Becoming Parents

Becoming a Mom

I have always been drawn to children ever since I was a little girl. At family events you could always find me playing with the babies while all the cousins my age would be running around. When I was a teenager I spent many nights babysitting for the neighbors, and a couple summers nannying for family members. That was kind of my niche, taking care of children just came naturally to me.

Although I had a lot of experience with babysitting and taking care of children I was pretty scared about being a mom. I loved babysitting but I also loved being able to hand a crying baby back to their parents if I couldn't calm them down, and I love being able to go home and sleep after a long day of babysitting without having to worry about the kids getting out of bed. Having to "babysit" 24/7 was something that I wasn't sure that I was going to like. 

Let me tell you, being a mom, although I am very new at it, is NOTHING like babysitting. It is amazing how quickly you fall in love with a baby when they are your own. I have been told countless time that, "It's different when it's your own child." and it is so true. Lacey is my little girl and I would do anything for her. I get up in the middle of the night to feed her even when I am so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open, but it's worth it. I never knew that I could love someone this much so fast. 

I absolutely love being a mom! I thought that I might be bored being home all day with a newborn, but I am pretty sure that I could just hold and stare at Lacey all day. She is the perfect baby (most of the time), which really has made the adjustment to motherhood really easy. There are times that Scott will be holding Lacey when she realizes that she is hungry and starts to fuss. I love that she knows who I am and will stop fussing as soon as Scott hands her over to me. I love knowing that I can make things better, that I can comfort her, and that she wants me (even if it makes Scott a little sad that he can't quiet her the way I can). 

I'm sure that there will rough days ahead, but so far this is the best thing that I have ever experienced. She is my whole world now and I can't imagine not having her in our family.

Becoming a Dad

I was anxious to see how Scott would "become a dad." He didn't grow up around a lot of small kids or babies so I was curious how he would handle Lacey.

The first thing that I noticed about Scott was how protective he was of her. While we were in the hospital he wouldn't let her out of his sight, he wanted her next to him at all times. She would be in his arms as soon as he heard even the slightest peep from her. When the lab technician came in to do her heel prick (for the second time) Lacey screamed the entire time and Scott got a little teary eyed seeing her get so upset.

From the moment she made her big arrival Scott started worrying about her. Everything from whether she was eating enough, sleeping enough, or pooping. Google became his best friend, which sometimes can be reassuring, but other times it can be terrifying.

Scott is still trying to figure out how to study effectively with a baby at home. After a long day at school he comes home and wants to hold Lacey. Instead of studying he ends up staring at her and telling her how cute he thinks she is. 

Becoming a dad also meant learning how to change a diaper. Lacey must have known and wanted to initiate him properly. She pooped and peed on him the very first time he changed a diaper. I thought it was pretty helarious but Scott didn't.

Scott loves being Lacey's daddy! She has him wrapped around her little finger already. 

The first few days

Scott and I absolutely love being parents! Lacey is the perfect addition to our little family.

After Lacey was born we were in the hospital for a couple of days. I wanted nothing more than to take care of my little girl in the comfort of my own home. I was feeling great the day after I delivered her and was ready to go, but Lacey wasn't keeping any food down and they wanted us to stay so they could keep an eye on her. 

After her first feeding she spit up... a lot. The same thing happened with the next couple feedings as well. She had swallowed a bunch of amniotic fluid so she wasn't wanting to eat, and when she did it would just come back up. After the first 24 hours they decided to suction out her stomach, which made all the difference. Scott and I were relieved that she was able to keep down her food after that. Then the doctor told us that we could leave as soon as she pooped. Lacey didn't seem to uncomfortable so they weren't too worried, but they had us stay for a second night just to wait to make sure she could poop on her own. By our third day in the hospital I was SO ready to go home, but the pediatrician still wanted us to wait until she had a bowel movement. I had to be discharged before 3:30 otherwise I would need to call and get approval from my insurance for and extended stay.  They discharged me, but told me that Lacey would have to stay. We practically had to beg the nurses to let us go home to wait for her bowel movement. We had an appointment with the pediatrician a couple days later so they decided that we could take her home over the weekend. They taught us how to stimulate a bowel movement incase she started getting fussy because she was uncomfortable (yuck). Scott was super worried about everything and when that happens Google can be your worst nightmare. He was pulling up all sorts of things that could be wrong with Lacey. 

