38 Weeks, 6 Days — Bump Progression

How can it already be October 7th??

I've only had 2 kids for 11 days, I've had extra help (Nana, Monte-D, Gramma & Chief (last weekend), and Jill & Chris (this weekend). How am I going to make it when everyone goes home?!
I will do my best to keep up blog posts, even though they have been lacking in the past few months anyway...

Here is the last pregnancy progression picture. I didn't quite make it to 39 weeks...38 weeks, 6 days and he was ready to be born!

I will post another, like I did with Connor when he was 4 weeks old. Let's see how much weight I can lose in these first 4 weeks. So far I am down to 153... I'm hoping to get to 130...a little less than before I got pregnant. We shall see.

p a i n . . .

I am just hours shy of being 37 weeks pregnant, so I think it is an okay time to compain.

Today has been ROUGH.

The burning sensation / pain that is extremely concentrated in my left groin has become so intense it has taken me to my knees several times. It used to only happen when I was standing or walking for a while, but now I will get a shot of the pain when I haven't moved at all...while sitting and I almost have to hold my breath until it is over.

I just wrote my doctor a facebook message to make sure I am not losing my mind. I know I limped when I was pregnant with Connor and even remember having to drag my left leg sometimes, but this is ridiculously excessive. I seriously don't know if I can handle this pain for another 2 weeks and 2 days...

Of course, I didn't help matters much yesterday. My brain completely jumped out of gear. That is really the only explanation I have for my sheer stupidity. If today is described as painfully "rough" then yesterday was a breeze. I was really pretty active and we went on a little family bike ride after dinner, before Connor's bathtime. At the temporary end of road there is a little off-roading dip that Connor has been anxious to try out. (I think he did it with Jaxson when they went on a bike ride when Brian was in CA). I've been telling him he has to wait for daddy.

Well, he tried it and wasn't going fast enough. There is also some sand at the bottom of the ravine that makes things tougher. After several minutes of riding in circles waiting for the shenanigans to be over, something came over me and obviously I forgot that I was 9 months pregnant and on a "loser cruiser" and NOT a mountain/off-roading bike. I decided that I needed to be the one to show Connor how to do it. WRONG. Idiot move, really. 1/2 way up the second hill, my chain came off. I don't know if I hit the seat weird or if my inner right thigh hit the bar on my boy bike. Either way, the pain on the OTHER side of my pelvis became intense...but this time it was my own damn fault and completely stupid. Now I get to go to my appointment on Friday for my cervical check and I am sure to have a god-awful black/blue bruise on my right inner thigh. Lovely. Who knows what in the world my doctor is going to think about that!?! So, combine a deep tissue bruise with the burning in my left groin and I am just about the most pathetic looking person you've seen in a while. Oh yeah, and add in some heartburn at the moment too....and it was 85º today.

Tomorrow is sure to be a better day. Connor is at school all day, I have a prenatal massage at noon and I have to go to the printer to have no less than 6 jobs printed. So, I need to go to bed. However, I think I am going to attempt to ice my left groin to see if that helps anything. Now there is a pretty picture for ya...

Seriously, if I start to change my mind about only wanting 2 kids in about a year (I really don't think I will)...please remind me of this day. I'm pretty sure the symptoms get worse with each pregnancy...I cannot even fathom it being worse than today.... No more babies for me!

35 Weeks — Bump Progression

Here we are again....another month has passed. I'm still pregnant. The heat is really starting to get to me and I am just going to have to get over whatever our electric bill is going to be. I waddle more than I walk and a minor, tolerable heartburn is ever-present.

I am still very thankful to be pregnant, but I am NOT one of those women that "loves" being pregnant. It is a means to an end....hopefully a perfectly healthy little baby boy. So I'll suck it up...for him. But I see no reason why I should do this again....at least not anytime soon, that is for sure!

Although I was by no means "skinny" I look back at my 15 week picture and envy the size of my arms, my not-so-huge legs and the fact that I know for a fact I had no pelvic pain at that point and could even sleep on my stomach a little longer...and definitely my back. Those days are long gone.

