Camden's Birth Story

My memory of Camden's birth is already starting to get a little fuzzy so I'm going to try and record it the best that I can. It's going to be long and detailed because I want to remember everything about this life-changing event. It also might get a little graphic, for those of you who would rather not read the grizzly details. Here we go!

I was having contractions when I went to bed on Thursday night (March 14th). They weren't very strong or consistent so I ignored them. I had been getting contractions off and on like this for about two weeks so I figured they'd go away while I slept, like all the others. Well, Friday morning (March 15th) rolled around and my contractions were strong enough to wake me up. Luckily I had slept about 7 hours so I was still feeling good. I started timing my contractions around 9am and they were 8-10 minutes apart. At that point I had a strong feeling that this was it- I was in labor. I woke Jake up and told him that I thought we'd be having a baby that day and then told him to sleep as much as he could. Like I said, I still felt good at this point so I had some breakfast and took a shower. I was determined to labor at home for as long as possible so that's exactly what I did. Around noon my contractions were down to 5 minutes apart. I got in touch with my doula and called my doctor's office. The office was closed for a meeting so I waited an hour to call back. By then my contractions were consistently 3 1/2-4 minutes apart and I was told to head in to labor and delivery. My doula, Stefanie, met us at the house and followed us to the hospital. We left the house right around 2pm. I was still feeling pretty good at this point- active labor was really just starting. I did cry when we got out into the car and all set to go. The reality of the situation really hit me then and I was overwhelmed! I felt excited, nervous, in disbelief- a big range of emotions going on. 

So we got to the hospital and l&d was really busy. We waited in the hallway for half an hour before I was even able to check in (a little frustrating considering I was pre-registered and the only one waiting who was in active labor). A nurse brought me back to a triage bed to be evaluated and Jake went with me since they would only allow one other person in the tiny room. They checked my cervix and told me I was 4-5cm dilated and they wanted me to walk around for an hour to see if I made any progress. So Jake and I roamed the halls for awhile hoping to speed my labor up a bit. This part went by pretty quickly for me- walking felt good and Stefanie taught Jake how to do counter-pressure on my hips during a contraction which was my best friend at this point (and up until the end, really). This is when things start to get a little fuzzy... I remember seeing my actual OB since she was working l&d that day. I think she checked me and said I was 6cm and she could feel my bag of water. I got my IV of penicillin for my GBS and was officially admitted. We waited a little while for an actual room but once we got in there my contractions were strong and pretty painful. My labor nurse was great, though, and got me hooked up to wireless monitors so I could still move around while they kept an eye on Camden's heart rate. I know at this point I settled into a really good rhythm for handling contractions- I would stand and rock back and forth, leaning forward on Jake while Stefanie applied counter-pressure to my hips. I got through the majority of my contractions this way. Standing felt the best for me then. After monitoring Camden for a bit and getting my penicillin I was released from the IV and monitors to get in the shower. I'll tell you what, I've never loved hot water more in my life than I did while I was in labor! It was wonderful. Jake was such a trooper and climbed in the shower with me (I'm so glad I packed him a hospital bag equipped with swim trunks!) and held me up through the contractions. He was really an amazing coach through the entire process. He would guide my breathing, encourage me, tell me when I was on the downside of a contractions, and do anything else that helped me. It was honestly incredible how in-tune he was to my pain and my needs. He amazed me! It was great to have him there to support me throughout the entire experience. 

At this point, my labor stalled a little. I was in a pretty significant amount of pain and it seemed like this part lasted forever. I remember the anesthesiologist coming in and talking to me about an epidural, which I refused. I planned to have a completely drug-free, natural birth. And everyone knew that since my birth plan was in my chart. However, it's hospital protocol to have the anesthesiologist explain all the pain meds and have me sign a consent form in case there's an emergency. I was sitting down at this point and getting monitored again while I got my second round of penicillin (it has to be given every four hours and that much time had elapsed since my first dose). I remember my contractions really starting to get hard to handle at this point. I was having bad back labor which raised some concerns about Camden possibly being face up. So I labored in an all fours position for awhile because Stefanie explained to me how that can sometimes help baby turn face down. I also had a little breakdown around this time- I was feeling overwhelmed like I couldn't do this anymore. That was the one and only time I cried through my whole labor and delivery. I was checked around this time, too, and told I was 8cm dilated (we blamed transition for the water-works). After I finished my penicillin I got back in the shower. I still felt best standing up at this point, even though my feet were starting to get really sore as we rounded 8 hours of active labor. The hot water still helped a lot and Jake was awesome with helping me through this really strong contractions. After maybe 20 minutes I was feeling a lot of pressure in my bottom. Jake told the nurse and she had me get out of the shower since feeling pressure like that means we're getting really close to pushing. Now at this point the pain was basically excruciating. I actually bit Jake's shoulder during a contraction, haha. That's super funny looking back but at the time I was just in so much pain that I didn't know what to do. I didn't bite him hard, don't worry. The doctor checked my cervix again and told me I was at 9 1/2cm and was almost ready to push. My water still hadn't ruptured at this point so we elected to have them break it for me. Well, I couldn't make a decision at this point so Jake made the decision to have it broken and I'm glad he did. It was just a matter of a couple contractions after that and I felt the urge to push. I think they had me wait a couple more contractions, checked me again and I was finally 10cm and +1. 