Then Sunday morning while Scott was on his way to church she did it! Her parents were so proud (and relieved). It's amazing how quickly you can fall in love with someone, and how quickly you start to worry about them. The first few days were full of new things for all three of us, a lot of waiting, and a lot of worrying. We are so glad to be past that. She's doing great now, and we are so glad that she is healthy and home with us! 

Birth Story

Late on Monday night (my due date) I started having contractions every hour or so and they continued all through the night. I kept waiting for them to get closer together, but once I got up for the day the contractions stopped. I went in for my weekly check up with my OB and we ended up scheduling my induction for November 3rd. (I was secretly hoping that I would go in and he would tell me that I had progressed and take me to labor and delivery.) I was only dilated 1 cm, but that is better than not being dilated at all.  I had the doctor strip my membranes just to see if that would help move things along. Before I left my doctor told me that I could have the baby any day except Wednesday because he wouldn't be able to be there for the delivery.

Tuesday Night the contractions started to pick back up again, and by 2 am they were about 10 minutes apart. They were pretty painful but weren't getting any closer together. I really didn't sleep too well and I didn't want to get Scott's hopes up so I didn't even tell him that I was having contractions. I knew that weren't getting any closer together and I was sure that it would be a repeat of the day before. Around 3 am I noticed a little bit of fluid but it wasn't the gush you hear about when your water breaks. It was the middle of the night so I decided to go back to bed and wait things out. I got up again around 4:30 and there was a little more fluid and I started to wonder if it could be my water breaking. I wasn't sure what to do my contractions weren't getting stronger or closer together so I wasn't sure if this really as the big moment. I went back into our room and told Scott that my water might have broken but I wasn't really sure (Scott is a deep sleeper, and it usually takes him a few minutes to wake up and realize what is going on) and he said, "Okay" rolled over and fell back to sleep. I figured since he wasn't worried about it I wouldn't be either.

When my alarm went off for work I got up and decided to call the hospital to see if I should come in or not. They told me to walk around for 30 minutes and if I noticed any more fluid then I should come in. There was another small amount of fluid so when Scott got up I told him that we should probably go to labor and delivery to at least get things checked out.

At that point we really weren't sure yet if my water broke or if I was actually in labor so Scott decided to get ready for school just in case he had to head to schools if the hospital sent us home. We got to the hospital at 8:00 am and sat in the ER check in area for a good 20 minutes before someone brought us up to labor and delivery. While we were waiting, Scott asked me if I was still having contractions and I wasn't sure if they were still 10 minutes apart or if they were starting to slow down.

Everything went really quickly after we got up to Labor and Delivery. They got me hooked up to machines to monitor Lacey's heart beat and my contractions. I don't know if I was just nervous or what, but I wasn't really feeling any contractions once they hooked me up and was sure that I would be sent home. The nurse kept asking me if I was having contractions and when I told her that I wasn't feeling any she let me know that I was having contractions and they were 3-7 minutes apart.

The doctor, who happened to the ER resident doing his OB rotation, came in to check to see if my water really did break. They have 3 tests to determine if there is any amniotic fluid, 2 of the 3 tests came back positive that my water broke, but they still weren't sure if they were going to let me stay or send me home. I was dilated to 2 cm when the doctor checked me around 9:00 am (Which was a little disappointing, I figured with contractions every 10 minutes for the last 7 hours I would have made a little more progress than that). The nurse was 99% sure that I was going to stay until I had a baby, but the resident who was checking me wasn't as sure that I was in labor. The OB who was on call came in not too much later to let me know that I had a couple options. If labor didn't progress than they could either induce me or they would let me go home. Lacey's heartbeat kept dropping (especially if I was laying on my back) so the doctors were keeping a really close eye on it to make sure she didn't get too stressed out and they encouraged me to get induced if labor didn't progress on it's own. Luckily, my labor was progressing on it's own and I didn't need any extra help to induce labor.

