Week 34

How far along: 34 weeks
Gender: SuRpRiSe!!!
Weight gain: 13 lbs - I gained what I lost back :)

Next Appointment: 11/26/2014
Last Appointment: 11/24/2014 - we had another NST and baby was a little slower to react again - despite me eating a snack beforehand - but then started moving more without any interventions :) Heart rate was 120s-140s & doctor said everything is still great! He was pleased with my weight gain and told me he wants me to continue to gain consistently until delivery. I asked if I had to gain 3 lbs in 3 days again and he said no! Thank God because that was so hard and made me feel so SICK!!! Saturday night I had 9 braxton hicks contractions in an hour, so he decided to check my cervix - which I tried <unsuccessfully> to get out of - and found out I was 2 cm dilated!! However, baby is STILL breech - so a c-section is still the plan! 

Maternity clothes: no...

Exercise: cutting back and slowing down significantly per dr's orders! He told me at my last appt to not do any more than 2 miles at this point... so I've been doing as I'm told!

Stretch marks: nope!!
Belly button in or out: mostly out... but soft & mushy :/
Sleep: still interrupted to empty my bladder but other than that pretty good! 
What I miss: nada!!
What I'm loving: how CLOSE we are!!
Movement: yep! :) Mine is still getting harder and slower and I'm definitely reaching that "miserable" stage!! Lots of lower back pain and it's almost impossible to get comfy!!
Cravings: still nothing in particular... 
Queasy or sick: nope!
Favorite moment this week: I love my dr appts & being reassured that everything is still going perfectly :) ---> this changed in the middle of the week... <see next post>
Looking forward to: DECEMBER 8TH!

Week 33

How far along: 33 weeks

Gender: SuRpRiSe!
Weight gain: 10 lbs 
Next Appointment: 11/24/2014
Last Appointment: 11/17/2014 & 11/20/2014
11/17 - we did another NST and baby didn't quite react like it was suppose to (because this momma was "noncompliant" and didn't eat a snack before my appt!) so they loaded me with sugar and that did the trick :) Lesson learned... although I hate eating too much before my appts because I like to go out to eat afterwards - so eating too much ruins my appetite for a yummy dinner!! Oh well... I will def eat a little something before my next visit! Baby's heart rate was 120's-140's & my belly is still measuring a week ahead by my LMP, but right on time for my most recent due date! :) 

11/20 - we had another NST & I was more "compliant" this week and had a little snack right before my appt - so baby was MUCH more active & its movements were perfect & all over the place again! :) HR was 130s-160s... We also had an ultrasound and baby looks great! I didn't look too much because I'm so scared I'm going to accidentally see the gender, but doctor said everything was "excellent". Baby is still breech, fluid looks good, its still measuring on time, and is weighing in at approx 4 lbs 13 oz :) 
Then he looked at my chart... and I got in big trouble! Somehow I managed to lose 3 lbs this week and he let me know- very firmly - that he was NOT happy about that!  He told me I haven't gained enough weight this pregnancy and told me if I don't gain weight by Monday he is taking away my jogging privileges. I told him I eat like a horse and don't deprive myself. I do try to watch what I eat on a more consistent basis than I did with Sloan, but I am by no means do anything unhealthy. Then when we were talking about my upcoming appts and scheduled delivery date, he told me if I didn't gain enough weight he was pushing my delivery date back. I asked him how much I had to gain, but he wouldn't tell me. I was so upset when I left the office I just wanted to cry - I didn't - but I wanted to. We went to eat and I stuffed my face at Casa Ole (crap ole as Brady refers to it) and when we got home I ate 2 bowls of ice cream. I have no problem trying to put on more weight, but I just felt like I had done something so wrong, when I thought I was doing so good. That night I woke up around midnight feeling sick and felt like I was about to throw up - from over eating I'm sure!  The next morning I ate a chocolate donut and mini pigs in a blanket (seven to be exact) for breakfast, and again felt miserable! I'm going to try to just cut back on the exercising, but don't want to completely let myself go either when I've worked so hard to maintain <what I thought was> a healthy weight... I just don't want to have to wait any longer to get this baby here and in my arms! 
Maternity Clothes: I think I wore one shirt this week... 
Exercise: between the weather, my exhaustion, and this growing baby weighing me down... it has definitely been easier to follow my doctor's orders and slow down this week!! Thursday morning after my walk/jog I got a really bad cramp in my lower right side, but went away after a few minutes. When we went to the doctor I told him about it, and he said it was probably just round ligament pain. Thankfully, Friday morning's rain was the perfect excuse to keep me in bed and not try to do go for a little jog! Although, all I did was lay there awake stressing about whether or not I would be able to put on enough weight by Monday to make him happy!
Stretch Marks: no new ones that I can see so far!  
Belly button in or out: eh... I'd say 25% in and 75% out... but in a weird way :/
Sleep: still being interrupted 1-2 times every night to empty my bladder around 1am and 4am... but I haven't had any problems getting back to sleep this week!
What I miss: nothing that I can think of :)
What I'm loving: this GROWING belly/baby!
Movement: baby's movements have been good... mine are still deteriorating... but I don't mind :)
Cravings: nothing really this week... I still just eat whatever I see or want in the moment! Sunday I decided it was a good idea to have pizza for breakfast and half a carton of Blue Bell Cookies n Cream ice cream! 
Queasy or sick: nope!
Favorite moment this week: my favorite moment this week has absolutely nothing to do with me & is still a little secret... But I got some amazing news & one of my prayers were definitely answered! :)
Looking forward to: finding out if I packed on enough pounds over the weekend to make my doctor happy!!!

