Expecting Mommies~June 2009!

[DisneyPrincess]

You look gorgeous!

[AsmallerME]

No real time to post but wanted to say hi to everyone. And Melody, you look amazing. Gorgeous pregnant lady!!!

Hi Nik!!

I'm ready for the weekend. Why isn't today Friday??

[Tylar_Connar]

Meloday, you look GREAT!! I gained 40 lbs and look know where as good as you do 2 months afte delivery.

Cereal is a MAJOR trigger food for me too. I could eat a entire box. I love it!!

[Melodybinoc]

Nicky...thanks for putting me at ease. They start scaring me with threats of what could happen and the tinyness of the chances of something going wrong start weirding me out.

Im just gonna breath...hopefully I dont have Strep B and if I do we will just be as careful as we need to be.

Im sorry you are fighting PMS.

Thanks for the compliments, everyone. I love my belly and I cant wait to meet him. Im gonna go play bejeweled on facebook now. (((Hugs)))

[MeekNHumble]

Meek - So my DH's company has job openings in Laurel....so technically if we wanted to, we could get back up there any time now if I was willing to live in Laurel or surrounding areas. But it is so expensive in MD and if we move back to our house (being rented out right now in WV) he'll be an hour and half from work driving and 3 hours if he takes the MARC train. So that wouldn't work. So as much as I REALLY want to be back, I'm not sure it would improve our quality of life to move. Plus I don't want to leave one city I don't like for another city. I complained and complained to my DH when he moved me out of northeren VA to Charles Town, WV 7 years ago, but it grew on me once I had kids. I feel so safe out there unlike here and how I think I'd feel in Laurel. Do you have any friends that live in Laurel or close to there that like it?

I think the Laurel area is really nice. The area reminds me of Alexandria a little. I had a couple friends that lived out that way. You are right, it is expensive; but nice and quiet. There are only a few areas I would move to in MD - and Laurel is one of them. It's really close to BWI parkway; which takes you straight into D.C. ... traffic is a little hectic on the prkway though.

Are you guys renting or purchasing, if you decided to relocate?

[MeekNHumble]

Ladies, I had to do a 24 hour urine/protein test early this week. Well, the nurse called me today and said that there is still protein appearing in my urine and my doc wants me to test again in 2 weeks. He's not majorly concern, but want to keep an eye out on me to make sure I don't develop preeclampsia . I have an appt next week and we'll talk further about my blood work. I'm a little nervous. I'm going to ask my church family to pray. In the meantime, I'm placing myself on a STRICT way of eating. No more eating out!!!!

[DisneyPrincess]

Meeks

[jbird3]

Meek - I will definitely be for you.
As for whether we would be renting or buying, we'd rent at first because I really don't see myself living in Laurel forever or even Maryland at all. I really want to live in Loudoun county, Clarke county, Frederick county, Va or back in Jefferson County, WV eventually. We already have a house in WV that we rent out, I really would prefer never to live in that house again but I would if I had to. So I don't know how it will go honestly. We definitely wouldn't qualify right now to buy anyway.

Melody - No need to needlessly worry right now. When Tracey gets back on here you can ask her about it since she researched a lot and had decided that I know of not to get the IV. Though she did end up with a c-section so I'm sure she'll have a lot to add to the convo. But since you don't even know if you have it I seriously wouldn't worry. BTW I didn't notice breakfast on your beautiful belly. You look terrific!! And "Doctor thinks he is gonna take food AND orgasms he is nuts." I TOTALLY agree....what would make you get out of bed in the morning then???

Cereal....LOL OMGosh I eat it every night. Sometimes not 'til 1 or 2 am but I have a bowl. Only one bowl but nonetheless I'm not giving it up til Griff makes his appearance. I LOVE cereal....I have about 8 different kinds at the moment. However frosted mini wheats or Fruity Pebbles are my faves. I know....bad!

I'm waiting to eat dinner so I'll be full for bed because I have that dang GTT tomorrow.... I guess I should probably at least start cookin' now, it's almost 7:30pm. eeek!

[MeekNHumble]

Thank you for your prayers ladies. I have prayed too and I"m leaving in God's hands. I'm sure I will be ok...just never had any complications before.

[Potaty]

Jenny~I have a feeling I will go early but maybe it's just wishful thinking. Maybe we will both get to be August mommies!

Melody~You look beautiful! Your bump is perfect and I love the breakfast on your shirt!

Nik~Sorry about the PMS, give Ava some snuggles from Auntie Katy

Meek~Prayers being said!

AFM~Had my GTT today. All I ate beforehand was eggs and more eggs, lol. I am really thinking I passed it but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm anemic again, I've been pretty tired. I didn't get to see my doc because he was on a delivery but I saw the midwife. She was super brief probably because she had double the caseload with fitting in my doctor's patients too. I am measuring 28 weeks (will be 28 on Sat.), heartrate was 146, gained another 7 lbs. for 14 total.

