False Labor

And so it begins! Last night, I woke up around 1 and had the most severe back pain. It was very localized and the pain came and went. So after 2 of these episodes Chris and I started to time them. They were coming every 7 minutes and lasted about 1 minute each. After about 5 cycles, they seemed to subside and just became a very dull pain. However, then my right leg started to hurt really bad! It felt like it was asleep, but then it was painful and needed to be moved! After an hour or so I was finally able to fall asleep and slept for 2 hours until the dogs woke me up to take them out...Chris is still sleeping by this time, and is going in to work late since he stayed up with me all night! After getting some breakfast I feel really sore and still have the pain in my leg. Chris made me call the doctor and his nurse said that I was just experiencing false labor.... since the pain subsided. She told me just to put my feet up, relax, and drink lots of fluids! At least I am off today, so I plan on taking it easy, and do some household chores. I do have to say, that pain was not exactly what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be like cramps... not like this kind of pain that wouldn't go away no matter which way I tossed or turned. I did get to practice my "relaxation breaths" and I have to say... not very helpful! Hopefully for the real thing will be more like what I expected and the "breaths" will help more!

My Pregnancy

Chris and I went to the child birth class last week and the first thing we did was went around the room and told their names, their due date, the sex of the baby, the baby's name, their favorite thing about the pregnancy, and also their dislikes of the pregnancy. Most everyone was due around November, a couple Octobers and 2 Septembers, and only 2 boys in the bunch (of 11 couples). And everyone said the same thing when it came to the favorite part of pregnancy; feeling the baby kick and getting the ultrasounds. Chris and I, too, said the same thing, but of course we had to add a little flare to ours (see #1)! But I have been thinking about this all week, so I decided to make a list of my favorite things and the things I could do without.

Favorite Things of AJ's Pregnancy:
1. Story Time- every night Chris and I read her 2 books and she knows that we are reading... she always starts kicking around the middle of the first book, but definitely during the second book (which is Chris' book).
2. Story Time- I love that she likes the same books that I liked... not that she knows what we are reading to her, but she still seems to like them. I get to read "Oh, Baby, The Places You'll Go." This is a book I got as a present (because I am a huge Dr. Seuss fan) and it was written based on Dr. Seuss books and is meant to be read in utero. It's such a great book and I really look forward to reading it to her in the hospital and see her kick in person! Chris' book that he reads is "The Monster at the End Of The Book." It's about Grover (from Sesame Street) and is such a fun book. One of my favorites growing up, and Chris adds his own version of how Grover sounds and additional sounds. It's probably why Allie kicks so much while he's reading it.
3. The ultrasounds- Of course we enjoyed seeing the ultrasounds and I wish we would get another one, but I know that she's too big, so we wouldn't be able to see her very clearly. Plus, she'll be here in about a month, so I will wait to see her then! I still go back and look at her ultrasounds and wonder what she'll look like. The pictures are more like blobs and not baby's that I can't see any distinguishing factors on there, but maybe once she comes I will look back and be able to see her better in those pictures.
4. Seeing her grow- It seems like everyday I look down and my tummy gets bigger (I know, impossible, but somehow she is growing without my knowledge). Chris went to DC, and when he came back she had grown quite a bit, at least to him... I guess I hadn't noticed that much. But it's fun when people notice how big she is getting. I saw my mom tonight for the first time in a month and she was shocked at how bug AJ is.... She is definitely the first thing you notice when you see me! And I am always getting commented by strangers about when my baby is due... it's great to look pregnant!

Dislikes of AJ's Pregnancy:
1. The weight gain- As I probably shouldn't complain too much, I have gained 20lbs since we first got pregnant. I keep getting told that the weight will "Fall Off" after the baby comes (especially since I plan on breastfeeding), but I'm still mad that I had to gain weight! I do believe that the weight has "shifted" so I look skinnier in my face and bigger in the tummy, so maybe everyone is right... Hopefully it will all fall off soon!
2. Heartburn- At least I have found drugs that help with this! Thank God for Tums, Prilosec, and Zantac! They are making my life a whole lot easier! (And no, I'm not taking them all at once)
3. Lack of Sleep- If you knew me before I pregnant, you knew that I was a sleeper. I used to go to bed at about 10 and wake up at 9. I like sleep, it does my body good. Lately, I'm not sleeping. I go to bed at 9-10 and wake up at 2 for at least 2 hours, and then wake up at 7. At least I have been able to take naps, but those are usually for only an hour.
4. Patience- I didn't know when I asked God for a baby that I was also asking for patience! I have learned that I am NOT a patient person, mostly when it comes to getting stuff done and my husband procrastinating about it... but now I just can't wait. Everyday seems like an eternity and I just want her here now! We have everything all ready for when she comes, so now we just need her! If she's anything like her daddy, she wont be here for another 2 months though! I also know that in a couple of years I really will be learning patience... bed times, school, homework, etc.! I babysat enough to know that patience is key to raising a child, something I hope to gain!