Week 32

 

How far along: 32 weeks
Gender: SuRpRiSe!
Weight gain: 13 lbs --->>> I think the "bulk" of my weight gain is starting to creep up! 
Next Appointment: 11/17/2014
Last Appointment: 11/10/2014 & 11/13/2014
11/10 - we did another NST - and it was perfect. Baby's movements have been great again and its heartrate was was 120's-150's. We had a great chat with the doctor and he reassured me that I am in fact not "crazy" (as I've called myself) and that he would rather me come in to check on everything than to let my anxiety build up. He told me that after my visit Friday, one thing he thought about was how much activity I'm still doing. I told him that I was still jogging at least 5 days a week and told him my usual pace. He told me I needed to slow down - which I did NOT want to hear! I LOVE my morning jogs and it really does make me feel SO much better throughout the day... I tried my best to convince him that it was fine for me to continue doing it and told him that I don't push myself too hard & I listen to my body, but he wasn't having it! He told me I had 2 choices: stop exercising or adjust... so I'm trying to adjust! Towards the end of the appointment he and Brady were talking about hunting and my baby started doing those "weird" rhythmic movements that initially brought on my fear last week, so I made the doctor feel them. I initially thought they were hiccups, but they were happening so low - where its feet were - which made me think it couldn't be that. When Dr. G felt it, he confirmed that it was "weird", but said it's the baby's foot - which is probably caused from the baby getting the hiccups and how the baby's body reacts to them... regardless of what the cause is, I was just glad it happened while we were there so he could know exactly what I was talking about & reassure me that it was OK!