I originally wanted to push from a squatting position so the bed was set up with the bar to do so. But when I was ready to push I did NOT want to be sitting up. I did squat for a couple contractions but I just couldn't maintain that position for pushing. I tried at one point and it just wasn't happening. So I pushed from a seated position, which was much better for me. I did end up reclining progressively as I pushed since the labor nurse told me that would be best. At that point I was just going along with however I was instructed. Anyways, I started pushing at 12:01am (March 16th). I was really glad that no one was doing the obnoxious counting to ten thing while pushing. That's annoying. I pushed three times per contractions, sometimes four times. I remember being so zoned in that I really couldn't even talk. Luckily Jake was so in-tune to me that all I had to do was look at him and he knew another contraction was coming and I needed to push. He kept a cold washcloth on my head between contractions and took it off before I pushed. I don't remember a whole lot during this time besides a lot of pain and pressure and the coaching of Jake, Stefanie and my labor nurse. Before I knew it the nurse was calling in the doctors because Camden was starting to crown! Jake and I were both able to feel a little spot on his head and that was just incredible! I remember thinking "he's right there! I'm going to get him out!". I kept pushing the best I could and next thing I knew, at 1:18am, Camden's little head emerged and out slid the rest of his body! Because of the semi-reclined seated position I was in I was actually able to watch Camden be born! It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. I was in this state of total awe and disbelief. I was SO overcome with emotions and I really wanted to cry but I couldn't. It was a weird feeling. Camden was placed directly on my chest for skin-to-skin immediately after birth, which was the most important thing I wanted in my birth plan. He cried for like a minute then settled down. Man, just thinking about it makes me tear up! It was unbelievably amazing. Jake and I both just stared at him for about an hour. Amazing. So amazing. Camden was great and even began breastfeeding during our initial skin-to-skin after birth. I think this was super important in establishing breastfeeding because he has been great with it the whole time.

After our hour of skin-to-skin, the nurses took Camden to weigh him and all that good stuff. He weighed in at 6 pounds 12.6 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. His 1 & 5 minutes APGAR scores were 8 & 9 respectively. I was happy that they did all of this right in the room next to me. His temperature was a little low so they put him under the warmer for a bit. But overall he was perfect! No jaundice or anything. I wasn't paying much attention to myself at this point but I do remember the doctors being concerned that I was losing a lot of blood. They put me on a round of Pitocin to help my uterus contract and stop the bleeding. I wasn't too thrilled about having more drugs pushed through my IV but we really needed to get the bleeding under control. I also remember the nurse massaging my belly and that hurt. On a happier note this is also when I found out that I hadn't torn at all. Not gonna lie, I was really surprised by that! It hurt so bad to push but since Camden emerged rather slowly everything stretched instead of tearing. And even though I pushed for over an hour the time went by really fast for me. I didn't realize it had been that long! I was so tuned in to every contraction and completely focused that it went by fast for me.

Overall, I had a very positive birth experience. I was able to have a completely natural, drug-free birth like I wanted. I had no medical intervention, aside from the penicillin I had to have and the Pitocin to stop the bleeding after delivery. I didn't even take the Motrin I was offered when we got moved to our recovery room. My labor nurse and the two doctors who delivered Camden were great and followed my birth plan to a T. Even though my regular OB wasn't there to deliver Camden I was happy with the doctors that I had. I could go on and on about the rest of my experience at the hospital but this is already so long that I'm going to stop here. I might write another blog about my first few days postpartum, we'll see. There's just so much that I want to remember about the whole experience! It was good. And I feel really good, better than I expected. I thought I'd be in a lot more pain and just feel crappy but I don't. Even my first day after giving birth, I wasn't in much pain at all. At least not enough to take anything for it. I'm so happy that I want the natural route. I truly think that was the best for me and Camden and I'm very happy with and proud of the birthing experience that we had :]

40 Weeks!

How far along? 40 weeks & 3 days!!! Little man is overdue! 
How big is baby estimated to be? Still around the size of a large watermelon, I guess? Come out so we can know for sure, Camden!! ;]
Total weight gain: I may have broken the 19lbs gained mark and be up by a whole 21lbs at this point! My weigh in at the doctor's office this morning had me at 145lbs. So that would put me +21lbs. I'm not surprised- Jake and I have been eating really well since he got home, haha.  

Wearing maternity clothes? Yes. Still a few regular items mixed in there. But a lot of my regular tops don't fit anymore. I tried to squeeze into a few this week and it just didn't work. Too short. Oh well. I might as well wear the maternity clothes I have since I won't be needing them much longer at all!

Symptoms this week: Still having contractions off and on. Nothing really consistent. I've given up timing them. I figure, I'm not going to miss labor by not paying attention to every contraction. So why drive myself nuts by timing them only to have them disappear?! I'll realize it when they're steady and close together. So for now I'm just ignoring what I can. And I can now officially say that I have started to enter the "uncomfortable" phase, haha. Don't hate me, all you preggers who were uncomfortable for weeks on end! And seriously, it isn't that bad. My back has been stiff- I've been getting back cramps. I hope that means labor is near. Still struggling with some insomnia. Though having my husband next to me helps exponentially! It's incredible how well I sleep in his arms. For real. So overall, pregnancy life is still good! :]

Food cravings: My appetite has been weird lately... I've had some nasty nausea! Not like "I'm going to throw up" nausea; more like "I don't even want to think about eating anything" nausea. It's been pretty bad. So I've been eating a lot of lighter things, for the most part. Yogurt, apples with peanut butter, cereal.. Jake and I have had some really yummy meals this week, though! When my appetite isn't being finicky I eat really well!

