Baby Shower Pictures

Ok loyal followers--I have finally uploaded my selection of baby shower pictures into a nice, easy to view slideshow. Feel free to enjoy and comment!

PS. You will also noticed I finally posted a 32 week belly picture :)

8 Weeks Left, and NIAW

32 weeks is here, and I am still in awe of how fast everything has gone by. Here are the updates:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

I had my first baby shower last Saturday, and it went great! The snacks and cake were delicious, the presents were bountiful, and all of my favorite people were there. Bradley got all kinds of wonderful things that I can't wait to use with him. I did take pictures but I will have to put them up later on. Check back!

As for NIAW...those who have been TTC for awhile are familiar with this special time of year. It is National Infertility Week, and for this year it is this week. My blog-friend Sarah has been posting her story this week so I thought I would follow suit and tell you all a bit about my story in case you didn't know it.

* * * * *

Nick and I met in about 1998 and were married in the beginning of 2003. I was pretty young at the time but I knew what I wanted and I wanted a family. I had always been very regular, and had never been on the "pill" so we just used contraceptives for the first few months. After that we stopped and just kind of let nature take its course. Well after several months of nothing I started doing some research on the subject...this was the beginning of the downward spiral.

First I took basal temps. For months--like 2 years worth altogether. I tried getting healthier, taking vitamins, he stopped wearing briefs... After I started college, my OB had us do some basic testing. All of mine came back normal, his were a little on the low side but nothing to worry about. We tried Clomid for 6 months with still no success. I had an HSG that was normal. We are up to the middle of 2006 now and have been TTC for about 3 years so far.

I read as much as I could on any little "symptom" I thought I had, and everything kept coming back normal. Finally after I became a nurse and got real insurance, I made an appointment with a highly accredited Reproductive Endocrinologist that was affiliated with my hospital. At my first appointment I broke down and cried from all of the disappointment we had been through already with still no clue as to what the problem was. Unfortunately we were not very well prepared for all of the out-of-pocket costs and we delayed further appointments. My job changed shortly after and TTC'd on our own until the summer 2008 when we made an appointment with a different RE. He was very understanding, very experienced, and got right down to business. I had more hormone levels done and different ultrasounds. We didn't want to repeat the SA just yet since it had looked OK in the past.

The first eye-opening test we had done was the postcoital test. Basically he didn't see any "swimmers" on the slide. So after that we did a sperm test for antibodies and also another SA. This was the answer we had been waiting for!! After over 5 years of trying we finally had our answer--no he didn't have antibodies but his count and motility were very low.

At first we were pretty upset that his first SA a few years back came back ok but evidently they didn't do as thorough testing as the infertility center so the problem was never identified. We tried not to dwell on it and went forward with our treatment. Our options now were IUI, IUI w/donor sperm, or IVF w/ICSI.

Throughout this ordeal we had always said we weren't going to blow money on IVF because adoption cost about the same and had a better success rate. The IUI w/donor sperm was out because hubby was very against the donor part. And a regular IUI would really have no more success rate than regular intercourse for us. So that left us with IVF or adoption.

We really had to weigh our costs here...most of you know how expensive IVF is. And there is no guarantee. Not to mention the physical stress of the hormonal stimulation you have to go through. But since this was our last possible option to have a biologically related child, we had to give it at least one try before we could really give up and accept adoption.

We applied for the infertility loan and got it, and told our doctor to schedule us for our IVF! We got a start date of late September and I ordered all the meds. Go to this posting to read the first of many blogs after my egg retrieval.

In short, out of two embryos, one implanted and has grown into the little boy that will be here in just a few short weeks!! Thanks for reading :)

Nursery Pictures

You are finally going to get a sneak peek of how the nursery is coming along! We finished painting it last week, and this week we painted our other 2 bedrooms and I put the curtains up in the nursery.