11/13 - Before this appt we went to pre-register at the hospital... so exciting that it was already time to do that & it's just one more thing checked off the "to-do" list! :) This was another good appointment... We had another NST - which baby moved less at than usual, but it was moving like crazy before we got there so no big deal! We also had another ultrasound to check on baby and everything looked "perfect" once again :) Heart rate was 120s-low 150s. Baby is weighing in at approx 4lb 4oz and is still breech. We were able to see a little peach fuzz on its head (yay!) and could see that the cord was in front of it, and not around it. There is also still plenty of fluid! 
Maternity Clothes: I wore a couple maternity shirts this week with my scrub bottoms... some of my scrub tops are either too short or a tad tight at this point!
Exercise: trying my best to "slow down"... but boy is it hard {and boring} to force myself to slow down when I feel like I could do so much "better"... but this cold weather is definitely helping me to do that!
Stretch Marks: no new ones that I can see so far!  
Belly button in or out: half in/half out
Sleep: I feel like I can't get enough! & baby is still waking me up usually twice every night to empty my bladder. This week I've also noticed more leg cramps in the middle of the night that wake me up...
What I miss: nothing that I can think of :)
What I'm loving: knowing that we are getting closer & closer!
Movement: baby is still quite the active little thing... momma's movements are continuing to get harder & slower! 
Cravings: FOOD! Nothing too specific this week... but when food is in front of me, I devour it! Wednesday when the cooler weather came in all I wanted was to go home, get in my PJ's, and sip on hot chocolate... so I did :)
Queasy or sick: nope!
Favorite moment this week: seeing our growing baby again!
Looking forward to: holding this baby! AND finding out what Brady thinks it is... he finally admitted that he has a guess, but refuses to tell me what he thinks until we are going to the hospital for delivery! 

Friday, at one the other campuses I work at, they gave me a wonderful diaper shower! The food was delicious & I was stuffed by 10:30am! I loved everything they did for me! The food, cake, punch, and decor were all so good/cute! & the GIFTS! I was overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone :)

Week 31

How far along: 31 weeks
Gender: SuRpRiSe!
Weight gain: 11.5 lbs
Next Appointment: 11/10/2014
Last Appointment: 11/3/2014
We had another ultrasound and baby is STILL breech! It did change positions a little, but not quite as much as it felt like it had... now the head is right in the middle, instead of on the right side, and the legs were a little lower - but it still seems to twist itself like a pretzel sometimes! Baby is still measuring on time for where we are. (since my due date was moved up at some point to 12/28, I'm technically 32 weeks this week - but I still go by my LMP, so by that I'm still 31 weeks. Potato, potato right?!) Baby is weighing in at approx 3lbs 12oz, amniotic fluid is good, and the cord still looks good! HR was 139-146 and my belly is measuring right on time!

That morning I felt perfectly fine, so I went for my usual morning jog - probably not the brightest decision since I was sick the night before, but I felt like my body was saying GO! Well, during the day I kept having Braxton Hicks contractions, but wasn't really counting/timing them like I should have been. When I left work to go to the doctor I started counting them & had 8 in an hour, so I knew I needed to tell them that. When I told them, I was informed that he was going to need to check me <which I did NOT want> to make sure I wasn't in labor - which I was 99.9% sure I wasn't. He confirmed that I was definitely NOT in labor and my cervix was still very high & closed. He did tell me I needed to "start taking it easy" and told me to go home, rest, and drink lots of Gatorade - so I did... gladly :)

I was also sent home with some "homework" this week:

1. Choose a pediatrician (I can't decide if I want to just go to a family dr in Brenham for convenience or if I want to drive to CS for every little thing! Decisions, decisions!) 
2. Get my flu shot & pertussis vaccine
3. Pre-register - so crazy to me that we are already at this point!!!     

