Feeling a little more normal.

It's so hard to believe that it's been almost two weeks since Emma was born.  I can say that just in the last day or two I have really started feeling like myself again.  The fog is slowly starting to lift and I can see light at the end of the tunnel.  The broken sleep at night is starting to become routine and I'm learning how to run on much less energy.  Funny how our bodies just learn to adjust to changes in our lives.  I am also starting to heal, YIPPEE! The pain is slowly subsiding and I can actually walk without being uncomfortable now.  My body is making its way back to what it was before baby.  In two weeks I've lost a total of 25 pounds.  I'm 8 pounds away to being back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  That's with doing NOTHING.  Just drinking water like someone lost in the desert and breastfeeding.  I'm hoping it just keeps falling off because my weight was not where I wanted it before I got pregnant.  Once back to pre-baby weight I would like to lose about 20 more pounds.  With breastfeeding and getting back in Jazzercise I really think I can do it.  To any expecting moms out there, my best advice to you is to nurse your baby.  I was so scared in the beginning but it's the most amazing experience in the world.  If you can tough it out for the first week you will be just fine.  Don't give up as soon as it gets a bit uncomfortable or painful because as soon as that uncomfortable feeling come it soon subsides.  Also, I know it's tiring and you are exhausted but remember that it's all worth it for your baby, plus you have to be awake to feed them with formula anyway so why not just breastfeed.  I'm two weeks in and am able to pump lots of extra milk so that my hubby gets a feeding or two a day now and it helps a lot.  I also can't tell you how much we are enjoying saving money on not having to buy formula.  You can do it!

Over the weekend we went over to my parents house on Saturday for my niece's 8th birthday party, and stayed for three hours! I was so afraid of getting out of the house but I realized it's ok.  We are a family of three now and I will eventually get used to getting out in public with her.

Today was Emma's two-week check up.  Her doc says she is just perfect and that "she's a keeper".  I have to agree.  At her one week weight check she was 7.3 and today she weighed in at 7.10! A whole 7 ounces in weight gain.  I really wanted to pat myself on the back because let me tell you, breastfeeding is definitely a commitment and I've been really afraid I couldn't do it or that I wasn't doing a good job.  She is spitting up a lot at night so I was worried about her weight.  The doctor says it's normal and to give her gas drops at night and that should solve our fussy night-time baby problem.  She also gained in length.  She went from 19 1/2 inches long to 20 inches.  She is in the 50th percentile and right on track.  I'm so thankful for a baby who is so calm, sleeps well, a good eater and never cries.  After her doctor's appointment we decided to go into a restaurant and have lunch.  It seemed so surreal sitting there eating in public as a family of three.  Surreal and wonderful.

I'm just really thankful that the Lord blessed us with our sweet baby.  God is so good.

How about a before and after shot of baby belly vs after baby belly...

[caption id="attachment_243" align="alignleft" width="512" caption="This was taken a week or two before baby Emma arrived!"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[caption id="attachment_244" align="alignleft" width="512" caption="There's no baby in there anymore...almost makes me sad at times. I miss her precious little kicks. It's nice seeing a flat belly though!"][/caption]

 

 

 

Boo to the Sniffles

I unfortunately have a pretty rotten cold right now, which is not making the end of pregnancy any more fun than it already was.  I somehow seem to catch any bug my two-year old nephew gets.  I even avoided kisses and still got it.  I thought pregnant women were supposed to have superhuman immunities to block sickness? Obviously not.  Besides the horrible cold things are progressing nicely with this pregnancy.  I'm 36 weeks 2 days today but feeling more like 40 weeks.  I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and in bullet point fashion this is how things are going:

• I gained 2 pounds.  Definitely not the 1 I was wanting to see but oh well.  I'm almost to the end and am tired and grumpy and don't care too much :)


• My blood pressure was 118/72.  Perfect.  Has been the whole time.


• Belly is measuring about 37 weeks.


