Snow, baby names & computer games...

It snowed here yesterday but it’s all melted already. It was so beautiful to watch the snow fall all day. Did we mention how much we love it when it snows??!! :) Out on the plains in CO there was a tornado that killed one person. I’m never going to live in a tornado zone. I much prefer blizzards and earthquakes. :) I also got to see my friend Bethany yesterday and that was fun. Way too short but good to attempt to catch up. She's one busy girl! She hasn't seen me in awhile, and she said it looked like I swallowed a basketball. I'll take that as a complement and that I don't look fat!! :)

Dave & I tried to discuss baby names tonight but we have such different opinions. He says I’m stuck in the 19th century and he’s in the 21st century. ;) I just like old, classic names, and he says he always thinks of old people when he hears the names. I do too w/some names (like Murrel, Mildred, etc.), but I think there are some good ones. Oh, well. I liked Iona as a name but you can’t pair it with House. Iona House…I own a house…doesn’t work! The problem too is that some of the names he likes are too modern to go with a name that I like. This is going to take awhile and we only have like 10 weeks left.

Dave's all excited b/c a game he's been doing in beta came out today and now he gets to play it. I guess it's still technically beta but he prebought it and so a perk of that is being able to play when they launched the second beta phase and being able to keep your character when they launch it for real. He's even in a guild/kinship with a bunch of other older people (25+) (aka not teeny-bopers and college students who have way too much time on their hands). His guild has real lives and families and can't play all the time. So anyhow, while I update this blog, I'm allowing him to get his fix tonight. :)

I'm still experiencing a lot of pain at the bottom of my rib cage. It's ok during the day but I was in pain all night and tossed and turned and couldn't make it go away. I even woke up with it still. I also feel like I'm stretching and that's not exactly a comfortable feeling either. It seems like it's just getting harder to get comfortable, even while watching tv on the couch. Ahh, the joys of pregnancy...not!

Dave's allergy testing...

Yesterday, Dave went to see an allergist about the itching he's been having for the last 1.5 months. The doctor actually scratched Dave's back to see if he would welt. :) After discussion with the doctor, Dave underwent skin testing...mostly for foods, but for the bad pollens we have right now as well. He scored a 3 on everything including the saline prick, meaning his skin's just super sensitive to pricks, not that he's allergic to anything. So Dave's a happy camper knowing he's not allergic to what he was tested for. He was somewhat fun to watch him squirm a little. The doctor had him go to the lab to do some blood work too to rule out any liver or kidney problems. The doctor said that it's pretty common to have hives and not be able to determine the cause. It can be a residual reaction to something like aspirin, or from a prior infection. The doctor is hoping after a couple weeks on Zyrtec that he can go off it and be fine.

As for other things...Dave helped me straighten up the house a little yesterday. We had empty boxes in the basement that needed to come up and be broken down; we also had baby stuff in the living room that I didn't want to stare at for the next 11 weeks so I had him put that stuff in the basement (strollers, car seat, etc.). I also put away some of the gifts we got last week so now my living room is empty again...yeah!!

I'm still having trouble falling asleep at night so that means I usually wake up pretty late b/c that's when I get my best sleep in. Last night, I really had trouble with that aching pain I get at the bottom of my ribs.

Dave starts working nights again soon...I think this Friday & Saturday. I told him there goes our weekend again!! I hate it when he works some days and some nights b/c it totally screws up his system and he always ends up getting jipped out of "his" time.

Yeah!!

I do NOT have gestational diabetes! I passed my torture test! oh, and we survived our first childbirth prep class. They should make you take it before you get pregnant b/c then maybe you never would!

We're 29 weeks...

How our baby's growing: Our baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds 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 accommodate his brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that our baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester. To keep myself and him well nourished, I'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, iron, and calcium. (About 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in our baby's skeleton — which is now hardening — every day.) NO, we don't know whether it's a boy or girl.

I'm doing ok. We're trying to get things ready for baby...which includes things that should have been done around the house a long time ago (like the master vanity mirror, etc.). We have our first childbirth prep class tonight. My back seems to be ok most of the time but can hurt along with my abdomen when I'm out walking around. My tailbone hurts if I'm sitting for too long. Last Friday after sitting at the lab for 3.5 hours, my tailbone felt as if it were bruised. I also have one spot right where my ribs meet my abdomen that hurts mostly at night when I lay down. Haven't quite figured out why or how to make it go away other than not laying on my side which generally works but not all the time. Weird.