And then Friday rolled around... & back to the doctor we went. It's like the closer I get to delivery, the more scared I get. I started feeling like the baby's movements had changed this week - again - so it started to worry me. I first noticed it last Saturday when we were in Cotulla, but my appt Monday reassured me that everything was ok. During the week I did my kick counts religiously & always got 10 in the 2 hour time frame without a problem. But, they felt weaker all week and seemed like it took longer than the usual 15 minutes - taking more like 30-45 min - which started worrying me more. Once again, no matter how much I tried to keep calm and use logical, scientific thinking - fear always has a way of beating me. In my mind, even though I knew movement was good, heartrate was good, there were no signs of distress - it was STILL different - which was NOT good. Sloan's memory is always ever present in the back of my mind & I can't help but to compare this pregnancy to her's. It's like everything was fine with her too, until it wasn't... So how am I suppose to know what changes are ok this time around & how am I suppose to be sure that everything is ok?! I remember doing daily kick counts with her - not AS religiously as I do them now, but I did them - so I knew when her movements started changing. I remember sitting in that doctor's office and telling him word for word "it's movements have really slowed down". I remember him asking me if I was still getting 10 in 2 hours. I remember hesitating and not even answering - but thinking "no" - before he jumped to the next question and started the ultrasound. I remember seeing her on that screen - alive and well - and Brady & I thinking she had big lips... I remember being reassured in that moment, so I didn't think anything of it when those movements continued to decrease... And even disappeared without me being fully aware... And then just 3 days later finding out that that perfectly healthy baby that we just saw was no longer alive and well... It's the kind of fear that is so hard to explain. But it definitely took over. It's like I keep waiting for the ball to drop. Like I keep preparing myself to go through it all over again. I woke up at 2am Friday morning with such a bad headache and couldn't fall back asleep until I felt the baby kick - at least once. I went for my jog Friday morning - but had to listen to baby's heartbeat before and after my jog - and still felt worried for some reason. In the shower the thought crossed my mind "maybe I'm just not meant to be a mother". Then the thought creeps into my mind that if we have to bury another child, do we have enough room with the plots we've purchased for 2 babies and me and Brady? Then I go to work - knowing that it's already been an "off" morning. And it continues. I can't stop crying and freaking myself out. I lock myself in the bathroom, sit on the floor, listen to my baby, and continue to cry my eyes out. I was literally sitting there - listening to my baby's perfectly healthy heartbeat - but could not convince myself that nothing was wrong. I texted my nurse, who asked me if I wanted to come in. Of course I wanted reassurance, but I also knew that I was overreacting - but all of those feelings were so incredibly strong and real to me at the same time. I also know that they are very busy and it's not easy for them to just squeeze people in for every little freak out - and being a nurse I feel like I understand that better than some - so I didn't want to inconvenience them. Of course they told me to come in, and once again I was reassured. Baby started moving like crazy (of course) as soon as she hooked me up and during the ultrasound. Everything still looked great and the doctor suggested I start taking a low dose anti-anxiety med... which I refused to do. I know it could help, but I don't want to put any more meds in my body than are necessary & I don't feel like that is a "must have". Then he suggested that the only other thing he knew to do was to see me twice a week - which I didn't necessarily want either because I feel so crazy - but I definitely think it will help me get through this last month with as much peace of mind as possible... Which is definitely what I need! 

Maternity Clothes: wearing a few undershirts and leggings this week... And am definitely growing out of my size small t-shirts!! 
Exercise: yep :) still doing what I feel like I can... which is more than I thought I would be able to do at this point... but it is still getting harder & harder!
Belly button in or out: half in/half out
Sleep: well... the need to empty my bladder and interrupt my sleep has gone from once a night to twice a night! & it's getting harder to fall back asleep once I've gotten up...
What I miss: still not really missing much of anything!
What I'm loving: feeling (mostly) SO excited & getting so close!
Movement: Since baby changed positions slightly, I feel like it's movements aren't AS strong as they were - which tends to bother me more lately - but I'm still doing my kick counts and getting my 10 kicks/2 hours so I'm trying REALLY hard to not let it freak me out too much... <<< which it clearly did freak me out too much after I typed this...My movement is still slowly deteriorating & it's getting harder and harder to put my shoes on from a sitting position... I also tend to moan and groan more with certain movements!
Cravings: chili cheese everything from Dairy Queen - burrito, french fries, and dog; celery + ranch; Casa Ole green dip & enchiladas
Queasy or sick: Sunday night was a rough one. I was so glad to be home from Cotulla and was just relaxing on the couch when all of a sudden my heart started racing & pounding out of my chest. I checked my pulse and it was 107, so I told Brady I didn't feel good and was going to take a bath to try to relax. When I was in the bathtub it just got worse and I felt extremely weak, nauseous and shaky, so I called Brady in the bathroom to help me get out of the tub. I was miserable and just started crying. I went to bed to lay down and tried to drink gatorade. I felt dehydrated and knew I hadn't had enough fluids that day, but every time I would try to take a sip I would just feel worse. I felt like I needed an IV but did not want to go to the hospital just for fluids. I texted my nurse, and of course she told me to go so that I didn't start contracting. Brady started to help me get dressed and I just knew it was getting worse. Luckily I made it to the toilet in time to throw up every ounce of anything I had in me. After that I immediately didn't feel near as shaky & weak & could actually tolerate fluids. I texted my nurse again to let her know and asked if I still needed to go. She told me to just push fluids and see how I felt. I still didn't feel "good", but it was definitely much more tolerable! By the next day I felt like a completely different person! I still don't know for sure if it was just dehydration or something I ate - I'm just glad it got better!
Favorite moment this week: going shopping with my mom for a few more baby outfits... she bought a "going home" outfit for a girl {which we can return when baby is born if need be} and a couple Christmas outfits for baby... and I bought another cute little boy sleeper :) (I bought a going home outfit for a boy almost immediately after I found out I was pregnant!) I still have NO clue what this baby is and I can not wait to find out... although I'm still leaning mostly to boy for some reason!
Looking forward to: HAVING THIS BABY IN MY ARMS! 