I asked the nurse how long she thought I would be in labor before the baby would get here. My contractions were starting to get a little more uncomfortable and I was ready for our little girl to finally join us. She said that there was a chance I could have the baby before or after midnight and with the first baby labor usually lasts a little longer. So I was trying to mentally prepare to be in labor until at least midnight.

By 11:00 am my contractions were getting stronger. I didn't feel like they were getting closer together, but the monitor was showing that they were about 3 minutes apart. I still was feeling like I was only having strong contractions every 10 minutes or so.  They were definitely getting stronger and very painful. Just after 11:00 am I was having to concentrate pretty hard on my breathing to get through each contraction so I caved and asked to get an epidural. I kept thinking how I had contractions ALL morning and I had only progressed 1 cm and there was no way I could make it to midnight having really painful contractions every 10 minutes.

The anesthesiologists came in within 5 minutes to give me an epidural. They had me sit at the edge of the bed while they put the epidural in place. A couple minutes into the procedure I started feeling hot and sick to my stomach, my blood pressure dropped and they had to pull out the needle, lay me on my side, and wait for my blood pressure to go back to normal. My blood pressure was low enough that they had to pull out a compression bag for my IV fluids to get my blood pressure back up. Once I was on my side they were able to give me the epidural successfully and it made everything so much better. The pain was gone but I got the shakes really bad for a good 10 minutes after the epidural was in place.

After my epidural, the resident came back in to check on my and I was almost 6 cm dilated but my water hadn't completely ruptured yet. They sent in the OB resident to come and drain the rest of the amniotic fluid. Once that was done labor progressed even faster.  Scott and I watched Serendipity while we waited for me to dilate more.

At about 2:30 I called in the nurse because I was starting to feel my contractions on my left side. The nurse decided to check me to see how far I progressed and I was dilated to 9 cm. We upped the medicine for my epidural in hopes that the pain would go away, and thats when I started feeling the urge to push. I started pushing at 3:05 and around 3:25 the nurse told me I couldn't push anymore and called for the doctor to come in. A couple minutes later he walked in saw that the baby was already crowning and had to rush to get his gown and gloves on so he could deliver the baby. I pushed 2 more times once the doctor was in the room and she was born at 3:31.

As soon as she was out they placed her on my chest and she just looked at me... and screamed at the top of her lungs. Scott and I both cried, we are parents now. She was beautiful and becoming a mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Lacey Nicole Robinson 

Born October 29, 2014 at 3:31pm

7 lbs. 4.4 oz. 19 inches long

I'm not one of those people who look good while in labor.
This is before my epidural.

After my epidural, I wasn't able to be on my back because Lacey's heart rate would drop

Bump update - 40 weeks

40 weeks

How far along? 40 weeks! I guess the baby didn't get the memo that her times is up. Now what do I count down until?

Baby Bump? It’s huge, and hopefully won’t be around much longer.

Comments on my size/pregnancy: “You look like you’re about to have a baby” (Really? Do I?) “You’re still pregnant?”

Maternity Clothes? It’s all about comfort these days. Scott always tells me that I can wear whatever I want because people won’t judge me if I wear pajamas in public because I’m pregnant

Best moment this week: Scott and I went to see “Meet the Mormons” it was pretty good. It was nice being able to spend so much time with just Scott and I before the baby comes.

Belly Button in or out: It’s still in most of the time.

Miss anything?  Being able to wear anything in my closet.  My non-maternity shirts are a little too short now to be worn comfortably.

Food cravings: Sweets, I am always wanting to eat something sweet.

Happy or moody most of the time: Pretty happy, starting to get a little more anxious.

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms:  HUGE belly, lots of Braxton hicks, and some cramping, some slight swelling of the feet, I’ve been super hot lately, and I’m super tired by the end of the day. I think that I’ve really had it easy, no major pains or anything.