Only one more picture in the series. I've got less than 4 weeks until little Declan will be born. I can and will survive. Now that his room is finished (almost), and Brian is back home from training in California (hallelujah) I am ready for him to come any time. Well, that is not completely the truth, but you know what I mean. :)

I think I'll go take a Tums.

31 Weeks — Bump Progression

Round 1 with Connor.

I am currently in Georgia, but I managed to take my monthly photo today and Photoshopped the background so it matches. :) I did NOT retouch my size at all...I'm freakin' huge with 2 more pictures in the series to go (oh my goodness...)

We got to visit with our dear friend, Johnny today. In the kindest way possible, he let me know he thought I had about 2 weeks to go...not nine. Oh boy.

I have good days and bad. Today has been good. Declan likes to hang out on my right side, just like his big brother did at this time 4 years ago. He is still hanging out very low and the pelvic pain is especially bad during these moments, but I think I've managed to keep the limp and waddle to a minimum.

I'm not sure if it is because I'm in Georgia or if it will continue once I get home, but my internal thermometer has gone up in the past few days. My mom touched my arm the other day and said I was radiating heat. I guess that is just part of being very pregnant in the summer.

Overall, things are still very good. I am getting several bouts of heartburn (like right now) but it is tolerable.

Connor and I are certainly missing Brian, but enjoying our time with family in Georgia. I will be adding pictures from my annual Girl's Weekend that took place this time last week shortly (just got them off the camera, too). My friends are truly the greatest and surprised me and little D with a baby shower. They each made Declan a custom, handmade, onesie and gave us a gift card for essentials.

27 Weeks — Bump Progression & 9 Year Anniversary

Happy 9-Year Anniversary to us!

We haven't done anything special today...Brian went golfing with a friend and I printed and shipped 4 stationary orders... very romantic, I know.

It is also that time of month again...time to chart me getting very large.

So, I have about 12 weeks left. I guess my belly is getting big enough that my shirt is appearing shorter. I still managed to huff it up the Sleeping Bear Dunes last week!

Declan's room is really coming together. It hasn't been painted yet, but all of the furniture is assembled and in its place. I will have to take and post some pictures soon...when it is all done.

And as usual, here is a link to the same progression point with Connor...

——my mom saw this series and said, "I can't believe you have 3 more pictures in the series!" At first I thought she was wrong, but she is absolutely right and I can't believe it either...holy cow I'm pretty sure I'm going to be way bigger than I was with Connor....——

Next doctor's appointment on Tuesday...then every 2 weeks.

Cravings: none really...haven't been overly hungry at all actually. Believe it or not I do NOT want ice cream. The last few times we've treated ourselves, I end up getting a "glacier" which is like a Mr. Misty (DQ) with soft serve ice cream inside. I've had lime and orange...like a dreamsicle.

We are having a heat wave...it has been either 100º or over the past couple of days. I thought I lived in Michigan to avoid this crap?! I'm not swelling [yet], and I've done this before, so it is tolerable. At least this time I have a lake I can jump into or lounge in, so that makes it much better!

Connor's 43+lbs is getting really tough to carry around. Obviously he walks, but when he is really tired or just needs some mom-time, he likes to be carried. He knows he has to get "above the baby", but I can't carry him for very long anymore at all. I guess this is a good transition since after D gets here, I won't be able to carry him at all for a while because of the C-section.

Connor puts his head on my belly and says he can "hear Declan kicking". Then he wonders why I can't hear it... :)

I have no clue how much I weigh. I should probably step on the scale, but I've been so busy I haven't even thought about it. I think I weigh about the same as I did with Connor...I'd guess around 155 or 156....but I could be way off. Granny just left early this morning (7-6-12) and claims that I got significantly bigger just while she was here! :)

23 Weeks — Bump Progression

So, I waited too late in the day to take the picture and the lighting is very different from the previous ones. I'm also bigger at night, so I may do a redo picture tomorrow. I don't think a couple of hours is going to make much of a difference. Besides, I won't look like I've been up since 3:00 am with wind blown hair, essentially no makeup and not the best expression on my face!

Oh well...here I am with the little man...