• Baby's heartbeat was 144 bpm.  Nice and strong.


• Baby girl is LOW LOW LOW.  I'm dilated to 1 and 70% effaced.  He was able to touch her head yesterday which blows my mind.  I knew there was a reason I feel like I have a bowling ball in between my legs! He also in so many words said I have good hips...guess that's a good thing for giving birth!


• I am hoping she comes on her own but if not we are talking about inducing on 1-11-11 (pretty cool birthday right?).  He seems fine with it which I'm excited about.  Having a set day is great for me since I'm a bit OCD anyway.  However, as low as she is maybe she will come sooner than that!


• I'm OVER pregnancy.  I'm sure I've mentioned that before but I need to say it again.  Over it.  Sleep was excellent last week and now sleep doesn't exist.  I can't get comfy, my brain will not shut off, I am peeing more this week, I'm crampy and she likes to keep me awake all night and I am having hot flashes at night again.  Crazy how it can change so much just in a week!


• I'm noticing more contractions.  Nothing back to back but she's definitely working her way out slowly but surely.  Yesterday after being checked for dilation, I'm pretty sore today.  Add that to my cold and you can imagine what kind of mood I'm in today.

It's just hard to believe that this LONG journey is almost over.  I am not even scared of labor at this point.  I'm excited and READY for it.  I know the day of delivery I will be extremely nervous but BRING IT ON.  This girl is ready for motherhood :)

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has safe travels and has a wonderful spent with loved ones.  Let us not forget what the real reason for Christmas is! So thankful for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  What a wonderful gift to celebrate at Christmas.

To be honest...

This pregnancy is beginning to wear on me.  I never intended for this blog to become my pregnancy/baby outlet but I don't do anything but sit at home these days and dwell on baby clothes, baby room, baby cuteness, baby weight, baby hormones and baby's arrival.  I guess I just can't help it, plus this baby is the biggest part of who I am right now which results in baby posts.  I never wanted this blog to bore people but honestly it's just the biggest part of what's happening in my life right now so until baby arrives these will be my main posts.  Then I suppose it will be posts about baby is crying constantly and I'm exhausted, baby cuteness, baby's first bath, baby rolls over...somewhere in there I will just have to make time for posts about other things.  Plus as long as I'm doing this for me as an outlet it doesn't really matter, right?

Today I need to vent.  Lately, I have been feeling really guilty because I'm not enjoying this pregnancy as much as I should.  When I was young, my dream and ultimate goal in life was to be a wife and mother.  I couldn't wait to be pregnant.  I would play house and have a big pillow under my shirt pretending I was pregnant.  I can now say that it's definitely not what my 10-year-old mind thought it would be.  When I found out I was pregnant I was immediately over the moon happy.  I started thinking about what it was going to be like and if it would be anything like what I'd dreamed it to be.  It didn't take long to realize I would be wrong.  I have no reason to feel this way which makes it even harder to understand.  I have had the EASIEST pregnancy of all time.  No sickness whatsoever, no medical issues and a very healthy and perfect baby growing inside me.  I do not take that for granted and am so thankful for it but I just wanted to be this jolly and glowing pregnant lady.  It has literally made me feel like a completely different person.  Almost like I don't even know who I am sometimes.  I look in the mirror and don't even recognize myself.  The weight gain is a part of this, I know that, but it's hard for me to accept.  I've never been a small girl anyway and adding an extra 25 to 40 pounds is a lot for me to carry.  Rolling over that 200 pound mark really hit me hard and made me feel even worse about myself.  I have not one single stretch mark on my stomach, which is awesome, right? Well, the ones on my legs and sides make up for it and it's just so frustrating.  Stretch marks and I go way back so it's not like they are a shock to me.  When I hit my senior year of highschool I started to get them on my inner thighs and a few on my sides but I was still in shape.  I assume I got them from playing soccer but they have caused me to be self conscious ever since.  Now they are triple what they were and it makes my hate for them even stronger.  I look at pictures of just a year ago and thing I wasn't skinny but I felt good and thought that Hey! I'm pretty in that picture, but now ugly is not even the word for what I feel.  I just feel like if I can't change my thinking and attitude that these last nine weeks are going to drag and I'm going to be miserable.  I have heard of women that absolutely love being pregnant and that is what I always wanted.