Now, let me tell you about these curtains...you recall the sewing machine I recently got? Well I decided to make my own curtains for our bedrooms, and the nursery curtains were first on the list. The walls are green so I picked a contrasting color for the curtains. I used red thread with a zigzag stitch for the hemming, then got the bright idea to embroider a safari animal in the outer corner of each curtain panel!! They turned out FABULOUS:

But the windows are not quite finished. I am registered for a coordinating valance that will tie it all together. My baby shower is Saturday so if I don't get them there then I will buy them in the near future and put them up. But for now you get the gist of it!

PS: The crib arrives next week!

Navel Oranges and 9 Weeks Left

31 weeks is here, and the countdown continues! All is going well so far, here are the updates:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

The nursery is officially painted! I also finished sewing and embroidering the curtains and they will be hung on Tuesday. You can expect pictures shortly thereafter. The crib should be ready for pickup next week.

My first babyshower is this Saturday, and I am getting very excited about it!! I can't wait to have a whole day to celebrate Bradley's pending arrival. I will also take pictures of that for you (and my scrapbook).

Finally!

Well after much debate and one episode of being "out-of-stock", I finally purchased the crib for Bradley.

Of course this is without the drop down rail but you get the idea. It is a 4-in-1 and makes a very nice looking full-size bed. It should be ready to pick up in about 1 1/2 weeks.

Last night was our first childbirth class. No this is not Lamaze...they call it "Prepared Childbirth". It educates us on what the body goes through during labor/delivery, our options throughout everything, where things are in the hospital, etc. Everyone in the group seems very nice, and I even have a coworker in there with me! Out of about 10 couples, we are one of two that are having a boy. Nick, being the slightly antisocial creature that he is, was very nervous and out of place at first...but after they gave us some punch and cookies, he loosened up a bit! I think he'll do ok :)

My plan for today is to go to our future house and prepare the room for painting! Just picture a house from the 1960's that hasn't been updated/redecorated since then, and probably hasn't been dusted since Reagan was in office. So my job today is much dusting, vacuuming, and masking off trim. Tomorrow Nick and I will do the painting, and hopefully get two of the bedrooms knocked out. Next is curtains, then furniture...I can't wait!!

The Countdown Begins! --10 weeks left

30 weeks is here, and I still can not even believe I am pregnant!!! It has absolutely flown by and I'm sad to see the end of pregnancy coming near. But on the other hand, I can't wait to hold my little boy! Here are the updates:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Little Bradley is doing well--his bedroom will finally get painted this week! I hope to buy his crib within a couple of weeks. I was going to do white furniture, but I have changed to oak-colored just for ease. I recently bought a fancy new sewing/embroidery machine, and will be fashioning custom curtains and cushions (among other things) for the nursery soon.

My 7 1/2 month checkup was today and thank you Jesus I do NOT have gestational diabetes! My blood pressure is still fabulous, and current weight gain is at about 17-18lbs. No stretch marks either :) I think I'll do maternity pics in a few more weeks when I get a little bigger.

Lastly, we went ahead and listed our house on the MLS today. It has been for sale for about 4 weeks now but has not been on the MLS because we wanted to see how it would go. Unfortunately now if a realtor sells the house then we have to pay them 3% on top of our fee to our realtor. But on the upside, our house will get tons more exposure, and there is still a chance that a buyer will find it and buy directly through our people! We are praying it sells quickly.

One of Those Nights...

Just posting an update on how my overtime shift at work was going...I am in charge tonight and was helping a nurse with her new patient. In a nutshell, the patient was VERY disoriented and became combative so three of us were in there trying to hold her down in the bed. Unfortunately I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she caught me right in the belly with her right hook.

Being the ball of emotions that I am, I freaked out and sat down trying to think of what to do next. My good friend Lisa (who just got off maternity leave) called Labor and Delivery for me and they said to come over and get checked out. So she slapped me in a wheelchair and hauled me over there, then hung around until they said what they were going to do.