I definitely think there was a bigger difference between 15 and 19, but if I kept up that growth rate, by the time September rolls around I wouldn't be able to get out of my house!

Current weight: 151.5 lbs.

No cravings, no real aversions.

I wake up in the middle of the night. I'm not sure how much of it is pregnancy related and how much of it has to do with the fact that I'm in Connor's bed. I don't mean to fall asleep after I read him a story, but it has happened 2 of the last 3 nights.

I started buying nursery stuff this week. SO FUN and the blackout curtains from Pottery Barn Kids came today. I still have to raise the curtain rod, but I just love the pattern and preppy look. I'm going to have to back off the "vintage" idea that I was hoping to use because the fabric is just too crisp and clean to pull of vintage. But that is okay...now I can get an inexpensive white crib that I like!

I'll likely post a few sneak peek pictures of the nursery, but nothing that will give the whole room away until it all comes together...probably late July or August!

HERE is the link to the same picture in my pregnancy with Connor.

The picture above is updated...taken at 23 weeks, 1 day and not at night. This was the original.

Getting Uncomfortable

I go to the Dr. tomorrow morning, so he'll be able to tell me if I've actually gotten a lot bigger in the last 2 weeks, but it certainly feels like it. I never wanted to be one of those pregnant women that waddles....and I hope I'm still not, but I don't think I walk "normal" anymore. Getting up from a sitting position is tough and even though I'm in northeastern Ohio I am having a tough time staying cool. I have a love/hate relationship with my preggo pillow...I can't sleep without it, but with it I wake up soaked in sweat all the time. Lovely, I know.

I was supposed to take my 33 week picture (for the right) today, but was too lazy to set it up and do it. Perhaps tomorrow. I did play around in "PhotoBooth" a little tonight and I like the way this one turned out. I wish it accurately depicted the fact that my belly is completely lopsided because Connor has decided to hang out on the right side all the time. Oh well. I hope to look back on this time with fond memories.....I've heard that after he's born, you forget about a lot of the discomfort....ask me in a few months....

Oh yeah, he is the size of a pineapple now...sheesh. He's over 17 inches long and weighs over 4 lbs. No wonder I'm getting uncomfortable: he's running out of room!

Sleeping is TOUGH

Let me start by saying that I don't think I'm "huge". However, in the past few days my comfort level has decreased dramatically. I can't pinpoint what happened or why I am suddenly unable to get comfortable---especially at night, and therefore am more irritable during the day...? I feel like my belly is some sort of shelf that is sticking out further and further now. I don't think the little man can go "up" anymore, so now it is mainly going "out". I think this is probably the culprit for change in comfort. Continuing with the shelf concept, I feel like I need some brackets attached to the top of my thighs to help hold the belly up! It is just floating out there and I know it is only going to get bigger!

I bought a giant, Boppy, pregnancy pillow way back in February when I woke up with a horribly sore back and in the past few weeks I've gone from using it frequently to carrying it around the house in case I want to take a nap! It definitely helps, but I think I'm going to have to add yet another pillow to the middle to support the bump a little more. The main downside to sleeping on your side all the time (primarily my left side) is that whenever I wake up if I stretch my legs out and point my toes I get instant cramps in my calves! Must flex feet. I'm talking serious, athletic-style cramping. I guess it is from the lack of blood circulation. Whatever...it is annoying, but after it happens a few times you better believe I remember to flex my feet now!

I've told several people that I now know that there is a good reason humans are pregnant for approximately 40 weeks....not only does the baby need that long to develop, but I think that in about 8 weeks I won't care how much it hurts, I'll just be ready for Connor to be born and to not be pregnant anymore! Don't get me wrong...I still don't think I've had it very bad. I'm very thankful to still be comfortable most of the time and the temperatures here in Ohio are certainly tolerable....especially for July!

I can only hope that I don't wish away these last few weeks. Now that we are more settled in our new home and the baby furniture is being delivered tomorrow!!! (YAY) I want to remember all the kicks, rolls, punches and what it feels like....the good and the bad. I don't care how big or small he is when he is born, the fact that I know there is something over 16 inches long inside of me at this very moment is an absolute miracle. The human body is truly a remarkable vessel!