Wedding Ring on or off: My ring is usually on. Lately I have felt like it has been super warm inside and my hands have started to swell due to that. As long as I am not hot my ring still fits great!

Sleep: I sleep pretty well. I toss and turn a couple times a night, but haven’t had any trouble getting back to sleep. (I am starting to have more dreams about how life is going to be after the baby comes, which sometimes are a little stressful)

This week baby is the size of:  A small pumpkin (just in time for Halloween) and she should be around 7.5 lbs, but I’m guessing she is going to be a little bigger than that.

Baby’s development this week: She’s just getting bigger and building up her fat.

New Baby Items: My dad sent us a baby monitor! We can’t wait to use it. We also got a gift from our landlord.

Looking forward to: Meeting our little girl! (Getting the whole labor thing out of the way)

Anything Else Going on: My mom is going to come out on the 1^st, and I cannot wait to see her. I will probably start counting down to her arrival since I know exactly when she will be here.

If this little girl doesn’t join us on her own this week I will most likely be induced on November 3^rd. I guess we’ll see if she decides to come on her own or not. 

Bump update - 39 weeks

39 weeks

How far along? 39 weeks… and we’re counting down days to our due date instead of weeks!

Baby Bump? I’m definitely pregnant, haha.

Comments on my size/pregnancy: “Let me guess, you’re due any day now?”, “I expected that you would already have your baby by now” “Are you sure you should be carrying those groceries?”

Maternity Clothes? Yep, maternity clothes are great, however, I can’t wait until I can start wearing my non-maternity clothes again. 

Best moment this week: I took Friday off so I could have the day to hang out with Scott. It was so nice having a 3 day weekend!

Belly Button in or out: I think it all depends on where the baby is sitting. Sometimes it starts to stick out, but for the most part it’s still an innie.

Miss anything?  Being able to bend over easily. I still have a decent range of motion, but it sure is getting more uncomfortable as the days go on.

Food cravings: I’m a fan of pretty much anything that I don’t have to cook myself.

Happy or moody most of the time: Pretty happy.

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms:  HUGE belly, lots of Braxton hicks, and some cramping, some slight swelling of the feet, I’ve been super hot all the time, and I’m super tired by the end of the day. I think that I’ve really had it easy, no major pains or anything.

Wedding Ring on or off: My ring is usually on. Lately I have felt like it has been super warm inside and my hands have started to swell due to that. As long as I am not hot my ring still fits great!

Sleep: I sleep pretty well. I toss and turn a couple times a night, but haven’t had any trouble getting back to sleep.

This week baby is the size of:  A mini watermelon, around 7 lbs and 20 inches long.

Baby’s development this week: She’s just getting bigger and building up her fat.

New Baby Items: We got a couple of gifts from friends this last week or so. One of our favorites is a “Baby’s first year” book where we can write in all the information for all her firsts as the year goes by. I think it’s a great idea, and there are so many firsts that I wouldn’t have ever thought about.

Looking forward to: Meeting our little girl!

Anything Else Going on: My mom is going to come out on the 1^st, and I cannot wait to see her. 

We cannot believe that we are counting down the days instead of weeks until our due date. I’ve had a few contractions, but nothing too bad. I still have a week until my due date, but I’m thinking that the baby will be coming later than that. 

Bump update - 38 weeks

38 weeks

How far along? 38 weeks… only 2 weeks until my due date.

Baby Bump? It’s HUGE.

Comments on my size/pregnancy: “You look like you were ready to go yesterday!”,  “She’s been pregnant for like 2 years now”,  “Your baby will probably be here before our food is delivered”, “You’re due in 2 weeks, you didn’t get very big”.

I’ve learned that it seriously depends on what I wear how big I look.

Maternity Clothes? Maternity clothes are the only way to go to be comfortable these days. 

Best moment this week: My big work event is finally over. That means that this little girl can make her appearance pretty much any time (other than Halloween) and I will be happy.

Belly Button in or out: It’s still in but it looks pretty weird, and Scott thinks it is the funniest thing ever.