Along with image issues, I'm starting to get nervous about birth, breastfeeding and everything that comes with parenting.  With her arrival coming up fast I realize that she has to COME OUT.  I really am praying hard for a smooth labor.  I do not want a c-section.  I would just be so disappointed if that happened.  Surgery does not sound like any fun so I'm hoping that I can push this baby out on my own.  I also plan on breastfeeding but am worried I won't be able to do it.  My mother did not breastfeed and my older sister only did it for a short time before switching to formula and I really want to be able to do it.  It's so much better for her and cheaper so I'm really praying that I am able to bear the initial pain of it and become a pro.

One last thing to discuss is probably just a woman topic but my libido is at a negative 10 and has been since the beginning of this pregnancy.  I've read books and talked to other woman and I know each pregnancy is different and that some women are extremely active intimately and others could care less.  I'm the later of the two and man does it make me feel guilty.  It's not even that I don't want to it's more that I can't without wanting to cry because it's painful.  I can't even imagine having to get a baby out at this point.  I'm even nervous for my 36 week appointment for when they start checking me for dilation.  I feel totally and completely sorry for my husband.  I feel like I'm a terrible wife for being so distant but it's not on purpose! I just keep reminding myself that it's only nine more weeks and that this will all be over in the blink of an eye.  I am trying my hardest to enjoy these last weeks but it's really not easy.  I am definitely ready to meet this baby and finally start feeling normal again.  I need to give this to the Lord and trust in him.  I know he will get me through this and that I will look back on it and wonder what I was so worked up about when I'm staring at a beautiful baby girl.  Faith and belief that it will all be ok is what I need to focus on and not all these petty things.

Does anybody else out there feel this way or did you feel this way when you were pregnant? I feel alone in this.  Like an alien has taken over my body.  If you have any advice or support it would be great!  Also, prayers would be very much appreciated.

And just to make 31 weeks official here's a belly pic...



 

Third Trimester here I come!

I'm 27 weeks today and still feeling pretty good.  Woo Who! I've been longing for the third trimester to get here.  It's so close! However, I am definitely starting to lose all the energy I have had in this second trimester.  I'm desperately holding on to it for dear life.  I still have three months left, so if I can hang on to my energy I'm going to.  I feel healthy though.  Still no complications so far.  Everything has gone so smoothly and I'm so grateful.  I do think my mood is starting to shift back into the grumpy, I'm pregnant, don't make me mad attitude.  I'm really trying to watch it and make sure it stays in check but it's tough.  With pregnancy comes crazy emotions so it's definitely hard to keep them under control but I'm working on it.  Still trying to be more active.  I wouldn't consider using the elliptical twice a week very active for a non pregnant person but if I'm getting in two times a week I'm happy with that.  I'm also still trying to eat better.  During the week I'm pretty strict on what I eat and I give myself a few treats on the weekend.  Still, it's not easy but I'm working on it and feel like I'm doing better.  I'm trying to stay positive and look forward to all the great things coming up.  We have a wedding next weekend, the baby shower in three weeks, Thanksgiving, Christmas and then baby.  My previous post had mentioned wanting a babymoon but I'm almost positive that isn't going to happen.  We are just running out of time for a trip and really don't need to spend any extra money on a mini vacation right before we add a third member to our family.  I suppose we will just take a trip as a family of three after Emma arrives.  Maybe in the Spring.

How Emma is changing:

• She is around two pounds now and plumping up by the day!


• Her lungs are capable of working outside the womb with the help of doctors and medicine (finally starting to get out of the scary stages!)