This week I had a very small baby shower that the ladies at my job gave me. I was so hesitant to allow them to do it and didn't know how I felt about it, but it turned out great. I didn't register anywhere, didn't want any baby showers, and don't know what I still need or the gender of the baby - so how do you throw a shower for someone with all that factored in? But they did, and I'm so appreciative that they did! It was very short, sweet, and to the point - which is exactly what I needed! 

 

 

Week 30

How far along: 30 weeks
Gender: still a SuRpRiSe! (& this nosy momma can NOT wait to find out what it is!!!)
Weight gain: 11.5 lbs
Next Appointment: 11/3/2014
Maternity Clothes: not wearing them yet... not that they don't fit, but I'm still mostly in scrubs & workout clothes... & my "bigger" clothes still fit pretty comfortably
Exercise: is starting to get harder! Harder to stay motivated. Harder to get out of bed and GO! Harder to jog. Just HARDER! {I feel like I'm as slow as a turtle when I'm jogging these days!} But I'm trying to stick with it for as long as I possibly can because it really does make me feel SO much better throughout the day!
Belly button in or out: half in/half out
Sleep: yes please!!! I'm so tired in the afternoon and think "when I get home I'm taking a nap". Then I get home & can't sleep, so I think: "I'll just go to bed earlier tonight". NO! Next thing I know it's 1030, I'm laying in bed, and still can't fall asleep!! & I'm still being woken up around 3 or 4 to empty this tiny bladder of mine! Although, Tuesday morning I accidentally slept straight through my usual workout time! But I took it as a sign I needed to let my body rest... {Monday night I had 5 Braxton Hicks contractions in an hour - and one of them was very painful, with pressure, and seemed to last for a while} 

...and then we went to Cotulla for opening weekend... and I slept, and slept, and SLEPT! & it felt amazing!!! 

& of course we found time for a little photo shoot to document baby's 1st {unofficial} opening weekend in Cotulla!

What I miss: not feeling like I'm going to pee on myself every time I jog... or walk... or move... or breathe! {ok maybe I'm being a tad dramatic... but I have definitely started to feel like my bladder capacity has decreased significantly this week - as evidenced by the 54979813 restroom breaks I feel like I take throughout the day!!} & I still think baby thinks my bladder a trampoline most days!
What I'm loving: still can NOT get enough of these baby movements!
Movement: still feeling it all over the place at times - but it still seems to prefer the right side for the most part... while I was getting all that rest in south Texas, I'm pretty sure my baby changed positions - but I'm not sure if it got in the "right" position or not... we shall see!! My movement on the other hand is definitely slowing down! I'm starting to get to that uncomfortable stage where my lower back hurts & all I want to do is lay down! 
Cravings: Blue Bell vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup! - which is perfect because I discovered this week that my belly doubles as the perfect place to set my bowl while I devour all the deliciousness!
Queasy or sick: NOPE!
Favorite moment this week: not a thing to do with this pregnancy... but my favorite part was definitely being there when Brady's cousin proposed to his girlfriend! I am so excited for them and he did such a good job with the proposal! He had friends & family dress up like "illegal immigrants" and planned for them to walk out in front of the stand while they were hunting (which isn't necessarily an uncommon occurrence) and had them hold up signs asking her to marry him... in my opinion it went perfectly and she def believed that they were illegal immigrants!! :)