So these are some of my ups and downs with pregnancy! Seems like the ups definitely outweigh the downs, and I know that when she comes I will forget all about the downs... especially when we think we could use another "Falcon" in our life... I will probably never remember any of the negatives of this pregnancy, only the positives and the positive outcome!

35 Weeks

I can't believe that I have made it this far! It seems to have taken forever, but it's here! Last week we did a lot of shopping for the baby, bought the stroller, the pack n' play, the crib mattress, and some sheets! I finally feel like if she were to come tomorrow everything would be just fine! Chris and I also went through our Child-Birth Class and it was great. We got a lot of information and tried different relaxing methods to find what I like so Chris knows what to do in the hospital! I think this was one of my first wake-up calls that she is coming soon and it's going to hurt! Every time I think about the hospital I imagine rushing to the hospital and then poof, she's here! I guess it doesn't really work that way, but I'm hopeful it won't be too bad! I just finished writing up a "Birth Plan" that Chris and I have discussed and I hope that it goes the way I am planning. For most of the scenarios, I answered "If needed" or "Whatever I feel like." I'm know that I can't plan this out, but it's nice being able to be a little prepared. And being able to share my plans with Chris (since I'm sure he'll forget by then) and the nurses.
Other than that, there really isn't a lot going on. Chris and I are going to an Infant CPR class tonight with some friends so we can get a refresher course and know what to do in an emergency! Hopefully my doll won't be the one that dies! At least I'll have Chris there to resuscitate it if it does! He knows what to do, he's just going along with me for support! So I'll let you all know how it goes later! 
By the way, we did go to the doctor on Friday to get a check-up and at the time, AJ was measuring 36 weeks (which was about a week and a half ahead of time). So I guess it's very possible that she could be coming early, but I think she is just going to be a rather large baby and come right on time! I guess that we will have to wait and see! Since no more ultrasounds are coming, we will see about how much she weighs! Hopefully she will be small enough to where we can still have a "natural" birth (natural meaning not a c-section; not a no pain medication birth)! 

34 Weeks/ Happy Birthday Chris

I still can't believe that I am 34 weeks pregnant! It seems like just yesterday I was 24 weeks and getting the ultrasound that identified her as AJ and not Falcon! It still seems like we have a lot left to do, but Chris is really helping me get those done. Well, he's letting me get those things done at least! I signed us up for a hospital tour next week so we should know where to go when we deliver and finally got signed up for childbirth class so we can know what to do while we are heading for the hospital! And hopefully next week we will go shopping and buy some of the last things that are needed before she comes, like the pack-n-play and crib mattress and baby monitor. So things are coming together and we are almost prepared for Baby Allison to come!
Chris has been out of town for the past week for work, so we postponed his birthday until he got back. Well, today was the big day to celebrate and we had a great time! He came home last night and opened his presents and had a piece of cake and this morning I made him breakfast in bed. He had turkey bacon, eggs and homemade apple-caramel cinnamon rolls! It was so yummy and he really enjoyed them! Then after several hours, we went out to lunch at a place called Mary Mac's Tea Room. It is a well-known place in Atlanta, and I had never been, so we went. It was also very yummy! Very southern food, but delicious! I had chicken tenders, fried green tomatoes, and mac & cheese and Chris had a cheeseburger, fresh fruit and coleslaw. He also thought it was quite yummy! Then we drove around for a while trying to figure something to do so we went to his sisters house and took a nap (always enjoyable!). We then went to go see "Mr. Popper's Penguins" which was a cute movie and then we headed home. All in all a great day! Here are some pics for y'all to enjoy!

 Chris' awesomely wrapped presents!

A jogging stroller that he can enjoy in several months once AJ is here! (This was Allie's gift to Chris!)

A yogurt maker that he can enjoy now! (Something he had asked for a LONG time ago!)

Chris' birthday cake. It's a Carrot-Pumpkin Cake... VERY DELICIOUS!!!