Food aversions: I can't think of anything... 

Any movement from baby? Yeah man! He's still kicking and wiggling around in there! He's tight on space, but that just means I get more funny shapes out of my stomach, haha. I love when he's wiggly at night and Jake gets to lay beside me with his hands on my tummy... gosh, it makes me smile just thinking about it! We both love feeling CJ move!

Gender: Little man!! <3 

Emotions and experiences this week: It was such a good week!! I love having Jacob home!! Seriously. LOVE. And that is an understatement!! It's just so amazing to share this last bit of my pregnancy with him. And I'll tell you what, he is amazing!! He painted my toe nails since I have a really hard time reaching them these days :] What a sweetheart to take the time to give me a pedicure! He also ties my shoes for me. And helps me get up when I find myself struggling off the couch or out of bed. And makes sure I eat good meals. And just spoils me in general. He's so good to me!! Being a military wife, I'm pretty used to being self-sufficient but it's really, really great to have my hubby here to take care of me during these last few days/weeks of my pregnancy! It's nice to have him at my prenatal appointments again as well! At my appointment today we found out that I am 70% effaced and 3cm dilated! Last week I was 50% and 2cm. Yay for progress! The doctor also stripped my membranes this morning and said that can jump-start labor! She said sometimes within 24hrs labor will begin. I'm really hoping that's true and my labor starts soon!! I'm starting to feel really ready to hold our babyboy in my arms instead of my tummy. I don't mind that he's already late and I'd be fine with him being a St. Patrick's Day baby like Jake wants ;] but I'm getting anxious and super excited for his arrival! All along I was hoping he'd be late so that he would be as young as possible when Jake got home. Now that Jake is home already I'm pretty much ready for Camden to come! I'm still nervous... but gosh, I can't wait to meet our baby!! On Sunday night we thought CJ might be making his grand entrance really soon. I had some leakage and thought maybe my water had broken. I called my doctor's office and the on-call doctor told me to come in and be checked, so that's what we did. Turns out it was a false alarm and apparently it's normal to have small gushes of fluid that aren't amniotic fluid. I didn't think that happened but whatever! I was honestly super relieved that it wasn't my water! I want to labor at home and have as natural of a birth as possible and I knew that if that was my water I'd end up getting induced if I didn't go into labor within 24 hours. I DO NOT was to be induced! No no no thank you! So I felt a little dumb for going in to get checked when it was really nothing but I'm glad to know for sure that it wasn't my water rupturing. One good thing about our triage visit- we had an ultrasound to check the fluid around Camden and Jake and I got to see his little foot! He kicks my right side alllllll the time. You can pinch his foot or push it back in and he'll stick it out in the same general area again. It's cute and he does it all the time. So while we were getting the ultrasound done CJ decided he didn't like it and literally kicked the transmitter thingy while it was pressed against my right side. Jake and I both caught the glimpse of his foot- so clear and perfect! That was cool. And rather funny. It was especially nice since Jake hasn't been home for an ultrasound since September. I guess that was the little silver lining of our triage visit this time. But man, next time I'm in the hospital I am not leaving without my baby out of my belly! Haha. 

Looking forward to: At this point, I'm just anxiously waiting for Camden's arrival!! So many emotions. Mostly excitement, though. Lots of excitement! I have an ultrasound scheduled on Friday afternoon if I'm still pregnant. I'm hoping I'm not, though! I'd love to have CJ this week. I was hoping for a 3/13/13 birthday but no such luck with that. Maybe he will be our St. Patty's Day baby after all! I just hope he comes on his own very soon!

39 Weeks

How far along? 39 weeks & 1 day!  
How big is baby estimated to be? He's around the size of a watermelon or a pumpkin still, I guess. I'm curious to find out how big he is whenever he decides to arrive!
Total weight gain: I'm still hanging around 19lbs gained. My body seems to like being 143lbs right now. 

Wearing maternity clothes? Still just some... Same as usual! I'm going to miss wearing some of my cute maternity clothes after Camden is born! I think I'll keep the leggings out but I know my colored cords won't fit. So I'm trying to wear that stuff now while I still can. 

Symptoms this week: Lots of contractions! I had some on Thursday night that were about 15-20 minutes apart, lasting 40ish seconds for about an hour and a half. Then they got down to 14 minutes apart for another hour or so... Then they disappeared when I got distracted by Jacob's homecoming! They really weren't painful at all. Just mild and uncomfortable. My mom was convinced that I was in labor but I wasn't quite as sure since I really didn't feel bad. If that makes sense, haha. I had more steady contractions about 8.5-10 minutes apart, lasting 40-50 seconds, on Saturday night. But those went away once I went to sleep... It seems like my body can't decide if it wants to have Camden yet or not, lol. Other than the contractions, I've been having more insomnia. It stinks not being able to sleep! And that coupled with Jacob's current jet-lag that has him waking up around 7am is rather exhausting. Last night I was up until about 3am because I just could not fall asleep. My appetite has also been weird this past week. I haven't been as ravenously hungry as usual. I had zero appetite one day. My back is a little sore today but I just think that's from adjusting to sharing my bed again. I definitely won't complain about that! Totally worth it to have my hubby back! And I'm still feeling really good overall.

