6/25/2013

WEEK 24

    


yeah yeah, I know I'm getting BIGGER!

How far along? 24 WEEKS aka 6 MONTHS aka The SAFE week.  Basically what I mean by that is that week 24 marks the point in a pregnancy where 98% of babies survive if born pre-mature.  Health conditions may exist, but I'm excited to be past the point of a miscarriage. It's so sad to think about, but my what-if's kick in now and again and I try to prepare myself for what could happen.  I haven't been told I have a risk of a miscarriage or anything like that, but it's just reassuring to know that there is a high chance that we'll be able to to meet and bond with this baby when he/she decides it's time. 
Oh yes I did! ;)


Total weight gain/loss:  I have an appointment on 6/27, we'll get more accurate measure then!  I look back on my first two months when I was so worried that I was getting too big too fast…and you can't even tell I'm pregnant. What was I thinking??  I think maybe it was because my pants were getting tighter and couldn't button.
Maternity clothes? Nothing new!  Still living in my belly band and maxi dresses! I find myself rotating the same shirts for work.  I'm thinking I have to look for some black stretchy pants for work, it's becoming a struggle to fit my hips into my pre-pregnancy work pants lately.

Stretch marks?  Nope! But, i do have a faint linea negra (which is that line pregnant women get down the center of the belly) and I have this crazy noticeable green vein on the side of my belly, probally because my skin is so fair.
Highlights this week:   A New Baby Girl, FINALLY!
Baby Adelie  was welcomed into this world on 6/22/13 at 9lbs and 21 inches. Mommy is doing just fine, both mommy and daddy are loving life with her  in theirs!  Awe, I just can't wait until this moment with my own precious baby! 



Precious baby Adelie


 


 

Cousins: Jacee, Will & Adelie

  

Mama, me, and baby Adelie

Dentist Appointment!
Had a dentist appointment this week and I have no cavities or issues!  Yay!  I've heard that some pregnancies will cause issues with your teeth and gums and was anxious to see how my mouth was doing!  The dentist gave me information about baby dental health.  She said that the baby should come in fir their first visit anywhere from the first tooth that is being cut (around 6 months) and 1 year of age.   She told me that there is a "training" toothpaste by Orajel that the baby should use until 4-5 years old (until the child can spit).  The hygienist asked tons of questions and shared some stories about her pregnancies and mentioned that there are 3 things that a woman should go home with after she gives birth: pain meds, her baby, and a bite splint.  She said the bite splint will manage the stress that your mouth, jaw, teeth endure when you're under sleep deprivation and stress in the beginning.  I was given some pamphlets about dental health during pregnancy and also dental health for baby, info on thumbsucking, and was told not to worry about which type of pacifier the baby will take if they baby even takes one.  The dentist said that comforting the baby is most important, and teeth can always be fixed.

Father's  Day!
What a great day it was!  Will had his Dad, Grandpa Bill (dad's dad) and his mom's dad Grandpa Jim over with their wives.  Tesia, Will's sister, came over too.  It was a beautiful day with great company.  We had William Henry Burns 3rd, 4th, and 5th, here.  And, if this baby is a boy the 6
th was present too!  We failed to get a picture of the generations though! L  We were having such a good time eating good food and visiting it just slipped all of our minds.
I went ahead and got Will this shirt for father's day.  I couldn't wait…plus I thought it would but cute for him to wear when the baby is being born/or after for pictures
J.  So, the shirt will go in our hospital bag, once I start to pack that.  I have a couple of months yet before I worry about packing that though.

My dad was thinking about coming out to our house on Saturday before Father's day because he was scheduled to work on Father's day, but he decided not to make the 2.5 hour drive being so tired (working a lot).

Daddy-to-be father's day gift for Will! We're packing this
in the hospital bag! ;)
Baby Shower fun!
It was so fun planning a baby shower for one of my friends who is due beginning of Sept!  Here is a quick snipet of the décor...I love being creative!  All the ladies had a good time and mommy and daddy to be were spoiled with goodies for baby, so I'd say it was a success!  
   
I have to give a shout out to a friend started business sewing for babies.  I invested in her help for some custom gifts for mama to be!  It was so fun to give her the custom made items from Jessica's Custom Creations!  Check out her out!  

Made by Jessica's Custom Creations:
wash cloths, bib, diaper burp cloths, diaper & wipe holder, paci clip
and carseat straps!

I crocheted a gender neutral (because mommy and daddy aren't finding out if baby is boy or girl) hat and some leg warmers for baby!  And, I made my frist maternity sash for mama-to-be!
 

Crochet maternity sash for mama-to-be!

Another update: I can't believe I forgot to mention that we chose a child care option for when I go back to work.  About a month ago we decided to go with the CDC in Augusta, MI.  It's a pretty small Child Development Center and very controlled. They also take cloth diapers if that is what parents decide to do.  This was a major selling factor.  I also stumbled upon the point that since the daycare is so close, I could nurse baby during my lunch break.  SUPER plus!
New baby items:
We had our neighbors over for dinner one night this week and they brought over a gift for babyB!!  They said their daughter has one for her kids and it worked great, for transition to the tub, for travel, it has a temperature sensor too!  And, it's adorable…Quack Quack!  ;)


I recieved a pregnancy vodo doll from a friend who is actually moving to Germany soon! Never knew these existed, but it's a cute idea.  She said she received it as a gift from her shower and is passing on as good luck to me and baby! So thoughtful! We'll miss you Meg Meg!