 
Looking forward to: jumping a little ahead here - but we scheduled baby's newborn photo session this week - & I can't wait for it! It made me realize (again) just how close we actually are to having this baby here & in our arms!! <-- Speaking of having baby in our arms... I've been joking with Brady that I'm going to be so jealous of him if all goes as planned & we have a c-section because he will get to hold it first... then he reminds me that I've gotten to hold it this whole time... he wins :) 


 

Week 29

How far along: 29 weeks
Gender: unknown - & I don't even know what I think it is some days! [most days I'm still team boy - just not AS confidently]
Weight gain: 11.5 lbs
Next Appointment: 11/3/2014
Last Appointment:10/21/2014 - endocrinologist - this was my LAST check-up until after baby... which is just crazy to me! As slow as the time seems to be going - this first "last" of this pregnancy came FAST! It was another great appointment! The doctor said I've responded "perfectly" to everything and informed me of what med changes he expects to make post-delivery - but said no changes were needed at this time. I told Brady, for as many things as I feel like are "wrong" with me, it's nice to keep being told how "perfect" everything is going! He also said I've done really well with maintaining/controlling my weight gain (thanks in part to medication) but said he suspects the "bulk" of my weight gain is still to come :/ Hopefully the "bulk" of it isn't a huge amount!! He acknowledged that it was a horrible time to ask - but asked when we were thinking of trying for another baby after this one. He said he is by no means pushing me to have my babies close together, but did say that 6 mos would prob be a good amount of time to wait, because my body would be "primed & ready". Now, had he asked me this question a little earlier in my pregnancy, my answer would have been simple: as soon as it's safe for me to try again... probably 6 months. (because that is what Brady & I talked about fairly early on in this pregnancy since it took us longer than we had hoped it would to conceive this one) BUT, when I factor in the stress and fear that has accompanied me this pregnancy - especially lately - that changes my answer dramatically. This seriously has got to be the scariest thing I've done in my life so far. I don't want to miss out on half of this baby's 1st year of life because I'm too stressed with the all consuming efforts of trying to conceive again... or because I'm too scared with another pregnancy to be able to enjoy BOTH blessings. We talked about it a little, but left it sort of at a 'let's get through this pregnancy & then cross that bridge when we get there...'

10/24/2014 - ob/gyn -  Yay for another good appointment! We had another NST and it was GrEaT... baby was super active today!! My BP was a little high for me, but still normal enough for the dr not to comment on it. HR was 130s-150s & my belly is still measuring about a week ahead :) Brady wasn't able to go with me this time <since hunting season is fast approaching & he will have limited opportunities this year> so my mom went with me. She's been wanting to go with me for a while now - because she said she needed to be able to see my doctor in a different setting than the circumstances she saw him in last time, before seeing him again in the hospital - so it worked out perfectly. She did say she was a little taken back when they started hooking me up to the monitor, because last time she saw that happening the only thing she heard was the silence of not being able to find Sloan's heartbeat - so I'm glad she was able to see me being hooked up & hearing a healthy little heartbeat. When we left she said she "needed that" so it made me happy that she could be there :)

