The Story of Baby Adelyn

Once upon a time...

Austin and I decide to go off the pill. I was under the assumption that it would take my body a while to get pregnant. Especially knowing it took my mom 8+ months. So I was prepared for a waiting game.

Finding Out We Were Pregnant

A few weeks after I had been pill free, I noticed a few odd things. I was having cramps, back aches, and some weird stomach stuff. Nothing extremely notable but I kinda knew something was going on. I told myself there was no way I could be pregnant this fast- NOR could I feel symptoms of it that fast. I went online to find out that pretty much ANYTHING is a sign of pregnancy. Especially cramps. Hmm.

I get a little antsy and take a pregnancy test two days before my period. It was negative. I wasn't too surprised but a little disappointed. I really thought my body was telling me something.

Well October 12th comes and goes without any sign of Monthly Mary visiting. After being two days late, I'm super antsy to take another test. I come home with one and tell Austin I really want to take another one. He was a bit reluctant but he knows me well enough to know I am going to keep talking about it until I do it.

I take the test and see one line start to show up. (One line is negative, two means positive). I look away for a bit and look back to see a second line start to show up. I watch in awe as the second line becomes more and more bold. I grab the test, run to the room where Austin is, and show him. His response, "What does that mean??"

At this point, I'm shaking and laughing and simply sit down on the floor. I remember saying, "Holy crap. That happened so fast. Holy crap. One month Austin. That was so fast!"

We both were a little speechless. After collecting ourselves, we talked about who we would tell right off the bat. I also called and made a doctors appointment. They told me the baby would be due June 19th.

Since I can't blog about all this publicly, I am still blogging about it but just not posting it quite yet. So below, you will find weekly updates up until we go public with the information.

Week 5

Baby is the size of an appleseed

It's starting to sink in more and more. We've told all of our close friends and family. It's been fun to talk to people about it and be excited with others.
Physically, I'm for sure noticing changes. Two words have described the past couple of days: Tired and hungry!
The facts tell me that I only need 300 extra calories but my body is telling me way different. I also feel like I can't get enough sleep. I hate feeling tired. But I guess this is something I'm going to have to get used to.

Random stuff:

• I was super sad when I found out I couldn't go snow skiing this winter.


• I've been craving hot chocolate like I never have before too.


• I went and checked out 3 books on pregnancy at the library. I had to dodge people I knew there because I didn't want them to see what I was reading!

Week 6

Baby is the size of a sweet pea!

Every day is different. All last week, I was hungry. This week I'm feeling pretty queezy. No puking but not feeling great. I guess that's to be expected. A few days ago, we had a little scare and had to make the visit to the doctor's office. Took some tests (too early for an ultrasound to check on the wee-one). Tests confirm the baby is alive and well. Whew!

One thing that has been distinct this week is my extreme sensitivity to smells. One would think this would be a helpful, superheroish quality. Nope. It sucks. I smell everything more intensely- especially the not-so-pleasant smells. Let me give you some insight of what it's like to have the nose of a hound dog.

• I can hardly be in the kitchen when meat is cooking.


• I suddenly noticed how stinky Austin's work shoes are by the door.


• I can only wear certain lotions. Other ones give me a headache.


• Dog. All I smell is dog around our house. Especially the living room rug. I couldn't even take a nap in there because all I smell is dog.


• I had no idea how stinky my car actually was. I am convinced something is rotting under my seat. I even checked. Nothing.


• At lunch yesterday, I had to cover up my side of balsamic vinaigrette with my napkin because the smell was too intense.

A few other strange things:

• I all of the sudden was really grossed out by my salad at lunch today. Bummer. I paid 5 bucks for that side salad and could only consume a third of it out of mere determination to get vegetables in my body.


• Gum makes my stomach queezy. I've always been a gum addict but I don't know if it's the smell, taste, or constant flavor in my mouth but I simply can't chew gum like I used to.

As time goes on, we are getting more and more excited. We already have some names in mind and I of course and scheming up nursery plans. A common question I get is, "How is Austin handling all of this?" Well, he's actually doing quite well! Probably even a little better than I am. He's excited and coping with my hormonal changes like a champ. Love that guy.

Week 7

Baby is a blueberry!

This week has been a bit more rough than the past few. I'm in a constant stage of nausea. Not puking just feel sick all the time. It's frustrating because nothing makes it better. No matter what I eat or don't eat, I feel sick. No matter how much rest or exercise I get, I feel sick. Honestly, it's a little depressing. It's hard to get out of bed in the morning when I know I'm going to feel blah all day. Somehow I conjure up the energy to do it, put on my happy face and go about the day.

Today was a big day. We had our first doctors appointment and ultrasound. Going into it, I didn't know how to feel. Was everything going to be ok? What if there is more than one? Is it even in there? Well, it didn't take the doctor long to find the little wee-one. It was amazing to see. I kept trying to comprehend what we were seeing on the screen. "That is our baby." "That is in me." "That's it's heartbeat!"

I feel like I am finally letting myself get excited. My guard has been let down a bit and and moving forward in my emotional attachment of the precious little blob in the picture above.

Few things worth mentioning:

• I smell dog everywhere. I could even smell the dog when it was under our bed at night.


• Nuts almost made me throw up today. I can't imagine eating them right now....blah.


• My default snack is Multigrain Cheerios. Good thing I got a double box from Sams. It's one of the few things Baby C seems to accept willingly.


• Still no gum chewing.


• Austin and I decided we need to stop calling the baby a parasite. It's not cultivating parental affections very well.

