Doctor

We had a checkup this morning. It was with a labor and delivery nurse from the hospital since Dr. Labban is on Christmas break. Everything was fine. My blood pressure was a little high for me, but still healthy (124/72). The nurse said it's likely because I'm swelling a little and that it's typical for your blood pressure to start running a little high at the end of pregnancy. She wasn't concerned about it. Baby's heartbeat sounded good and she said she could tell he was moving around in there from the doppler!

Also, I asked if she could tell if he was head down or not, but she couldn't really tell either. Her best guess was that he was not exactly head down, but kind of at a diagonal angle. But we've rescheduled the ultrasound for January 4th and hopefully by then he'll be settled into a good position. Either way, the nurse said we have plenty of time and shouldn't be concerned. And that even if he isn't in the right position, there are things we can do to get him there and that we both seem healthy and should be fine. So I'm not too worried. I would like to know how he's positioned in there though.

Also it's crazy to think that I'm 8 months pregnant. I'm going to have a baby soon. Like, for real. So weird. 

Blizzard

We were supposed to have an ultrasound today to make sure Baby Madren isn't breech, but we ended up having a blizzard instead, so pretty much everything was closed today, including Dr. Labban's office. We ended up with over ten inches of snow. But it stopped around 1:30 this afternoon and the roads have been plowed and we should be back to normal in the morning. We have one of our normal check-ups tomorrow, with a Labor and Delivery nurse from the hospital because Dr. Labban is out of town. Hopefully she'll be able to tell if the baby is head down or not and if she cannot, I suppose we'll be rescheduling that ultrasound.

However, one nice thing about being snowed in today...

Seth randomly looked at me this afternoon and said,

"We have a pretty good life."

Agreed.

Car Seat

Here's some pictures of the awesome carseat/stroller combo my mom got us:

  

We really like it. We chose it for the carseat. It has the best safety rating on the market currently. Also, the whole thing is pretty user friendly and cute!

 Anyway, we had our carseat safety inspection this morning. Bloomington Hospital offers this service since many people do not actually install car seats correctly. Seth had already installed our carseat, and when she checked it over, she said he had done everything exactly right! Yay, Seth! However, he had installed it behind the driver seat and apparently the middle seat is safest, so we moved it over there. Also, she said we had picked her favorite carseat and that they haven't had a recall in over six years. 

So I'm pretty excited that our little one is ready to ride in style, safely.

Bump Watch 34 Weeks

How far along: 34 weeks
Baby is the size of a: canteloupe (~4.75 pounds and ~18 inches)
News: Still having some swelling in my hands and feet. I find it gets worse when I'm on my feet a lot. I've also decided my hips hurt worse when it's cold outside, which is bad now that winter has come to Indiana. Although I think I'll make it for six-ish more weeks. :)

Meltdown

I posted recently that I was enjoying the third trimester more so than the others. In some ways it's true. But not as much in other ways.

My meltdown rate is increasing.

So far in pregnancy I've only had a few meltdowns. Seriously. Like 3 or 4 total. And at least one of them was legit. But now I'm not sleeping well and am tired and my body hurts. I've reached the uncomfortable stage of pregnancy. So now when things feel like they're going badly, it escalates quickly into the worst thing that's ever happened to me. Except I only feel like it's the worst thing ever and in my head I still know it's silly. So I keep ending up sobbing and laughing at the same time.

Today I had a meltdown because Seth made me stay at work an hour longer than he originally said and I was tired and hungry and then I went outside and it was sleeting/snowing. I was already unhappy about being so hungry (thanks Kroger for having gross apples and ruining my afternoon snack), but the snow. weather.com told me 30% chance of rain and that it was going to be 45*. Liars. So, yes, I had a meltdown because of the weather.

Although, I think I have determined that cold weather makes my hips hurt worse. So that's fun.

Anyway, I'm hoping this isn't going to continue until the baby pops out. Don't want the poor kid to think his mother's crazy. (I might be, but I don't want him to think so. :D)

Strangers

I had my first encounter with a stranger today! That only took 8 months! And it wasn't bad at all.

We had our lab holiday outing today. Lunch at HuHot Mongolian grill. I was in line at the grill and the lady next to me was way excited and I could immediately tell she was going to talk to me. Turns out, she was really nice. No belly touching. No unsolicited advice. She just wanted to know the normal things (when are you due, boy or girl, names). But since we were in line until our food cooked, it was a pretty long conversation. Long, but nice. She even told me I looked fantastic for almost 34 weeks.

I keep waiting on a stranger to ask if they can touch my belly so that I can ask if I can touch theirs, but this kind of encounter is okay too. :)

Bump Watch 33 Weeks

How far along: 33 weeks
Baby is the size of a: pineapple (>4 pounds and >17 inches)
News: The possibility that he's breech means we get a fourth ultrasound. (Although I don't really think he's breech. But the uncertainty is making me think about it more than I had been.) Also, we cleaned out the car really well and installed the car seat today. Just have to get it checked at the hospital and we'll be good to go.

Doctor

I got manhandled at the doctor this morning! It was just a routine weight, blood pressure, pee in a cup, heartbeat appointment, but at the end they were feeling around to make sure Baby Madren is head down. Mark, our student doctor, couldn't really tell so Dr. Labban poked around as well. He really looks for the head! It kind of hurt. Like I could my stretch marks getting stretchier. Oy. Anyway, Dr. Labban couldn't feel the head either, so we are now scheduled for our FOURTH ultrasound for the day after Christmas. He is definitely vertical, not transverse, because his back is obvious. I'm pretty certain he is head down based on the movements I feel, but they just want to double check. Dr. Labban says that it could just be that his head is already down in the pelvic cavity so that you cannot feel it from the belly anymore. I think that's likely because I feel like he scooted down a little this week. The top part of my belly is flatter now than it was and I've felt more pressure in the southern hemisphere than I had been feeling before. And I didn't tell him because I didn't think about it, but I feel baby hiccups pretty much on my rectum (weirdest feeling ever), so I'm not worried. (Sidenote, this has got to be the most hiccuping baby ever. He gets hiccups like three times a day.) So a second bonus ultrasound of a giant baby. I'm kind of looking forward to seeing how squished he is in there.