• She is around 15 inches long.


• She can hear and recognize voices.  Mainly mine I'm sure, since she hears me talk all day long!


• She's opening and closing her eyes and sucking her fingers.


• Hiccups are a daily occurrence and TOO CUTE!

We are most definitely ready to meet her.  Everyone says not to rush it and I even tell myself this but it's impossible.  I can only hope that these next three months don't drag by and January will be here before I know it.  I told Dustin the other day that I'm ready to decorate for Christmas.  It's not even Halloween yet!

Speaking of decorating, we are almost finished with the nursery! All we have left to purchase is the rocking chair! We got the mattress for the crib, so bed is ready and over the weekend I made the letters to hang behind her bed (because I'm so crafty like that!).

Pictures anyone?

27 weeks!





Nursery







 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to say, I'm very proud of myself.  I was NEVER crafty before this baby, but as soon as I found out it was a girl something came over me.  I love that I put the time into her room and am hand making most of her decorations.  Instead of spending $50.00 on letters I only spent half that.  I think they turned out pretty good :)

SIX MONTHS!

Today we had our 24 week appointment.  All looks great.  Baby is growing perfectly and I'm measuring right at 24 weeks, so we are right on target.  Her heart rate increased which the doctor said is great at this stage of the pregnancy.  Her little heart was beating at 174 bpm! We had another ultrasound today and she had FINALLY rolled over on her back so we got some great pictures of her.  During the ultrasound she was kicking up a storm.  Dustin said it looked like she was riding a bike.  I had a really good feeling she had finally untucked herself because for the last week or so she has been a very active baby.  Her kicks are super strong and very aggressive on my bladder.  At this point I will need diapers by the eight and ninth month.  I don't know how I can possibly hold it by that point! Right now Emma is around a foot long and over a pound now.  She has her taste buds so sometimes she can taste what I'm eating! Her skin is still very thin but will she will start to plump up in the upcoming weeks.  Everything so far is going great.  No complaints.  I do however need to watch my weight from here on out.  I only have about five to ten pounds before I reach my weight gain goal.  I did really well up until this point but as the baby is growing the more I seem to eat, go figure.  I think as long as I cut down on my carbs (goodbye cereal, bread and potatoes) I should be ok.  My goal for the next four weeks is to get control of my food intake and with this beautiful weather we are having walking everyday.  I also had my Glucose test today.  I really wasn't looking forward to drinking that orange drink but I must admit, it was GOOD! Maybe I was just thirsty and hungry from having to fast but I actually liked it.  I will get my test results back shortly.  Crossing my fingers no Gestational Diabetes for me! So far all is swell in babyland!

For the venting portion of this post I start out by saying scheduling these early doctor's appointments has to stop.  In the beginning it wasn't bad but now that I'm up every two hours at night to potty I need my sleep in the morning.  It was not easy getting up this morning, plus having to fast (telling a pregnant girl she CAN'T eat, NOT cool).  We ended up arriving around ten minutes late because somebody (I won't mention any names...) couldn't get it in gear this morning and drove like grandpa.  It set us both into bad moods.  Neither of us had any caffeine in our systems and we were half asleep anyway.  We absolutely love the doctor we go to but the lab we have to go to every appointment for blood work and urine samples is the most unorganized and busy place I've ever been.  It doubled our bad moods but fortunately after seeing our sweet Emma's face we felt much better about our day.  After seeing the doctor I got sent to the shot room for my Pertussis Vaccine, the same arm that I got blood drawn from.  Now my arm is extremely sore and I realized on the way home that it's the side I sleep on....should be a fun night!

Sheesh! I really needed to get all that out.  I feel much better.  The day has definitely improved.  My mom made me breakfast, we did a little shopping and now get to put Emma's dresser together.  I might even squeeze in a nap :)

24 Week Profile



Her feet are precious.  She was kicking me like crazy in the ultrasound.  Guess that's why we got this picture:

Flu shots aren't so bad afterall!