Week 8
I've got a raspberry in my uterus!

Well, maybe not a raspberry but a baby that resembles its size.
Week eight wasn't too eventful. Same ol' symptoms. Tired. Most food sounds gross. Some foods sound really good (string cheese, anyone?). I feel like I eat breakfast food all day long. I'm ok with that. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

Anyway, I did celebrate a birthday in the midst of week eight. Thus, beginning the slew of baby gifts coming our way. My family just can't help themselves.
My sister made an adorable towel with a little hoodie. She also made 4 matching wash clothes.

Austin took the liberty of showing how it is supposed to be worn. Hopefully Baby C's head is a bit smaller than his.


My mom bought me my first pair of maternity pants.
Austin was way freaked out by the high waist. Apparently he's never seen a pair of maternity pants that weren't being worn by a pregnant woman. Just for laughs, I tried them on later. They are actually super comfortable.
That's all for now. See you next week!





Week 9
Baby C is the size of an olive!

(Almost an inch long now)
An olive doesn't seem that big, but it is making me feel huge. I seriously laughed out loud today when I saw how far I could stick my stomach out. I've never seen my body do that before. Needless to say, most of my pants are uncomfortable.  I haven't washed any of my jeans this week because I don't want them to shrink up again. That was until my mom took me maternity clothes shopping!
It was a huge surprise. I didn't really think I needed them until I actually put on some maturity pants and felt the sweet relief of spandex around my waist. I guess I'm one of those lucky ladies who shows a bit early.
My mom spoiled me though. I walked out with 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of corduroys, and 4 tops. Oh, I forgot to mention the red top she made me get that states, "Tis the season to be pregnant."
Can you tell she's excited to be a grandma??

Overall, I've been feeling a bit better. I still have some funny food issues and sometimes it feels like I only got 5 hours of sleep when I really got 8 or 9. But compared to a few weeks ago, I'm a new woman. I'm so excited to tell everyone! We have our 12 week appointment on Dec 2nd. If everything is ok, soon after that we are telling the world!

Mentionables

• Still no gum


• Graham crackers and milk rock my world right now


• It's not really a craving but I can't get enough cantaloupe


• Working on my first project for the nursery. (An owl decoration that I will post about later)


• During the day, a nap is as necessary as food to me


• String cheese doesn't sound good anymore


• Still not exercising much. It just wipes me out too much.


• I did try out some prenatal yoga. It made me giggle. Especially when she said, "Imagine your baby enjoying the stretch as much as you are..."

Week 10
Baby C is the size of a Prune

Feeling better and better. Glad the worst is over. All in all, I think I skimmed by the first trimester pretty easily. The only time I get sick now is if I don't eat within 3 or 4 hours. I'm kinda constantly snacking for the sake of feeling normal. Whatever works!
Baby C got to enjoy its first Thanksgiving...kinda. It didn't seem too opposed to any of the food except for the smell of the stuffing.
There really isn't that much to report.

Austin did make a suggestion that made me laugh really hard.
"Polly, you should take a picture of your stomach every day and then make one of those flip books!"
I didn't want to laugh too hard at him because I wasn't sure if he was serious or not. I'm still not sure, to be honest.
Anyway, just getting more and more excited to tell the world!

Week 11
Baby C is the size of a lime!

Wow. A lime! That's legit.
This week is going to be an exciting one. Why, You may ask? Because on Thursday we have our doctors appointment. If all goes well, we will tell the world we are expecting! Most likely, this will be my last hidden post. Whew- the secret has been eating at me.
Speaking of eating- my appetite is back! Food sounds good again. Especially macaroni and cheese. Mmmm- I just want some right now.
Anyway, not too much to say because I'll say it on my blog very very soon!

Week 13
Baby C is the size of a Plum!

This week has been great!
It's so fun to tell the world we are having a baby! I don't think it was a huge surprise to those who know us. Still, it's way fun to be able to talk openly about everything.
I've also felt GREAT. Lots more energy and excitement than the past few weeks.
Did I mention that I've been hungry? I mean really, really hungry. It's not a nice hungry either. It's an angry hungry. It's a beast. If I don't get food, my body turns against me, threatening to shut down and not operate unless fed. And I'm not exaggerating when I say I need to eat almost every 3 hours. It's slightly ridiculous and hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced the demanding beast inside of you when pregnant. I don't want to make the beast mad. So I comply, and eat.
Overall though, it's been a great week.

Week 13

Baby C was around the size of a peach this week.

He/she has fingerprints, can open and close its mouth, all it's teeth are formed and under the gums, AND it is moving around (even though I can't feel it yet). I am becoming more and more convinced it's a boy. Not sure why. But I told Austin I'm putting my money down on us having a baby Austin.

I blogged earlier about my "Pregnancy Brain" issues. Thank you, blogging mothers out there, for all the moral support you offered through your comments. I don't feel so alone in my spacey little world.

Another thing worth mentioning is the baby bump. I mean, it came out of nowhere this week! It's crazy how fast I have begun to show. There is still some apprehension in wearing clothes that reveal the bump but I'm sure I'll get over that soon. Simply because I'm running of of clothes that make it discrete. Get ready world, the belly is on its way out. Literally.

Another weird thing is that I still can't chew Trident gum. I used to be an addict to this stuff. I can do other gum for a while but for some reason, Baby C does NOT like Trident. It makes me feel sick and the taste is just too strong. I miss my gum chewing days.

I hardly feel sick anymore but am still pretty tired in the afternoons. Seriously, around 2 or 3 I just hit a wall and feel like I can't function without a cat nap.

