the gender. He's just going to miss so much more exciting stuff! I just need to keep reminding myself that Jake should be home shortly after Camden's birth and we'll make up for all this time we lost. We'll have a lot of quality family time and all will be right in the world! Haha.

Speaking of labor, I've been spending a lot more time thinking and reading about it this trimester. It helps to know what to expect. Honestly, labor scares me but I'm feeling more comfortable about it the more I learn and the closer I get to Camden's due date. It's funny but it's like my motherly instincts have been kicking in and I'm not as worried about myself (like how I'll handle the pain) but I'm more concerned about Camden being healthy. I can handle whatever this pregnancy throws at me as long as my baby is okay. That being said, I feel responsible to do whatever I can to assure that Camden is as healthy as possible! Of course I've been eating healthy and staying active. I know that both of these things are good for me and for CJ. Plus, from what I've read, staying active can help with labor and delivery, too! I'm leaning towards having an all-natural birth at this point. I know it will be difficult and painful and I might have a difficult labor and decide to get an epidural. But at this point I really want to try to do everything naturally. I was in the best shape of my life when I got pregnant (thank you BeachBody products, haha) and I know my body extremely well. I think I could handle it. Also, I've never had any sort of major medical procedure so I don't know how I would react to any of the drugs and I really want to be fully present for the entire birthing experience. I don't want to feel disconnected because of medical interventions. I know it's a personal decision... and that's just what I'm leaning towards right now. I know that anything can happen and I need to be open and flexible and I am. If I labor badly I will take some sort of pain relief. But I can't imagine myself being that woman who's laying flat on her back in bed, IV in the hand, waiting to push. I want to be up and walk around, do what I feel my body wants me to do. I mean, my body was built to do this! Obviously God designed my body to make it through child birth. Women have been doing it forever! If others have done it, so can I :]