Bump Watch 32 Weeks

How far along: 32 weeks
Baby is the size of a: large jicama (about 6.7 inches and approximately 3.75 pounds)
Gender:  Boy
Total weight gain/loss: 28 pounds
Maternity clothes: yep
Sleep: Better this past week than it has been lately.
Best moment this week: Got all our diapers washed! 
Food cravings: plain Ruffle chips with Ranch dip  
Food aversions: I think they're gone! Finally!
Movement: Ninja bursts! Also, this has got to be the most hiccuping baby ever.
Symptoms: Hips still hurt but have been better the last couple nights. Lots of movement.
Labor Signs: I think I've had a few Braxton Hicks contractions, but otherwise, no.
Stretch Marks: Yep.
Swelling: It was bad in my hands and feet last week, but has gone back down in the last couple days.
Belly Button in or out: In, but I can see the bottom of it and it is weird.
What I miss: Sushi. And I'm a little sad that I won't be partaking in any eggnog this year.
What I am looking forward to: Meeting him! Saying Hi for the first time. Baby hugs.  
Milestones: I can't believe there are only 8 weeks left.

Comparison photo:

Swollen

My hands and feet are swollen this week. Not terribly, but enough that I finally took my wedding ring off. Now I'm wearing my rings on the Open Hearts necklace my mom gave me when Seth and I got married. I miss having them on my finger.

Recliner

I slept in the recliner for half the night because it hurt my hips too bad to lay in bed. :-/

Bump Watch 31 Weeks

How far along: 31 weeks
Baby is the size of a: four navel oranges (~3.3 pounds and >16 inches)
News: Single digit weeks left! Also, I ate chocolate, ham, and butter chicken. I think my food aversions are over! And the baby is turning into a super ninja making my belly dance all over the place with his flailings.

Thoughts

You may have noticed that I didn't post a lot for about six weeks or so. I just didn't really feel like it.

People say that the second trimester is like the "honeymoon phase." You get your energy back, and you're not comically rotund yet. It's the time to enjoy pregnancy and blah blah blah.

I have to say that that isn't really the second trimester I had.

I did get some energy back. Staying up past 7:30 is awesome! But then I was put on pelvic rest. So not so honeymoon like in that regard. And I couldn't exercise like I planned, which was a bummer. And apparently my baby grows in spurts, even in utero. Around 24ish weeks, all of a sudden EVERYONE was telling me how HUGE I was. It started with that lady in my sock class. Then we went home for baby showers with our families and again people just kept commenting on how large I was. And we came back to Bloomington and it just kept on and on and on...

"You're sure you're only having one baby?"

"You're not due until February?!?!? You look like you're due much sooner than that."

"But you're so big."

Seriously, these are things you should not say to a pregnant lady.

And it was just so bad because it was a seemingly never ending litany from all kinds of people. And it coincided with me starting to feel huge. So it was sort of depressing.

And it ended about when my second trimester ended (around 29ish weeks).

But honestly, I don't really care that much about being huge. I have absolute faith in my body. In fact, I'm proud of it. Yes, I have stretch marks. Yes, I feel rather large. But I'm growing a person. A whole 'nother life. And it's amazing. And if my body has to gain 60 pounds to do it, whatever. (Although for the record, I'm on track to gain about 35 pounds, which is on the higher side of average.)

Anyway, besides the rudeness/insensitivity of others, I just didn't feel like the second trimester was all everyone cracked it up to be. But, I am enjoying the third trimester so far. I feel like I have more energy, or at least am more focused in my energies. I do get tired more easily, but I'm adjusting to that. My hips hurt (seriously my biggest pregnancy complaint thus far) and it's hard to put my shoes on, but I just feel so much better. I'm really excited to meet our little one. I'm just like... happy. I feel like I've gotten my glow back. And I'm looking forward to the rest of this pregnancy.

I'm glad I've regained my perspective and can enjoy this process again. Because I really love this little dude, even though he's mostly kicks and wiggles right now. And he deserves a happy mama.

Braxton Hicks

So I went home early today because I think I was having some Braxton Hicks contractions. They didn't last very long and they weren't painful, just uncomfortable. Kind of like when you're getting ready to start your period. Or really need to go #2. My boss is out of town and I had done all my important experiments for the week, so I figured I was safe to just rest at home. I think yesterday's uber long, busy, tiring day contributed to it. I was really thirsty and have read that lack of hydration can impact these things.

Anyway, I don't really think it was a big deal or anything and I'm happy to have a day of rest. Especially since I think I'm entering the nesting phase. I just really want the house clean and to wash all the baby stuff. I've already organized his closet (and rearranged our linen closet to make that possible).

Nine more weeks. Single digits. It's getting real.

Hymns

Lately I've found myself singing hymns to the baby. I know most people sing lullabies to babies, but for some reason I just find myself singing hymns. I really think this kid may grow up to be a pastor. He loves being in church and inspires me to sing hymns. Anyway...

The one I find myself singing the most is Peace like a River. I hope we find it as calming when he comes out.

Doctor

We had another doctor's appointment this morning. Everything is still looking good. Baby Madren is head down. And apparently not a giant. (I asked.) And Dr. Labban told me I can get my dTaP vaccine at the hospital after I give birth, so that will be taken care of.

shoes

Seth and I visited Once Upon A Child for the first time ever today. That place is amazing! I have the feeling I'll be spending a lot more time and money there.

But for today, we walked out six dollars poorer and two awesomely cute pairs of shoes richer!