Basically they took my vital signs and did a non-stress test to watch the fetal heart rate and for contractions. The doctor said I needed to be monitored for 4 hours after the incident, so I had no choice but to stay there. And since I was in charge, I had to make a few phone calls to arrange for the admissions we were expecting.

As for the father-to-be....he was not very happy. He was ready to drive up here and take matters into his own hands! I assured him I was fine and would call him if anything changed. I stayed there till 2am and they said the heart rate looked great with lots of movement, but they noticed a few contractions toward the end. They said if they get worse/stronger over the weekend to come back in. I see my OB on Monday morning so she will check me out more if needed.

So far everything is going ok, I feel fine--just a little shook up. No more crazy patients for me!! And Bradley can't come yet anyways cause I still don't have a crib!! :)

Ultrasound, GTT, and Invitations

Yesterday was a big day for the growing Pierce family! In the morning I went to my doctor's lab and began the adventure of the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. I got my blood drawn 4 times all together, and was there from 9:30am till almost 1:30pm (no food or drink mind you). So I was VERY happy to leave. Let's hope I passed!!

The repeat 3D ultrasound was supposed to be at 1pm, but since I was held up at the lab, I had to reschedule it for 4:45pm. So thankfully I had time to go home and eat beforehand! Nick and I got there and they were all ready for me. At first, Bradley was in a semi-cooperative position to see part of his face...

^3D side of face and hand

^Front of mouth and nose giving a BIG yawn!

...but unfortunately, he quickly caught on to us and flipped over, replacing his limbs in front of his face. We tried again for almost 45 minutes, but we all concluded that he was not going to give us a prize shot. I'll just have to wait until he comes out!!

^3D of arm in front of face

Last but not least, my friend Sara finished hand crafting my baby shower invitations last night so here is a sneak peak. The shower is April 25, and we are all very excited!!

Butternut Baby

29 weeks is here, and only 77 days to go until Bradley is due!! I asked Nick the other day, "Is it bad that I want him here now so that I can hold him?" HA! He's not quite done cooking yet but he's getting close. Here are the weekly updates:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Tomorrow is our repeat 3d ultrasound, so keep your fingers crossed that his appendages are not covering his cute little face! If all goes well, I will post the pics afterwards.

Otherwise things are going well for us. Nick is doing good in school--still looking for part time work which is harder than it sounds right now. I have been keeping busy with my job. I am still doing the 12 hour shifts 40-50 hours a week. Might as well keep it up as long as I can! I'm very thankful that the pregnancy has been so kind to me.

It really seems right now that literally everyone around me is pregnant! At work, there is a day nurse who is 2 weeks ahead of me, a night nurse who just found out she is expecting, and my friend Tammi, our night tech, who is two months behind me. Then there is like 2 respiratory therapists who are pregnant, and the xray girl just told me she's pregnant....good Lord. I tell you if my IVF hadn't worked I would be going insane right about now!

As for me, I am up about 16lbs now, and tomorrow morning I am going to try and get in to my lab to do the stupid 3 hour glucose tolerance test. Ugh. Not my idea of a fun morning. And next week is when we start the childbirth classes! My baby shower is in about 3 weeks, and the second my friend Sara gets the invitations done we are mailing them out. My work friends are throwing a shower for me the beginning of May. That's it for now, check back tomorrow to see how the US went!

7 Months and LOTS o' pics

We have had a very busy couple of days, so I am posting my "updates" a day late. For the few who read this--I apologize! But there is lots in store for you, so keep reading!

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

On to the news...yesterday was my 7 month checkup. All is well except for the fact that I did not pass my glucose test at my last appointment. They called and left a message on March 2 which I did not get because my machine ate the message (I have since gotten a new machine). Sooo that means I need to do the 3 hour test as soon as I can. Ugh.

The good news is according to my scale, I am only up 14lbs! Let's hope I do NOT have GD.