Okay, now on to some of my insights. Earlier in my pregnancy I shared some of the healthy tips I've been following. I'd like to share a few more that have helped me this trimester:
  •  Sneak veggies into EVERYTHING. I already shared my tip of blending raw baby spinach into smoothies for extra iron, folate and vitamins. Spinach is really one of the easiest veggies to hide in food, haha. Having some pasta and red sauce for dinner? Throw a few handfuls of roughly chopped spinach into the sauce as it simmers! Scrambling eggs for breakfast? Add some shredded spinach during cooking! One of my other favorite ways to sneak veggies into my meals is in mac 'n cheese. I buy organic whole wheat mac 'n cheese box mixes (for convenient lunches). When I add the pasta to the boiling water I add finely chopped broccoli as well. Once the noodles are done cooking so is the broccoli. Strain, mix the cheese with skim milk in the warm pan, add the pasta and broccoli back to the pan and you're ready to eat! I know mac 'n cheese isn't the healthiest lunch but this option really is full of nutrients. The whole wheat adds fiber, the cheese and milk add protein, and the broccoli adds a bunch of vitamins! Paired with some more veggies or a piece of fruit on the side, this is a really good lunch. I also always keep V8 Fusions Light in my fridge. Each 8oz serving counts as half a serving of fruit and half a serving of veggies so it is a great go-to at night if I realize that I haven't had quite enough fruits and veggies throughout the day! Or I drink it in the morning for a healthy jump-start to my day.
  • Invest in a water bottle or tumbler. I don't remember if I shared this in my last post,  but I would highly recommend getting a cute water bottle or tumbler! It sounds silly, but sipping water out of a bottle/tumbler that you really like makes it easier to drink more water each day! I've always been a big water drinker so I don't have any problems drinking enough each day. I aim for 70-90oz/day of straight water (I don't count any juice or decaf coffee into this, although they're still fluids and do technically count). I have a cute purple Camelbak water bottle that my husband bought me over the summer. It's 25oz and goes everywhere with me. It's super easy for me to drink 3-4 full bottles of water a day thanks to this bottle! I know it doesn't sound like it would make a difference, but it really does. It's just more fun to drink out of something cute instead of a plain old plastic water bottle. Other than that, if you have an iPhone, try the iDrated app. It helps you keep track of how much water you drink, how hydrated you are and when you need to drink more. It will even remind you to drink your water! Super handy. I don't use it a lot since I drink so much that I usually forget to log it, haha. But it's a great idea and could be very helpful for anyone who has a hard time remembering to drink enough water!
  • Never leave home without a snack. Ever. Now that I'm into my second trimester and need about 200 extra calories a day, I never leave home without a snack in my purse. It doesn't matter if I plan to be gone for 30 minutes or 3 hours. I always keep a Luna protein bar and an unsweetened cinnamon applesauce pouch (the applesauce to go stuff) in my purse. This way, if anything happens and I end up somewhere hungry I have something healthy to eat! I absolutely despise fast food and I refuse to eat it (besides veggie subs from Subway). By keeping a healthy snack on hand at all times I'm never stranded without something good to eat. I know some people would discourage eating nutritional bars but I believe that Luna protein bars are a very good option for on the go. It's a super easy way to get a boost of protein. And I just think that applesauce pouches are awesome! The kind I buy are natural- just apples and cinnamon- and they taste great. And they're much more portable than a regular apple that could get all bruised up and nasty in my purse, haha. In my opinion, applesauce pouches are the easiest way to always have fruit on hand, aside from dried fruit (which usually has a lot of added sugar!)
  • Keep healthy snacks on hand at home, too. Even more important than taking healthy snacks with you on the go is keeping healthy snacks on hand at home. If it's readily accessible, you'll be more likely to make smart choices and eat healthy. This is a "duh" tip and isn't pregnancy-specific but it's still worth mentioning. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences but there are a few things I always keep stocked. (1) Hard boiled eggs. At the beginning of the week, I'll hard boil 6-8 eggs and store them in the fridge. They're perfect for breakfast or for a snack during the day. I don't like the yolks so I throw those out and just eat the whites. That's where most of the (good lean) protein is anyways. (2) Raw baby carrots and/or snap peas. These don't really need any explanation- since they're ready to eat they're easy to snack on. Easy = more likely to be eaten, right? (3) Greek yogurt. I know it's an acquired taste and I already shared my tips on incorporating plain Greek yogurt into different things. But Greek yogurt is very good for you! Most Greek yogurt cups contain about 14 grams of protein! Yes, the sugar content can be high, but keep in mind that around 10-12 grams of that sugar are coming naturally from the milk! There usually isn't a whole lot of added sugar, depending on what brand you buy. I always opt for brands that use regular sugar as opposed to artificial sweeteners. I'm very leery of artificial sweeteners and I try to avoid them as much as I can. I'd rather eat regular sugar. I also usually buy fat free Greek yogurt but I will eat a full-fat version from time to time (only because my favorite flavor- Oikos Key Lime) is only carried in the full-fat version about here. I don't eat it all the time and it's totally worth it when I do, haha. That ends up being my "dessert" after dinner or my post-workout snack. (4) Fruit leather. While applesauce pouches are my favorite alternative to regular fruit, I do enjoy fruit leather as well. I buy Stretch Island Fruit brand that are all-natural. Read, no added icky stuff. They're 1/2 a serving of fruit and a great way to fill a sweet tooth! Strawberry is my favorite. These are also portable and easy to take on the go (if you're weird and don't like applesauce from a pouch, haha). And as a side note here, be careful about eating dried fruit. It sounds good in theory but most of the time it's thoroughly coated in sugar. Not exactly the healthiest alternative. Not to mention dried fruit is dense in calories so it's easy to eat a lot of extra calories and sugar in one serving all while thinking you're eating healthy because it's fruit. When possible, opt to dehydrate your own fruit, with no sugar added. This is a delicious and much healthier alternative! Fruit has enough natural sugar, it doesn't need extra! (5) Light string cheese sticks. Easy to eat and a good source of calcium and protein. Need I say more? (6) Almonds. Nuts in general are a great source of fatty acids (good fats) and protein. My personal favorite is almonds just because I like the flavor. I buy them all different ways- raw, smoked, cinnamon coated. I might have mentioned this in my other post, but it's worth saying again. A small handful of almonds is a great nutritious snack. Aside from these favorites, I always keep fruits and veggies around, along with skim and unsweetened almond milk (yes, both). With winter here, it's easier (and cheaper) to buy some of my favorite fruits and veggies frozen. I use the fruit in smoothies and I just steam up the veggies and eat them however (usually with a bit of garlic). Admittedly, frozen isn't the best but it's a good way to not miss out on fruits and veggies because of the change of season. This is all I can really think of right now. Eating healthy is basically second-nature to me so I don't always think of my eating habits as good tips, if that makes sense. It's just normal to me. If I think of any other tips I'll share them in the future!
Well, this post ended up being verrrry long! I'll wrap it up here and save my other musings for another post. Thanks for following my journey! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my blog and be a part of my pregnancy! :]