Food cravings: Only one strong craving this week- frozen yogurt! Not just any fro yo- the kind from those awesome places that do the self-serve soft serve fro yo with all the toppings selections. Yum! I could go for more right now just writing about it ;]

Food aversions: Nothing!

Any movement from baby? Yes! I pay pretty close attention to Camden's activity level these days. He's still an active little guy! I know he's running out of room but he wiggles around a lot. And he's back to getting the hiccups frequently :] He also has his own jam these days. Whenever he's awake and I play "It'z Just What We Do" by Florida Georgia Line, he goes crazy! He wiggles all over like he's dancing, hahaha. It's hilarious and wonderful. That's how Jake got to feel him move for the first time. Camden's jam, haha.

Gender: Boy!

Emotions and experiences this week: JACOB CAME HOME THIS WEEK!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, words cannot express how thoroughly happy I am to have my hubby back!!!! I knew that he was approved for early release from his deployment and I knew his fly out date... but I wasn't exactly sure what day he would be back here in Massachusetts with me. He ended up getting all of his in-processing done in Dover in one day, Thursday, then drove up here. But he told me he was going to come up Friday so I was very surprised to see him Thursday night! The situation is actually kind of a funny story... Jake told me that he would be spending the night in DE because he wasn't feeling too well and didn't have the energy to drive. I understood that he was tired and needed his rest but I was really disappointed at the same time. I just wanted him home right away! But I was happy to know I'd see him the next day and tried to do my best to just keep myself busy the rest of the evening. That meant watching the Bruins game, of course, haha. I was having contractions for a couple hours and started freaking out a little bit that I might be going into labor. So at about 10pm I texted Jake to let him know what was going on. He told me he'd leave right away and be there as soon as he could. I know that drive is like 6-7 hours so I expecting him to get in around 4am. Well, Jake called me at about 11pm and this is how our conversation went:

Jacob: I have a joke for you. Want to hear it?

Me: Sure... 

Jacob: Knock knock.

Me: Who's there?

Jacob: ManBear.

Me: ManBear who?

Jacob: ManBear's home!!!

Me: WHAT?!!?

Yeah, I was so shocked!! I couldn't even believe it! I ran outside and jumped on him. Yes, pregnant belly and all :P  It was amazing to finally be back in his arms!! It was just perfect. PERFECT. It's SO nice having him home!! He's gotten to feel Camden wiggle all around and get the hiccups a couple times. I think he likes it ;] Gahhh, I'm just completely happy to have Jacob back!!! Other than that major highlight, my week was good! Wednesday was my birthday. I got my hair cut (short mom hair, yay!) and a gel manicure, which was great. Then my daddy made lobster for lunch (my favorite!) and my parents treated me to Wholly Cannoli for dessert. I opted for a chunk of chocolate tiramisu instead of a cannoli and it was a very good decision, haha. So yummy! This was honestly a really awesome week, topped off with the best surprise ever with my hubby coming home :D

Looking forward to: Camden's arrival!! Now that Jake is home we're just waiting for our little guy to decide it's time to arrive. I'm hoping he comes on his due date or later. I'm really enjoying the time I have to just be with Jacob after 5 months apart. I'm not quite ready for everything to change with Camden's arrival yet... But I am very excited for him to come! I have a prenatal appointment tomorrow morning so I'm looking forward to that, too. I'm happy that Jake can be there for it! And I'm really curious to know if my contractions have helped my dilation progress. Ahhh, it's so crazy that I'm having a baby any day now!! 

38 Weeks

How far along? 38 weeks & 2 days!  
How big is baby estimated to be? The size of a pumpkin! Hehe, my little pumpkin baby! :D 
Total weight gain: Officially, I have gained 19 pounds. Yes, that is all. And yes, I eat NONSTOP. For real. I weighed in at 144lbs a few weeks ago, then I went down to 143.8lbs, then 143lbs even, and now I'm at 143.2lbs. I know the differences aren't big but my weight keeps lingering right around that 19lbs gained mark. I asked my doctor about it today and she said that 19lbs is acceptable. It's on the low side but she said that Camden is/has been growing like he should so it isn't a concern. She also told me to get used to eating a lot because I'm going to be one of those women who has to eat practically nonstop to keep up with breastfeeding, haha. She was like "you're going to lose so much weight when he's born, you'll have to eat a lot to keep up!" Fine by me! As long as CJ is healthy I am one happy mama!

Wearing maternity clothes? Some! Gosh, I feel like that's all I ever say, haha. I really am glad that I didn't invest in a lot of maternity clothes. This bump of mine just hasn't gotten big enough to demand only maternity clothes! It's nice, though. I like being able to wear a lot of my regular clothes- especially hoodies, tank tops, and t-shirts! But at the same time I'm trying to wear all my maternity stuff before he's born and I really have no need for it.

