36 weeks and counting

It has been a month exactly since I did a post - wow how time is flying. I can't remember if I posted about my hospital stay at 31 weeks if not here is a recap I ended up being really dizzy, short of breath, with a headache, and a few other things and called my clinic. Went in and my bp was 160/100 or something like that. I was sent to the hospital for monitoring and ended up spending the night. After a 24 hour urine collection and several blood tests they were unable to determine the cause of the bp raise and upped my medication.

At 35 weeks at my NST I came in and again I had highish blood pressure with a reading of 125/90 and then 140/100. Again I was sent to the hospital and 6 vials of blood and some monitoring later once again they could find no cause for the raise and I was sent up with higher dosage of medication.

Yesterday, at my second of my twice weekly NSTs my starting bp was 179/100 and so I was again hooked up for more BP monitoring and they took 8 vials of blood. My bp came down and the blood work all came back fine. So with no answers to the reason behind my higher blood pressure (and ultimately an average of 122/63) I was sent home to do a third 24 hour urine collection.

I am so frustrated by this blood pressure problem because there is no clear cut answer as to *what* is causing it (other than being pregnant). There is no rhyme or reason to the foods I eat and my bp (example yesterday all I had within the hours before the NST was some chocolate to wake up baby boy so he would move for the heart rate spikes and I had that high starting bp on Tuesday I had coffee and a chicken biscuit from McDonalds and my bp was 125/75). I don't have pre-e. There is nothing that anyone can point at and say this - this is what we need to adjust so that you can feel normal again.

And I'm looking forward to feeling normal again. Right now I can only be on my feet for 10-15 minutes before I get dizzy and my vision blurs. It isn't fun. If there was something I could do I'd be all over it. But it looks like all we can do is wait for baby boy to make his appearance. Overall, I love being pregnant I love feeling Sammy move and kick and grow. But I'm ready for this to be over so I can go back to being a normal person in regards to how I'm able to live my life.

Speaking of Samuel in the last 3 weeks or so he has started this fun game of not behaving during our NSTs. Example on the 15th of this month (November) we were hooked up and Sammy was moving but his heart rate was not going up. In fact it pretty much stayed on the baseline for over an hour. The blood pressure changes we did have went the wrong way. He actually had readings in 80s that last for several minutes. Finally after what felt like eternity his heart rate went back up and he was back to normal. The next NST (this past Tuesday) he was pretty baseline but did give a few 10-12 point heart rate jumps. Yesterday he was the perfect little man.

So here we are just over 36 weeks along and waiting to see when the boy will come. We are nervous and excited and ready to hold our little man in or arms. Brett actually told me the other day that he is about ready for it. It is going to be such a life changer but we are ready.

Me as of this morning with a nice round belly. We had family visiting for Thanksgiving and baby boy refused to move. After they left he started stretching and wiggling and continued to do so non-stop through yesterday evening. It was actually the best part of my day sitting in the car before my NST watching my tummy stretch.

We aren't doing much for the boy for Christmas this year (having him is his gift lol) but we are doing a few small things and one of those is a book that I actually ended up having to order from Amazon because for some strange reason B&N didn't have it. Anyway Love You Forever is the book. I remember my mom reading it to my brothers and I can't wait to read it to my own son.

32 weeks//hospital tour

I didn't post about this last week but my blood pressure spiked a week ago today - to the point that I was actually admitted into labor and delivery for overnight monitoring. After my overnight stay and some lab work my blood pressure medication was raised and I was told that I had just slipped under an official pre-e diagnosis. Hopefully, we can avoid that diagnosis all together.

There was one point a few hours after taking my medication that I really feared Sammy might be making his appearance last week. My bp was insanely high (roughly 180/90) and that was after medication was supposed to bring it down. I was hooked back up to the fetal monitor and the bp monitor and thankfully the next 2 readings over the next 40 minutes it fell first to about 140/70 and then into 120s/60s. I was sent home Thursday night.

I slept most of Friday and off and on Saturday and Sunday with my mom coming in Sunday evening to give us a hand around the house. It has been great having her here and I feel more relaxed now that things are back under control. As a side note I've not had to do laundry in the last week - which is probably for the best since that is the task I was in the middle of when I ended up calling my doctors office.

Today I am happy to report that I have reached 32 weeks pregnant with a growing active baby boy inside of me.