Bump Watch 30 weeks

How far along: 30 weeks
Baby is the size of a: head of cabbage (~3 pounds and ~15.7 inches)
News: He's learned how to do jumping jacks! I got a pretty good kick to the ribs yesterday.

Bump Watch 29 Weeks

How far along: 29 weeks
Baby is the size of a: butternut squash (~2.5 pounds and ~15 inches)
News: I ate some chocolate!

Busy Baby Day

Whew! It's been a busy day for us.

We took a cloth diapering class at The Green Nursery this morning. It was really informative and I think has helped me narrow down our strategy. I really feel like I have a better understanding of what's out there and what I think will work for us. I think we'll do prefolds and covers when he's really little and move to the pocket diaper style when he's a little bigger. I'm really excited about cloth diapering and really happy I feel more prepared for it!

Then we had our tour of the maternity ward of the hospital. Bloomington Hospital's facilities are really nice! And they have a lot of policies that I'm really happy about. They really promote breastfeeding and rooming in and making sure mom and baby and dad are settling in well. It also seems like they want to give you the birth experience you want. Bonus that we've heard absolutely nothing but good things about all the nurses and everyone who works in labor/delivery/postpartum care.

Then, while we were there, we stopped to visit my friend Rohini who had a baby yesterday morning. They all seemed to be doing well and her son is SO ADORABLE. I'm really glad I got to meet him and now I'm even more excited to meet our little one.

Hormones

OMG Pregnancy hormones are insane!

I was just laughing and carrying on with Seth, perfectly fine, and then ran into the corner of the medicine cabinet. It didn't even hurt that bad, but all of a sudden it was like the worst thing that's ever happened to me and the next thing I know, I'm totally sobbing.

Crazy.

Bump Watch 28 weeks

How far along: 28 weeks
Baby is the size of a: Chinese cabbage (about 14.8 inches and approximately 2 1/4 pounds)
Gender:  Boy
Total weight gain/loss: 23 pounds
Maternity clothes: yep
Sleep: Still waking up at least twice per night to pee. Getting harder to be comfortable at night.
Best moment this week: Passed my glucose test! And all my other lab work looked good.
Food cravings: Still apples. And pizza.  
Food aversions: Still chocolate.:(
Movement: Lots! He's getting stronger in there!
Symptoms: My hips hurt. I'm ginormous.
Labor Signs: Nope
Stretch Marks: Yep. They just appeared overnight and are really unattractive.
Swelling: Sometimes, but it's been better in the last couple weeks.
Belly Button in or out: In, but definitely getting more shallow.
What I miss: Sleeping through the night.
What I am looking forward to: I'm just looking forward to meeting him! 
Milestones: Third trimester, y'all!

Photo Comparison:

It's really too bad I don't have a 24 week picture because we were in North Carolina. Because holy crap our baby has grown a lot in the past 8 weeks.

Glucose

I had my 28 weeks lab appointment yesterday. I had to down a bottle of fruit punch flavored sugar water in five minutes then give blood an hour later. They called with my results this morning, and everything looked good. Yay, I don't have gestational diabetes!

But, yeah, that stuff is sort of gross. At first I didn't think it was too bad, but by the bottom of the bottle, I really didn't want any more. Although maybe if I had taken my actual five minutes instead of guzzling it in three, it wouldn't have been quite as bad... :)

Bump Watch 27 weeks

How far along: 27 weeks
Baby is the size of a: head of cauliflower (~2 pounds and ~14.5 inches)
News: We can see him move on the outside!

Home

We are so glad Seth is home from Japan! We've definitely had a crazy few last weeks. We were home in North Carolina for baby showers with our families, home for four days, and then Seth went to Okinawa to attend a conference for a week. I just now feel like I've recovered from all of that. Also, the baby is really excited that everything is back to normal. He's been dancing around ever since Seth got home Friday afternoon. Not even officially met, and already he likes Seth better. Geez. :)

Anyway, I celebrated Seth's return by having him put together the carseat/stroller system and co-sleeper this afternoon. Then we sorted all our shower gifts. We only have a few returns to make because we got a few duplicate items. I think we'll just exchange them, probably for a little bit bigger clothes. We got a lot of 0-3 month things and almost no 3-9 month or beyond.

So we're looking at the third trimester starting next week and things are starting to get organized. We have another baby shower with our Bloomington friends next week, but it feels like things are coming together. I mean, he has a carseat and a bed and five diapers, so we're good to go, right?

Doctor

We had a checkup this morning. Everything looked good.

Dr. Labban has a medical student interning with him. I love having medical students! I like being part of the learning process. His name is Mark and he did most of my visit with Dr. Labban supervising. He poked around on my belly and figured out how the baby was situated and then we got to listen to both the baby's heartbeat and the pulse in the umbilical cord. That was pretty cool.

And now I'm pregnant enough to start going every two weeks and I have the glucose test and other labs next week.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Madrens!

I promise I haven't forgotten about the blog. I have things to talk about; I'm just exhausted and have other things to do.

Kick

We just got home from our first baby shower with Seth's family. It was really lovely and I'll post more about our trip to North Carolina when I get pictures and have more time back in Bloomington.

In the meantime, I wanted to post that Seth finally felt the baby kick today! I'm so happy about that.

Also, I had a good time watching the baby thump my belly this morning in church.

He's getting so big and he is SO LOVED. :)

Ultrasound

We had our ultrasound to check on the status of my placenta today.

She put the little thing down near my cervix and didn't see my placenta at all, so she started  zooming around. It had apparently moved so much she was surprised! It's way up where it needs to be, so all those positive placenta thoughts worked. In fact, she asked me if I had had a growth spurt, which judging by how hungry I was a couple weeks ago and the appearance of stretch marks, I'm going with yes. Yes, I did have a growth spurt. Which apparently really worked out for my placenta. So no more worries and I can continue with my natural birth plan with hopefully will NOT include a c-section.

And, bonus, we got a picture of our kid looking more like a baby and less like an alien.