Miss anything?  Sleeping through the night. Some nights I have to get up multiple times to go to the bathroom. Every time I do I remember that in a couple weeks it won’t be me taking a quick trip to the bathroom, but instead a long trip to get the baby fed and back to sleep.

Food cravings: I really want a ham sandwich, but you’re supposed to heat up lunch meat before you eat it, and I’m not patient enough. In a couple weeks I can make myself a ham sandwich and not have to worry about that.

Happy or moody most of the time: I’m pretty happy most of time. I can’t believe how close we are getting to having a little baby join our family.

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms:  Heartburn, crazy dreams(mostly about having the baby), HUGE belly, lots of Braxton hicks, and some cramping, some slight swelling of the feet, super tired. Over all I really can’t complain, I was sick during the first trimester, but since then I have felt pretty good and I’m not too uncomfortable most of the time.

Wedding Ring on or off: On for now, but by the end of the day my hands and feet have been a little swollen.

Sleep: I toss and turn pretty much all night. It isn’t easy to get super comfortable for long periods of time.

This week baby is the size of:  Bunch of Celery, around 19.5 inches long, and between 6.5 and 7lbs. (The doctor predicted that I will have a baby just under 8 lbs.)

Baby’s development this week: She’s still adding fat to her body and working on her grip.

New Baby Items: I think that we officially have everything that we need before the baby comes. (I just need to finish putting the nursery together.

Looking forward to: Having my hospital bag packed (halfway there) and finishing up the last of my “to-do” list before our baby comes

Anything Else Going on: My mom is going to come out on the 1^st, and I cannot wait to see her. 

Scott has his “Fall Break” coming up which means he won’t have class on Friday. I decided to take off work, it will probably be the last time the two of us get to hang out ALL DAY just the two of us. 

Bump update - 37 weeks

37 weeks

How far along? 37 weeks, which means I am officially full term.

Baby Bump? It’s getting bigger every day. When I wear colorful shirts it looks much bigger than it does on days I wear dark colors.

Maternity Clothes? Maternity clothes are the only way to go to be comfortable these days. 

Best moment this week: General Conference was AMAZING this weekend. I am so grateful to have the guidance from latter day prophets.

Belly Button in or out: It’s still in, yesterday it looked like it was about to start being an outie, but then this morning it is back to being in.

Miss anything?  Being able to bend over. I still have a decent range of motion, but I cannot wait to be able to move around without feeling like I have a bowling ball in my belly.

Food cravings: I have been wanting sweets much more lately. It might be because I have been super tired, and sugar helps a little.

Happy or moody most of the time: For the most part I am pretty happy, but I have noticed that I get upset a little more easily.

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms:  Heartburn EVERY NIGHT, crazy dreams(mostly about having the baby), HUGE belly, starting to get a little uncomfortable especially when sitting for a long time.

Wedding Ring on or off: It’s still on, and only gets a little tight when I get really warm, but that would happen before I was pregnant too.

Sleep: I toss and turn pretty much all night. It isn’t easy to get super comfortable for long periods of time.

This week baby is the size of: Leek, somewhere around 6.5 lbs and about 19 inches.

Baby’s development this week: She is considered full term, so she could come anytime and most likely wouldn’t have any problems. She is mostly in there gaining weight and prepping to join us.

New Baby Items: Scott and I went through our list of things we wanted/needed and ordered the rest of our stuff this past weekend.  (I swear they are only sending us one item per package instead of sending us multiple  items in one box.  My neighbors are going to think we are crazy because the number of boxes that will be showing up in the next couple days.)

Looking forward to: Having my hospital bag packed and finishing up the last of my “to-do” list before our baby comes

Anything Else Going on: I need this baby to stay put until Saturday, I have a really busy day at work.  She could come any time after that and I would be happy.

My mom is going to come out on the 1^st, and I am super excited to see her. 

Bump update - 36 weeks

36 weeks

How far along? 36 weeks and less than 1 month until this little girl is due

Baby Bump? My bump is getting a lot of attention these days. People (even strangers) are giving my belly a rub or a pat and a lot of people are making comments on how small or how huge I look.