I am starving all.the.time. I don't know what to do. I told myself not to snack after dinner and I am sitting here soooo hungry. Ugh.

[LowCarbSleepyToast]

Hi everyone Popping in to check up. So far not having any sibling issues, except that my patience with Brianna is not what it needs to be .. She seems to be coping pretty well though.

Bailey is doing really well. She's stopped losing weight.. Of course all we're doing is eat-poop-sleep-eat-eat-poop at the moment.

I had meant to post more and upload some pics to photobucket but Bailey just woke up and is wanting to eat (see above) so I will try again tomorrow, lol

[MeekNHumble]

[COLOR="Navy"] Ladies - just stopping by to say hello. It's FRIDAY! YAHOO!

Have an awesome weekend ![/COLOR]

[jbird3]

Ok so the GTT didn't go so well. I got there drank a little over a third of the "drink" and felt really sick and threw up. The lab lady wasn't sympathetic at all. She's like "well you'll just have to come back another day"

So I went and talked to my nurse about it and she said, I can eat two hours before my next apt, they'll take my blood. Then come in first thing in the morning another day and get a blood test on an empty stomach. THANK GOD! I do not think I could face that drink again. I hadn't really been feeling all that well anyway....lots of nausea lately. Then the fact you can't eat at all before that nasty drink did not bode well for me.

Anyway wish I knew why I'm feeling so icky lately....I asked the nurse and she didn't seem to have any answers

[MeekNHumble]

[COLOR="Navy"]I just took my pressure and it's pretty high I'm on my way to my doctor's office for a check up. Please pray for me. Thank you!

Meek[/COLOR]

[LowCarbSleepyToast]

attemptng to nurse and type i'm sick of daytime tv

[Potaty]

Cheri`~She is beautiful and you look awesome!! I understand about daytime tv, I don't even turn it on anymore!

[Melodybinoc]

Ugh...Im sorry Jenny. That sounds like one heck of a GTT experience!

Cheri you look so good! How are you feeling? She is just beautiful!! She looks so pink and healthy and gorgeous. Ahhhh....

Im glad she has stopped losing and taken so well to nursing

I am going to stop stressing the Strep B. It just seems like everytime you go to the doctor when you are pregnant you have to overcome some health hurdle. Blood sugar, AFP, venereal diseases...and now bacteria. :P

4 more weeks and I get a baby!

Ill try to check in this weekend, but just in case I get flakey - everyone have a beautiful weekend!!!

[jbird3]

Cheri - She is absolutely lovely!!! Congratulations!!

Melody - I think that is a good plan "to stop worrying". There's not much we can do to change anything and the worrying won't help. I have to say this to myself pretty much every day.

Meek - Update?


That whole experience today with the GTT drink, really made me feel bad the rest of the day. Bad headache and very tired. Not sure if it was the drink or what but today was not good. We didn't even go to the pool or anything, I just napped and laid around.

[obraxton]

Cheri!!!! Two pretty little girls.
Melody, I love Izzy! The name is soooo cool!

[Nik]

Cheri: What a beauty! Thanks for sharing!Bailey is perfect, indeed.

Meek: Good luck, hon. Let us know what happens. The doctors will not tell you, but eating eggs sometimes helps with pre-E (they don't give any advice that isn't scientifically proven over and over again). According to midwives, at least two eggs a day will bring down the protein in your urine. Magnesium supplements can help reduce blood pressure, but definitely check with a doctor on that one. You know I can't give medical advice!

Meek and baby are just fine, and her body is cleaning out the extra toxins beautifully. She will wait until October to deliver perfect little Christian.

[MeekNHumble]

Nikie, thank you so much for your prayer. It made me smile from ear to ear this morning. I'm going to take your advice on eating the eggs. Getting ready to scramble some after this post.

Well, my pressure was still 140/90 during my appt - so the mid-wive gave me a referral to see a high risk perinatal doc over at the hospital where I plan to deliver. My appt isn't until 6/23. I also have to redo the protein/urine test on tomorrow and have more blood drawn on Monday. The physician at the office I go to did not want me to start any type of BP meds, which is a good thing.

I woke up feeling ok this morning. My plan is to get as much rest as possible.

Have a good day everyone.

[MeekNHumble]

Jenny, was your drink 50 or 100mg? I felt the same way you did after the 100mg drink! It was very sweet and gave me a major headache. !

[LowCarbSleepyToast]

Thanks everyone She's doing really well the only issue is that she has a clogged tear duct and we're having to put antibiotics in her eye.. but other than that she is feeding beautifully and hasn't started crying much yet.