He's getting so plump in there! So cute!

boo

Pretty sure I'm developing two stretch marks.

weird

I can see the bottom of my belly button. It's weird.

Also, I'm pretty sure I felt the baby move from the outside today. But Seth said he wasn't sure if he felt the baby move or if he was feeling his pulse. Either way, little dude's getting stronger in there.

Gigantic

So I signed up for this sock knitting class at a local yarn store. I've been wanting to take this class forever and I figured now was a good time to finally do it.

Last week was the first of two classes. It was just me, one other old lady, and the instructor. We got our socks going and whatnot and they asked me some questions about the pregnancy and whatnot. When I told them how far along I was, the other lady taking the class responded with, "Wow! You're gigantic!"

I just kind of laughed it off and said something about eating for two or something and just kind of shrugged it off as crazy old lady talk. Whatever.

Today I went for the second part of the class and the lady asked my due date and when I told her February 1st, she responded with "You just really look like you're due way before that."

So now I'm a little annoyed. I was already mad because I was hungry and I messed up my sock. But, seriously, WHO SAYS THAT? And not just a once, oops-I-stuck-my-foot-in-my-mouth kind of thing. Ugh.

And for the record, I'm pretty sure I look like someone who's 23 weeks pregnant. But even if I looked like I were 36 weeks pregnant instead, perhaps that's a comment best left to one's self.

Bump Watch 23 weeks

How far along: 23 weeks
Baby is the size of a: large mango (~11 inches)
News: Ultrasound on Wednesday. North Carolina on Friday! And the baby is super wiggly tonight. And getting stronger. His kicks are starting to get a little surprising.

Doctor

Our monthly doctor's visit was good this morning. Heartbeat is getting louder! I think I annoyed Dr. Labban by asking a lot of questions about pediatricians. He answered my questions, but he said, "You're asking a lot of questions about the baby! I just deliver them! Do you have any questions about YOU?"

But he did also say that even if my placenta hasn't moved by the ultrasound on Wednesday, I should be safe for driving to North Carolina on Friday. So, still hoping it will have moved away from my cervix, but even if it hasn't, we can still go home.

Also, I think my belly button is going to be an outie before the baby is (an outie, hahaha).

Bump Watch 22 Weeks

How far along: 22 weeks
Baby is the size of a: spaghetti squash (~11 inches)
News: I'm starting to have some swelling in my hands and feet. I had to take off my engagement ring.

zzz

Pregnancy insomnia. Oh, joy.

Other current complaints:
I think I'm making milk and it hurts.
Hands and feet are starting to swell. I had to take off my engagement ring.
Pain in what I've self-diagnosed as my left sacroiliac joint.
Pelvic rest. And other no-walking-or-swimming-take-it-easy-for-at-least-two-more-weeks rest.

It sounds like a lot, but they're really not terrible. I just really hope I sleep tonight. Overall I'm still enjoying pregnancy, but things are getting a little more uncomfortable.

However, one slightly more uncomfortable but way more awesome thing:  Baby Madren is getting stronger! His movements are definite and occasionally surprising. But I LOVE them. I feel like I'm getting to know him already. I'm looking forward to sharing feeling him move with Seth.

So, some "complaints" but still largely overshadowed by the great joy I feel about this whole becoming a mom process.

Baby Blanket

I have a lot of posts or post ideas, but have been so busy I haven't had a lot of time to sit and write them. But don't worry! I have a list and will hopefully make my way through it. This post is one I've been meaning to write for a long time.

I have a baby blanket. It's a blanket my mom made when she was pregnant with me. I love this blanket. I carried it with me to preschool everyday and to the baby sitter's all through elementary school. It stayed on my bed through high school and then went to UNC with me. Since I moved to Indiana and got married, it no longer stays on my bed, but I've kept it folded up nicely in our hall closet and take it out every now and then to snuggle on the couch. So I knew that I wanted to give our baby a blanket that he will hopefully treasure as much as I treasure my baby blanket.

The blanket my mom made for me is a jersey material printed with some animals and a train and some flowers and says "That's Our Baby" on it. My mom hand-stitched the outlines of all these things and sewed it together with some batting.

Here is what it looked like when I was a baby and now:

So, yeah, I love my blanket. But I'm pretty certain I don't have the necessary skills to make one like this. But, I am a pretty good knitter. So I searched Ravelry and picked out a couple patterns I liked. And I went to Joann's and got some yarn. And I started working on a blanket for our baby.

At the time, we didn't know if it was a boy or girl, so we chose gray. And I got started knitting.

I'm now more than halfway finished with it and I think it's a lovely blanket. Warm and soft and made with lots and lots of love. I hope our son loves it and knows that I thought about him with every single stitch and that he'll feel that love when he snuggles with this blanket throughout his life.

Recliner

When we found out we were pregnant, I knew immediately that I had to have a recliner. It was pretty much the first must-have item on the list of things we needed for the baby.

My mother- and father-in-law were kind enough to send Baby Madren a check for my birthday so we could get him a recliner. After checking all the furniture stores in Bloomington and being disappointed at the severe lack of recliners, we headed up to Indy yesterday to see what they had to offer.

We found a furniture store just south of Indy, in Martinsville, that was having a huge sale, so we stopped in. They had a ton of recliners! After sitting in all of them a few times, and talking to the sales lady, we bought a chair. I'm pretty excited about it. It's a chocolate brown LaZBoy and more or less exactly what I wanted. And it was like 40% off!

Baby Madren and I are really looking forward to naps in this thing in the not-too-distant future. Thanks, Larry and Cheryl!

Bump Watch 21 Weeks

Couple days late. Taken before church on Sunday instead of Friday night.

How far along: 21 weeks
Baby is the size of a: carrot (~10 1/2 inches)
News: Baby moves around a lot, almost always around 10 AM and then a lot at some point in the evening.