Brian snapped this picture of me the other day, during a short nap on the couch. It is certainly not the best picture of me, but in a weird way I like that it shows that normal t-shirts don't cover so well any more and of course I love that both Mitsy and Toonces are in it too!

Baby Bump Progression: 15, 19, 23, 27, & 31

(click on the image to see it larger)

Obviously the background changed since we moved, but I am still in front of the same cubby/bookcase thing. Sorry about the lighting behind me. Oh well.

This shirt is getting tighter and tighter. I'm afraid the cable knit will be stretched out for good! Only 2 more pictures in the series and Connor should be here!

My First Baby Shower! June 8, 2008

I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends. Despite my crazy hectic schedule with moving and Grant & Carrie's wedding, etc., Nikki and Meg still wanted to throw a baby shower for me and Connor. The event took place on Sunday at Nikki's beautiful home. The timing was especially nice because not only was I able to see old friends, but many of the women in my family (all the way from Texas) were able to come because they were already in town for the wedding.

All the food and presentation was outstanding. Nikki and Meg thought of everything! We played 2 baby shower games: one was a word scramble and my cousin-in-law, Annette won big time! Hopefully my ability to descramble words like "pacifier" is not an indicator of my mothering ability! Everyone also guessed how big around I was at 28.5 weeks. As usual, most of my "friends" thought I was huge! :) Elisa came in a very close second to my Granny, who was within a centimeter of complete accuracy! I've never seen anyone come so close! Then there was my dear mother....she was a good 11-12 inches short....God bless her! :)

Connor is well on his way to being completely set. He got lots of adorable clothes, a Bumbo and tray, crib sheets, blankets, baby monitors, etc. etc. Everyone was beyond generous. Of course the greatest gift that anyone could give was just their presence at the shower itself. After living away for so many years, you guys have no idea how much it means to me to know that I still have so many close girl friends that I can count on for anything. Although this baby will be born in Ohio, I can already feel a loving embrace all the way from Georgia.Love you guys...thanks again!
(You'll get your thank you notes soon....writing is a little tough right now with my gimp wrist...)

Baby Bump Progression, 15, 19, 23, & 27 Weeks

The background is technically the same, but you can see that the packers were at our house on Tuesday! Maybe, by week 31 we'll have the sofa table I've been standing in front of unloaded and in it's new home, but it will be in a very different location!

Baby Pump Progression - 15, 19, & 23 Weeks!

Again, I wish I'd done 16, 20 and 24 for those people that associate those milestone weeks with "months". However, if that is the case, then I'll actually be pregnant for 10 months! Oh well.

Things continue to go well. I feel good and have lots of energy most of the time. Since I have time on my hands and baby on the brain, my true ridiculousness tends to come out. I spent about 3 hours creating the most extensive "Needs" spreadsheet. I've got everything we've registered for (Babies 'R Us and Target) as well as items that we've already purchased. Of course it is color coded and includes tax and shipping columns....I know, I have too much time on my hands! I'm hoping that it will help keep us organized and will be an easy way of determining things we still need as well as what generous people have given us.

Although it is not a big secret, we've decided on a name. We've known for a while now, but for some reason haven't made it overly public. Well, for the inquiring people that want to know, our little guy's Irish roots will really shine....his name will be Connor Patrick Nealon. It took us quite a while to agree on a boy name. We wanted something a little unique without sounding made up or "too big" for a little boy. Connor it is. Brian's middle name is Patrick and it is also his dad's name (and his brother's middle names too). If the baby was a girl, she would have had my middle name, so that is how we are keeping family traditions going. Of course we hope that everyone likes it, but if you don't...keep it to yourself...we ain't changin' it!

I'm sure many of you know that Virginia got some crazy weather last night and was hit with tornadoes pretty hard. Obviously, we are fine. I'm embarrassed to say that I should have been more concerned. I was irritated that Oprah never came on and I got to look at radar the whole hour....I didn't have any idea it was so serious. Thankfully, Brian got home early yesterday, otherwise he could have been in the thick of it all. We never heard siren or anything, but got quite a heavy downpour yesterday and this morning as well. We are very thankful to be fine and certainly feel for all of those whose lives got flipped upside-down yesterday. God bless them.