Now if you look to the right, you will see I have posted a new monthly belly picture!! And you will also notice how much bigger I have gotten. I am starting to fill out my maternity shirts! I can only imagine how big the next picture will be :)

Don't worry--there is more pictures! I took a trip to Hobby Lobby (my fave store ever) and picked this up for the nursery. It will go on a shelf on the wall next to a little zebra carving.

Next is this. You recall the theme is jungle/safari? Well I found this purely by accident, and it was so perfect I had to get it--and I got it 40% off!! It is a little coat rack thing for the wall.

If any of you are wondering if I have gotten anything set up in the nursery yet, no I haven't and not because I don't want to--it's because the nursery is actually going to be at the house that we are moving into after we sell ours, and it still needs a lot of cleaning out before it's even ready to paint. So that is what we have been in the process of doing...moving furniture and crap. I should be able to paint the walls within the next couple of weeks, then hopefully start putting the crib and wall deco in there at least.

Last but not least!!! Today was my 3d ultrasound and (besides Nick) my friend Sara and my mom came to witness it. Unfortunately, the entire time we were there, Bradley would NOT cooperate at all!! Somehow, he was perfectly content to have his legs AND arms extended in front of his little face. I tried walking around, sitting up, jumping...nothing changed it. He is very stubborn!

We did get a few pictures of his nose when he parted his arms, but that was it!

^2d pic of face profile

^3d pic of partial face...nose and mouth in middle, elbow on right side


^This is pretty much what we saw the whole time...no idea what is what!

Thankfully, they were very nice at the boutique and set up a repeat appointment for next Tuesday. Let's hope he is unfolded by then!!!

Cauliflower and Crafts!

27 weeks is here, and I am considering myself in the third trimester! This has been a big week for baby stuff, but first of all here are the updates:

This week, your baby weights almost 2 pounds (about the same as a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

First and foremost--I finally got my crib bedding! I posted a pic of it previously, and it is the most adorable stuff you have ever seen. I will probably hang the blanket on the wall at least until winter because he won't really need it during the summer, and it has a pocket for a rod already made into it. The colors are just amazing, and it inspired me for my next craft...

I got all the letters from Hobby Lobby, and was originally going to paint them all the same color. But I thought that would be a little bit too boring so I decided to do each one with an animal print! We have giraffe, zebra, cheetah, and tiger prints all handpainted by yours truly! I think they turned out really great. Here is an up close for some detail:

These will go on the wall above the crib. The walls will be a sort of light sage green, and the furniture is going to be white. I also have a wood plaque I painted and am going to decoupage a quote onto.

To end the blog...this is a picture of Nick when he was 10 years old. Isn't he just the cutest little boy? I wonder if Bradley is going to look like this when he is 10!

My Not-So-Little Cucumber

26 weeks is here, and Bradley is growing up quick! Here are the updates:The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

My most recent weigh-in shows that I am up about 11lbs now (and counting). We are very much looking forward to the 3d ultrasound in 2 weeks. In a few days I should be able to pick up the crib bedding I ordered, and I plan to order the crib within the next few weeks. I am going to make a trip to Hobby Lobby today to pick up some crafting ideas I had for nursery decorations!

Ruta-baby and Updates

25 weeks is here, and we are counting down!! Next week we will have less than 100 days until we meet little Bradley. Here are the updates for this week:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

I am still only 9lbs up--don't think I'm not eating though! I guess I might be burning a lot of calories at work or something. I'm sure I'll catch up! He has been moving a lot more, and it is so odd to look down and see my stomach waving around. The girls at work get a kick out of feeling him moving too.

As for his nursery, I finally bought the crib bedding! I will be able to pick it up in about a week. At Target recently, I saw these adorable little pillows, and I had to buy at least one for Bradley's room:

In other news, we got our house listed for sale on Friday. We hope and pray that it sells quickly--we had a bad experience selling our last house. It was on the market for 7 months!! Of course our current house has a LOT more going for it than that one, but we still worry. So if you know anyone looking for a nice house in Norman, OK, let me know!!