This morning I have my first official NST at my clinic followed by my 32 week obgyn appointment. I have a few questions to ask even though I know some of them are impossible to answer.

Last night B and I toured the hospital that I will be delivering at and I am super excited about it. For one I had the chance to experience the amazing care they give last week during my unexpected overnight visit and yesterday were able to see and hear the whole process. The actual delivery rooms are really good sized (about the size of my living room actually) and they are set up so that I can have up to 4 people with me (though it will only be my mom if she wants and Brett who has no choice :P). But the best part for me is this. After Sammy is born he will be placed on my lap for a few minutes before he is weighed, measured, wiped down, and wrapped up in the room within my sight the whole time. After that, as long as there is no medical emergency, I get an hour plus of immediate bonding time. No shots or anything will happen during that hour for the boy. I'll be able to hold him and even breastfeed for the first time within minutes of delivering him. While I'm doing that they will be cleaning me up and doing whatever needs to be done before moving us from the l&d side of the floor to the women/infant side of the floor. Once over there unless we decide otherwise Sammy will be in the room with us the whole time. I will be in the hospital for 2 nights unless we need a c-section in which case it will be 3 nights. And Sam and I will have the same nurse that takes care of us both.

I can't believe we had our tour last night it makes everything a little more real.

Other than that it has been a pretty quiet week. (Thankfully!) My mom helped me pick out a few of the things that we didn't have for the boy and now except for a few wants (a swing for example) we are ready. I feel like a hoarder with my wipes, we have diapers that will hopefully last until he is in cloth. We have clothes, bottles, a pump for me, 2 car-seat bases, and lots of other things. Now we are waiting on the boy. I know I still have some time but last week was scary and we decided we wanted to be ready for whatever. In fact in the next week or so I'll actually be packing my hospital bag just so it is ready for whatever may come.

30 weeks

So for those that missed the post (on facebook) yesterday baby boy has already attempted to give me my first heart-attack (and may have given me my first gray hair) by hiding from the nurse when she was searching for his heartbeat AND napping at the same time. The lack of heartbeat and movement proved to be a very long 5 minutes for me but everything is fine now and I'm happy to say when the doctor found his heartbeat it was strong (and loud) and that he has been moving around since I woke up at 7am.


Nothing new was really learned yesterday other than if Sam keeps growing like he is and my bp stays around what it is now (which is high for normal people but apparently acceptable for me) that I could actually go all the way to term with him but (no later) and that would be decided over the next 7-10 weeks depending on what the NSTS say, my ultrasound(s), and my blood pressure. Basically, no one knows if I am having a December baby or a November baby and I'm starting to feel that one downside to this clinic is too many doctors. I think next baby if I am lucky enough I want a smaller practice where I only see 2 or 3 doctors opposed to 6-10.


I did set up some appointments and next week is my last week without an appointment until Sam gets here.


October 23rd we tour the hospital
October 24th I have my first NSTS and a regular OB appointment
October 26th I have an ultrasound at 9am and then a NSTS at 12
October 27th breastfeeding class and baby care class at the hospital
October 30th I have an NSTS
November 1 I have an NSTS and an OB appointment.
November 6 the Booties on the Ground baby shower



I do need to schedule 34 weeks on but the checkout line was getting long and I was getting evil glares so I stopped after 33 weeks. But this will basically be the trend 2NST and an OB appointment until delivery. With the chance of a 36 week ultrasound as well.

28 weeks

Holy cow! 28 weeks pregnant today! That means we've successful completed the first and second trimesters and are tackling the third and final trimester. I spent about an hour and a half at the doctors office today and it was crammed full of good information.

- Today was my glucose test (*fingers crossed so hard I passed*) it really wasn't that bad just overly sweet and you have to drink it pretty fast. Actually, the worst part of that whole thing was waiting to be called back after having had 3 bottles of water and the glucose this morning. And my sugar hyped son discovering my bladder. Thankfully, I was called back before anything embarrassing could happen.

- I also received my TDaP today, found out I've gained (according the doctor's scale) 9 pounds so far, and was given a ton of information about when I should and should not page the doctor in the last trimester. I also got a basic run down on contractions <--- which I'm so not ready to think about. And I'm supposed to start kick counts (which was different than anything I've heard/read before I'm looking for 5 or more kicks in an hour if that doesn't happen a tall glass of cold water and another hour and if still no kicks call the doctor).