I guess that is it for now. Oh, one more pregnancy note....although I don't really know what I'm talking about, I think Connor is pretty low. I thought I had to pee about 15 times today, but then nothing happened. He's probably sitting on my bladder! This is new for me, so I'm anxious to see if it lasts and what surprise will come up next!

Love and hugs ——allison, Brian & Connor!

22 Weeks...and other things to think about

According to BabyCenter.com
(Switch out "she" for "he".)
Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches the length of a spaghetti squash and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

Things are good on my end. I can absolutely no longer sleep on my stomach (even when I try to cheat by pulling one knee up really far) or on my back either. Although I enjoy sleeping on my sides sometimes, the lack of another option causes me to wake up several times during the night. This morning I think I tried to cheat and sleep on my stomach and it actually made me feel a little nauseous....at least that is all I can figure. I was able to go back to sleep for a few hours after Brian left and I completely took over the bed on my left side.

He is moving around a lot now and Brian felt him (it was a little one) for the first time the other day. It is still pretty hard to believe that in about 18 weeks we'll be holding him in our arms! We are trying to prepare ourselves for as much as we can, but I know there will be many surprises that new parents can't "prepare" for.

This past Saturday we went nursery furniture shopping in Richmond at a place called USA Baby. I'd seen a few styles online at JCPenny and Babies 'R' Us, but I think we'll probably end up ordering a beautiful set from USA Baby. I'm glad we went early because we found out that sometimes it can take 8 weeks or more for the pieces to come in. So, we'll probably decide and order in the next few weeks. The fact that we aren't sure where we are going to be makes things a little more difficult, but at this point we are just planning on still being in the apartment. I want to keep the bed in our guest room, but I'm not sure what we'll do with the rest of the furniture in there?! Like all things...I'm sure we'll figure it out.

I've also been doing a lot of stroller research. After living in Europe, Brian and I saw a lot of really cool strollers that work beautifully on cobblestones. Although cobblestones are not a big issue here, the idea of a stroller that can go everywhere (thick grass, beach, grocery store, jogging, etc.) is very appealing. We are still trying to figure out exactly what we want but another part of the equation is car seats. So, if you have little kids please share what kind of infant car seat you got and if you would recommend it. :) The Graco SafeSeat Step 1 looks appealing because it is an infant car seat that accommodates a child up to 30 lbs and 32 inches....most infant car seats only work for kids up to about 22 lbs. The downside is the empty car seat is heavier than its smaller neighbor, the Graco SnugRide by about a pound and a half. Either of these seats, as well as the Maxi Cosi Mico can fit with an adapter onto the stroller we are thinking about to create a travel system.

Anyway, of course there are a ton of things to think about and consider before our little guy arrives. Any product recommendations would be greatly appreciated before we register for anything. I am a firm believer that other moms and dads are the best ones to ask about stuff we'll need!

18 weeks to go!

Popsicle Kisses, and Big Bear Hugs....

Little red wagons, and jars full of bugs,
Grass stains, football games, lots of toys,
Oh the joy....WE'RE HAVING A BOY!

Our little guy decided to show off at the very beginning of our ultrasound today! Brian spotted the "goods" before the ultrasound tech even mentioned it. Her response was, "It is definitely NOT a girl!"

I already love that little nose!

Check out that mitt! :) One of the first things Brian said was, "I get to coach T-Ball!"

Brian's reaction to the news of the little guy! (I honestly think he would have been just as excited about a little girl.)





Apparently he is "very well endowed" according to the tech....he has a proud father. :)Look at those adorable little feet!

We couldn't be more excited and it was so fun to see his perfect little hands, feet and a beautiful little nose. His heart, brain, and everything else looks fantastic. He is weighing in at 12 oz. and is perfectly happy inside his current home.

The whole ultrasound that was supposed to take 30 minutes ended up taking an entire hour. Our little munchkin was very happy where he was and didn't feel like flipping around. I had to rotate all over the table and then sit up for a while to try to get him to move his head. Thus, when this picture was taken. I must say that I am proud because the tech said he probably wasn't responding to all the poking and proding because my stomach muscles are still "taut"....I'm proud! He finally did decide to cooperate and we got the pictures of the 4 chambers of his heart that we needed.

