Baby Burrito

I’m thankful for the quiet week we’ve had – it was much needed and way overdue! I’ve been sleeping really well lately and although I’m still exhausted by the end of the day, I feel like I have more energy later into the afternoon.  I’m so appreciative of this extra time to get things done; I have quite a long to-do list left before baby girl arrives. My hope is to have the whole list done before she is born, so that I can fully relax after her birth. I’m ashamed to admit how many items are actually on my list!

Hubby and I attended a “Baby Care Essentials” class this week and had a blast. It was taught at Fauquier Hospital by registered nurse Amy Powers and Dr. Michael Amster, one of the local pediatricians. Out of the 12 people in the class, almost everyone was a first time parent, but we had a few grandparents in mix which made it fun. They were able to share some of their experiences and offer advice with the newbies; they were amazed at how much things have changed since they had children. One aspect that surprised them was changes in umbilical cord care. In today’s birthing world, you don’t put anything on the umbilical cord, you let it heal naturally. In the past, parents were told to put alcohol on it to prevent infection.

Their advice mainly revolved around one warning – be prepared for little sleep!

Dr. Michael Amster shared many stories with us and even offered some personal lessons he and his wife learned with their children. The best advice he gave us was in regards to how to handle visitors those first few days/weeks after going home from the hospital. He said his wife put a “chore jar” by the front door. Any visitor that stopped by without food was asked to pull a chore from the jar to do while they visited.  Items included folding towels, taking out the trash, vacuuming a room, etc. This kept people from coming by who only wanted to sit and hold the baby. It will also discourage people from staying for hours while you’re exhausted and your house is a mess. Such a great idea, and we’re definitely doing this!

Dr. Amster also repeatedly emphasized the importance of rest and not trying to do too much too soon – that it’s OK if the house is not quite up to your usual standards. I felt like he was looking directly at me when he said this. Someone must have tipped him off and told him to say this to me! We discussed covered what to expect the first few days home from the hospital, how to change a diaper, what’s normal, what’s not normal and when to call the doctor.

Hubby had some great questions too; he was very concerned about how much she should eat and how often. He took a lot of notes! Much to his delight, we learned how to “swaddle,” aka make the perfect baby burrito! It was a very informative class -- a much-needed refresher for me, since it’s been a long time since Evan was born. I hadn’t been able to remember specifics about how often to feed or how many diapers I should expect to go through regularly. It was also a great starting place for hubby.

This class is perfect for planners, like us, who want to be ready for their baby. I managed to snap a few pictures of hubby holding the practice baby doll after he swaddled her into the perfect little burrito.

Pregnant at Work

It’s hard to know what to do about work when you find out that you’re pregnant. Navigating the unknowns of when to tell your boss, what your HR department needs to know and what your rights are can be tricky. Each company is unique so whether you are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, talking with your HR department is important. It is also recommended to look into your rights before you get pregnant so you can plan accordingly. Some benefits -- such as short-term disability -- usually require you to enroll before becoming pregnant. I made sure to do my research about three months before getting pregnant so we could plan.

I decided to wait and share my big news with everyone – coworkers and friends -- until after my first trimester. I have a wonderful relationship with my boss and my coworkers and couldn’t wait to tell them! My company offers leave under the FMLA – Family Medical Leave Act, which gives parents the ability to take up to 12 weeks off work. Since I have the ability to take up to 12 weeks, I am planning to take the full 12 weeks to stay at home with baby girl. My company does not offer paid maternity leave, so I have been saving all of my PTO time and should have enough saved to receive two paychecks after baby girl is born. I also purchased short-term disability before getting pregnant. According to my plan, I have to be off work for 14 days before beginning to receive my short-term disability pay. As long as baby girl is born within a week or two of her due date I should receive two paychecks and then my disability will start.

I always find that it feels good to have a plan.

Oh Momma

I hope every mom out there had fabulous Mothers Day! We spent the weekend down in Richmond with my mom and dad. It was nice to have a little weekend getaway with my guys and spend Mother’s Day with my mom. An added bonus – we got to help celebrate my sister’s 21^st birthday.

I’ve been feeling very pregnant this past week. I caught a nasty cold, which made for a long week. Being sick and pregnant is the worst feeling. I didn’t think it was possible to feel that tired. Every ounce of my body was exhausted. I’m still not quite sure how I made it to work or managed to clean the house last week.

It’s been a personal choice of mine to avoid medicine while pregnant. I was given a list of meds that I could take, but I just feel like the less baby girl is exposed to during her development, the better. Needless to say, I suffered through the week, and then finally broke down and took an approved medicine that helped me feel better just in time for our trip.

I’ve also noticed that the skin around my stomach feels very tight and gets dry quickly, so I’ve been lathering on the lotion more frequently. So far, no new “marks of motherhood.” I’m hoping it stays that way! Baby girl is definitely getting stronger and those little feet of hers seem to like beating on my rib cage. I love feeling her move around. It’s the oddest -- the coolest -- feeling I’ve ever had.