- My blood pressure was slightly elevated today - overall the nurse practitioner was okay with where it was but it was higher than it had been being. They are also okay with my weight gain (I like my scale better according to my scale yes I've gained 9 pounds but they weren't new pounds they were 9 pounds I'd lost in the first trimester).

- I measured right at 28 weeks (tape measure) and Sam's heartrate was right on track she didn't tell me what it was and I didn't think to ask.

- I found out I will be having two more ultrasounds one in the next 3-4 weeks and one around 36 weeks (Thanksgiving week). In 4 weeks (32 weeks) I start my twice weekly NSTS basically they strap a monitor to my belly and keep an eye on Sam's heartrate.

- And back to the holy cow because seriously I'm on the final swing of things now. I have 2 weeks appoints at 30 and 32 weeks and I'm not certain if at that point I start my weekly appointments or not. It won't be much longer and we will be welcoming baby boy into the world.

Baby stuff

I can't believe October is nearly here! Next month we plan on filling in the gaps of things we are missing for Sam. At BRU today I was given some coupons including $8 off the pampers sensitive skin newborn swaddlers so we will get a pack of those and we were given 2 20% off coupons for 1 item in the store we are leaning towards getting a bouncy chair there and possibly the second base for the car seat or a breast pump. I don't really plan on using a pump unless I need to leave Sam with Brett for an extended period of time so I'll probably get a manual. I think this is what we are as far as needs for baby stuff

- second car seat base (Graco SnugRide Infant) - 1 or 2 baby gates with doors (seems like it would be a want but with two dogs on the stairs we need a way to make sure they don't trip us especially going downstairs)
- breast pump (manual) - wipes (sensitive skin) - newborn sensitive skin diapers - toiletry items (baby wash, butt cream etc) - a kit like this but it also includes a basic monitor I know there is stuff in there we may not need but there is a lot of good stuff in there too and it is a great price. I think the one with the monitor is about $10 more. - a tummy mat

Our wants list

- a bouncer and/or swing - a moby wrap (though I'm not totally sold on it) - another cover for my boppy

I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting but this is what came to mind as I was sitting here. We have

- clothing - food (boobs) - cloth diapers for roughly 8lbs+ - a pack-n-play - a cradle for the office (B's request) - a glider - crib/mattress/changing table

Does anything pop out at you of things that we may need or want especially for the newborn phase?

Just some thoughts

Can you believe that tomorrow I will be 27 weeks pregnant and that it has been roughly 19 weeks since we announced that we are going to have a baby? I can't believe that it has been that long and that baby boy has gone from a tiny little peanut that we first shared an ultrasound of to a baby boy weighing over 2 pounds with a name. I can't believe how quickly we are approaching Sam's arrival to the world outside of mommy's womb.

We are pretty much ready for him. Sam has his bed, he has clothes, the food is covered, and a few odds and ends have been purchased. Sammy does need some newborn diapers since I have no desire to adjust to a newborn and try to keep up with cloth diapers all at one time. We could use wipes...lots and lots of wipes. And then there are those odds and ends which are needed but sure would be handy - like a swing or a bouncer. But other than that we are ready and waiting.

Well I say we are ready truth be told I don't think we are actually ready but how does one really prepare themselves for something so life changing? We think about it, we talk about it, and we plan. Friends share stories, comments, and tips but something tells me that this is one of those life events that no matter how hard you try you are never completely prepared for it until you are knee deep in diapers and spit up. We are excited. We are happy. And to be completely truthful scared out of our ever-loving minds.

I see time flying by starting well now. I have my big 28 week appointment a week from tomorrow and then I go back 2 weeks later at 30 weeks. Two weeks after that I start my twice weekly appointments (yay high risk designation). Ready or not - Sam will be here before we know it.

83-97

Today I had what was technically my 24 week appointment - a week late but after this week everything is back on track. Anyway I actually went in with some questions this time - some simple and some a little more complex and those are the type of answers I walked out with.

First - tailbone pain is normal they recommend sitting on something to relieve pressure.

Second - I asked about shots and vaccinations and we are pretty good on that I'll have one (TDaP) at my next appointment. The flu shot later on when they are offering it.

Third - For those following it my bp was perfect today the meds are doing what they are supposed to.