Maternity Clothes? Maternity clothes are the only way to go to be comfortable these days.

Best moment this week:  A couple things, I had some amazing friends throw me a shower on Saturday. It was a lot of fun and we got a lot of things that we still were needing. (I will post more about it, I just need to get the pictures first.) The other thing is we finally made it to the one month mark.

Belly Button in or out: Still in other than a small part right on the very top that is trying to pop out. Last night it looked like it is a little more out than it has been, but it is still pretty in.

Miss anything?  Being able to get comfortable in any position. I can’t seem to get very comfy on the couch any more. Hopefully after this baby comes I will be able to feel more comfortable in general.

Food cravings: This is really weird, but I have been craving a bowl of corn flakes and cool whip. We used to eat it for breakfast as kids, and Scott thinks I’m crazy.    

Happy or moody most of the time: For the most part I am pretty happy. By the end of the day I am usually pretty tired and don’t have as much patience as I used to.

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms:  Heartburn, crazy dreams(most nights), HUGE belly, starting to get a little uncomfortable especially when sitting for a long time.

Wedding Ring on or off: It’s still on, and only gets a little tight when I get really warm, but that would happen before I was pregnant too.

Sleep: I toss and turn pretty much all night. It isn’t easy to get super comfortable for long periods of time.

This week baby is the size of: Coconut, she should be almost 19 inches long (I remember when she was only the size of a pea) and somewhere around 6 pounds. 

Baby’s development this week: This is the last week before our baby is considered full term. She is mostly just gaining weight until she comes. She is also head down and hopefully will stay that way until labor!

New Baby Items: Lots of new cute outfits, some new board books, binkies, bowls, dolls, crib sheets, bath stuff, diapers, and lots of good advice.

Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery, we have so much that we want to fit into a small space, and I still have no idea how we are going to fit it all.

Anything Else Going on: We are just counting down the days until this girl joins our family… 28 days until she is due, and probably like a few more days until she actual gets here. (I hear the odds of her coming late are more likely than her coming on time or early)  

Bump update - 35 weeks

35 weeks

How far along? 35 weeks

Baby Bump? Some of my clothes make me look like I am huge, while other outfits make me still look pretty small. My bump is still growing.

Maternity Clothes? Maternity clothes and pajamas… I tried wearing some non-maternity pants this past week with a belly band, and it just didn’t work out as well as it did when I was still pretty small.

Best moment this week:  The girls at work threw me a surprise baby shower. They were so nice to think about me and the baby. Scott and I really are so blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people.  

Belly Button in or out: Still in other than a small part right on the very top that is trying to pop out.

Miss anything?  Being able to take medicine… This week I have had a horrible cold and can’t really take much to help me feel too much better. I usually don’t get sick very often, but this is the second cold I have had since getting pregnant and it has really kicked me in the butt, haha.

Food cravings: Nothing new.    

Happy or moody most of the time: We are getting closer and closer to this little girl’s due date. How could I not be happy?

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms:  Heartburn (especially after I lay down), crazy dreams(most nights), HUGE belly.

Wedding Ring on or off: Now that the weather is getting pretty cold I don’t think I will have to worry too much about swelling. My ring will probably stay on the whole pregnancy.

Sleep: This week was really rough, being pregnant and having a cold are two things that are hard on sleeping well. I’m hoping that this next week I will be able to catch up on some of that much needed sleep.

This week baby is the size of: A honey dew melon. She should be a little over 18 inches and somewhere around 5.25 pounds.

Baby’s development this week: Her kidneys and liver should be developed and functioning well. 

New Baby Items: Lots of new cute outfits, a couple toys/stuffed animals, bath stuff from my wonderful co-workers.

Looking forward to: My friends out here are doing a shower for me on Saturday, which is the 1 month mark until our due date. Crazy, it seems so soon yet so far away all at the same time. Once that happens I will get the nursery all ready to go.

Anything Else Going on: We are just counting down the days until our little miss is due.  