Sunday, December 2, 2012

26 Weeks



How far along? 26 weeks! 
How big is baby estimated to be? The size of an eggplant, I think :] He should be around 15 inches and 2 1/4 pounds!
Total weight gain: I'm not entirely sure... I was around 136lbs last week but when I weighed myself each morning this week I was back down to 133.8lbs. Every morning. And then this morning I was back at 136. So I'm not sure if that's water weight or what's going on. I'm not too worried, though. I figure my weight will fluctuate a lot. I have an OB appointment on Friday so I should get an "official" count then... I feel good, though. I think I'm still gaining like I should.
Wearing maternity clothes? (I just noticed that this question disappeared after week 24! Oh no!) Yes, I'm wearing some maternity clothes. Still trying to make my leggings work as it gets colder... and wearing maternity pants when those aren't warm enough, haha. I bought this beautiful pair of pine green skinny cords from Gap Maternity during their awesome Cyber Monday deals (I'm wearing them in the above pictures). I absolutely LOVE them!! I'm not kidding when I say that they're the most comfortable pants I've ever worn. For real. They have a demi-panel that sits below the tummy. I like that A LOT. It's soooo much more comfortable than trying to get a full panel to either stay pulled up or not get awkwardly bunched folded down. It's perfect. I wish I had bought a couple more pairs of these while they were on sale! I can't justify spending the full $65 on them when I got mine for $21. But for reals, best maternity pants ever. I'm still wearing my regular shirts, though some are just starting to get a little short in the front. And it's definitely time to invest in some new bras. Mine are getting, ahem, tight and uncomfortable.
Symptoms this week: Aside from the whole back cramps fiasco, I feel good! My back has felt stiff since those nasty cramps but it's feeling muuuuch better now! I'm ready to get back to working out tonight! I think that has staved off a lot of possible issues/discomforts.
Food cravings: Still the same things- fruits and veggies, hard boiled eggs without the yolks... Nothing particularly strong.
Food aversions: None.
Any movement from baby? Lots!! And I'm still loving it! The other day, I actually saw and felt him move from one side of my stomach to the other! It looked like this little bulge made it's way straight across my tummy, haha. It was SO COOL. It also feels like he's using my stomach like a cradle- I can feel the pressure of him like laying in the front of my stomach and when I poke there it feels tight. Obviously I can't be entirely sure that's what he's doing but it sure feels like it! He's still super active lately so I'm definitely enjoying every minute! :D
Gender: BOY! I think I've said "Gosh, I'm SO HAPPY that I'm having a boy!" like a hundred times this week, haha. I'm still so excited that baby is a boy!!
Emotions and experiences this week: It was a little bit of an off week for me and Camden. That whole triage visit was really unnerving for me. After that, I decided to take it easy for the rest of the week. Lots of relaxing and putting some heat on my back. It was rough. I want to workout sooooo bad!! But I don't want to push myself too much and make my back cramps come back. I told myself I'd take it easy for the rest of the week then start back with my regular workout routines next week. That's hard for me to do though. It was also an off week with communication with Jacob. We haven't been able to talk as much lately and that's tough as well. Other than that no fun-ness, it's been a decent week. I've felt Camden move A LOT! Practically nonstop it seems like, haha. So that makes me incredibly happy! Also, we got down into the double-digit mark for the countdown to Camden's due date!!! He is due 98 days from today! AHHH! :D
Looking forward to: Chriiiiistmas! Now that it's December, I'm very much focused on Christmas! I love this time of the year! I can't wait for Jake to get the (*cough*multiple*cough*) Christmas care packages that I've sent him!! I don't have a whole lot going on this month... shopping, a family party, more care package sending... But I think it will be a fun month! And I'm hoping it goes by quickly. I have an OB appointment on Friday but I am NOT looking forward to that at all. I have my glucose tolerance/gestational diabetes test and my rhogam shot then. Double yuck. And I think my OB might be re-checking my cervix and running an FFN on me (they took a swab to run at triage last week but the nurse accidentally dropped it on the ground and it couldn't be redone for 24 hours, ugh). I just want to get that appointment over with. I'm super sad that Jake won't be here to hold my hand during this blood draw :[ I hate needles so much. So that's a not looking forward to, haha. I am looking forward to starting my 3rd trimester next week, though!!! That is SO crazy to me!! It feels like it has gone by quickly although time seems to be dragging since Jacob left... But man, almost 2/3 of the way through! I'm totally going to miss being pregnant once he's born but I cannot wait to hold Camden in my arms and shower him with tons of love!!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

