Post Thanksgiving update

It's been a little more than a week since I've posted, so I thought I'd give a little update... I'm doing well, Aidan is still very active but his movements get stronger and stronger. I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions on almost a daily basis now for about a month. The doctor says as long as I don't have 4 or more in an hour, then I'm ok. So far, that hasn't happened. They don't hurt, my tummy gets really hard and my lungs get a funny feeling (hard to describe) and then it's gone. It's just the uterus's way of warming up for real labor contractions. I only have 10 weeks and 4 days left until Aidan is due.

We have birthing/lamaze class this Saturday on Dec 2nd. It's an all day class from 9-4 with a tour of the hospital and it's also my 31st birthday. I can't believe it's already time for our birthing class! Our next doctor appt isn't until Dec 8th, and then we have another 4D ultra sound of Aidan on Dec 12th.

We got a new vehicle for me and Aidan to drive around in. After putting the car seat and stroller in my Jeep GC, there wasn't much room for anything else. So we went out and bought a new Chevy Tahoe and now there is plenty of room. We also found a community and floorplan we love and may be starting the building process of our new home very shortly! I'm really excited about that and also a little anxious about listing, showing, and selling our home and moving w/a new born in tow. Spring is the best time to sell, so I'm thinking I'll list our home in March and we can do a lease back from the buyer so we don't have to move twice. It may take longer to sell since we will want to do a lease back, but I think it'll work out. If we can't find anyone willing to do a lease back, then we have other options, but the lease back would be easiest on us. We'll see what happens.

Thanksgiving was good. My mom and step-dad came into town and my sister came over and we had a good meal. The food was really good and we are still eating leftovers. Now we are all waiting on "THE" phone call from Lea. Today is her due date and we are all anxiously waiting for her little one to make an appearance! Sometime this week, I will be an aunt!

Remembering...

This week Ray and I put up the Christmas tree, we put on some holiday music and I started decorating the tree. I realized that the last time my hands had touched the ornaments, one year ago, had been a sad time for me. It was our 3rd Christmas with no baby and I was still not pregnant, I had one infertility surgery under my belt and had been on Clomid for several cycles with no luck yet. For some reason, Christmas had been my time stamp. I would start each year and think "by Christmas, I'll either be pregnant or have a baby", but then that Christmas would come and I still wouldn't have either. The holidays were hard for me, as they are for a lot of people with infertility. There are reminders everywhere of what you still do not have. Perhaps the hardest, is all the holiday cards that come in the mail, with your friends or family showing off their beautiful families and new babies or growing children. December was pure torture for me, I couldn't wait for Christmas to be over and January to begin. This Christmas is different for both Ray and I. We have something to be really happy about this time. The beautiful miracle I carry in me, our son. I wish I could give this gift of happiness and hope to everyone.

This holiday season, I want to acknowledge all the people still suffering and struggling with infertility and those grieving from pregnancy loss or the loss of a child. I know what an especially hard time of year this is for them and my heart goes out to them.

My family baby shower was Saturday

My mom and my aunt Sandi hosted my family shower at my house on Saturday. It was really great. The games were fun, we did the "guess what melted chocolate is in the diaper" game, and then took bets for guessing of when, what time I'd deliver and how much Aidan would weigh, and we also each made 2 birthday cards for Aidan for ages 1-14. Everyone really got into making those cards and it was a lot of fun. We got a lot of really nice gifts from everyone, a lot of really soft blankets and toys too! I will probably spend today putting it all away and in it's place.
The picture in this post is of Lea and I. She is due on Nov 26th, so she only has 14 days before her due date now and is carrying my new niece! I'm only 10wks behind her! Hard to believe her baby and ours will be here so soon.

Bad Lola!

Guess where I found Lola just now? Yep, that's her on the changing table looking out the window. I'm guessing she used the glider to help her get up there. What a mess she is! At first I was mad at her and shocked to see her up there, but then I did see the humor in it, so I took a picture so Ray could see since he's at work and missed this incident. I thought only people w/cats had to worry about this! Guess I was wrong. Lola has proved to have excellent problem solving skills. =) Now, how to keep her off..??