Yes, I free-handed Elmo.... probably could've been better, but practicing for the future!

Me at 34 weeks

And another one of me at a different angle.... Chris said I look like I am having twins! (so supportive!)

33 Weeks and Counting

So I decided the other day that I am going to cherish these last few weeks that I have to be by myself and with Chris. I know through my last post I bitched a lot about how I couldn't be happy and I just want her out of me, but it finally hit me the other day that in about 6 weeks we are going to have a baby! Like, there will be a baby living at our house... and never going away! I can't believe that! Every time I hear a crying baby I get a little scared, like am I going to be able to handle it? What kind of cry is that? How many diapers am I going to go through in a day?!? I know that in about 6 weeks I will get all the answers to these questions (and more), so I am trying to cherish every day now and make the most of it!
Chris left Sunday morning for Washington D.C., hopefully for the last time, and I had my lazy day. I went to church, the grocery store, and then Blockbuster (who, BTW, is having $0.49 movies on Sunday's!) and had a movie day with a little nap mixed in! Then yesterday I had to work and that just takes up the whole day, so nothing great happened. Today though, I decided I was going to start being productive. I wanted to start cleaning the house and decided that our room was number one. Well, after 4 hours it's finally clean! Like no dust bunnies, no hair tumbling around the room, fresh sheets, clean windows, and even vacummed dog beds! I then decided to start some laundry, clean the closet, and then the bathroom. After another 2 hours, those too are clean (The laundry is still going, just in case anyone cares)! And for those of you who haven't ever seen our closet, it's about the size of a small bedroom so it was a task in and of itself! Tomorrow I plan on moving downstairs and clean the kitchen, living room, den and bathroom. Hopefully it wont take me all day to do, but it'll be worth it in the end. There's something about coming home to a clean house that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! Hopefully Chris will feel the same, although I'm sure he'll be too tired to notice!
So to sum it up, as I am writing this, my tummy is moving all over the place. I don't know what I'm going to do in 6 weeks when she's kicking from the outside and not the inside! It's going to be a weird feeling not seeing my tummy move or feeling those punches and jabs all night!

Our First Pediatrician

So it is official, AJ has a pediatrician... well 5 to be exact! I found this great office about 5 miles away from our house that came with great reviews and was recommended by the hospital where we will deliver. I went yesterday for a tour and met some great nurses and one doctor (unfortunately, the other doctors had gone home for the day). The office was kind of plain, but they seemed really great and seem to offer really good care. Each doctor specializes in different areas, so we can stay in the same office but get better help, like if AJ has allergies, asthma, or breast feeding problems. They also seem to have the same philosophy in medicating children that Chris and I have, where medicine is good to a point, but we don't want AJ to be over medicated or given medicine if it's not going to work; i.e., a cold. 

Anyway, so that was the highlight of my day yesterday. At least I am one step closer for AJ's arrival and getting things checked off my list. Now if only I can get Chris to let me start buying all of the leftovers that we need... pack-n-play, car seat, baby monitor, crib mattress, etc! 

32 Weeks... Are we done yet?

Well as there is only 2 months left of this wonderful thing called pregnancy I'm trying to cherish each moment. I do love when I'm sleeping and woken up by what feels like spasms in my tummy or left or right jabs to by ribs! Then there's the occasion foot that comes up and looks like an alien is trying to escape from my stomach. And lets not forget the wonderful weight that I've put on. I did what I probably should not have yesterday and that was step on the scale. I have gained 16 pounds since pregnancy, which I am trying to reason out, like "The baby weighs 4 lbs, then there's water weight, the placenta, and uterus; so I've really only gained like 5 lbs of fat!" Although this reasoning seems like it should work, when I try to put on my pants that are barely fitting or have to take my rings off because my fingers are so swollen, there is nothing that can help! The only thing getting me through this is the hope that I will be breast feeding and lose weight quickly! At least after AJ comes I'll be too busy or sleepy to eat anything.. that should help me lose a couple of pounds at least!
Anyway, so enough of the bitching, we'll look at the positives of this week. Hopefully we will have a Pediatrician by Wed. I have 2 appointments with Drs that got really good reviews, and one my hospital recommends (which is awesome since my hospital is about 40 miles from my house and this Dr. is like 5 miles away)! That way if needed, they will be at the delivery and I wont have to drive too far for regular appointments or check-ups. So hopefully I will really like these people and Allie will have a doctor! I'll keep you posted!