Maternity Clothes: since I only have 7 weeks to go - I'm refusing to buy "maternity" clothes at this point! Most of my maternity jeans are pretty stretched out from Sloan because of how BIG I got with her, and I can still fit in most of my loose-fitting wardrobe. I'm thinking I'll probably break out those stretched out jeans when the "bulk" of my weight gain hits though!
Exercise: still walking & jogging... some days are better than others but I think something is better than nothing! But I do feel like {for the most part} I'm in better shape now than I was at this time last year! 
Stretch marks: none that I can see yet!
Belly button in or out: half in/half out
Sleep: LOTS! <but still getting interrupted pretty regularly> Tues evening I was exhausted from such a busy/rushed morning (workout, labs, appointment, driving, & work), so when I got home I took a bath then laid down for a nap at 5:30 - woke up at 7, only to fall right back asleep until 9! & the only reason I woke up at 9 was because Brady picked up my feet so he could sit on the couch with me... since our other couch was full of laundry that I hadn't gotten around to folding!! {oops} 
What I miss: eh... nothing really this week!
What I'm loving: this baby moving how I'm use to it moving again... ALL OVER THE PLACE!!
Movement: ^ ^ ^ see above ^ ^ ^
Cravings: a margarita (which I don't even like!) :: cookie cake :: chicken nuggets
Queasy or sick: no... BUT (warning: TMI & gross alert) some nights I wake up suddenly coughing & have the taste of vomit in my mouth... I blame it on over eating and/or indigestion... but I HATE it! 
Favorite moment this week: my absolute favorite part of pregnancy is hands down watching this baby make my belly dance with its movements! I could literally sit and watch it for hours!!
Looking forward to: DECEMBER 8TH! Some days just looking at my calendar and realizing how close that date actually is brings me to tears... I can not wait to get this baby here & in my arms!

Week 28

How far along: 28 weeks
Gender: still a SuRpRiSe - annnnnd I'm back to thinking 99% BOY! I asked the doctor this week if he knew any wives tales that were accurate... He told me according to the studies the most accurate prediction of gender is mother's intuition... SO I will be so embarrassed if I'm wrong... But will be so happy when I'm holding a healthy baby in my arms - regardless of gender!
Weight gain: 11 lbs - it's starting to come on fast... These cravings are getting harder & harder to resist!!! And I eat WAY more than I should! :/ 
Next Appointment: 10/24/2014
Last Appointment: well... we had 2 appointments this week... this first was unplanned
10/13
Sunday night when I sat down to do my kick counts I felt like the baby wasn't kicking as "strong" as it had been. I had no problem feeling the kicks, and it kicked as often as it should - it just wasn't as strong so it bothered me. Then Monday morning I felt the same way - it was moving - but it didn't feel like strong movements. Once again, paranoia set in & I texted my nurse, who told me she would talk to the doctor, but he was in the OR for another hour & a half. I listened to the baby's heartbeat - which was fine. Then I called my mom and just started sobbing - the kind of sobbing that you can hardly speak a word that is understandable. She told me I needed to let the nurse know how upset I was, because words in a text come across very different than how I was sounding on the phone. I felt crazy admitting how upset I was, but I let her know. She reassured me that feeling movement was excellent & asked me if I wanted to go ahead and go to L&D, but I told her I didn't really want to do that & told her I knew it was probably just my crazy brain. Once again, the sane part of me knew that the baby was ok in that moment - I felt it moving & heard it's heartbeat - but I was scared out of my mind! About 45 minutes after I initially texted her, she told me he wanted to do an ultrasound & a non-stress test. I called Brady and we went to the doctor. It's so strange - but as soon as I knew I was going to be seen, my fears were immediately put at ease. Long story short - baby was fine, movements were perfect, and we still have a healthy (but breech) baby! We also discovered that it's quite flexible and was positioned with its feet over its head! We talked to the doctor after the tests and I explained what precipitated this "freak out". I told him that I worked the weekend so I didn't keep up with my kick counts quite like I should have - which I got in a little bit of trouble for - but I knew the baby was moving & listened to it with my doppler, so didn't think too much of it until Sunday when I did sit down to do them & they felt weaker. Once again he reassured me that everything was "perfect" & also told me that baby's movements will start slowing down. We decided it was probably a good idea to go ahead and schedule me for weekly visits from now on - just to help me to have peace of mind. I felt so stupid because I knew I was over-reacting, but I also knew I wouldn't feel better until I knew for sure that my baby was still safe inside of me! 