Symptoms this week: Still getting sharp pains and cramps in my hips/hip flexors. They've been pretty bad a couple times this week! Camden must be pinching off nerves because it's such a sudden pain. It's weird. Usually it goes away pretty quickly but I had some linger the other day. I'm dealing with it, though. I also had some nausea the other day. But that didn't linger, thank goodness. I'm still feeling good! Sleep has been rather elusive this week, which is strange. Last week all I wanted to do was sleep sleep sleep! This week, my body seems to be boycotting sleep. Or at least not letting me get more than 5-7 hours a night (whereas I was sleeping 10-12 a night last week!). It's strange, though. I'll fall asleep just fine, stay asleep for 20-45 minutes then suddenly find myself wiiiide awake. Then I don't fall back asleep until about 4am. Weird. Hopefully I'm able to shake this odd insomnia soon and get plenty of extra rest before CJ decides to arrive! Everything else is great and I still love being pregnant!

Food cravings: I was dyinggg for hard boiled eggs a couple nights ago! And I had to have Wawa coffee and a chargrilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A while I was in Delaware, haha. I can't think of anything else other than that. My taste buds are definitely gearing up for my birthday dinner, though ;] My parents are making me lobster (my favorite!) then we're going to Wholly Cannoli for dessert. Such a win meal, I'm excited. 

Food aversions: None.

Any movement from baby? Oh yeah! Little man is getting so big- I feel him move all over my stomach all the time! While I was driving home from PA the other day he kept pushing his little foot against my side and making my stomach bulge out. I'd pinch it or gently push it back in to my stomach and he'd move it to another spot and push again! It was like he was playing with me! It was SO CUTE. He did it to my mom, too, when she pressed back against his foot. He kept this up for over an hour! Haha. I love it. Another thing- I've noticed that Camden reacts to Jacob's voice. It's so sweet it could really make me cry. We don't get to talk to Jake everyday (we usually Skype once or twice a week) but I have a Build-A-Bear with a recording from Jake in it that I sleep with (don't judge me!). Every night I squeeze Berry's hand (the bear) and listen to the sweet little message from Jake, then I put my hand on my tummy and tell Camden that his Daddy loves him. This has been part of my nightly routine since Jacob left (oh so many days ago). Lately I've noticed that Camden gets really active and wiggly for a couple minutes after I do this! His activity doesn't usually last very long- just a few minutes- but I swear it's because he recognizes Jake's voice. Say what you want, but I truly believe that Camden know his Daddy's voice and likes hearing it just as much as I do! Gosh, I'm going to be so incredible happy when I finally have both my guys in my arms! 

Gender: Little man <3 

Emotions and experiences this week: It ended up being a busier week than I expected, but it was good! My mom and I took a trip down to Delaware and Pennsylvania for a couple days. I needed to drop Jake's car off at his base so he has a way of getting home after his deployment in case I can't make it down there with the baby. Obviously we didn't leave a car to begin with since I dropped him off but for whatever reason I didn't think about him needing a car until this past week, haha. So my mom drove his car down and I drove mine. We spent one night in DE and one night in PA. It was a really nice little getaway!! It was great to be back in that area- I miss it a lot! But it was bittersweet at the same time since I miss my hubby... The trip was good, though! I got permission from my doctor and tried to take it easy. I'm not gonna lie, the trip was a little more exhausting than I expected it to be! I felt rather crappy once I got back home on Saturday night. I don't know why, I just felt gross. Too much time in the car, I suppose. But the trip was worth it! Other than that, my stomach has started to drop a little this week! I haven't had the full "lightening" thing happen yet but I can feel my stomach moving down. And with that comes the whole Camden pinching off nerves in my hips thing. It's all good, though ;] I'm glad that Camden and my body are getting ready for birth. I'm still nervous about it and I'm still really hoping to have him late... but I am getting more and more excited to hold my little man! I had a prenatal appointment this morning and found out that I am 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced! I know that doesn't mean much since I could stay at 1cm for weeks or suddenly dilate really fast, but it's still nice to know that my body is doing what it's supposed to do! At the same time it's hard to believe that I'm actually getting ready to have this baby!! It's crazy. CRAZY. I'm super excited but it feels surreal! Gosh. So much to process, haha.

Looking forward to: My birthday tomorrow!! I'm getting my nails done and my hair chopped off! Plus, I get to have lobster and a cannoli! It's going to be a lot of fun. It's the first birthday I haven't spent with my hubby in 5 years, so that'll be sad... but I'll just add it to the list of things to celebrate together once he gets home! Other than that it's the same story- I'm looking forward to our countdowns shrinking! My baby boy will be here so soon!! Then I'll get my hubby back!! These next couple months are going to be so busy, challenging, emotional, and overall amazing! Looking forward, I'm pretty excited and happy :]

37 Weeks

How far along? 37 weeks! Full term! 
How big is baby estimated to be? Uhhh, he's the size of a small baby ;] lol. I guess he's about the size of a watermelon. The Bump says the size of a wintermelon, whatever that is! I'm assuming he's close to 6lbs now... 