Notice all of the pinned hopes!
Scored a green & white polka dot bean bag chair from a friend who was having a garage sale!  She ended up giving it to me for FREE!  Thanks so much Jen Rayman and Mama Rayman!!  I can see baby lounging in this quite often as an infant, a toddler, and a big kid!  Who knows, maybe even high school and college! haha.  It goes super perfect in the gecko green nursery, which is coming along very nicely!  We should have the crib up soon.

Hanging to dry after a successful wash in the machine!
Will has been becoming my personal electrician!!  He certainly has learned the wiring in our house (which I hear from him is crazy) by replacing many outlets and light switches!  All of the bedrooms upstairs are getting an update!  The baby's room and the spare bedroom upstairs is complete with child proof outlets, some outlets have nightlights built into them (pretty cool) and dimmer light switches!  Our bedroom has this high tech light switch with a dimmer for the light and a speed control for the ceiling fan…he couldn't resist even though it was a pricy little gadget.

Still only halfway done on BabyB's blankey I'm crocheting, not progress has been made on it since my last update.  It looks like I'll be able to work on it more now, hoping to share it with you all soon!  I'm really happy with how it's turning out!

Movement?  Yup!  Seeing more crazy shapes on my belly!  Baby must be stretching and hands, elbows, arms or legs must be making the not so round movements.  Can't identify yet what the baby is pushing with, but I bet that will be cool when we can figure that out!  My belly often becomes lopsided.  I took a video of my belly this week...but haven't figured out how I can share it on here yet.  The movement is an exciting and re-assuring feeling!
Miss anything? Sleeping well… I wake up for various numbness in my arms, cramping in my legs, and I had a migraine one night this week.  BabyB's movements at night are more active at night too, more so when I change sleep positions.
Food cravings?   A typical day for me will be a glass of milk, banana, oatmeal with brown sugar or Chiobani greek yogurt with honey and almonts in the morning, occasionally I'll stop and get half a cup of decaf coffee and the other half hot chocolate from the gas station on the way to work, fruit to snack on for mid morning, lunch is normally out with a BLT sandwich, salad, or soup. Dinner is normally pizza, venison, chicken, spaghetti (we don't get too fancy).  Lots of water during the day and during  meals.  All of that satisfies my taste buds.
Gender:  A little girl told me she hopes it's a girl, and a friend (guy) told me he thinks baby is a girl.  Tesia told me she thinks she's made up her mind and says it's a boy.  One of Will's high school friends came over and he saw the ultrasound pictures, he instantly said "It's a boy, man!" 

Will and I talked about what we'd call babyB if it's a boy and a 6
th generation William Henry Burns.  Will's dad is "Bill", Will is "Will" and I think if this baby is a boy we'll call him "Henry" unless something else sticks.
Belly button in or out?   pretty flat still.
Wedding rights on or off?  On!  Slight swelling at the end of the day but I can still take my ring off and put back on.
Mood/How are you feeling? Positive!  Enjoying the beautiful weather!   Sciatic nerve isn't bugging me as much anymore but I've been waking up a lot to numb hands and arms.  The numbness will happen at times throughout the day too.  I've been having leg cramping at night, along with the numb hands…sleep has been not so quality.  I haven't had much heartburn lately like I've been having it either, which is a great thing!  I've noticed that I can't see as sharp…or as far.  Will sees these birds miles away and points them out to me, and I can't spot them lately.  It's almost like my contacts are dirty, I changed them, and even a fresh new pair won't do the trick.  I've been told to wait to change my prescription until after the baby is born, it might be a temporary thing due to the pregnancy hormones.  I used to have jaw issues, from grinding and clenching my teeth prior to pregnancy and then about 2 months into my pregnancy I had lock jaw, I could only open my mouth about an inch, it was the worst yet, painful and pretty frustrating considering I had braces a couple of years ago to try and correct my jaw problem (dentist thought it was because my teeth didn't fit like they should in my mouth).   The pain went away after about a week or so after wearing my bite splint at night.  I don't wear it on a regular basis like my dentist says I should.  Anyways, since this incident, I haven't had any issues with my jaw, nor have I had any headaches.  I got my bite splint checked and adjusted just in case the issues come about again with my changing pregnant body, and, because it was recommended that I have one that fits properly for after the baby is born (more changes and stress that might irritate it).  I've been noticing shortness of breath too...almost like I can't take a deep breath without coughing.
Looking forward to:  My next baby DR apt is 6/27, it's always something to look forward to!  And, Will and I decided to take a trip up to the UP this upcoming weekend, and hopefully we'll finally be able to take our pictured rocks boat tour!!  We've hiked the trails and been to the look out point, but every time we try to take the boat tour the weather cancels the trip. So, cross your fingers for us!! 
Fitness Report: Staying active, doing squats in the morning and night to keep my legs strong.  Doing my best to keep my abs strong as I can by trying not to use my hands or elbows to help me up and out of bed (just my stomach muscles).  Trying to sit up straight as possible too.  I'm doing this all to stay strong for the labor and delivery.
What I've learned: Breastfeeding helps the baby's immune system. And, the baby has mommy's immune system up to 6 weeks after the baby is born.   Breastfeeding the baby in October-March (flu/cold season) at least is a good idea. Here's to hoping we can make breastfeeding a success!


sleepy laila