Pinterest

I saw this on Pinterest today. It's appropriate. I love Dr. Who.

Bump Watch 20 weeks

How far along: 20 weeks
Baby is the size of a: banana (about 10 inches)
Gender:  Boy
Total weight gain/loss: ~10 pounds
Maternity clothes: Fo' Sho'
Sleep: I've gotten into a good schedule of sleeping pretty good and getting up to pee once (on a good night) or twice (on a normal night).
Best moment this week: This was a good week! I turned 27. The baby was healthy at its ultrasound and we were really happy to find out it's a boy. I'm not happy about some things that have happened since then, but we wanted a boy and I had thought it was a boy, so we were happy to find out it's a boy. Also, I had to present a poster for work today (yes, on a Saturday) and it won first place.
Food cravings: Grapefruit. I even had grapefruit cupcakes for my birthday. 
Food aversions: Still chocolate. I apparently can't digest leafy greens anymore. And Indian food does not taste right.
Movement: Pretty sure I had a dance party in my uterus this morning.
Symptoms: I definitely feel pregnant. My center of gravity has changed and some things are starting to feel harder.
Labor Signs: Nope
Stretch Marks: Maybe one weird looking one on my left love handle.
Swelling: Sometimes in my hands.
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Now that I'm on pelvic rest, I suddenly miss Seth.
What I am looking forward to: I'm mostly looking forward to holding the baby.
Milestones: We reached the halfway point!


Photo Comparison:

More kind words

I had sort of a crappy day. It was really close to involving one of those ugly pregnancy cries. Mostly work related. But I was also not happy about my placenta situation. The doctor's office called me this morning and told me I couldn't walk or swim anymore and that I should take it easy until my next ultrasound (October 10th). So I was bummed about that.

But then Seth took me to Chocolate Moose and I had homemade pumpkin ice cream with caramel syrup, which was delicious and made me feel a little better. Then I went to bell choir practice and one of the ladies who also plays said something really incredibly nice. She said that Seth and I are the type of people who should have kids. Which is just a really nice thing to say. And made me feel better.

Also, the woman working the register at the Union asked me what I was having. And a fellow labmate mentioned that she thought my bump had really popped as well. So it's cool that I'm really looking pregnant. I like having a bump to hold. It makes me really look forward to holding our baby.

And, I got an unexpected birthday card in the mail from one of Seth's relatives. It also had kind words for me and little Madren. 

So, even though I was in sort of a crappy mood all day and sort of let things stress me out more than necessary, it ended up being not so bad.

Ultrasound!

Happy birthday to me! What better way to celebrate turning 27 than having the "big" ultrasound?

Let me just say right off the bat that it was awesome.

We saw the baby's four little heart chambers beating and all its bones looked good. All its measurements were good. Heartbeat still good and beating at 160 beats per minute. And it has the cutest little baby feet. And it even rubbed its eyes which was really adorable.

But, apparently our kid is a little ham because it was staring and grinning at the ultrasound the whole time so we just kept seeing this gigantic skull face everywhere.

A little creepy looking, actually. And it was way clearer on the screen than in the printout we got. I'm sure it will be cute when it comes out though. Or at least hopefully shortly after...

Also, we did figure out the sex. We told the technician not to tell us, but not to necessarily hide it and if we figured it out, then we figured it out, but if we didn't, don't tell us. The first thing we saw was the butt shot, so we figured it out. But we're not telling anyone.

The only bad thing is that I am now on pelvic rest due to the location of my placenta. It is currently located right next to my cervix (not covering it at all) and is considered marginal placenta previa. Apparently it's pretty common for it to be located low at this stage and it will hopefully correct itself and move up as my uterus grows. I will have to have it checked again in a few weeks. Most (I think around 90%) marginal cases at 20 weeks will be corrected by around 28 weeks. If it remains too close to the cervix, I'll have to have a c-section. So think positive placenta thoughts!

Popped

I walked into our Bradley class tonight and our teacher exclaimed, "Wow! You've really popped this week!"

That's good because I am definitely feeling more pregnant this week.

And I am SO. EXCITED. for our ultrasound tomorrow.

Bump Watch 19 Weeks

I didn't crop it so you could see how close my puppy shadow is to me all the time.

How far along: 19 weeks
Baby is the size of a: large heirloom tomato (6 inches)
News: Ultrasound on Wednesday! Heartbeat sounded good at our doctor's appointment this week. Everything still going fine. I'm even feeling a bit better.

LLL

Part of our Bradley Method classes is to attend a La Leche League meeting. So I went to one tonight. The topic was gentle discipline, which I'm not 100% sure we really spent that much time on. But I'm really glad I went. I feel like I may have made a mom friend. A woman named Liz who is 14 weeks pregnant with her second kid. Some things were a little too hippy dippy for me, but I expected that. But overall I feel like LLL will be a fantastic resource and I'm looking forward to going to more meetings.

Voices

So we're pretty close to the baby being able to hear in there, so Seth has started reading to it for a couple minutes a day. He picked "the only children's book in the house".... Harry Potter. Our baby will know Seth's voice and have excellent taste in literature. :)

Bump Watch 18 Weeks

How far along: 18 weeks
Baby is the size of an: bell pepper (~5 1/2 inches)
News: I actually stayed home sick from work yesterday and the day before, but I'm feeling better. Unfortunately, I gave it to Seth. Also, I now feel the need to walk around the house singing "I don't think you're ready for this belly. My body's too babylicious for you, baby." Totally giving Beyonce a run for her money.

Visible

Today was a big day for me. It was the first day that someone that didn't already know I was pregnant realized I was pregnant.

A sales rep that comes to our lab periodically greeted me with "Congratulations!" today and it was a little surprising to me. Mostly that she sort of snuck up on me and yelled congratulations, but it was nice for someone to notice.

But I mean I guess it's getting obvious... :)

Wiggling

The baby was wiggling around in church today. I think it really likes it there. Maybe it will be a pastor when it grows up.