I think those are all the worthy updates. We are headed out to Denver tomorrow...wahoo!!

Week 16

I've entered into my 16th week of being prego. I'm told our baby is the size of an avocado. Glad to see we are moving up to more sizeable fruits.

To simplify the baby updates, I'm going to use a format my friend, Sara, used on her blog while documenting her pregnancy. They always gave me a good chuckle.

Size of the baby? 4-5 inches long (about the size of an avocado).

Maternity Clothes? Mainly pants. I can still squeeze into a few of my looser jeans but I am making good use of the Bella Band that was loaned to me.

Stretch Marks? None that weren't there before :)

Sleep? I've been told sleeping on my back cuts off vital circulation to the baby and other parts of my body. Yikes. It's been an ongoing battle to stay on my side throughout the night. I've also been having some very vivid, lively dreams. But for the most part, still sleeping quite well.

Best moment of the week? We had a doctors appointment to check up on Baby C. Got to hear the little-one's heart beating away. It was precious.

Movement? I'm not quite sure what is the baby and what is my digestive system right now. I do know there is a bit more activity in my lower abdomen. Just don't have the motherly experience to discern what is the baby.

Food Cravings? Still stuck on fruit. I could eat it all day. I've also been really into pasta lately too. Still can't chew gum. Weird, huh?

Gender? We find out Feb 3rd. Even though I selfishly want a girl so I can have a future crafting and sewing partner in the family, I have a feeling it's a boy. I don't know why, I just do.

Labor Signs? Oh gosh, no.

Belly button in or out? WHAT? It changes?! Gosh dang it...does anything stay the same on/in your body while pregnant?

What I miss: Red wine and running.

What I'm looking forward to: Boy or girl? Boy or girl? I'm dying to know!

Weekly Wisdom: Just keep eating

Milestones: We finally broke the news to Sophie and Chauncey (our dogs). They aren't coping very well. To make a statement, I think they have torn apart, de-limbed, and unstuffed every toy they own in the middle of our living room.

Week 19

Pop Quiz: What fruit...

• ...is a distant relative of the cashew, pistachio, Jamaica plum, poison ivy and poison oak?


• ...plays a sacred role in India; it is a symbol of love and some believe that its tree can grant wishes?


• ... leaves are considered toxic and can kill cattle or other grazing livestock?


• ... is approximately the size of the baby growing inside of me?

Give up?

It's a mango!

I've never been a HUGE fan of mangoes to be honest. Unless they are picked straight from a tree in Jamaica. Those were pretty good but were rumored to give people rashes if you touched the peel to your skin. Enough on mangoes. Here's an update on the ol' bun in the oven.

Maternity Clothes?

Heck ya. I actually scored a bundle of them from a lady on Craigs List who was getting rid of all of hers. I am not one of those blessed women who can keep wearing their normal pants throughout pregnancy. Bring on the elastic!

Stretch Marks?

No marks yet even though it feels like everything is stretching in one way or another!

Sleep?

Pretty good. I'm mastering the art of sleeping on my side. I have found that using 3 pillows works well. One for my head. One between my knees. And one behind my back. It would be nice to have an all inclusive pillow like this one...

BUT those cost a pretty penny. For now I will make due and snuggle up with my pillow party.

Best Moment (or laugh) of the Week:

Austin, as a surprise, was going to get me some nice lotion (bc I love good lotions). However, in his lotion hunt, he came across stretch mark lotion and thought it'd be a good idea to get me some. The gesture was intended to alleviate my anxiety about getting stretch marks in the future. It was just really funny because I didn't know how to respond. It is such a male way of thinking: Have a problem? Lets find a solution. His intentions were totally pure which made it all the more funny. It gave me a good laugh.

Movement?

Yep! Definitely feeling more activity down there. I only catch it happening when I'm sitting pretty still but Baby C is on the move!
Mood Swings?
Um yes. Maybe not swings, just on edge emotionally. For example, I have found myself in tears while watching The Office... twice. I also had a major breakdown while trying to do a project on Photoshop and couldn't figure it out. My wonderful Austin has been there for all three meltdowns. He's been a trooper. I usually end up laughing at myself at the end of it all.

Food Cravings?

Oh my gosh- so I thought that I had a few cravings before this, right? Not until I experienced a REAL craving last week. It was about 10 pm and all of the sudden I was desperate for some type of orange or orange juice. Luckily we had some clementines at our house or I probably would have headed to the grocery store. It was crazy.

Gender?

We find out in 10 days! Granny told me today that I was having a boy. She also told me if she could see me she'd be able to tell for sure by the way I'm carrying... Gotta love grandmas.

Labor Signs?

No labor signs but I'm for sure having some major pain. I think its a combination of Round Ligament Paint and overexertion. I am learning my physical limitations the hard way. Yesterday and today I have felt like I have a pulled muscle on the left side of my stomach. It hurts! Last night was the worst. I could hardly move! I am definitely learning lessons the hard way.

Belly Button In or Out?

In. No change.

What I miss?

Being able to be active all day and not physically hurt from it. Also, sleeping flat on my stomach.

What I'm Looking Forward To:

Our crib has been ordered!

It should be arriving within a week or so!

Weekly Wisdom?
Slow down. Your body can't do what it used to do.
Milestones?
Embracing the baby bump and wearing clothes that don't hide it.

Week 22

Baby is the size of a papaya

I'll be honest, I have no context for a papaya. No clue how big it is. Something a little bigger than a banana (since that's how big Adelyn was last week).

Maternity Clothes?