According to BabyCenter.com, at 20 weeks the baby is the length of a banana...head to toe, no longer bump to rump.

We are going out to eat to celebrate....Brian says this kid needs steak.

We found these at TJMaxx on our way home from our celebration dinner (we walked...Longhorn is close)! These are celebratory shoes!

Persistence Pays Off—Ultrasound in 1 WEEK!

Change the ultrasound countown from 19 days to 7———YIPPEE! I've called the office numerous times to see if they could fit me in somewhere and was told to call back again this week in case the ultrasound tech decided to work on a Friday (must be nice). Anyway, THEY GOT US IN! My appt. is at 2:40 next Wednesday!!! I'm so excited I could do the dance of joy! (Perfect Strangers from back in the day...I know, I'm a geek....a VERY excited geek.)

Baby Bump Progression

I'm definitely getting bigger. My "sway" back doesn't help much either. I know it is dumb that I didn't do 16, 20, 24, etc. Oh well. Take it or leave it. :) I don't think this shirt will make it to the end though...the cable knit is already stretching a lot in the middle...oops.

The baby is moving around a lot right now....hehehe. It is hard to describe, but not like "butterflies" as I was expecting, probably closer to popcorn popping inside. I'm anxious for Brian to be able to feel it, but at this point it is still pretty sporatic and he isn't keen on keeping his hand on my belly for long, extended periods of time!

Waiting...Ridiculousness

I wrote this on March 13th after finding out we were going to have to wait beyond the normal 20 weeks to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Here is my response (posted to my MySpace page).

Ridiculous....

I just got done with my Dr. appt. They did the scary tests today....Downs Syndrome (3 kinds), Cystic Fibrosis, and Spina Bifida (sp?). No news is good news, so hopefully we’ll be in the clear. :)

The part that is killing me is that there are no available appointments for my next ultrasound during my 20th week...then Brian is going to be in Arizona during all of my 21st week, SO on Monday, April 21st (1 day shy of week 22) we will finally find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I’ve called back twice making sure that there is nothing available the 8th-11th, but nothing. They did put my name in if sometime becomes available, but I’m not holding my breath.

So, the countdown begins....39 more days.....that is freakin’ FOREVER! I realize that women went centuries without knowing, but now that the technology is available and one thinks they are going to find out at 20 weeks...having to wait until 22 is just pure torcher for a girl getting fatter and fatter.

Brian is basically putting money on the fact that it is a girl, but I don’t have a vibe either way. The lady making appointments said she thought it was a boy because I am still small and "in front" but who knows. I’ll be thrilled with either, I just want to be able to buy the appropriate colored moses basket when I find it by chance at TJMaxx or Marshalls....and they are rare in the first place. (this is what happens when bargain shopping becomes a hobby for a pregnant lady) Not to mention start personalizing stuff with the appropriate name....I have a slew of ideas that run through my brain all the time...

Anyway, I will get over it. Hopefully my misery has somehow brightened your day or at least given you a laugh. OH....AND the Dr. didn’t even listen to the heartbeat long enough to give me an approximate beats per minute...I realize that this is not always accurate, but throw me a bone here! (she did say it is over 120 bpm....duh, otherwise that would be a big problem....)

Now I’m really done.

39 days and counting.....April 21st, 9:00 am.

_______

Currently the countdown is down to 26 days!!!! YAY!

9 Week Ultrasound Pictures

I thought this would be easy for everyone to check on periodically to see the progress of the baby. :)

I personally think it is hilarious that almost all books that help track pregnancy compare the baby's size to produce. This week, the baby is currently the size of a GRAPE!
(image by BabyCenter.com)

We are currently anxiously awaiting our next ultrasound to find out if we are having a little boy or a little girl, but we still have a few more weeks for that. I thought I'd go ahead and post our little munchkin's first pictures ever.

Isn't he/she "cute". :) Sonogram pictures from 22 January 2008.