BTW to those of you that already have children...how do you get them to sleep in their own bed? We have a bassinet beside our bed but she absolutely will not sleep in it. She squirms and waves her arms and eventually cries.. The only way I can sleep at night is by having her sleep beside me.

[jbird3]

Meek - Well I'm glad they didn't feel the need to put you on meds, but I'm sorry you have to deal with the blood pressure so early on. Just one more thing right? I'm sure everything will be fine. Did you have the HBP with the other ones? BTW the drink was only 50....I can't even imagine the 100. The 50 even having thrown it up still had me with a headache all day, I finally took my prescription at 5pm because it wasn't getting any better and I couldn't take it anymore.

Cheri - Do you swaddle her? I found swaddling and sticking to "the plan" was the best option. Take it from someone that has watched my best friend and my sister in law still having their babies, not sleep through the night and sleep with them when they are way too old to be doing so, (in my opinion - AND theirs, since they complained about it), you will wish you got her in the groove sooner rather than later, better to do it now before they know they can manipulate the situation. I know it's controversial to some, but Babywise (the book) was a God send. I learned about it through my DH's aunt years ago, that has 8 kids and they all went to bed without a tear or complaint, for naps and regular bedtime. They all slept through the night by 8 weeks of age. They were happy, affectionate, babies and toddlers that barely were ever upset, and when they were she always knew why.

The book is controversial because there are people that take things to the extreme rather than using their own instincts about their baby, so it got a bad reputation for awhile because of well....idiots, to be blunt. The premise is that you feed the baby on a schedule and put them down on a schedule and stick to the plan (within reason of course). It goes: Sleep time, Feed time, wake/play time then sleep time again (on a specific time period between ea.)....not feeding the baby to sleep as most people do. I don't start my babies on the schedule until they are 3 weeks old, however, I do try as hard as possible to stick to the feeding schedule from the get go (within reason again ). It's just too hard to keep little babies awake when they are first born to do anything else. Some people convienently forgot to read the section that talked about being flexible (and reasonable ) when the situation deems it necessary. But anyone with half a brain would know better than to not feed their baby for an extended period of time like some people were doing at the expense of the health of their baby. That is just crazy...but there are those out there....

The first time I read the book I thought, forget it, and threw it away....I am not doing it. BUT I will tell you by the time I got to the second baby I wised up and bought the book (again) before he was born, read cover to cover and let me tell you my experience with him was a TRILLION times better than I could've ever dreamed as was the case with my third baby too.

My SIL asked me the other day, "Do you want my "Happiest Baby on the Block, book it's been great".... I thought to myself, "No not so much, if "happiest baby on the block" means sleeping with your baby when they are 10 months old, never putting her to sleep on her own EVER, and carrying her everywhere at all times, jumping up every time she makes the slightest wimper....no thanks." Obviously I haven't read the book and it may not have anything to do with why my SIL is a freak , but to me if a baby is simply "happy" because you never let him/her have the chance to cry.... that's not truly a "happy" baby...

And for the record for the attachment parenting people out there... I say to each there own. I personally like to have "private time" with my DH and good sleep and that doesn't include (for me) having a child in the bed with me. But I have no problem if you feel strongly about that way of parenting, it just simply wouldn't have worked for me.

[Potaty]

Cheri~I recommend swaddling her, too. We swaddled Tucker until about 2 months old, otherwise his flailing arms would startle him and wake him up. The are so spastic at first, lol.

[MeekNHumble]

Jenny, no, I didn't have ANY complications with the others. I'm sure I will be fine. Keep me in your prayers. Thanks!

[aunatural]

Hi everyone,

We just got home from the hospital yesterday and I just wanted to drop in while Cayden is asleep and post a pic. It was a crazy week in the hospital...full of seemingly constant interruptions and Cayden becoming the fussiest baby ever after he was circumcised. We are doing so much better since being home and ALONE. Cayden has pretty much established his schedule and my milk is coming in OK so like Cheri said, it's poop, eat, sleep so far for us too. Of course, I tried to pump this morning and my nipples don't fit into the opening. So, I'm going to have to see if I can find a larger flange.