A (very unwanted) triage visit

Monday morning when I woke up my back hurt. It wasn't like a pulled muscle sort of hurt but more of a crampy hurt (I know my body really well and I'm good at telling the difference between pains). I figured I had slept on it wrong and just went about with my day. When I got up on Tuesday my back hurt even more. As the day progressed the pain got worse and worse. It felt like menstrual cramps in my back, ranging from 4-6 on the 1-10 pain scale. My stomach also felt tight and something just felt "off". I can't explain it but something felt like it wasn't right. I had a weird dizzy and nausea spell Monday evening, too, which was out of the ordinary. I'm honestly not one to complain about pain but my back cramps were pretty bad so I told my mom who advised me to call my doctor's office. Since it was outside of regular office hours I had to wait for the on-call doctor to call me back. When she did, she told me to come right to the labor and delivery triage unit, AKA the pregnancy emergency room. I hung up and just started crying. I had just finished making dinner but I didn't even eat, my mom and I left right away. I seriously cried the whole way there. I was SO SCARED that something was wrong with Camden... that I did something to hurt him... I texted Jake like half a million times trying to wake him up and he called me right away. It was very comforting to hear his voice and his calm reassurance that everything would be okay but I was still scared. And I felt bad for waking him up in the middle of his night of sleep, poor guy. We got to triage and they took me in right away. They had me give a urine sample and got me hooked up to a monitor while I waited for the doctor. The doctor took a couple other samples and checked my cervix then got paged and had to go. I sat there for 2-3 hours hooked up to the monitor, waiting for the doctor to come back again. It took a few minutes to find Camden's heartbeat at first. Those felt like the longest few minutes of my life. But the nurse found it and it was strong! Thank God! He hadn't been very active all day, which also had me concerned, but he started kicking and moving once the monitor was on. I think he could sense my stress or something. It was almost like he was trying to kick the monitor off my stomach because he kept kicking all around it! It was actually pretty funny. And it was cool to feel him moving and hear the funny noises his movements made on the monitor. They also monitored my uterine pressure to see if I was having contractions. Luckily I wasn't having contractions and my cervix was still closed so that was a relief. Both good signs. As much as the whole experience was scary, I'm glad that I went to triage. It's better to be safe than sorry. And it was nice to listen to Camden's heartbeat for so long! That was very comforting to me. Once the doctor finally came back, everything still looked good and she told me I wasn't having preterm labor. She didn't say what was going on or what might have caused my pain but she didn't seem too concerned about it so that put me at ease. The nurse gave me an information sheet on preterm labor and told me that I had the first three signs so it was good that I had called and gone in to be seen. She said that if my pain changed or got worse or if anything else on that list happened to call back again. A lot of people have told me that dehydration can cause preterm labor but I know for sure that wasn't the case for me. I drink 70-90oz of water a day and the nurse even commented on how hydrated I was based on the fact that my urine sample was clear, haha (TMI? Sorry!). I've also heard that strenuous activity can bring on contractions but I only do prenatal workouts. I make sure that every workout I do is safe for my little man. And if I don't push myself too hard. I'm extremely in-tune with my body so I'm confident that I'm taking good care of myself. Bottom line: this was a very scary experience but Camden and I are both okay! My back still hurts today but it's much better than yesterday. It's weird because it doesn't feel like a muscle thing or a strain from my tummy growing... I know that back pain is common in pregnancy but mine just came out of nowhere all of a sudden! I hadn't had any back pain before this, and that's why it was a cause for concern. And it was in my lower back. Those are bad signs usually. I'm just thankful that everything turned out okay and Camden is good! I can deal with the pain as long as I know that my baby is okay. So now we're taking it easy (even though I really want to workout, haha) and waiting for the pain to go away completely. For now, I'll ease it with some heat and extra sleep. Thank you all for the concern and prayers! I'll update if anything else happens. But for now, I leave you with these extremely flattering pictures of me while I was in triage, haha:

Monday, November 26, 2012

25 Weeks


How far along? 25 weeks & 1 day! 
How big is baby estimated to be? He is the size of a cauliflower or an eggplant. He should be around 2 pounds now! :D
Total weight gain: I think I'm around 136lbs now, so that would put me +12lbs. Luckily, I think I'm carrying it all in my tummy. I feel really healthy and I'm staying active so I feel good about my weight. It's still weird to watch the scale go up but I'm not having an issue with it. My body feels good. And I do love watching Camden grow! 
Symptoms this week: I have a little sciatica going on in my left side (lower back/hip area) but it isn't anything terrible. Camden has been sitting really low so I think he's just pinching something a bit. It isn't constant and I'm learning how to move so it doesn't hurt as bad. Other than that, I'm feeling good! Getting bigger and bigger but it honestly isn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be! I think the fact that I was literally in the best shape of my life when I got pregnant is making everything so much easier! I have yet to get lower back pain, unless I'm leaning down doing something for awhile (like yesterday while I was cutting out 6 dozen sugar cookies, haha). And even that pain is really mild and goes away after I stretch a little. So far, nothing is bothering me much at all! I've been doing really good eating healthy, drinking tons and tons of water and working out regularly. I think all of those things are helping me a lot. Especially staying active. I feel SO GOOD keeping up with my workouts! I wish I had the energy and drive to be working out for 1-1.5 hours 6 days a week like I was before I got pregnant but I'm doing as much as I can! I aim for 40 minutes to an hour of exercise 4-5 days a week. Plus extra stretching when my body feels like it needs it. It really does make a difference! And everyone keeps telling me that I should "bounce back" really fast after I have the baby because of how active I have been/am. I hope that's true! 
Food cravings: Nothing in particular this week. I'm loving decaf skinny peppermint mochas from Starbucks but I have always been a huge fan of their seasonal drinks! They're like Christmas in a cup :D  I'm also still loving fruits and veggies! I could eat roasted broccoli with garlic everyday. Like, a massive amount of it. And pomegranates! I wish it wasn't such a pain to get the arils out... but it's so worth it! I love me some pomegranate arils. 
Food aversions: Nothing! 
Any movement from baby? Ohhh yeah!! Little man is a mover and a shaker!! He has been wiggling and kicking SO MUCH this week! I love just putting my hands on my tummy and feeling him move. I could seriously do that all day! I LOVE IT!! He was kicking me low in my tummy the other day and it almost tickled! It was the funniest feeling ever. I really can't say enough how much I really love feeling Camden move! It's so amazing to me!! :D I'm still finding that he's more active when I'm active. He likes when I workout. That makes me feel good, too. I love that me working out is doing something good for both of us! I already love to workout but that is just the best bonus! I like to imagine me making Camden's heart get stronger and stronger each time I workout. How awesome is it that I can make him healthier by keeping myself healthy?! It just makes me happy. 
Gender: Beautiful baby boy <3
Emotions and experiences this week: It was a bittersweet week for me, to be honest. Thanksgiving was a really nice day with my family! I got to watch the entire Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, which was great. The meal was fabulous, per usual. I made a delicious green bean casserole that was a big hit. And I made pumpkin muffins to eat for breakfast. It was a nice day. I just missed Jacob a lot. This would've been our 5th Thanksgiving together. It was sad not to have him here to celebrate with... But I'm still so incredibly thankful for him! He's been working so hard on this deployment and I really appreciate that he's such an awesome provider for me and CJ. Plus, he's always there for me. Communication is difficult with the distance and the time difference but I know that I can always rely on him. I'm also SO very thankful for this little bundle of joy growing in my tummy!! I feel very blessed, despite the challenging circumstances this year. It was a really good week, overall. I also got to do some shopping with my mom! That was a fun part of this week. With the holidays now in full swing, I'm enjoying the festive atmosphere but really missing Jake. This whole going through the holidays without him thing might be a little harder than I was anticipating. But I'm seriously trying to stay busy and keep a positive outlook. 
Looking forward to: Ummm... November ending! I'll be happy to put another month behind us and move into December. It's weird because I want to savor every moment of my pregnancy yet I want time to go by super fast so that Jacob can come home. I'm a little torn. It's tough. I am looking forward to Christmas, though! I'm having a lot of fun putting together Christmas-themed care packages for Jacob! I sent him a box today stuffed full of Christmas goodies to share with his buddies at work- 10.5lbs worth! Sending him boxes is the one thing about deployments that doesn't totally suck. I have an OB appointment next week but I'm not looking forward to that. I'll have my glucose test for gestational diabetes that day- yuckaroo. I hate needles so I'm dreading that blood draw! Then I have to get my rhogam shot. It should be a very fun visit :P or not. But at least I don't have to worry about that until next Friday. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to just getting through a day at a time and enjoying all the festive Christmasy stuff that's going on.