We also talked to our pastor Jack about baby baptism vs dedication. Family members, if you have strong feelings on the subject, we're willing to hear your arguments and opinions while we decide which we want to do.

Bump Watch 17 Weeks

How far along: 17 weeks
Baby is the size of an: onion (4 1/2 to 4 3/4 inches)
News: It's wriggling around in there!

Sour

This kid loves vinegar. Must be related to me.

Also, it's moving around a lot tonight. Or at least a lot compared to the rare little movements I've been feeling. Love it. :)

Swimming

I finally got back in the pool this morning. I am so happy to have a renewed gym membership after not having one all summer. Honestly, I wouldn't have used it for the first fourteen or so weeks of pregnancy anyway, but I've been itching to get back the last three weeks (since I've been feeling better).

I did two 30-minute walks this week and finally made it in in time to swim this morning. Swimming for two is difficult! Or maybe it was taking four months off... Either way, I did 400 yards and that was enough for today. A short swim, but it was a workout. Although I think the baby liked flip turns. It started moving around after I did them. It was weird to feel the baby moving in the middle of a lap. Maybe it will be a swimmer... I also did some backstroke. It was nice to be on my back and not be uncomfortable or worry about cutting off the baby's oxygen.

Also, I was really happy with my maternity swimsuit. I think I like it even better than my normal lap swimming suit! Plus it's cute.

Here's the suit I ended up with:

Nosebleed

I was so excited to go back to the HPER to walk on the track this morning. Unfortunately, when I got to the locker room, my nose was bleeding like crazy. It stopped, but I've been paranoid every time I sniffle today.

Conformation change

So Seth and I are scientists. Fairly nerdy ones at that.

Today at work I dropped my glove on the floor. I just kind of stared at it a second while my boss happened to walk by. He asks me if I can still pick it up and I tell him I can. And he replies, "So you're not that conformationally altered yet?"

Baby nerd jokes. Love it. 

Football

I find that I want to go to high school football games and watch football on tv and football movies. Now, I'm pretty excited about fall (it's my favorite season by far), but I'm not usually a football person. I'm thinking this thing must be a boy. Or a future cheerleader. Weird.

Bump Watch 16 Weeks

How far along: 16 weeks
Baby is the size of an: avocado (about 4 1/2 inches)
Gender:  I don't know if I want to know!
Total weight gain/loss: 3-4 pounds
Maternity clothes: Yup. And as you can see in the picture, only tall women get pregnant. I should get my pants hemmed...  
Sleep: Seth has taken up snoring. And I wake up every two hours, usually for good around 6.
Best moment this week: I definitely felt the baby move today!
Food cravings: Still apples and apple juice. And I've increased my ice cream consumption. And grapefruit.
Food aversions: No super aversions currently, but some foods still don't taste right. I'm looking forward to when chocolate doesn't taste like dirt.
Movement: Yes! Only once (just a couple hours ago) for sure and a few that I'm pretty sure was baby. :)
Symptoms: Dat bump. Also, I think each boob deserves its own zip code now.
Labor Signs: Nope
Stretch Marks: I think I will probably be getting some. And probably sooner than I'd like.
Swelling: I don't think so.
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: belts
What I am looking forward to: going home in October to see our families (not exactly baby related, but sort of)
Milestones: Movement!
News: I think I've covered most of it... :)

Relaxin

I think I'm experiencing baby-induced heartburn. Oh, yay.

Maybe

I'm not sure, but I think I've been feeling the baby move a couple nights while I'm laying in bed trying to sleep. Exciting!

Home

Also, mark your calendars! Seth and I will be in North Carolina October 12th through 22nd. We should be in the Greensboro/Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area October 13th through 17th and in the Dallas/Gastonia/Charlotte area October 17th through 22nd. 

Let us know if you're around and want to get together!

Registry

I think we've completed our registry! 

For anyone who wants to know, we are registered at Target. Just go to the registry tab and search for Jillann and/or Seth Madren.

Ugly Cry

I had a huge, sobbing, ugly cry last night. Right before childbirth class. Because I can't wear a belt.

Yesterday was my first day wearing my new maternity pants. I had been wearing some shorts I got, which have been just fine. Love those little stretchy things. But my pants are a whole other story. First of all, apparently only super tall, leggy women get pregnant in the maternity design world. Every pair of pants I tried on are at least six inches too long. Which is dumb, because I am right at the American average height for women. I don't know very many preggos tottering around in six inch heels. But, and I have this problem in regular pants too, my thighs are proportionally larger than pretty much any other part of me. Which tends to make my pants saggy without a belt because the waist part isn't tight enough. Maternity pants don't even have belt loops. So all day I was mooning people my nude colored stretchy stuff (which even worse has a seam up the back to really get that buttcrack look) and they were really difficult to pull up due to lack of belt loops or waist band.

So I got a little too hungry and had a meltdown because I don't have belt loops.

I like the side rouched tshirts that I have, but now I'm thinking maybe I should stick to tunics and leggings for the rest of this pregnancy. :-/

Bump Watch 15 Weeks

How far along: 15 weeks
Baby is the size of an: apple (about 4 inches)
News: We've started working on our registry.

Weight

I woke up ridiculously early, so I'm going to write a post I've been thinking about for a while, but was brought to mind at our doctor's visit yesterday.

A lot of women worry about the weight they'll gain during pregnancy. Most of us don't want to gain too much. For some reason this is just not something I'm super worried about. Sure, I'm not looking forward to the work (mostly the dieting) that will likely be needed to take it off post baby, but even that I'm not stressed over. I mean, I have a goal weight limit in mind. Two in fact. Goal A is to not weigh more than Seth (185 lbs) which puts me right at the ideal weight gain. Goal B is to not weigh more than 200 pounds. But even if I don't make those goals, I am really looking at it from the mindset of my body will do what it needs to do to make and deliver a healthy baby. If my body needs 80 pounds to do that, then that's what it is. I will worry about that after my body has done its present (and most important) task of making and delivering a healthy baby.