As for the labor, there's so much more to the story and I could literally write a book about this, but rather than write out every detail about what happened in that 24 hour period, I will give you the Cliff's notes version. I started having very painful non-stop contractions around 8:00 on Monday night. By the time my husband got home from work at 11:30, I told him I was going to call the doctor's after hours line because I had had no relief from contractions for 4 hours. I was told to come in to the ER so they could monitor the baby's heartbeat and check my dilation. I went in fully expecting to be sent home. About halfway through the monitoring and after a rather brutal internal check, my water broke. So of course, now I had to stay. I got to about 5 centimeters by noon the next day and I was at 9 cm by around 3:00 or so. And, that's where the progress stopped. I continued to fight through my contractions but my cervix just would not dilate to 10 and had started to go backward to about 8 cm. My midwife suggested that I get an epidural so that my body could relax enough through the contractions to get to a 10. I agreed. Of course, two hours later still no movement. So, she convinced me to start a low dose pitocin drip which also, as I suspected, did not work. Everyone was really confused about why I wasn't dilating to 10 because from the first internal check, they could feel the baby's head. They even told me he had a full head of hair when I was 1 cm so we know he was ready to come out. My midwife noticed some greenish fluid coming out of me around 8:30 p.m. and said it was probably meconium and she recommended that we go ahead and get the baby out via c-section since I was not making any progress and had no idea how much longer it could go on. So Cayden was born via c-section about an hour later. He had a conehead from being pressed against my pelvic bone for so long with my uterus trying to squeeze him out to no avail. So the midwife has surmised that my pelvic bones just were not separated enough to allow him to pass through.

Meek~ I'll be praying that everything goes OK.

Jackie~ (I don't know why I always think you're Julie) I'm glad everything turned out to be fine.

Amy~ I wish I could give you breastfeeding advice but I'm currenntly a little confounded by it too. I do have a few boxes of the Mother's Milk tea that I plan to start drinking once I figure out what the heck I'm doing . Just try to stay confident in your ability to breast feed is the best advice I can give you.

Katy~ Yes, I wanted to name him Christian but the hubby was dead set against it for a number of silly reasons . Cayden was our compromise. He's always liked it and it has grown on me. I like it now too...and I agree, you are a great keeper of the list.

Cheri~ Bailey is beautiful and Brianna looks like she is being a wonderful big sister. We are having the same issue with Cayden. He does not like the crib. Last night he spent the night sleeping on daddy's chest because he doesn't like the bed either. It's just something we'll have to work through I guess.

Melody~ I wouldn't worry about the group B strep test. I did end up getting the antibiotic. I was never opposed to it. I just wanted to know what my options were because I was trying to avoid getting an IV altogether. You'll have to make the best decision for you. Cayden was born without GBS and I suspect he would have even if I hadn't gotten the antibiotic. It's the "you never know" part that makes us worry. Beautiful pic! I was surprised by how much I loved my belly as well.

Jenny~ I took the fasting blood glucose test instead of doing the 3 hour GDS test. It was so much better because I fasted the night before, went in to get a finger prick to test my blood sugar, was able to eat a normal meal and go back two hours later to be tested again. It was wonderful and makes so much more sense than that stupid drink.

[jbird3]

Tracey - That is so weird your cervix stopped progressing. With my first son my cervix got there, by my pelvic bones didn't, he didn't have a cone head, but he did have a big ole dent in it that went away in a few days. So did it end up being meconium? And what did they tell you about the Strep B? Melody was asking about it while you were gone. Cayden is just a cutie patootie!!!!!!

[LowCarbSleepyToast]

omg Tracy he has soo much hair! That's adorable. Bri had lots of hair but nothing like that. About your delivery-the most important part is that you and the baby are safe and he is gorgeous! Thank god for medical science, right?

Jenny ~ My library doesn't have that book unfortunantly Is that the book where you're supposed to basically let the baby cry a little to train them to sleep on their own? The only parenting book I own is one I bought when I was preggo the first time. It's the The Baby Book by Dr. Sears. I think that's were the whole 'attatchement parenting' thing came from. With bri I let her sleep with us out of desperation.. I was literally crying with her 1-2 nights after she came home from the hospital bcs she just would not sleep in her bassinet. This time I just said f-it after about an hour of trying to get her to sleep on her own and we nursed off to sleep in my bed and slept for 4-5 hours....but I know it's going to be horrible getting her into her own bed when I'm ready.
I may try the swaddling. I'm just afraid that she might get too hot.

Wow I'm rambling Bri is at her grandpa's and Bailey is napping can you tell?


Oh, and about attatchment parenting..I tried out my sling yesterday it made my back/abs hurt. Second time around my muscles seem alot less willing to snap back to where they're supposed to be.

[kaisergirl]

A baby book that I read with my first was "Secrets of a Baby Whisperer". AMAZING!!!!! I learned so much from that book, even to respect my little man, as he is a human being too. It goes along with the whole premise of teaching them to self comfort, sleeping on their own by 8 weeks, routine, routine, routine,(of course with flexibility) and as a result I Had a wonderful first experience with my new baby. And we swaddled until he was about 6 or 7 months and got strong enough to bust out of it, then I went to the zip sleeping bags with arm holes and he still sleeps in that thing ( a bigger one of course)... COngrats to all the new mommies!~~~~ THey are beautiful!!!