Bump update - 34 weeks

34 weeks

How far along? 34 weeks

Baby Bump? Yep.

Maternity Clothes? I am getting tired of rotating through the same 5 outfits every week. If I’m not at work I’m usually in pajamas.

Best moment this week:  My cousin had her baby boy this week, which makes me really excited for our baby to get here. It is fun seeing other people announce that their little ones are here and it makes me excited knowing we only have about 6 weeks left to wait. 

Belly Button in or out: It is still in but is look funny. The top of the belly button looks like it wants to pop out but the rest is still in. Scott finds this very funny.

Miss anything?  How easy it used to be to change positions. I feel like every time I need to stand up or sit down I have to exert so much more effort than I used to.

Food cravings: Nothing new.    

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy (and anxious for this little girls due date to come)

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms:  Some heartburn, crazy dreams(every night), some back pain, HUGE belly.

Wedding Ring on or off: It's still on. I haven't noticed any weird swelling unless I am outside or walking around for a long period of time.

Sleep: It’s been difficult getting to sleep, but it isn’t too bad once I actually fall asleep.

This week baby is the size of: A cantaloupe, a little over 4.5 pounds and almost 18 inches long.

Baby’s development this week: I learned that babies born between 34 weeks and 37 weeks may need some time in the NICU but the stay is usually pretty short if they have grown the way they are supposed to and don’t have any major issues. That is good to know. From here on out she will be starting to build up her fat.

New Baby Items: Nothing that I can think of. We are waiting for our baby shower before we go out and buy too much more.

Looking forward to: My shower in a couple weeks. I am anxious to have everything ready, and once the shower is over I can make sure we have everything that we need.

Anything Else Going on: Not really, just waiting for our little girl to come join us.  

Bump update - 33 weeks

33 weeks

How far along? 33 weeks...less than 50 days left!

Baby Bump? Yep, there is no hiding that I am VERY pregnant. I have gotten a few more people asking me when the baby is coming.

Maternity Clothes? Love Maternity clothes, my pre-pregnancy shirts are now a little too short to wear.

Best moment this week:  The BYU game on Saturday vs. Texas was pretty awesome! Scott was able to feel the baby move around a ton. I swear that every time Scott puts his hand to feel her she decides to stop moving, but a few nights ago she finally let him feel her really move around. He asked me if she always moves like that, and she does quite often. He didn’t realize how much she could really wiggle around in there.

Belly Button in or out: It is still very in.

Miss anything?  Falling asleep easily, it seems to be getting harder and harder every day.

Food cravings: Nothing new.    

Happy or moody most of the time: I think that I’m usually a pretty happy person.

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms: A little bit of nausea every once in a while, occasional heartburn, crazy dreams(every night), some back pain, insomnia.  

Sleep: It’s been difficult getting to sleep, but it isn’t too bad once I actually fall asleep.

This week baby is the size of: A pineapple, a little over 4 pounds and about 17 inches long.

Baby’s development this week: Her little bones are getting stronger and harder, and she’s packing on some more fat.

New Baby Items: We took her car seat out of the box this week, but we bought it a while ago.

Looking forward to: Cleaning out the Nursery. Right now the room has been used as our storage for all the things that we don’t use on a regular basis. This past weekend I went into our basement storage and cleaned it out so we can move a lot of the things from the nursery that we won’t be using and storing them in the basement instead. It will be nice to have the nursery look more like a nursery and less like a storage room.

Anything Else Going on: We don’t have a whole lot going on right now. Scott studies pretty much all the time and I am trying to get everything ready for the baby. That means I have been cleaning and trying to de-junk so we have room for all our fun baby stuff. 

Bump update - 32 weeks

32 weeks

How far along? 32 Weeks.

Baby Bump? In the last week I have gotten the following comments. “You look SO pregnant” “You look like you are ready to pop” “Can I touch it?” I don’t feel like I look like I’m “ready to pop” but I guess some people feel that way.

Maternity Clothes? I don’t know why I waited so long to buy any maternity clothes. They are so much more comfortable than anything else.