I'm a little surprised at how laid back I feel about everything concerning the baby. I'm usually very Type A, a little uptight, and need to plan everything and know all details about everything. I think this baby is a good thing for me. For whatever reason, I'm okay with not knowing things and just have faith that everything will be fine. Not that I'm usually a big pessimist, doom-sayer type, I just generally feel fairly relaxed about the baby. Which I think is actually a good thing.

Anyway, I went off on a tangent there. I just wanted to say that weight is a big issue for a lot of women (understatement of the year?). I'd be lying if I said it wasn't an issue for me at times. This is just not one of those times.

Doctor's visit

We had one of our monthly checkups this morning. What better way to start the day than listening to your baby's heartbeat? I love that sound. It was beating good and strong, didn't even have to search for it. He asked how everything was going and I answered all his questions and he said my pregnancy is going by the book. So, yay, me!

More Onesies

I was browsing Target's website and discovered a whole new kind of onesie that our baby needs. Seriously. Needs.

source

source

I especially love the banana, but the peas are adorable too.

Suggestion

on Old Navy's website

My birthday is next month. Green. Size 12. Just in case you need ideas.

Bump Watch 14 weeks

How far along: 14 weeks
Baby is the size of a: lemon (about 3.5 inches)
News: I'm feeling a lot better. I've gotten most of my energy back and my appetite. It's a little weird suddenly going from "I'm not sure I can eat" to "OMG I'M HUNGRY FEED ME NOW" but I'm taking it as a good sign. 

Nose

This is going to sound crazy. Just so you're prewarned.

I read a lot of blogs. One of them is very similar to this one, and in fact, I would even say one of the big reasons I started this blog. It's written by a girl I knew at UNC and chronicles her pregnancies and now her babies. You can find it at http://babyblanton.tumblr.com.

Anyway, during her first pregnancy, she mentioned that she heard that sometimes your nose widens when you are pregnant. She thought this was crazy. And then she thought it happened to her.

Well, I'm pretty sure the same thing is happening to me. I, too, thought that sounded crazy (although really at this point I don't think anyone should be surprised at all the wacky things a female body will do in pregnancy). I even thought it was crazy after it happened to her. Well, now I'm pretty sure it's happening to me. I had to put in contacts this morning because after wearing my glasses for three days, the bridge of my nose hurts. Like really hurts. And was even like indented last night. My glasses have never done that. Even when I fell asleep in them and they were smooshed against my face. And I swear it even looks bigger. Because I normally have a super bony, thin little nose. I totally think it's beefing up into a real nose.

Crazy.

Diapers!

Yesterday we made our first baby purchase:

A GroVia All-in-One cloth diaper!

 Isn't it cute with its little bicycles?

So, maybe now is the time to say that we've decided to use cloth diapers. Actually I decided this a while back and just had to convince Seth. Here's the arguments:

1. It's cheaper. Way cheaper. On average, it costs about $2500 to diaper one child through potty training using disposables. Even using store brand diapers. Cloth diapers costs between $250-$500 dollars. Once. And you can use them for multiple children. Even factoring in extra laundry, the savings is amazing. 

2. The environment. I would say Seth and I are eco-friendly people, but not super hardcore go green one with the earth mother types. But it makes me feel good that we won't be putting 7000 diapers per kid in a landfill to sit for 500 years. 

3. Chemicals. It may be surprising that two chemists list this as a concern, but I like the idea of my baby sitting in cloth for two years of its life opposed to weird absorbent gel like material that has been bleached in a factory. What is that stuff? Surely it's uncomfortable. Also, completely anecdotal evidence, but cloth diapered babies experience less diaper rash. And who doesn't want that?

4. They are stinkin' (pun intended) cute. I mean, look at that diaper. Now imagine my kid toddling around in it and its other brightly colored friends. That just makes me happy. 

There are of course arguments against as well. Mostly about ease and convenience. To me, it seems just about as easy to cloth diaper as disposable. The biggest difference is a couple of extra loads of laundry per week. But I plan to be a stay at home mom until our (hopefully) kid(s) are in the 2-3 range and can got to daycare. So I think I can handle a couple extra loads of laundry. Also, if the need arises, such as if we go out of town, we can always temporarily switch to disposables.

So, there's our cloth diapering thoughts so far. We bought our diaper at this really cute store in town, The Green Nursery, and I consulted Heiny Helpers for some of these facts about diapers.

Bump Watch 13 Weeks

How far along: 13 weeks
Baby is the size of a: peach (about 3 inches)
News: The baby has fingerprints! And... one trimester down!

Preggo chic

It's amazing what having clothes that fit can do for a girl. I'm like the cutest pregnant person I've ever seen.

 

Flashing

So, our maternity shopping spree went well. We went up to Greenwood Mall near Indy because apparently Bloomington just doesn't really believe in pregnant women except at Target. I'm completely baffled that our Walmart does not have even a small maternity section.

Anyway, Greenwood is awesome. I can never live without a JC Penney's again. I already thought so, but it's definitely confirmed. I ended up with two pairs of pants, a pair of leggings, two shorts, and four shirts and didn't break the bank. I'm quite excited about my booty and am way more comfortable and look like a person again.

My only complaint is that apparently all maternity shirt designers think that pregnant women want to show off their boobs. I mean, I get it that they're ginormous. But is a non-low-cut shirt too much to ask for? I don't like feeling like I'm flashing my boss. I already embarrassed him by saying in front of him (not even to him) that I had upgraded to maternity pants.

Oh, well. At least I'm cute again. And Seth can have his tshirts back.

Hiccups

Hiccups are dangerous for a pregnant woman. I swear, every time I get them now, I'm worried they're going to make me vomit.