Total weight gain: I'm still hanging right around 20lbs gained- up to 144lbs. I'll get a new official count at my prenatal appointment this week.
Wearing maternity clothes? Yet again, as always, a mix of maternity and regular clothes. Mostly maternity pants at this point, although my regular jeans still fit since I haven't dropped yet. But I'm wearing a lot of regular tops these days. I've found that if I buy tops in just a size larger than I usually wear, they fit my baby bump quite well! Then I can wear them postpartum as trendy slouchy shirts. Right? I've also been taking advantage of Jake's clothes for bumming around the house :]

Symptoms this week: Feeling good still! The only discomfort is that Camden has learned how to pinch a nerve in my left hip and give me this nasty Charlie horse-like cramp/pain. That isn't too fun. But at the same time it's not awful. And it gives me a chance to learn what makes it feel better and cope with the pain. So I can't really complain. Other than that, I've been having more Braxton Hicks contractions. And they're stronger! Not really painful but I did have one that startled me this week. I'm glad my body is practicing. What else... oh, I'm pretty sure my hormones have reached max capacity, haha. I have cried so much this week! It's ridiculous. I have been feeling a little stressed/overwhelmed with things- having Jacob away has been really tough recently. It's hard to figure out all this stuff to get ready for CJ on my own. I know if he was home he would be super involved in everything because that's the kind of guy he is. So it's hard on both of us that he's deployed right now and not really able to actively participate in everything. So a lot of my tears shed have been over that, which is understandable I guess. But other than that, sometimes I just start crying out of nowhere! And I couldn't even explain why I'm crying! It's weird, aha. That's about it for the pregnancy symptoms, though! Besides some fatigue. I'm starting to feel pretty exhausted and in need of extra sleep. But I still feel great in general!

Food cravings: I didn't have any strong craving this week either... Aside from coffee, haha. But that's just because I've been feeling that third trimester fatigue. And don't worry, I just drink decaf or half caf. And I don't do more than two cups a day. I can't think of any strong cravings otherwise.

Food aversions: Nothing!

Any movement from baby? Yes! He's still an active little guy! Lots of wiggles, funny bulges, and rib kicks. His movements feel different now that he's bigger and cramped but I still feel him moving around quite a bit! 

Gender: Perfect baby boy! <3 

Emotions and experiences this week: This week was somewhat busy and a little emotional for me (thank you, pregnancy hormones!). Like I mentioned in my previous post, I had a breastfeeding class, meeting with my doula, and prenatal appointment over the past week. Plus the adventure to track down my glider... Other than that stuff, my mom and I spent some time out and about running errands and picking up the last few things I needed for Camden. We didn't get a carseat/stroller set or a pack and play so I had to pick those things up. Then there were a few smaller things I wanted/we needed- some receiving blankets, burp clothes, diaper pail refills, more diapers and wipes... I was stressing a little about making sure we have everything we need but now I feel sooo much better! I was able to get a really nice carseat and stroller set at Babies R Us with a 20% off coupon! It's a Chicco. Although it wasn't the Chicco pattern Jake and I had wanted it was cheaper so that's good. I also got the base installed in my car! That was pretty exciting :D And I got the pack and play put together and some more laundry washed for baby boy. It was a productive week! But at the same time, getting all these things ready made me face the fact that Camden is going to be here so soon and Jake isn't. It's rough. Hence the emotional aspect of this week. Overall it was a good week, though! I'm happy that little man is coming soon, I really am! I'm so excited to hold him and see his perfect little face... but it's overwhelming at the same time! And still kind of surreal to me. But I'm very blessed so I can't really complain. 

Looking forward to: My birthday next week! And just continuing to lessen our countdown. We're down to the wire now! :D

36 Weeks

How far along? 36 weeks & 3 days!
How big is baby estimated to be? He's about the size of a large cantaloupe or a watermelon! He should be getting closer to the 6 pound mark now, but it's hard to be sure. My OB said he looks perfect and is growing just like he should! 

Total weight gain: I have gained 20lbs total so far. My weigh-in this week was exactly the same as my weigh-in two weeks ago at my appointment- 143.8lbs. So they round it up to 144lbs which means I've gained 20lbs. I'm surprised I didn't gain anything in these past two weeks because I feel like all I do is eat!! And aside from the piece- okay, okay, two pieces- of cake I had at my baby shower I make healthy choices. But I guess there's nothing to worry about if Camden is growing like he should!
Wearing maternity clothes? Yeah. Still some regular clothes mixed in, too. I'm glad I didn't buy tons of maternity clothes because they totally never would've been worn! If I buy anything new these days I just buy it a size bigger. That has been nice for a lot of super cheap clearance finds! 

Symptoms this week: Still feeling great! Still have a little bit of pregnancy insomnia but it isn't too terrible. I just sleep later to compensate. I'm also having stronger Braxton Hicks contractions these days. They aren't regular or anything but they are a little more intense... I'm also getting some of the shortness of breath and exhaustion that is to be expected at this point. But seriously, I feel SO good! I need a little extra sleep and smaller meals but nothing is bad enough to really complain about. Little man is treating this mama well! :D

Food cravings: I can't recall any strong cravings this week... then again, baby brain might be getting the best of me ;] haha.

Food aversions: Umm, I ate a hard boiled egg and it made me gag this week! That was strange. But I've eaten a few hard boiled eggs since then without a problem so I guess it was a fluke thing. 

Any movement from baby? Lots and lots! He was SUPER active on Sunday after I ate those two pieces of cake at my baby shower, haha. He must've been like "wow, mom never gives me this much sugar! I like it!" Lol. He was moving and moving for three hours. Practically nonstop! It was awesome. He's still very active and I'm paying more attention to his movements to make sure he stays that way. Still getting lots of rib kicks and funny bulges. I'm definitely going to miss this feeling!