Yes, please. Anyone have any I can borrow? I'm down to only fitting into 1/4th of my wardrobe.

Stretch Marks?

Nope. My skin is keeping up with the growth so far.

Sleep?

Mediocre. I'm up once a night at least to relieve my squished bladder. Still sleeping ok though. Lots of lively dreams!

Movement?

Yes and no. Last week, Adelyn was on the move! I was feeling her throughout the day. However, the past few days she's been playing a game of hide-and-go-seek with me. I've hardly felt her at all yesterday and today. It's hard not to freak out and think something is wrong. I have to tell myself it's only the 22nd week and everything I read says that is normal to have quiet days. Even knowing that, I would just like one good jab in the ribs to confirm she's strong and healthy. I bet I'll be eating my words in a few weeks when she's practicing her soccer skills.
Mood Swings?
I would say no. I just asked Austin and he paused and said, "Not too bad." I really have felt a bit more stable this week compared to the past few weeks. I will say this, I can easily cry. At almost anything if I want. But I feel like it's pretty controllable.
Cravings?
No major, "I must have this or I will not function," cravings. I have, however, taken a very strong liking to Nerds. At the office, the candy jar always has a few of those small boxes that I snatch up. I'm drooling a little right now thinking about them.
Gender?
Girl!
OK-here is one thing I've realized. I don't like the color light pink. You know, that baby pink that is on every blanket or burp cloth for girls? I'm not into it. I know I'm going to have to get used to it but I'm fighting the light pink theme as much as I can.
Labor Signs?
Still too early for that but I have experienced some moments of tummy-tightness. Out of nowhere, I'll feel a slow firmness roll through. From what I hear, it's my body training for the big day.
Belly Button- In or Out?
Still way in there.
What I miss?
Pushing myself physically. Working out just wears my body down so fast. I'm also used to being a busy little bee during the day and I haven't been able to do that.
What I'm looking forward to:
Learning more. I am somewhat clueless when it comes to raising a child. I just got the book, Babywise and am diving in. 
What I'm nervous about:
Like I mentioned before, Adelyn only has one artery in her umbilical cord going to her when she is supposed to have two. This is on my mind daily- wondering if it will affect her and her labor/delivery. I also have been motivated to eat healthier knowing that she runs the small risk of not growing as fast as she should.
Weekly Wisdom:
There is no way to know everything. Even if I did, I am still not in control. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Milestones:
I registered at Target and Babies R Us on Monday. I'll be honest, I left Babies R Us in a bad mood. Simply because it made me feel totally inadequate and overwhelmed. Even after talking to lots of other moms who have kids, I still felt like I didn't know what I would need/ how many ___ to register for/ what we would really use and what we wouldn't. It was just overwhelming.

Oh, another milestone. Austin and I have decided we are going to go the cloth diaper route. Specifically, with Fuzzibunz. For a lot of reasons, it just makes sense for our lifestyle and budget. I am
not opposed to disposable diapers at all- in fact if we get any as gifts at showers, we will gratefully use them. But overall, our default is going to be cloth. It should be an adventure :)

Week 25

Adelyn is the size of an eggplant

Well, hello my little eggplant. Glad the most recent ultrasound shows you are growing just like you should be!

I'm kind of in that stage where it feels like I've been pregnant forever and it feels like it's still going to be forever until we actually have Adelyn with us. If it weren't for the increasing kicks, I'd be a little bored with being pregnant. Is that bad? There just isn't much to do right now except for wait.

Here's the rundown on the past few weeks:

Maternity Clothes? Thanks to good friends, Rachel and Jen, my maternity wardrobe had tripled. They graciously are letting me borrow some of their maternity clothes. It's nice to have options again.

Stretch Marks? Nada. Unless you count stretching marks on my clothing.

Sleep? Eh. Not bad but not great. I have good nights and then bad nights. Last night was a bad night. In the middle of the night I woke up to a horrible leg cramp. My intense, "Owe owe owe owe owe" scared Austin half to death.

Movement? Oh ya. I can pretty much tell which way she is positioned depending on which rib she is attempting to dislodge. We've also hit the stage where we can feel her from the outside. She kind of plays Hide and Go Seek with us though. She'll be kicking away at one spot and the second I have Austin try to feel it, she'll stop. Little rascal.

I've also learned that talking about the baby kicking weirds some people out- particularly high school girls. At lunch the other day I mentioned that the baby was kicking (as we were eating) and one girl looked at my like I had three heads. I'll have to be a bit more discerning who to share certain details with. Haha.

Mood Swings? Yes. Not so much the uncontrollable weeping associated with pregnant women. Just more of a irritability/crankiness. I feel like I've been more short with people- particularly Austin. We had to have some -ahem-marital reconciliation last night because "the 'tude" I've recently been getting. Those conversations are never fun especially when you know you are the culprit.

I also have found myself worrying a lot more than I usually do. I just get fixated on something and get super stressed about it and totally lose perspective. For example, last week I was in tears because I was convinced our dog Sophie had cancer and was going to die. Sounds laughable now but any pregnant/hormonal woman can relate to how convincing emotions can be.

Cravings? Lately soda has sounded really good. I don't really drink soda- especially since I got pregnant but anytime I see someone with one I just want it! My aversion to minty flavored gum had grown stronger. I can hardly be in the car or in a small space with someone who had gum in. It's weird.

Gender? Confirmed again at our most recent ultrasound. Girl.

Labor Signs? Nope. Labor is something I have been thinking about a bit more. At our last appointment I talked to my doctor more about two vessel cord babies and their deliveries. She told me she was pretty sure I wouldn't go past my due date. Most likely one or two weeks early. I don't mind that at all!