Fourth - Finally. My due date is 12/19/12 actually just over 100 days to go. Today I decided to get more information in regards to induction and how early that could happen since I was warned up front that it could and probably would happen. I was lucky in that the doctor I saw today was very willing to answer my questions and really talk with me. Anyway after talking with her because of my BP the latest she sees them letting me go is 39 weeks (12.12) but more than likely I'll be induced between 37 and 38 weeks. That's right folks my December baby could be a November baby. It will ultimately come down to how Sam is doing during that time frame. But it is crazy to me that sometime in the next 12-14 weeks or 83-97 days baby boy will be here.

As for what is coming up in the near future. I have 3 appointments in 3 weeks during my 28th week. I have my standard tummy check, my glucose test, and a 28 week growth scan. After that I start seeing the doctors every 2 weeks. Starting around 32 weeks I'll most likely start going in 2 times a week for a baby heartrate reading as well.

This was a lot to take in today but I would be lying if I said I'm not a little excited to know the end time frame. The planner in my loves how we are slowly narrowing it down. I know for some it would drive them crazy but for me I like it.

PS Sammy was great today! His heartrate was 140 and he stayed still for approximately 10 seconds making me laugh.

BumGenius Giveaway

I think most people know by now that Brett and I have elected to cloth diaper Samuel when he is born. So I am constantly on the look out for the chance to try new diapers for well as cheap as possible. Diaper Junction is currently hosting a BumGenius Giveaway RIGHT HERE. What you are entering to win is

Win these three GREAT products!

Enter this weeks FYSF Giveaway and you could win...

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BumGenius Babylegs
2 x BumGenius Cloth Diaper Detergent Samples

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Follow up anatomy scan

As I am sure most of you know by now at our 20 week anatomy scan our son displayed the stubborn characteristics he is inheriting from both of his parents and refused to show the ultrasound tech everything that she needed to see in order to give a total okay on baby development. On that day I scheduled a follow up ultrasound for 23 weeks which just so happened to be today.

At my 20 week scan I had to wait an hour to be seen, the tech never really talked to us, and it just in general was only an "okay" experience. Today's experience was completely different. I was called back only 15 minutes after my appointment time and I had a different technician who was amazing.

She called me back and took me to a different room and the first thing I noticed was that this room had a better monitor for the mother to see than the other room did. We talked for a bit and she made sure I was comfortable before starting the scan. Today's focus was on Sam's heart and on trying to get a clearer picture of his face. Baby boy is currently head down with his little bottom up just below my ribs.

Again Sammy showed his inherited stubborn streak by twisting and turning just enough to block views of things we wanted to see. She did get a clear view of his heart, we saw his brain, we saw the cord (in fact I have a picture of the cord right in front of his nose/mouth and I'm hoping he doesn't do what I did and come out with it around his neck), we confirmed that he is indeed a baby boy, and we took some time to look at his little hands, feet, nose, mouth, and just about everything from his head to his toes.

The highlight for me was being able to see him yawn and being able to tell that was exactly what I was seeing! He is precious already and I can't wait to hold him in my arms. Crazy to think that it could be as soon as 15 weeks!

I really wish Brett had been able to be there but I was able to bring home some really clear ultrasound pictures including a few that are in 3d! That was a huge treat and totally unexpected!

It is hard to believe that we found out we were pregnant back in April (Friday the 13th to be exact).

I actually found out I was pregnant pretty much right at 4 weeks pregnant.

Four weeks late at 8 weeks pregnant we saw Samuel for the first time - it was amazing seeing him then - we just knew he was a tiny little baby blob with a rapidly beating heart.

We shared with our family and friends literally the day after we saw him for the first time in what I think was pretty awesome Mother's Day weekend.

Fast forward 3 months to 20 weeks and we were blessed to Samuel again (well actually we saw him at 12 weeks but didn't get any pictures).

I was amazed then to see him he was no longer just a blob he was an actually baby with boy parts and hands and arms! He weighed 12 oz 3 weeks ago.

Fast forward to today and I saw Samuel again. And this time he was even less blobby and more baby.

It just blows my mind how much he has changed in 3 short weeks he is now 1 lb and 3 oz and I was actually able to see his fingers! He has a nose that I can clearly make out and other features including those adorable little ears.

Actually, looking at the 3D image I see a lot of his father in him specifically around the mouth - Brett thinks I am losing it since they are just ultrasound pictures but I see him in our son regardless.