Bump Watch 12 weeks

How far along: 12 weeks
Baby is the size of a: large plum (about 2 1/2 inches)
Gender:  Still too soon to know
Total weight gain/loss: Still only about a pound.
Maternity clothes: We're going shopping tomorrow. 
Sleep: My sleep schedule is crazy! I've gone from barely holding my head up at 7:00 to still being awake at midnight. I get up two to four times at night.
Best moment this week: Umm... this week has been rough. How about we consider those twoish nausea free weeks the best moment since our 8 week questionnaire.
Food cravings: Currently tomatoes and tomato products and apple juice.
Food aversions: Leafy greens. I want to eat them. I try to eat them. It just isn't happening right now. :(
Movement: Not yet, but I'm really looking forward to it!
Symptoms: Nausea and I developed a bump.
Labor Signs: Nope
Stretch Marks: No new ones.
Swelling: Nope
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: I kind of want some sushi.
What I am looking forward to: More nausea free weeks! Second trimester! Feeling the baby move!
Milestones: Some people say I'm finished with the first trimester. Others say it lasts 14 weeks. So I'll say I'm in my second trimester next week.
News: We get to go home in October.

And for comparison's sake:

 I swear that bump just appeared out of nowhere.

Home

I felt crappy enough to leave work early today. Not really feeling much better after a good nap on the couch either. Blah. I had been feeling good the last two weeks, only minor sick feeling. This week has been much rougher.

Although I maintain my stance that if I have to feel crappy so our baby is healthy, it's okay. I can handle it.

Childbirth Class

Last night we had our first childbirth class! We decided to take classes that teach the Bradley Method of childbirth, so we signed up with Barbara Lehr in town. We decided to go the Bradley route for a variety of reasons. They emphasize the husband's importance during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. They have an excellent success rate of natural childbirth (96%). And we've heard nothing but good things from people who have used the Bradley Method.

Our first class was fun. Barbara, the instructor, is really energetic and passionate about childbirth. The class is small. It's just us and two other couples, both of whom are a bit further along than we are. One is 29 weeks and the other is 33 weeks. I kind of like that, because I'll get to learn from them hopefully. Also, I feel like we made a good choice in instructors because one couple came from Terra Haute and the other came from Columbus! That's a ways to go every week for childbirth class, so I feel like her recommendations must be stellar.

Anyway, we mostly talked about nutrition and exercise to help prepare the body for labor last night. I feel like a lot of the stuff I already knew from reading books, but I still feel that it is beneficial and will probably be more so as we go along.

Pregnancy Goals

So I have a couple pregnancy goals. I think they're pretty normal. Like, you know, give birth to a healthy baby. Try to exercise. Make our baby a blanket. Today I added a goal to the list.

I want to - just one week - make it through a church service without getting weepy. Seriously. I have cried every Sunday I've gone to church since I got pregnant (even the ones where I didn't know I was pregnant yet). And that is just crazy. So my new goal is to sit through just one church service with no tears.

Did other people have this problem when pregnant? What did you do other than just blame the hormones and laugh it off?

And you should know that

Before you came into my life, I missed you so bad.

I missed you so bad. I missed you so, so bad. 

Bump Watch

How far along: 11 weeks
Baby is the size of a: large lime (1.5 to 2.5 inches)
News: I think I've started developing a bump!

Massage

So I mentioned that I had been signed up for a half Ironman in October. For Christmas last year, Seth gave me a gift certificate for an hour long massage to "help with the soreness" from that. Since that's on hold and I have to use the gift certificate before December of this year, I went for a prenatal massage yesterday evening.

My lower back and especially my left butt cheek had really been hurting for the past week or so. I think it's a sciatic nerve related pain. So I booked an appointment to hopefully help it out a little.

I signed up with Beth at Massage on the Square since she was the only one available when I wanted to go. She does the side-lying massage for pregnant women. I have to say, that was a little awkward for me because I didn't have a whole lot to lay on the body pillow for support. So I moved a lot when she pushed on me and then my arms fell asleep. But the stuff she did to my cheeks felt really good. I think she used her elbows.

Anyway, I don't feel 100% better today, which really since I think it's a nerve thing, I wasn't really expecting to feel 100% better, but I do feel better. It doesn't hurt nearly as badly as it was yesterday and especially Wednesday. So that's exciting. She also told me some things I can do at home to stretch those muscles to help take the pressure off my nerve. I also read that swimming can help with that, which is just another reason to hit the pool.

Maternity clothes

I bought my first maternity wear today. Three shirts from Target. I'm getting a little tired of Seth's shirts. I don't think I'm quite ready for them yet, but I don't think it will be too much longer.

Heartbeat

Seth and I had another doctor's appointment this morning. Everything is still looking great. And we got to hear the heartbeat via the doppler. We recorded it.

 

The picture is from our first ultrasound. Not a new one. 

Isn't that the most awesome sound in the world? It's my new favorite soundtrack.

We also asked Dr. Labban his opinion on the childbirth class we wanted to take. We found a Bradley method instructor here in town named Barbara Lehr and Dr. Labban was totally onboard with the Bradley method and with Barbara! Yay! So we've also signed up for our childbirth classes, which start next week!

Mei Tai

My friend Caela introduced me to this baby carrier called the Mei Tai. She loves hers so much, she got two. We're getting far enough along to start thinking about all the baby things we need, so I checked out their website this morning. I discovered they're made in Hillsborough, NC! Now I definitely have to get one to support an economy I care about. (We may be Hoosiers at the moment, but our blood bleeds Carolina blue. Hillsborough is pretty close.)

This is my favorite:

Black brushed twill straps with the Artsy Dots panel

I don't know how to register for things like this, so I'm just putting it here for now.

Bump Watch

How far along: 10 weeks
Baby is the size of a: prune (1.25 to 1.75 inches)
News: The baby is developing little tiny baby teeth in his or her gums. I want to eat cake.