Belly Button? Looks the same to me.

What I Miss? My normal jeans.

What I'm Looking Forward To? Lots of stuff. I have a baby shower coming up in a month. My besties will be in town staying with me that weekend so I'm pretty excited about that. Also- my mom scored a baby jogger on Craig's List!! It was originally sold new at $350 and she got it for $75. Boom!

What I'm nervous about? Not being able to fit back into my old clothes. Breast feeding. Sleep deprivation. Going from two salaries to one. Am I preparing enough? Etc. Etc. Etc. I told you, I'm a nervous person right now.

Weekly Wisdom? I've been clinging to a few verses lately.

"Lead me to the rock that is higher than I..." Psalm 61:2

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

"O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me." Psalm 131:1-2

Milestones: I've been noticing that Adelyn responds to noises. Particularly when the dogs bark really close to me or if I play music right by my stomach.

Week 29 Update

Hellloooo third trimester!

Adelyn is approximately the size of summer squash. She weighs 2 lbs and 13oz.

Me- well, I'm not telling you how much I weigh but I will tell you it is close to 20 pounds more than when Adelyn came on the scene.  Goo! I keep telling myself, "4 pounds of that is blood, 3 pounds is the baby/placenta, 2 pounds is..." It makes me feel a little bit better as the numbers keep creeping higher and higher. Honestly, I've hit a point of surrender with how my body looks and feels. Hugeness is inevitable.

It feels like the pace is picking up a bit. Lots more doctors appointments, showers coming up, lots of baby movement, and getting bigger and bigger every day. It's a fun stage but also gradually getting more and more uncomfortable and tiring.

Maternity Clothes?

All the time. My stash is slowly growing. Today, my mom took me shopping so I have some more cute tops and dresses to wear for the next two months.  I've also found that Austin's t-shirts are much more comfortable than mine.

Stretch Marks?

Still none. At least that I can see.

Sleep?

Pillows, pillows, pillows. I surround myself with a wall of them. When I flip over in the middle of the night (which happens many times) I have to take them all with me and rebuild my pillow wall. Adelyn also likes to kick at night and in the morning too so she usually shortens my sleep time. A wise woman told me that the lack of sleep you get in your 3rd trimester is God's way or preparing your for the sleep deprivation of those first few weeks after the birth. So I guess the disturbed sleep is a blessing, right?

Movement?

Enough said.

Doctor's Visits?

Every two weeks. Just had an ultrasound today. This one was really neat because we got to see her mouth opening and closing, got to see her practice breathing, AND when we'd talk, we could see her respond to our voices by turning her head or moving around. It really clicked today that she can hear us and respond to us. Starting next month, Adelyn will be getting "Biophysical Profile" tests at the ultrasounds. Since she's a two-vessel cord baby, they want to keep a very close eye on her as we get closer and closer to her delivery. This child will be well supervised from the very beginning!

Mood Swings?
Unfortunately, the hormones haven't quite died down yet.
Austin recently found out that he will likely have to commute to St. Louis (a 4 hour round trip) 4 days a week next semester. I wasn't in an emotionally stable place to receive that news. We've worked though it and I'm in a much better place now. Hormones just make everything feel heightened a bit.

Cravings?
Not really. My appetite has actually died down quite a bit. I feel horrible if I eat too much. Another bummer is that I'm having a little acid reflux. I know this is totally normal for pregnancy but I was hoping to bypass that little symptom. Nope. Bought my first package of Tums a few days ago. I felt like I was eating flavored chalk. Gross.

Gender?
Girl girl girl. My fight against the pink is a losing battle. There is actually a lot of cute pink stuff out there.

Labor Signs?
I've started to have some Braxton Hicks contractions. Basically, they are fake contractions that are getting your body ready for the big day. However, about a week ago I was having these contractions quite a bit. I started writing the times of them down and realized they were about every 8 minutes. Holy Crap. I luckily have two friends who are labor and delivery nurses that I talked to who confirmed I wasn't going to pop out my child on my kitchen floor. The contractions did settle down after an hour and a half or so. Still getting them occasionally but nothing like that night.

Belly Button- In or Out?
Still way in there.

Laugh of the Week

When I was at the gym, I had a random guy in the weight room yell across the room, "Congratulations." That's all. No questions. No more comments. Just a yell of congrats from my weight lifting buddy.

What I miss?

Running with my dogs. Sleeping through the entire night without the need for a trip to the bathroom. Bending over without feeling like my insides are pushed up to my throat.

What I'm looking forward to:
This weekend is going to be awesome! I have three of my besties staying the night with me Friday and Saturday night. They are throwing my first baby shower too. Eeek!!

What I'm nervous about:
The whole labor and delivery thing is starting to become a bit worrisome. I feel like I know so little right now about what is going to happen. We have a birthing class in two weeks so hopefully that will alleviate some of the unknowns.

Weekly Wisdom:
Cloth diapering will save money but will be pretty gross.
My friend, Sara, recently wrote a blog post about the realities of cloth diapering her little one. I can always count on her to give an unfiltered opinion. In the end though, she deems cloth diapers as worth it.

Milestones:
We can actually see the baby move sometimes. Looks like popcorn popping in my stomach or something. I'll be honest, it's a little freaky at first.

I also can't put my socks or shoes on without sitting down.

32 Week Update

"Polly, when is your baby due again?"
"June 19"
"Wow, that's coming up!"