It blows my mind to think about it and to think when he finally arrives in our arms he will be 5-6lbs bigger and I will be able to see everything more clearly. Today was a blessing indeed and I am eager to hold him in my arms and not just in my womb.

My next appointment isn't until September (which isn't that far off is it?). I have 2 more 4 week appointments and then I switch over to 2 week appointments. It is insane and amazing.

The Name

I just realized that I made the gender announcement and then I never made an announcement like I said I would with the baby's name. The previous post gave it away but here is the official name --

Samuel Angus M

Yes, we are naming him Samuel and yes his initials spell out Sam. Right now we go back and forth between Sam and Sammy.

As for how we picked the name - Samuel is just one that I love and Brett likes it as well. As for Angus well that name has more of a special meaning for me as it is my maiden name. I've always wanted to use Angus as my first son's middle name.

Meaning really didn't come into play for us but I do like the meanings
Samuel means His Name Is God
Angus means One Strength

We think it is a strong name that will grow with our son he can have the nicknames Sam or Sammy and eventually if he desires he can go by the more formal Samuel. As for me I reserve the right to use his full name when he is in trouble because lets face Samuel Angus is a great name to say sternly ;-)

And just for the heck of it a recent picture of the parents to be - the husband can be difficult to run down and keep in one place with a pleasant expression on his face so I typically get one shot at it.


And in closing here is a picture of me loving on my baby bump - I love this little boy of mine so much already.

If you've missed any posts in the past they are easy to find just come straight to And Monkey Makes 3

just random things thrown together

Today marks 22 weeks pregnant with Samuel. It is crazy to believe that in 18 weeks he will be in my arms. (For those that missed it due to my chronic hyper tension diagnosis I've already been informed that I will not be going past my due date.) It is insane! That is roughly 4.5 months! My goal is to have everything ready for Sammy's arrival by the end of November (I will be 37 weeks as of Nov 28). I really don't want to stress those last few weeks about the little things. Thus far we are off to a good start.

We were blessed my Grandparents J buying Sam a crib and changing table and Grandparents M buying his travel system. Since then we've bought the majority of our cloth diapers (some are incredibly cute my current personally favorite are the cow print and the Tennessee Titans print). Sam's nursery bedding has been bought, we have some wall decorations to start going up, and he even has his first soccer ball.

Now I'm working on his clothing. Considering how differently babies grow - who knows how long he will be in new born clothing or even the 0-3 month clothing. I've elected (for the most part) to take advantage of our base yardsale page and I'm already finding some amazing deals. Yesterday, I collected some clothing which included some adorable things like an overall set including a little plaid shirt and a sweet little blue jean jacket. Tomorrow I'm being blessed with a bag of clothing (for free!) that will range in size from newborn to 12 months. I also won a bet with B so I have a little extra spending money this month and so I am going over to look through some more baby clothes. The most, so far in my second hand shopping, I've spent an item was a set for $2 the cheapest (other than free) were some adorable onsies and sleepers for $0.25!

This pile right here is everything that I bought second hand yesterday. It came in at roughly $25!

I think that is an amazing deal since I know for a fact some of those sleepers alone range in price from $15-20!

I can not wait to see Sam's tiny feet in those sleepers with the different animals on the feet. My two favorite are the monkeys which you can see as well as another sleeper that the bottoms are shaped like footballs.

But this little guy right here is my favorite purchase yesterday. I went to this wonderful lady's house (who is due a week before me with a little boy so it blew my mind she was selling this jacket) and managed to pick it up for $0.75! This is the same place I picked up some adorable onsies/sleepers for 25 cents and that includes a couple sesame street onsies.

I know it is tiny (0-3 months) but Samuel is going to look adorable in it the few times he gets to wear it. I'm half convinced this needs to be part of his coming home outfit but Brett is not.

Though I did have moment yesterday when I held up a newborn sleeper and realized it stretches from my collar bone to my lap. I do realize that Sam will be curled up in the fetal position but to think he will come out being able to wear that was a bit..unnerving.

Now we just need to get a pack in play (preferable one that is a little higher so we can put it near the bed and I don't have to be up and down a billion times during the night to breastfed him), a boppy, and I'd love to get this Graco 2 in 1 Swing. Basically, it is a plug in swing but you can remove the seat and it becomes a bouncer that operates on batteries.