I haven't heard anything from my doctor about my glucose test, so I'm assuming I passed it. And we decided we are going to do the 3d ultrasound--probably around the end of this month. I haven't seen Bradley in over 6 weeks now and I'm getting withdrawals!

Wow! 24 Weeks

I am here to the pivotal milestone of 24 weeks, and very excited! If you look to the right, I posted another belly picture. I swear it feels twice as big as the picture looks--maybe that's just cause I'm looking down at it! Here are the updates:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

I had my 6 month prenatal checkup yesterday as well as my glucose screening test. The hubby was able to go with me this time because he is out of school for a few weeks. Hopefully the test results are good! My mom had GD with me. The checkup went good, HR in the 140s as usual. Fundus was measuring at 22 weeks, but she said that is fine. Next appt. is in 4 weeks, then we go to every 2 weeks!! We are getting close :)

In other news, we got Nick enrolled in a second class for the late 8 week term, and corrected his major to the right one. Today we were going to go down to Elmore City to see his family but evidently overnight his sister has contracted some type of GI disturbance and is on quarantine. So instead we are going to go talk to the realtor about listing our house!!

I do have one complaint to vent about...the neighbor behind us is a middle aged woman who lives with her son. They moved in less than a year ago, and haven't been very neighborly to say the least. Blaring music outside, dog barking at all hours...well for the last couple of months her large dog has somehow gotten into our backyard and destroyed some of our lawn furniture. We have tried to contact her several times about it but she won't even answer her door!! So after I went in our backyard and saw the damage it had done, I left a note on her door last Friday telling her she needed to do what was necessary to keep her dog in her own backyard and fix the fence. Her dog has dug several holes under the fence, and has caused the fence to bow in and it has since broken and is laying on it's side!!! Has she done anything about it??? NO. GRRRRRR. I just want to go pummel her. Why are people like that?

On a different note...here's a sunset picture I snapped yesterday while driving to the city.

Mango Baby

Mmmm, mango sounds pretty good about now! Yes I am 23 weeks today, and yes it is still flying by! Bradley is kicking stronger every day, and I started feeling him kick at the top of my uterus which was a little different...weird knowing it is really up that high! Here are the updates:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

The only thing I don't like about these comparisons to fruit is that they are not always a SIZE comparison. Sometimes they are a just a weight comparison. Oh well.

Otherwise things are going great with everything still! No nausea, no excessive weight gain, no stretch marks...don't be jealous :) I think I'm up about 9lbs now. The belly has most definitely gotten bigger since my 20wk picture, and next week is the next one so be sure to check back for the update on that. Next week is also my 6 month OB appointment and glucose test.

In non-pregnancy news, the hubby and I have finished painting our two extra bedrooms, and now just need to work on organizing clutter and deep cleaning the house so that we can get it listed for sale! I decided that doing it FSBO would be way to much of a headache right now, considering I would be the one to deal with everything. So after doing some research, we decided to go with "Help U Sell". They do everything for you except show the house, and they list it on several websites and provide signs. They can list it on the MLS if you like, but then you would have to pay 3% commission to a realtor who found it. Otherwise the fee is a flat $4000 due at signing for a selling price <$200,000. That's a lot better than the $12,000 commission if we went with a regular realtor!!

Today while we were out and about running errands, we also stopped at the apartments that we decided to use so that we could go through their "model" apartment. It is very nice and clean, gated w/24hr security patrol, a fitness center, pool, and year round hottub. We are either going to get a 1,100sf or 1,200sf 2 bedroom apt, and it includes a full size fridge AND a full size washer and dryer! It will be a big change for us to downsize from our current house to this apartment, especially for Nick because he has never lived in an apartment. But it is purely temporary and will really save us money while he is finishing school and (hopefully) I am working part time.