This is probably the most common conversation I have as of late.
I don't mind people asking me when Adelyn is due. I never remember my friend's due dates either so I don't expect others to remember mine. However, as more and more people comment, "It's coming up..." or "It'll be here before you know it..." I want to believe what they are saying. We are about 8 weeks out from her due date. Eight weeks seems like such a short amount of time but also an eternity.

Yesterday was a hard day for some reason. I was just really uncomfortable, super tired, feeling kinda sick, crampy, and cranky. Days like that make 8 weeks seem really really long and daunting.

It honestly feels similar to the first trimester. I feel way more tired than usual, kinda sick during the day, and just drained from anything. Also like my 1st trimester, I'm fighting to stay busy. While I do need a lot of rest, I find that doing nothing makes me focus so much on me and my discomfort. I'd rather be uncomfortable out and about with people than in isolation in my own home.

The hard thing is, I know it only gets worse before it gets better. I mean I still have 2 months. A lot of growth and weight gain is still in store. Probably some more unfortunate pregnancy symptoms as well. Ugh. Can you tell I'm a bit distraught right now?

On with the updates:

Maternity Clothes: Glad it's getting warmer. That means more comfy cotton dresses and leggings.

Stretch Marks: Nope. Still none. Only 8 more weeks skin... hang in there!!

Sleep: Haven't slept through a night in months. Probably won't for a long time so I'm just embracing it.  My body pillow helps but I usually discard it halfway through the night.

Movement: Yep. Her feet are still all up in my ribs. I guess that's good though because it means she's head down.


Doctors Visits: Had one last Monday. Uneventful which is good I guess.
We did, however, take our birthing class a few weekends ago. It was really good but also very eye opening to the unfortunate future of my body. There were parts of the class where I kept getting hot flashes-particularly when talking about the post-labor aftermath. I know it will be worth it but it's hard to focus on that rather than the hell my body is going to go through in two months. The class was well worth the time. The videos confirmed that I will, Lord willing, indeed have an epidural. Don't judge me you granola moms out there. :)

Mood Swings: Goodness, yes. I'm constantly one sentence away from tears. It's not like I'm sad all the time. Just easily provoked.

Cravings: Blue Gatorade. It just sounds good all of the time. Gosh I want some right now just looking at it.

Labor Signs: This area has picked up quite a bit. My body is kinda wigging out. During the Good Friday service at church, my blood pressure dropped big time (I got super dizzy, then really hot- I've had this happen a few times pre-pregnancy so I know what it is). Even though I knew what it was and I felt normal after, we tracked down a medical person and had him take my blood pressure right there at church to make sure everything was ok. It was. Then, a few days ago I had to call the doc because I was getting some major cramps after a walk. Turns out I had irritated my uterus a bit and wasn't drinking enough water. After sitting down and drinking some water, things settled down. I'm for sure feeling my body prepare more and more. Lots of small contractions and small cramps and discomfort. It's hard to know whats normal. I can sometimes be a bit of a hypochondriac so my doctor has gotten a few calls from me. I hope they don't mind.

Belly Button: Still in there but is more of a big "O" now instead of a normal inny belly button. I like to pretend it's singing opera. Austin thinks it's funny at least. :)

Laugh of the Week: I'm just NOW at a point where I can laugh about this. Like I said, I'm easily provoked. So when we come home to find that Chauncey has found his way into our garden again and dug up even more veggies, I was a very very unhappy woman. My anger of course turned in to frustrated tears and then I had to laugh at myself because I was crying over Chauncey digging in our garden. I shunned him for the rest of the evening and managed to get over my anger by the morning.  I really don't think I've ever been so mad at him though.

What I miss: Having a busy day without feeling completely drained. My miss my energy.

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing Austin as a daddy. I see lots of dads with their little girls and can only imagine how precious it's going to be to see Austin with our little one.

What I'm nervous about: Well the childbirth class gave me a whole new set of things to be nervous about. I think its intended purpose is the opposite of that but it didn't work too well for me. I am nervous about what it's going to be like transitioning from full time worker to full time mom. For so long, part of my identity has been tied to student ministry. To step back from that will probably be harder than I anticipate. It's already kinda hard to slowly hand off my job to someone new.

Weekly wisdom: Despite popular belief, it is easy to shave your legs at the end of pregnancy. At least at this point.

Milestones: Baby showers are done. They were wonderful! We pretty much are prepped for Adelyn's first few months!

We Almost Had a Baby Today...

OK, so maybe not ALMOST but there were for sure a few hours there where we weren't sure if we were going to meet Adelyn today or not. Here's the full story:

We went in around 9:30 am for our weekly Non-Stress Test where they strap you in and watch the baby's heart rate for 20 minutes. Well, right in the first 5 minutes there were a few huge drops in her heart rate. It went from 150 down to 60 and 70 a few times. The nurse there thought that the machine had lost the baby's pulse and was picking up my own heart rate. Seemed to make sense so we weren't too concerned.

We then proceeded on to meet with our OB. She walks in the room and the first words are, "Well, the two-vessel cord is becoming an issue..." She explained that the drops in heart rate were indeed the baby's heart and not my own. She then told us she wanted to do some additional monitoring to see if this was an isolated event we happened to catch or if it was occurring over and over again. We were instructed to head over to labor and delivery where we would be monitored further.

At this point I really wasn't freaking out too much. A little weirded out that we were headed over to a Labor and Delivery room but was able to maintain composure. We just thought it was precautionary and we'd be out of there in an hour. We get put in a delivery room, strapped me up to a machine, and were told to hang out for a while.