As for Sam he is doing very well. At the 20 week ultrasound he weighed 12 oz so I expect he is on target of a pound (or more) at this point. I have another ultrasound next week to finish measuring/looking at his heart and to get better views of his face. (That is of course of my little soccer player manages to stay still long enough.) He has, over the last 3 or 4 days, become incredibly active. Kicking and punching harder and harder. In fact Saturday night I was able to feel him punching on my lower stomach for the first time. He is definitely most active at night but does move a great deal, it seems, when Brett and I game together.

As for me. Well, as of this morning I'm still down 7 pounds from my starting pregnancy weight and I'm fairly certain the 3 pounds I've regained are all Sam/baby stuff. I, overall, am feeling good and I really enjoy feeling our son move around. I was put on blood pressure medication last week because of some high readings at my appointment. I think most of it was environmental and McDonalds (so just fyi don't eat McDonalds within a couple hours of a BP reading). But whatever the case I've been on medication for a week and a half now. Hopefully, this will allow us to go longer without having to be induced but I will do what I need to to protect Samuel and myself.

I suppose I am done with this today. It was a little more long winded than I intended it to be.

Chloe and Dash have an announcement

I suppose, for the very few of you, who are unaware of exactly who Chloe and Dash are I should give you a little background. Chloe and Dash are two of our fur children. They are our dogs and are incredibly spoiled and rotten. Chloe is a beautiful flat-coat retriever and Dash is a loveable chocolate lab. Chloe is a Frisbee addict and Dash goes crazy when you pull out his red ball.

These are our rotten furbrats and we wanted to include them in the big family announcement. But first here is a more recent picture of our little one.

I am going to guess by this point you all are tired of being teased, taunted, ignored, and other things? Okay here we go.

Wait for it....just a moment longer!

Yes friends and family we are having a little boy. A little boy who is measuring right at 12 oz as of today. I go back on August 22nd for a second ultrasound to look at the things that they couldn't see because we are growing the next David Beckham or at least that is what the husband is hoping. lol

16+5 doctor visit

The day of a Monkey appointment seems like a perfect day to update.

First, I'm doing great! I've not gained any weight and my blood pressure was great today apparently pregnancy agrees with me.

The appointment itself was a tummy check and for the first time I was able to hear spawn's heartbeat. It was a perfect 150. =) Hearing that little heartbeat brought tears to my eyes.

I was able to ask some questions today and the biggest thing I can share is because I have a diagnosis off chronic hypertension Monkey will be here no later than a day or two past my due date. It is to early at this point to know if my bp will cause issues down the road but there is a chance I'll be induced early. For now I've been told that baby will be here around the 19th of December. So Monkey's first Christmas will be Christmas 2012.

Cloth diapers and the like

Yesterday we (mainly I) received two packages in the mail. The first was my diaper bag I debated what kind I wanted and ended up getting one from Vera Bradley yes it was expensive but once I am done with the bag as a diaper bag it will double as a bag for me. While everything in the bag may be for my child the bag itself is all for me.



Vera Bradley baby bag in Lime's Up

The second package that arrive yesterday was the first half of our diaper stash. Yes, we've decided to cloth diaper. And while I am aware that there is a little bit more worked involved with the prepping and washing of cloth diapers it seemed worth to me and to us to pay a little more upfront for long lasting diapers. Basically for $200 I'll be getting a stash of diapers that should last up to potty training with disposable diapers you can easily add another 0 that total. Of course my situation is one in which I will have the time to stay on top of the diaper laundry. The ones we have are from alvababy.com and appear to be perfect. I played with them last night practicing stuffing them and snapping them into the different sizes. They are adorable and I can not wait to use them on the little one. My current favorite is the red winter diaper for our winter baby.






The highlight of my evening though was sitting in the glider in the nursery listening to Dash snore at my feet and imagining what it will be like in 6 months when Monkey is here.

Small update

Well, we've officially made it to the 2nd trimester. If you Google "second trimester start date" you will find two trains of thought one says that 13 weeks + 1 day is the start of the second trimester and the other is that 14 weeks is the start of the second trimester. We are now at 14+1 so we've graduated into phase 2 of this pregnancy. Go us!

And 14 weeks old in the womb (actually I guess technically only 12 weeks but whatever) the spawn is already being spoiled rotten by his or her adoring grandparents. Over the last few weeks two large packages have arrived and I have been unable to avoid the lure of seeing what goodies were inside waiting for our little one.