Baby Registry

There’s nothing like baby registry shopping to remind you that your house will soon be taken over by baby gear! During our last date night, Hubby and I browsed aisle after aisle of bottles, strollers and every type of blanket you can imagine. He was patient as I perused every aisle, examining every item to make sure I found the best products.

My advice to new moms would be to do some research before shopping and make sure you allow plenty of time to cover the stores. If you arm yourself with good information, you’ll make better choices – like walking past the prettiest baby swing and signing up for the safest. Online reviews aren’t infallible, but they are most often written by real parents, with real experience with those products. They are a great tool in your quest for the perfect stroller/car seat/teething ring. But even with research, nothing beats pushing around the stroller for a few minutes and trying to unlatch the car seat from its base. Shopping can be overwhelming; there are so many choices that even with a checklist it can be stressful.

We’ve picked out some really awesome items that I’m sure baby girl will put to good use. I’m most excited about the stroller we chose. We opted for a jogging stroller since both of us like to run and we spend a lot of time around athletic fields for Evan’s different sporting events. Of course we look forward to bringing her home in her new car seat as well.

Three Months and Counting

As I’m sitting here writing this post and thinking about how different things will be in three months, I’m overwhelmed with emotions. Baby Girl will be here and our lives will be turned upside down. Maybe three months from now, she’ll be snuggled up with me as I’m writing a blog post.

It’s a little nerve-wracking to think about the changes to come. We’ll go from a family of three to a family of four. Evan will no longer be the only child in the house. Nights will become a lot more sleepless and I’m sure there will be days where won’t feel “put together.”

It’s easy for me to stress over every little detail, but today I feel comforted that if she arrived early, we are ready. She has two eager parents and a big brother excited to meet her. That’s more important than wallpaper and curtains, anyway.

We’ve made it to the 26 week mark. This milestone means that if in the unlikely event she were to be born today, baby girl would be just fine. This also means that I’m now entering the third trimester -- and definitely starting to feel pregnant. 

My baby bump still isn’t the biggest but there’s definitely no denying it now. Regular clothes still fit but it feels like they won’t for much longer. I just ordered the cutest maternity bathing suit for the summer. Exercising still feels great and I’m still keeping up with my normal routines and pace, which I think is definitely helping keep aches and pains to a minimum; mentally it helps too. If anyone has any advice on beating the fatigue though, I would welcome it.

Relax and Put Your Feet Up!

Where do I begin?

Work is so busy right now, with two big events to help organize. And my finals are next week! I keep telling myself it will all be over soon, but it feels like I will never be able to relax.

I love how every pregnancy book, article and website tells pregnant women they have to relax, put their feet up and eat healthy. They make it sound so simple. I wish they’d be more realistic when they give advice to the preggos of the world, like me.

Sometimes after reading, I feel bad for being so busy, like I’m doing something bad for my baby. I think they should offer some practical advice for pregnant women who work and don’t have a nanny or a live-in chef. Between taking care of the house, my husband and child (did I mention that we have a dog too?), I barely have time to eat healthy, let alone sit down and kick back.

OK, enough of my rant; I may be slightly exhausted and a bit cranky writing this post. Does it show?

On a more exciting note – we had another great appointment with Dr. Wesley Hodgson this week. Hubby is still concerned about my lack of weight gain, but according to Dr. Hodgson, I’m measuring right where I need to be and he isn’t a bit concerned. I have to admit I’ve been too exhausted this week to even think about worrying. Baby girl’s heart rate was nice and strong and she even gave Dr. Hodgson a few good kicks while we were there.

The downside of the appointment was the reminder about my diabetes screening. This is a mandatory test every woman receives between 24 and 28 weeks to test for gestational diabetes. While I am at low risk, this test is required for everyone since gestational diabetes typically does not show symptoms.  I have to take the diabetes screening before my next appointment, and I’m not really looking forward to that. If you’ve never had to take one, you drink this super sweet thick drink and then wait an hour and go back to have your blood drawn. Not my favorite.

I bought my first pair of maternity clothes, two pairs of shorts for the summer. My tummy is finally starting to grow!

Sweet Evan comment of the week “Mom, you’re glowing!” He’s such a sweetheart. J

Pregnancy Worries

Only 16 weeks to go, I can’t believe how quickly time is moving. My mom mentioned to me the other day that I only have about three months left and that’s when anxiety hit me. Now I’m feeling more anxious to get everything ready before baby girl arrives. I’m assuming my worries as well as my range of emotions are normal.

My last assignment for one of my Developmental Psychology class required us to watch a video on death and dying. Thankfully I watched the video alone because my emotions, of course, got the best of me and I went through a whole box of tissues as I cried my way through the film. I thought since I had already been through one pregnancy, this one would feel less stressful. I was wrong. Is this normal?

The nursery is still under construction. I’ll feel much more relaxed once the room is finished. The crib is still in its boxing waiting to be put together; we’ve decided to hold off until we finished some of the other room projects. But I couldn’t resist hanging a few outfits in baby girl’s closet. Mom and I went shopping over the weekend and I had to limit myself to only a few outfits so I didn’t go baby clothes crazy. Babies outgrow clothes so fast. If I buy too many, she may not even get a chance to wear them more than once or twice.