For the first hour, there were no drops in heart rate. Our doctor came to check on us and told us that things looked fabulous and we would probably plan on going home pretty soon and I was now allowed to eat (I was told not to in case we needed to have a C-Section). However, a few minutes later we saw two big dips. And then a few more 30 minutes later. The doc told us that we needed to stay until 5 or 6 pm and possibly overnight depending on what her heart rate does. At this point, Austin and I were looking at each other wide-eyed wondering if we were going to have a baby today. At the rate things were going, it was looking likely. Talk about an unexpected twist in the day!

Well... 3 Seinfeld episodes, 1 Glee episode, some work from my computer, a ton of texts to our family and friends, and a nap later, doctor returns around 5:30 to tell us the good news that there weren't any more concerning dips and for a lot of reasons she felt pretty confident to send us home. Whew!

We are SO glad we didn't have to stay the night. And SO glad we didn't have to have a C-Section today followed by a baby in the NICU.

We'll go back in Monday for another extended Non-Stress Test to make sure that heart rate is doing OK. I was given instructions to take it easy, not to exercise, and to pay close attention to Adelyn's movements and signals. No bed rest thank goodness but firm instructions to chillax.

The whole experience of today made everything seem so much more real. I mean, we'll be back in there in probably 3 weeks and actually come home with a baby. It was a good trial run that helped us know what we would need to bring and what to expect. It just increased the range of mixed emotions I've had all through 3rd trimester: A complicated mix of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety.

We got home at 6:30. Even though I laid in a bed most of the day, I'm wiped out. Looking forward to a good night's sleep in my own bed without a background cacophony of beeps and hospital sounds. While I'm super excited to meet Adelyn, today confirmed I'm not ready just quite yet :)

36 Weeks

36 weeks down. Less than 4 to go!

Imagine a large honeydew. Now imagine strapping it to your front side and carrying it around all day. Oh and don't forget to try to sleep with it there too. Add a few more pounds of extra fluid, and extra organ, and some muscle cramps and you'll begin to identify with a 36 week pregnant woman. I'm not complaining, just trying to help you identify. I'll be honest, these last few weeks haven't been my favorite in pregnancy and I imagine the next few aren't going to get any better. BUT there is hope on the horizon -the end is in sight!

Maternity Clothes?

Of course. Nothing new there. Except you know you're getting big when you feel like some maternity clothes are fitting too tight. Sigh...

Stretch Marks?

Nothing yet. Although I really can't see half of my stomach now so maybe there are some and Austin is graciously not telling me.

Sleep

I've forgotten what it feels like to sleep through the night. Lots of dreams about Adelyn and pregnancy though.

Movement

Since she's head down, her feet are in constant contact with my ribs. I really don't get tired of feeling her move though. She hasn't been much of a night mover either which I am thankful for. Maybe she'll be born with the natural ability to sleep through the night. :)


Doctors visits

I mentioned in a previous post that last Thursday, we were there from 10-6 because of some irregularity in her heart rate. (Thank you two vessel cord...) We went back 4 days later for another extended non-stress test to make sure everything was still OK. She passed with flying colors. We have another appointment in 2 days to continue monitoring. Because of the two-vessel cord complication, we really aren't sure when it will be better for Adelyn to be out of the womb rather than in it. Every appointment we go to now, there is this question, "will we be coming home after this or will we be told we're delivering a baby today?" It's kind of a hard place to be.

Mood Swings

I really think my hormones have chilled out a bit. I feel like I have the mentality of "just soldier through it" right now.


Cravings

Gummies and carbs. I have to be pretty intentional to get fruits and veggies on my plate. Doing my best. Having a garden full of lettuce helps a lot.


Gender

She's a little diva already. In our last ultrasound, she was sticking her tongue out at us. That was the same day that we were later admitted for further observation. She knew she was about to wreak a little havoc on our day.


Labor Signs

Still lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. They seem to be growing a bit in strength too. At our last appointment, our doctor did tell us that keeping Adelyn in the womb past 39 weeks would probably be more stressful on her than good. So we will most likely induce or have a C-Section somewhere between June 6-10. Who knows though.

Belly button

Proud to say that my belly button still remains in. Way in.

Laugh of the week

I continuously bump my belly on things (and people). I'm just not used to it being so out there! I'm sure it's a bit awkward for people to have an encounter with a baby belly so I do my best to avoid unintentional contact.

What I miss

Exercising. I have slowly weaned my exercise down to walks but after the scare at our last appointment the doc said to not intentionally exercise. I worry that I'll have a hard time getting back in the habit. I miss getting sweaty and the feeling after a good run.

What I'm looking forward to

Not being pregnant.


What I'm nervous about

It's looking likely that I'll have a C-Section. Even if I try to do a normal birth, there is a high chance it will end in C-Section. I know tons of woman have them and tons of babies are saved because of them. I'm not so much worried about the risk- I'm more worried about the aftermath. The long recovery and consequences it has on future childbearing.


Weekly Wisdom

I've gotten tons of good advice from the book I'm currently reading, How to Have Your Second Child First.

That's about it. We have another appointment on Thursday so that will give us a better idea on how she is growing and how that precious heart rate is doing.

Well, we have some exciting news... we are scheduled to have a C-Section on June 9th!

At our appointment yesterday, everything was looking really good. No more drops in heart rate or any sign that Adelyn is under stress. In fact, she's grown a lot! She's back in the 50th percentile!

However, with a two-vessel cord baby, the further along we go, the riskier it gets so our doctor wanted to find the balance of keeping her in the womb as long as possible but also getting her out as soon as we safely can.