So as you can see I've been M.I.A for awhile.  It's mainly due to the fact that I'm lazy.  In the Salyer household we are keeping it pretty calm these days.  Dustin of course is at work most of the time but on his days off we are spending our time preparing for Emma's arrival, housework, date nights, yard work, family time and church.

I got my Flu shot today! I was a nervous wreck.  I have never gotten a Flu shot before and have heard stories where they make you sick and can even bring on Flu symptoms so it took some guts for me to sit down and allow them to stick me with that needle! Thankfully, my sweet husband was the person who gave me the shot.  I was nervous at first but he made me very comfortable and he did an amazing job.  I hardly felt a thing! Good job babe! Besides a somewhat sore arm and a slight headache I'm fine.  So hopefully no Flu for this pregnant girl this winter! To any pregnant ladies out there you should definitely go get your shot.  They say that the number one person that should get vaccinated is pregnant women.  You can see Dustin at Kmart pharmacy for your shot, he did an amazing job and you won't feel a thing!

In other news, we recently joined a Small Group at church.  Since the church we go to is so large it was definitely a must to sign up to meet with a Small Group (which is 4-6 other couples in our age group that meet twice a month for fellowship and a Bible study).  We have been attending Living Hope since February and finally decided it was time to step out of our shells and make it a point to meet others and really get active.  Dustin is also taking initiative in getting active with all the men of the church and certain volunteer tasks that are going on right now.  It's great to see him opening up and stepping out of his comfort zone.  I think we all tend to make excuses for ourselves to avoid stepping out of our comforts zones.  This church has really opened our eyes to the possibilities out there to witness to others and fellowship with other believers.  It's something we have both wanted for so long.  A church we can call home and the opportunity to become the Christians we have been longing to be.  I look forward to what is in store for us at Living Hope.  I'm really looking forward to find where I belong, whether it be working with the young girls, or the nursery or the choir or all of those, who knows! I am so proud of where me and Dustin have come in a year.  Every couple experiences difficult times but we were able to push through them and put in the hard work and it's really paid off.  God has blessed us tremendously and we are forever grateful.  So many people in this world are non believers but I'm here to tell those people you aren't truly living until you live by Grace and the love of God.  Every time I see love in my husbands eyes, the joy of family and friends, the kicks of this precious life growing inside me, the sun shining in the sky, the rain that quenches the thirst of this earth, even the hardships put upon us to bring us closer to him and the feeling inside my soul because HE lives in me, I KNOW there is a God and he will forever be my Lord and Saviour.

I am very blessed and can't even  fully explain the joy I'm experiencing lately.  Last night Dustin finally got to feel Emma kick for the first time.  We layed there for thirty minutes just feeling the kicks get stronger.  How amazing is that? I mean, there is really a BABY in there! We had an ultrasound last Friday and she's as beautiful as ever.  We go back on the 27th for another ultrasound and my Glucose testing.  I get to drink a delicious orange pure sugar drink so they can make sure I don't have Gestational Diabetes.  Crossing my fingers that goes well.  Our ultrasound on Friday still didn't show Emma's entire face so once again we will have another one at our next appointment.  She is really cozy in her spot and hasn't seemed to want to budge.  Although, last night with as strong as her kicking was, I really think she has changed positions.  I'm feeling her almost all the time now and her kicks are very strong so maybe that means we will actually get some good pictures of her next time! We hope so anyway!

Ok, now it's picture time!

23 weeks :)



I think she's gonna be a big baby!





Yay me!