More 4D u/s pics

Here are the newest images of Aidan from Wednesday, Nov 8th. We had to re-do our first appointment since Aidan was at an bad angle the first time. These images aren't much better than the 1st, but I thought I'd share anyway. The place we went to was www.clearviewultrasound.com

Today, I start my 7th month & the 3rd trimester

Wow...I can't believe I'm really already this far along. It seems like just the other day, I got the call from my doctor's office telling me that my blood test was VERY positive. And now here I am in the home stretch. Our lives are going to be changed forever by the addition of this new soul in our lives. We are so ready for it. His room is ready and looks so good! There are lots of things we still need to buy before we are really ready for him. The birth of a baby makes you really evaluate everything in your life. Not just the here and now, but the future and our mortality. Soon (in a year or two) we plan to buy a bigger home in a better school district, we've already secured life insurance on each other and started a college fund for Aidan and we've had to consider the morbid task of deciding who will raise Aidan should both Ray and I pass on while Aidan is still a minor. We still need to get with an attorney and have a will drawn up for us. Lots of things to think about and prepare for.

Week Twenty-Seven
Your little one's brain continues its rapid growth. Don't forget to share music, conversation, and even books with your baby!
Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. Your baby's hearing continues to develop, he or she may start to recognize your voice as well as your partner's.
Lungs continue to grow and prepare for functioning outside of the womb. Each day in the womb greatly increases survival rates!
He also continues to take small breaths and although he's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when he's born.
Eyelids are now open more. Your baby can distinguish between light and dark.
Retinas have formed.
Your baby will grow over ½ inch this week alone! You may suspect this phenominal growth rate repeats in the preteen years!
Average size is now 14.4 inches (36.6cm) and 1.9 pound (875gm).

Back from glucose test for Gestational Diabetes

Just got back from my doctors appt, had the glucose test today to test for Gestational Diabetes. I know I passed b/c I pricked my finger before I went in and checked my blood sugar level on Ray's glucose meter. (He has type 1 diabetes) It was 118, under 140 is passing. Yay!

We had another u/s since we know now that Aidan has a 2 vessel cord, and he was measuring 3wks ahead on his head and 2 days ahead for his body, and his weight is 2.5lbs. So the cord issue doesn't seem to be affecting him. He was head down today, but he's still got a lot of room in there, so that'll probably change a few times.

Hard to believe that I have 2 more appts before I start going in every week! That means I'm due soon! Wow....seems like just yesterday I was thinking I'd never get PG and never experience any of this....I am so grateful.

My 1st babyshower was yesterday

Three of my girlfriends hosted a babyshower for me on Saturday at my friend April's house. It was a great time and my hostesses did a fantastic job! The food was great, the cake was wonderful and the games were so much fun! One of the games was we had to taste Gerber babyfood from the jar w/o knowing what it was and then guess what it was. Out of 6, I only got 1 right! I thought the baby food game was fun and never knew how bland baby food was, yuck! =) Even though we only had 5 people show up, everyone had a great time and it was really good to see and visit w/some of my friends.
Left to right in the pic, Stephanie, me, Trina & April.

26w today, 1 wk away from 7th month!

26 weeks today and I'm so excited to be at another milestone. For me, each week I get closer to making our dream a reality. And each week Aidan gets, makes him stronger and more real. I'm still feeling good, just some minor swelling in hands and feet and some lower back pain. My 1st baby shower is this Saturday that my girlfriends are hosting for me. I'm excited to see everyone and really can't describe how I feel to be the guest of honor at a baby shower for the first time. Over the years, I've been to pretty much all of my friends showers and birthday parties for their children and then with our infertility struggle, I had to decline a lot of the invitations b/c it was too hard for me to attend. Self-preservation is so key when you are going thru something like that. I hope they understand why I couldn't be there in the past year, and I look forward to all the support they can lend me as a first time mother, as I'm sure I'll need it! Even though I did raise my ex-stepdaughter Alexia from the age of 3 to 9, she will be 15 in January and I'm a bit rusty. I've never been PG before, never given birth and never been the primary caregiver of a newborn thru 3yrs of age, so I'm sure I'll need help along the way. But as my shower approaches and I am about to enter my 3rd trimester, I am so thankful for all the wisdom and love my friends and family have for me, especially now.