First to arrive was from Grandparents M (aka Brett's parents) they sent Monkey a beautiful travel set. The Graco Alano Travel System in the Roman print. I adore it. I put it together the day it arrived and I won't lie I've been trying to master the art of opening and closing it one handed. I am very close to successful! Even B has played with it a time or two.



The lovely car seat. It was kind of a surreal moment to pull it out of the box. One of those "wow we are actually having a baby moments".



And the stroller. I love this stroller.

The second box to arrive came from Grandparents J (note Monkey is blessed with three sets of Grandparents - A, J, and M). Grandparents J are my mom and stepdad and they bought Monkey a beautiful crib/changing table set. The crib will be with the little one for many years to come as it can be turned into a toddler bed and then a twin bed. I *love* the finish of this crib but I do tend to love the darker woods. This box arrived yesterday and once we (actually once Brett) got it upstairs I opened it up to check all the parts and make sure nothing was damaged etc. After bribing the man with coffee we set about putting together the largest pieces of furniture in the spawn's room.



Everything spread out and ready to go.



Dashy helping put together the various pieces.





Beautiful pieces! I can't wait to find out if Monkey is a boy or a girl so we can really start talking about how we want to decorate the baby's room.

Monkey, Brett, and I send huge thanks to Grandparents M & J for the beautiful gifts we are excited to be use them!

Upcoming baby news - our next 10 minute appointment is on July 9 I will be just shy of 17 weeks and a small part of me is hoping for another peek at the little one and maybe just maybe finding out the gender a little early. A week after that I am going home to visit Grandparents A & J for a week. After I return we have 1 week until the big anatomy scan and the big question will (hopefully) for sure be answered.

199 days*

As of this morning my due date is 199 days away! I say this with full awareness that Monkey could decide to cook until January (please Monkey don't do that!) or due to my high blood pressure I could be induced the first week of December. But Monkey is "due" in 199 days. :-) I love that. I love that we've gone from well over 200 days away to under 200 now. I'm a very skilled countdown-er thanks to do 2 deployments. I understand how thrilling it is to reach a new first number in a countdown.

Today I am 11 weeks and 4 days pregnant - quickly closing in on the end of the first trimester which is insane! I honestly had reached a point not to long ago that was thinking we'd never have a baby. Long story short we first discussed having a baby 2 years ago it has been a very long journey to reach this new stage. But we are very blessed to be expecting number 1.

I know it is super early but I am fairly certain I felt baby's first flutters this week. I have spent so much time evaluating my body over the last two years I know what is normal and what isn't. Anyway, I felt a very new sensation that was very light and very quick. I'm chalking it up to first movement. ;-)

I am having a hard time controlling myself and not splurging on things for the little one. I'm resisting fairly well mainly because we are waiting to find out if we are having a girl monkey or a boy monkey.

After doing a great deal of research and talking to mom's that cloth diaper it looks like that is our plan for baby. Right now we plan on disposables until little one is ready to wear the AIO Cloth Diapers. I think we are going to get the majority of our diapers through AlvaBaby starting with a 20 pack from them.

Monkey does have his/her first onesies. I purchased them at work about a month ago when we were having a baby sale.

I think they are adorable and a little skirt or bow will be perfect if Monkey is a girl. The 3 pack is 0-3 months and the Daddy one is 3-6 months.

Our next appointment is Thursday it is just a standard tummy check, some lab work, and I expect to get the results from some labs I had done last month. I'm also hoping to hear Monkey's heartbeat for the first time. We've also already had our 20 week anatomy scan scheduled for August 1. I am so excited!

As for how I'm doing - I'm good still incredibly tired but I've noticed lately more days with energy lately. I've been lucky to have no morning sickness (I did have issues with the gummy prenatals but when I switched back to the pill kind that went away). I do have a lot of heartburn which drives me batty but isn't overall that bad. My main issue is swinging back and forth between days were I can not find anything to eat and days were I have very specific cravings. I've not been eating a lot of meat because I have issues looking at it let alone cooking or eating it.

Other random tidbits Monkey's nursery theme will indeed be Monkeys. :-) And we do have names picked out we are just keeping them to ourselves until little one is here. :0)

Monkey Makes 3

Coming December 2012 Baby "Monkey" Massey

Happy Mothers Day Grandmas!
Love,
Amanda, Brett, and Monkey