Sooo.... June 9th at 7:30 a.m., Austin and I will check in to the hospital and be holding our baby girl a few hours later! That's assuming she doesn't decide to make an early arrival and if she's anything like her mamma, she may just do that.

We've chosen to go the C-Section route for a lot of reasons that I won't go into in detail about. Simply put, it isn't worth the risk for us to try to have a natural birth when it would likely put a lot of strain on Adelyn's heart and also likely end in a C-Section anyway.

It's taken me a while to adjust to the fact that we have a scheduled time to have our baby. All my life and especially the past 8 months I've envisioned it happening so differently. Never did I think of it as a scheduled appointment. But at the same time, there is a peace that comes with knowing that she won't be born any later than June 9th. I feel like for the past month I've been head down, putting one foot in front of the other, just getting through the day. Now I feel like I can finally look up and see the end is near. Well, I guess it's more of a beginning. But the end of pregnancy.

We're excited.

Unfortunately my body won't keep up with my excitement and all the preparations I want to make before then. I imagine this is just the beginning of not being able to get stuff done in the timely manner that I want to.

12 days left!

Adelyn Grace Conner

Meet Adelyn Grace Conner.

Born June 9, 2011 at 7:53 a.m.

This little gal has stolen my heart already. I could just stare at her all day long. I'm fascinated even by the smallest things she does. I just love her so much already!

Here's a peek into how it all went down.

The night before our scheduled C-Section, I hardly slept. I tried as best as I could but I honestly probably only got 3 hours of sleep. We headed into the hospital around 5:30 a.m. to get checked, prepped, and ready to go into surgery. I can't really explain how I felt that morning. It was a mix of readiness, anxiety, hope, fear, relief, and anticipation. It just seemed to be all happening without me being able to keep up emotionally. Here is a picture of me before the surgery. We kept laughing because my hat wouldn't stay on right. I eventually gave up and embraced the crookedness.

So we finally got herded into the O.R. where they prepped me while Austin waited outside. After the bottom 2/3 of my body went completely numb (a VERY strange sensation I might add), Austin was allowed in. They got started right away and within 10 minutes, we hear the doctor say, "I see a head full of hair...!" and then "look at those eye lashes!" Then we heard the first cry. It was beautiful. I cried right along with her when I heard it. The doctor held Adelyn over the drape that was blocking my view. Here is a picture of that moment...

After I got a good look at her, they took her across the room (again out of my sight) to clean her up and make sure everything was ok. I could hear her crying and screaming but it was such a joyful noise. After they got her cleaned up, they brought her back over to Austin and I and let us have a few moments with her before they took her to the nursery. Here are a few pictures of that.



Austin headed down to the nursery with Adelyn while I stayed in the O.R. to get closed up. I was prepared for this and it really wasn't too bad. I think I was on such a high from seeing her and hearing her cry so much that it held me over until they brought her up to my room after I had recovered a litte.




While she was in the nursery with Austin, he got the chance to change her (and his!) first diaper. You can see 2 of the 11 family members watching from the outside. They told me he did a wonderful job.

After 30 minutes or so of being back in my room, they finally brought the little gal and put her in my arms. It was precious. One of the most precious moments of my life. I just couldn't take my eyes off of her.



At that point, we could only have 3 people in the room so our family had to take shifts to come in and visit. I actually liked that though. Between the lack of sleep the night before, the pain meds I was on, and the physical toll surgery takes, I was absolutely wiped. I even fell asleep right in the middle of Austin's grandparents visiting. Woops.

Above is what happened when Uncle Will (my brother) gets a few minutes with her. :)

Here is proud "Nana," Adelyn and I.

I'm writing this as we are in the beginning of our third day in the hospital. We have a ton more pictures since this first day but I'll post those when I have a little more time. Between visitors, doctors, eating, feeding, etc., it has seriously taken me 3 days to finish this one post!

A few common questions we get from people:

Is she feeding well?

YES. This was something I was worried about but from the very first feeding she has done really well. Almost too well. In fact we've had 4+ nurses tell us they are very impressed with her strong sucking reflexes AND the strength of her suck. It's almost laughable at how much she constantly wants to be sucking on anything. Her hand, her blanket, someones shoulder, pacifiers, etc. Even after she's got a full belly. So you can imagine the soreness factor from breast feeding. I won't go into that too much because I know it's a good problem to have but, wowza. It hurts. I'm hanging in there.

How are you feeling?

Physically- it's been up and down. As expected, the first day and especially the first night, I was hurting. It's funny though, even though I was so physically uncomfortable, I didn't mind. I just look at that little gal and kinda forget about it. I think we've finally figured out the dosage and type of pain killer I need so keeping ahead of the pain with the right stuff has made me a different woman. Austin is doing well. We are both pretty tired but I imagine that is going to be the norm for a while. At this moment, Austin is laying on the couch with baby girl on his chest. He just told me, "I seriously could do this all day." It's so precious to see him as a daddy.

Who does she look like?

Honestly, we don't know. Both Austin and I were born with a head of hair so we aren't sure which parent the luscious locks are from. People keep saying she has Austin's lips but that is the only thing we can figure out so far.

Have you gotten lots of visitors?

Adelyn is one popular lady. We've been blessed with lots of visits from friends and family. We figured out yesterday that it really helps with people come in waves-meaning we'll have a lot of visitors for an hour or two and then we get a break and so on. It's really fun to see people meet her for the first time.

Speaking of visitors, we have some coming very soon so I'm going to wrap this up. I'm sure there are more updates to come!