Gender: BOY!! <3 

Emotions and experiences this week: It was a pretty busy week in my little world. Lots of prep for my baby shower, then all the craziness of having to move my baby shower to Sunday because of the snow storm... It was just full of things to do! The baby shower was a lot of fun, though! Quite a few people couldn't make it because of the snow so that was disappointing. But a lot of people braved the roads to come! I'm super thankful for everyone who was able to come and celebrate with me and my mom! And all the wonderful generous gifts are much appreciated!! Other than that, I took a breastfeeding class this week, which was great! I learned a lot of helpful, practical information. I'm glad I went because I feel a lot more confident and comfortable with breastfeeding now. I also had another meeting with my doula and my weekly prenatal appointment. As far as the appointment went, everything looks great! My doctor said that we're just waiting for me to go into labor at this point, which could happen any day! It's so crazy to hear that!! She didn't say that she thinks I'll have him early just that I'm set to go anytime now! It's still surreal to me that our little Camden Jacob will be here so soon! I can hardly believe it. I had my group b strep test today so I guess I'll get those results next week. Gosh, just a few short weeks until CJ's due date!! I have my hospital bag all set to go- finally picked up the last couple things for it. I have all Camden's stuff ready- all of his clothes and such have been washed with Ivory for his delicate skin, I made space on top of my dresser for the changing pad... My birth plan is finished and I'm really happy with it... Both mine and Jake's diaper bags are pretty much all set... Oh and I finally tracked down a big cushy glider!! Jake and I both wanted an upholstered style glider instead of a wooden one. Problem is, they're usually super expensive. But I found one on clearance on Babies R Us' website and, after quite a hassle and multiple phone calls, I found a store an hour and a half away that had one left in stock! So my daddy and I made the 3+ hour trip to pick it up. And I'll tell ya what, it was totally worth it! We got it for over 50% off and they let me use a 20% off coupon on top of that! Such a steal. I was able to order the matching ottoman online so I'm just waiting for that to come in. I'm so happy to finally have a comfy glider for all the upcoming late-night feedings! I'm actually sitting in it right now :] I like to rock and read stories to my little Camden bump. Thanks to my mom, this little guy has quite the library going already! The only thing I need to order now in a carseat and we'll be set to go! Ahhh! It's all so crazy! I'm ridiculously excited!! I'm still hoping he stays put until at least his due date- I don't really want to go early. But it's all just so exciting to think about! I guess overall this has been a really good week. Staying busy is making the time go by faster, which I do appreciate. I'm trying to soak up the last bit of my pregnancy, especially since I'm not uncomfortable yet. But I am getting more and more ready to hold this little man in my arms and welcome my husband home! I wish those two things could be in reverse but I know that we'll make up for all the time lost once he's home again. For now, I'm just trying to make sure I have all my little duckies in a row as we get closer and closer to Camden's due date!

Looking forward to: Hmm... Well, my daddy recently started pastoring a church and he's having a commissioning service this Sunday so I'm looking forward to that! I'm really happy for him! Other than that, my birthday is in two weeks! I'm not sure what I'm doing for it this year but I definitely think a good meal and either a piece of tiramisu or a cannoli is in order, haha. And as always I'm excited to get closer to CJ's arrival and hubby's return! :D

35 Weeks

How far along? 35 weeks!
How big is baby estimated to be? Approximately the size of a coconut or a large cantaloupe... At my ultrasound last week I was told that he weighs about 5 pounds now! I know that isn't exact and they could be wrong but it's nice to know that he's growing like he should be! 

Total weight gain: Officially up to 19lbs gained. I weighed in at 143lbs at my prenatal appointment this week. Granted, I had just eaten three bowls of salad and one bowl of soup from Olive Garden then washed it down with 30oz of water... but that's my official weigh-in! Haha. I feel like my stomach is growing a lot these days but my weight isn't climbing too drastically. My OB told me that I'm small but I'm still right on track. It's nice to know that she isn't concerned about my weight after the friendly advice of my gyno at my last visit, haha.
Wearing maternity clothes? Still a mix. Gosh, I'm starting to think I'll never be fully dressing in maternity clothes! Regular shirts are getting more and more snug as my bump grows so I've been wearing maternity tops a little more. But I'm still carrying pretty high so my regular pants all still fit (don't hate!) and I'm taking full advantage of that, haha. I have a pair of Lucky Brand jeans that are my absolute favorite lately! They aren't too tight but they aren't saggy in the butt either (like my maternity pants tend to be after wearing them all day). I can button and zip them still (as I can with all my pants) but I've been doing the hair-tie trick to give myself a little extra room. If someone had told me 25 weeks ago that I would still be wearing so much of my "normal" stuff right now, I wouldn't have believed them. Seriously. I had no idea I'd get such little use out of maternity clothes! I'm glad I didn't buy much at all. My maternity leggings from the Gap were, by far, my best maternity clothes investment. I'm sure I'll wear those after Camden is here, too.