{At the end of my pregnancy with Sloan her movements slowed down significantly. I reported it to my doctor at the time, and at my last appointment he did an ultrasound and she was perfectly fine. So when she was born and the doctor who delivered her - my doctor now - guessed that she probably passed away the day after that last appointment - 3 days prior to her birth - I was surprised. I knew her movements slowed down, but the ultrasound at that last appointment reassured me that she was ok, even though she wasn't moving nearly as much. The day I went into labor I knew I didn't feel much movement, and when Brady came home around lunch time I even told him I was scared because I didn't feel anything that day. I remember texting a friend to ask if her babies stopped moving as much at the end, because I was assuming {hoping} that it was normal and that my baby was just running out of room. She told me that they did, so again, I was reassured. I also remember right before I lost my mucus plug feeling something - probably a contraction or her little body shifting in the fluid with my movement - and feeling at ease thinking I felt her move. So when this baby's movements felt weaker, I immediately freaked out and thought the worst. Even though I knew movement was good, in my mind it wasn't its usual kind of movements, so something must be wrong... and it scared me to death! As foolish as I felt knowing that I was probably overreacting - it's ok that I did, because I would rather be safe than sorry any day over going through losing another baby...}

10/16 - scheduled appt: 

It was a short - but good {& light} - appt! Baby is still great! My belly is still measuring about a week ahead of schedule... Which makes me happy! Heartrate was 146-158 and movements feel "normal" again! ANNNND... drumroll please... we are OFFICIALLY scheduled for a c-section!!! (which I'm ok with at this point) I asked him if he would consider trying to flip the baby if it didn't flip on its own, but he told me no because of my history & meds. I asked if a c-section would be more risky because of the meds & some of my "problems", but he reassured me that it wasn't & reminded me to let him worry about those things! If baby does happen to flip, we will induce that day instead. Either way is more than fine with me - as long as at the end of the process I have a living, healthy baby in my arms!

Maternity Clothes: eh... a shirt or 2 this week
Exercise: yep! :) Every day this week!

Stretch marks: not yet!
Belly button in or out: half in - half out
Sleep: I think I jinxed myself because I've been interrupted again this week with needing to empty my bladder in the middle of the night!
What I miss: sounds weird - but I'm starting to miss seeing the results of workouts & good dietary decisions ---> which has probably been a contributing factor to the AWFUL dietary decisions I've made this week!!!
What I'm loving: this GROWING belly! {somewhat of a contradictory statement to the above - I know!} but I def feel like this belly has come out of nowhere this week!! 
Movement: Baby = yes :) ME = steadily getting harder & harder to get in & out of things... like vehicles, restaurant booths, etc
Cravings: pizza, Manuel's cheese enchiladas, cookies, cupcakes, Blue Bell tin roof ice cream!!!
Queasy or sick: Nope!!
Favorite moment this week: being reassured [twice] that my baby is still ok! & getting this baby's birthday officially scheduled!!
Looking forward to: getting this baby here!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sunday when I was talking to Brady & my mom I told them that I was excited that we were going to get to decorate Sloan's grave later that day - and then almost immediately realized how strange that statement sounded. That's never something that at 27 years old I would have ever thought I would get "excited" about... far from the norm of what most mom's my age get to get excited about. Not throwing a pity party for myself here - I know so many others fight much harder battles on a daily basis that I could never even imagine - but the reality of that one little statement that I said with such ease & such excitement really made me stop, think, and realize how different my reality truly is from most people I know. BUT I was so happy with how it turned out! It always bothers me when the weeds & grass start to grow through the flowers that we put on her grave & the ants bother me even more after a good rain, but I hate to not put flowers on it just to allow the grass to grow. So, Brady got some stone & gravel to outline her grave to try to help that problem. I wasn't too sure about the gravel he brought because I wanted smaller rocks to go on the inside - but decided those wouldn't be that visible anyway & at this point I just wanted it fixed! I played site manager while Brady did the work - as usual - and I was so pleased with how everything came together! By the time we left I couldn't stop saying how happy it made me & thanking Brady for everything he did - and always does! 

 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::