Best moment this week:  We had our first baby shower. It was so exciting! I can’t believe how many people in Scott’s dental class are excited about us having a little one. We got lots of gifts and well wishes. It was great. We are definitely getting more anxious for this girl to get here.

Belly Button in or out: In.

Miss anything?  Having energy. The last couple weeks have been rough. I always feel like I need a nap (or two) but I can’t take one since I work all day.

Food cravings: Nothing new this week, I just have a sweet tooth.   

Happy or moody most of the time: I think that the whole crazy, irrational, emotional pregnant lady side is starting to come out. I don’t know where it is coming from but I am more emotional now than I ever have been in my life.

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms: A little bit of nausea every once in a while, occasional heartburn, crazy dreams(every night), some back pain, some insomnia, and a LOT of movement.

Sleep: I feel like I need it all the time, but then I don’t fall asleep very easily.

This week baby is the size of: a bok choy… I’m not sure what that is. She is about 16.7 inches long and weighs around 4lbs.

I guess this is a Bok Choy. Who knew?

Baby’s development this week: She will be sleeping more now, but also moving more… however that works.

New Baby Items: We got a few new outfits, some binkies, burp cloths, towels, mittens, washcloths, diapers, picture frames, infant toothpaste, gift cards, and other fun things at the shower. We feel so blessed.

Looking forward to: Hanging up our pictures in the nursery. I can’t wait for everything to be all ready for this little one to come.

Anything Else Going on: Not really, Scott is back in school. This past week hasn’t been too bad, but it’s supposed to get a lot harder really soon.

A couple more people have told me that they are pregnant, and we are absolutely thrilled for the parents. I don’t think any of them have publicly announced so I will wait before I mention any names. 

Bump update - 31 weeks

31 weeks

How far along? 31 Weeks. Only 6 more weeks until I am full term and only 9 weeks until my due date! (Single digit countdown!)

Baby Bump? I feel like it is starting to get bigger. It didn’t change much from weeks 24-30, but I feel like it is now growing again.

Maternity Clothes? I have always been anti-leggings. I just haven’t ever liked them, and didn’t think that they looked very cute, at least not on me. Well, I gave in and tried some on the other day and I am pretty sure that was a life changing experience for me. They are the most comfortable things that I have ever worn, and I don’t know how I lived my pregnant life this far without them.

Best moment this week:  Finishing up my nursery pictures. (I like 5 out of the 7 that I made. I’m not too fond of the lion or the giraffe. So I might try another animal or redo one of the ones I don’t like.) It feels good to have some of the decorations done and out of the way. We still need to hang them, maybe that will be our project this weekend.

Belly Button in or out: It is still very in.

Miss anything?  Sleeping like a normal person and being able to get comfortable.

Food cravings: Chocolate Milk… I had the biggest craving for chocolate milk the other day. I swear it was the tastiest treat I have had in a really long time.   

Happy or moody most of the time: It’s getting harder for me to wake up in the morning, so I don’t wake up very happy, but once I’m up and awake I am usually pretty happy.

Gender: BABY GIRL! 

Symptoms: A little bit of nausea every once in a while, occasional heartburn, crazy dreams(every night), some back pain, some insomnia.  

Sleep: I wake up a few times a night feeling ready to get up. For some reason my body just doesn’t want to go back to sleep.

This week baby is the size of: a bunch of asparagus… around 16.2 inches long and a little over 3 pounds.

Baby’s development this week: The hair on her head is getting thicker (if she has any). She can turn her head from side to side, and she is starting to build up some chub.

New Baby Items: My mom bought us a crib mattress this week. Now we just need some sheets to go on it and we have our big items covered. I can’t believe that in a couple months that we will be needing a nursery. So excited!

Looking forward to: Our baby shower… Scott’s dental class decided to throw us a combined shower with another couple who are expecting in December. It will be fun to meet all the people Scott is always talking about.

Anything Else Going on: Scott officially started his second year of dental school today. That means that I probably won’t get to see him very much for the next year :(