Symptoms this week: I think the third trimester fatigue is finally setting in. Sigh. I was doing so good for awhile! But this past week, I couldn't sleep enough. My mom and I spent allllll day on Wednesday out and about doing things- lunch at Olive Garden, both my appointments, and tons of errands to get ready for my baby shower- literally 11 hours! By the time we got home my feet were killing me and I was ready to crash! I'm talking zombie mode. I don't usually get like that after a long day! It's hard for me to slow down and realize that it's okay to sleep extra. I feel so lazy when I sleep so much! But if that's what Camden needs then I'll do it for him. Otherwise, I'm feeling good! Not uncomfortable yet. Finally sleeping better. Still having Braxton Hicks- and they seem to be getting a little stronger these days! But still very sporadic so I'm not concerned about them. Overall I am still feeling great and loving being pregnant!! (Am I that annoying peppy pregnant woman that all unhappy pregnant women want to slap now? Sorry!)

Food cravings: You know what, I didn't have any strong cravings this week! Still eating a lot of yogurt and oatmeal. Oh, I did take to eating applesauce this week. The natural stuff with no sugar and crap added. I sprinkle some cinnamon on top and heat it up in the microwave. Yum. I prefer real apples but they're all squishy now with peak apple season being over. 

Food aversions: Nothing! Camden and I like to eat, haha.

Any movement from baby? Yes!! He's still very active! He's still giving me lots of rib kicks, thanks to being head down. He doesn't get the hiccups quite as often lately but I still feel them from time to time. He likes to be on the right side of my stomach so I get a lot of movement over there... He likes to make this nice round bulge with his little knee. It looks so funny. Usually I press the bulge back in and he wiggles all over the place! Also, I'm pretty sure I've already made a country music fan out of him! :D Whenever I put my country music on loud, he wiggles. Yeah, he's going to be the cutest little dancing country boy. I'm soaking up all the movement I'm feeling because I know that he'll be here so soon and I'll miss all of this. 

Gender: Our perfect baby boy<3
Emotions and experiences this week: I had a prenatal appointment and (what should be) our final ultrasound this week!! The appointment went well. I had tons of questions for my OB since I've been reading so much lately. She's so awesome and answered them all. I'm so happy with my doctor! I really like her a lot. She's so laid back, she never rushes through my appointments, she takes time to actually sit down and connect with me and she answers all my questions, even the most silly ones. So that was a good appointment! Then on to my ultrasound! I was sooooo excited for that!! I hadn't seen little man since October so I was anxious to get another peak at him! He has grown so much!! He's head down and looks good. He was measuring accurate to my due date of March 10th so it looks like that is still my due date. He was being super active while I sat in the waiting room (for almost an hour!) but decided it was sleepy time when we finally got in there. He sleeps like his Daddy- with his hands up by his face :] So it was difficult to get a good view of his face. The ultrasound tech put the machine on 3D to try and get us a glimpse of CJ's face so having his hands in the way made that difficult. We were poking my belly, having me lay on my side, cough, go pee, basically anything we could to get him to move his hands! This little boy sure has liked showing us his hands! All along, we've seen his little hands in our ultrasounds, haha. We finally got him to move them for a minute and got one beautiful 3D shot of his perfect little face!! Oh my gosh, I can't even tell you how excited I was to see that picture!!! I could've stared at it for the rest of the day. I'm not even kidding. He looks a lot like Jacob!! I can't wait to see that beautiful face in person! But it was awesome to see it on the ultrasound! We got a few other pictures, too. In one of the pictures, CJ is sucking on the back of his hand! It's basically the cutest thing ever, lol. I know, I'm biased but I'm allowed to be. This little guy is definitely going to be a thumb sucker. Jake told me that he was a thumb sucker so I guess he really is going to be just like Daddy! In another picture he's sucking on his pointer finger, haha. So maybe he won't be a thumb sucker, per se, more like a hand sucker. Lol. Hopefully this means he'll be good at latching on! Mommy can hope, right? Haha. No matter what, my heart fills with more love for Camden every single day. I love being pregnant. I have thoroughly enjoyed carrying this amazing blessing. And as much as I know I'll miss this time, I really can't wait to hold my baby. The closer we get to his due date the more excited I am! It feels surreal that he's due so soon. Just 5 weeks!! It's crazy! But I'm so excited! I can't wait to love on my little boy. I can't wait to learn all about him and figure out how to be the best Mommy possible to him. I'm so excited for this new chapter!! I thought I would be more scared at this point but I honestly feel so ready to be a mom! I mean, I still have quite a few things to do before I'm really ready for him to be here, but I feel a lot more confident about it all then I expected I would. Not much longer now! 

Looking forward to: My baby shower on Saturday!! It's going to be SO FUN! My mom and I have been in full-on planning and preparation mode this week and it has made me that much more excited! Our menu is set, we have almost all the supplies, we've done a lot of cool DIY projects... It's going to be so fun! And I can't wait to see all my friends and family! Especially the ones I haven't seen in awhile. Of course, like always, I'm looking forward to our countdown getting smaller! I've been daydreaming a lot lately about how utterly amazing it's going to be to have my husband AND our baby here. Gosh, I think my heart might burst the first time I see my two guys together!! I'm not even kidding. Just picturing it in my head makes me smile so big and tear up! It's going to be perfect. This new chapter of our lives is going to be challenging and crazy but gosh, I can't imagine sharing this incredible experience with anyone else. I'm so blessed to have a husband who is truly my other half and who is constantly supportive and encouraging. He is going to be the best Daddy! And I can't wait to watch it happen! :D