19 Weeks, Whoa!

I cannot even believe it.  This pregnancy is half way over.  I remember when I first found out, time was just creeping by and now I can't remember where the weeks have gone.  I only hope the next part of this pregnancy goes as fast.  The sooner we get to meet this little bundle of joy the better.  I told Dustin the other day that I'm on pins and needles to hold a precious onsie covered baby butt and kiss its sweet hands and feet :) I also informed him as soon as this baby starts growing up on us it's going to be time for another! We don't even have the first baby popped out and I'm planning the second already.  Crazy right? We have both always wanted a pretty big family, Dustin more than me actually.  I always said two was my max but now you just never know! I have felt for the longest time that our home was missing something and lonely at times and now I know it's the presence of kids.  The pitter patter of little feet, cuddling with our kids and just the plain joy of raising and watching our children grow.  So here we are half way on our way to adding our first little one and we couldn't be happier.  All the praise and glory goes to the Lord.  This is such an amazing blessing and experience.  I'm so thankful he's protecting this baby and myself.  God is good!

Next Tuesday the 31st we have our 20 week ultrasound.  We will be able to find out what we are having.  I hope this week doesn't drag!

19 weeks!!

Baby Room Ideas

This week has been such a great week.  I went to visit two of my dearest friends from high school on Tuesday for dinner.  We talked for hours reminiscing about old times.  I have missed them both so much.  It's crazy how everyone goes their separate ways after high school.  It's so hard to stay in touch but thanks to lovely inventions like a cell phone, texting, Facebook and such it's much easier to keep in contact.  Can't wait to see them both again soon!

In baby news, I have been searching online for baby furniture and bedding.  I'm not much of a theme person, more into solid colors or patterns and so far I've found these two that I love:



I love this one for a boy.



I love this one for a girl.



I also am really thinking about getting a Boppy Body Pillow.  I'm uncomfortable at night since we don't have a firm mattress and I think this would give me some support.  Have any of you used this and if so would you recommend it?

What do ya think about the crib bedding? The one for a girl looks elegant but fun too.  I think the colors would also be great to work with.  The boy bedding is simple but the polka dots make it babyish.  I'm definitely ready to find out what this sweet baby is going to be so I can actually start picking stuff out.  I'm getting anxious! It's hard to believe that in just a few days I will be 18 weeks pregnant.  I honestly don't know where time is going.  It started out very slow in the beginning and now it's flying by.

I will be M.I.A this weekend.  I'm going to Indiana this weekend to visit my sister for her birthday, so I shall update with stories and pictures of my weekend when I return.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!



17 weeks 3 days!

Oh Baby!

After almost five years of marriage we are finally expecting our first baby! We thought for the longest time it just wasn't going to happen for us but God had other plans.  He was making sure to give us this wonderful blessing at the perfect time in our lives.  What an awesome God! We had stopped trying and decided if it was going to happen we couldn't keep the attitude we had and after putting it in the Lords hands we are going to have a baby.  We are overjoyed!

So far so good! At 16 weeks 4 days I am feeling great, besides the scorching heat outside and some extreme fatigue and mood swings in the first trimester.  I have been very fortunate to not have ANY morning sickness this entire pregnancy.  I did experience the repercussions of dehydration from a stomach virus recently.  It wasn't a fun experience.  I ended up at the doctor and had to have an IV drip of Phenergan, Zantac and fluids.  I do not do well with needles so when the lady couldn't find a good vein due to the dehydration, I started getting dizzy and fainted.  I have never fainted before and I don't wish it on anyone.  It was terrifying to wake up and forget where you are, with strangers standing over you.  They eventually got me hooked up to the IV and all was well from then on.  I was there for about seven hours and slept the entire time.  After a week of rest I am back to my same old self, thank goodness!

On August 31st we will find out the sex of the baby.  I just don't know if I can wait that long.  Patience is one virtue I need to learn before this baby arrives.  I can't wait to call this baby by name instead of just calling he or she baby! I will be happy with a boy or girl.  I just want a healthy baby.  My family is determined it's a girl but several friends and myself are leaning towards boy.  We will just have to wait and see! Three and a half weeks until we will know.  Hoping time flies by!



16 weeks 2 days

Only 24 more weeks to go!