Last Friday, I had my 3-hour glucose tolerance test done. I had to fast before the test so when I went in around 8 am, I hadn't eaten since 8pm the night before. I first had my blood drawn (the first of 4) and then had to drink twice as much of that horrible corn-syrup-y stuff as before. I then had my blood drawn after 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours. I tried to distract myself from how crappy I felt by watching Bend It Like Beckham. :) I then went home and it took me until dinner time to feel normal again. Yuck! Friday night we watched Mission Impossible III. I really have a dislike for Tom Cruise, but the movie itself was entertaining. Oh, and it hailed this evening for a good 20 minutes or so. :) So fun!! Thunder, lightening...the whole thing!

Saturday, we woke up late. It rained all morning and well into the afternoon. I've never seen it rain that much here. Normally storms roll right through. Anyhow, we had a window estimate guy out for two hours in the afternoon. Getting windows replaced is super expensive. We could almost go back to Europe for two 23-day excursions for the cost. Lame! Then my friend Liane came over to hang out for a bit. It was really nice to catch up with her since I haven't seen her in over a month (between getting ready for my trip, my trip, being sick, and then them being sick). Then Dave made dinner for Carey & Mark, and we took it over to them & ate with them. Their new baby Mya is quite adorable.

Yesterday, we didn't do much, but we did get out to Home Depot and Lowes to get the medicine cabinet for the master bath that has been missing since last June when we re-did the master bathroom. We also looked at new kitchen sinks since we can't stand ours...it's literally only 6.5" deep...one of our bathroom sinks is deeper! Now we're revisiting the whole "how long are we going to live in this house" discussion to go along with the "should we update the kitchen," "should we put new countertops in the kitchen," and "should we replace all the windows" discussion. Fun stuff. I'd love a bigger house, but something tells me it's just really unrealistic unless something majorly unexpected happens in the future. It's a constant circle...you get a bump each year, but it's about cost-of-living increase, yet the housing market continues to increase. By the time you sell your home, you can afford...that's right...your same house again. It's just so hard to make that jump up into the next price bracket. Lame!

Stuff

Gifts...more gifts arrived yesterday. So thank you dad for the crib mattress! Thank you Dorcys & Linda for all the marvelous blankets! Thank you Crissy for the Lands End Diaper Backpack!

On Tuesday, our friends Mark and Carey had a little baby girl, Maya Renee. Yesterday, I went to visit them in the hospital. She's so cute!! She mostly had meals covered but I organized meal coverage for the nights she needed.

When I was in CA, my sister Kt loaned me some cute maternity clothes. So this is one of the tops. Yeah Katie!!

In other news, Dave's still itching...although sometimes it's better than others. Our best guess is that he's just now showing signs of being allergic to some tree pollen that is supposedly beyond normally high right now. We can't figure out if switching detergents made any difference. We made him an appointment to see the allergist next Tuesday. He really, really doesn't want allergies. It's quite miserable watching him try to fall asleep. All the itching seems to usually start with his hands and spread. The weird thing is that there no rash when he starts to itch...he just creates welts when he itches. It's quite gross looking, really.

Oh, and I forgot to say that we found out on Monday while we were at the doctor's office that I have contractions...I just didn't know that's what they were. My abdomen gets super hard...sometimes I can tell it's doing it; other times, I only know b/c I touch my stomach. But anyhow, apparently when it's rock hard is when my uterus is contracting. It does it at least multiple times per day now. Weird!

We're 28 weeks...only 12 weeks to go...

How your baby's growing: By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open her eyes — which now sport lashes — and she'll turn her head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. Her fat layers are beginning to form, too, as she gets ready for life outside the womb.

We had our doctor's appointment today. I gained exactly 4 lbs in 4 weeks so I'm right on track there, but it's still seriously disconcerting to have the scale say a number that high (high is a relative term-DH edit). I've never weighed anywhere near this in my whole life!! The baby is also measuring at 28-29 weeks (the doctor takes a tape measure to my abdomen) which is right on too. She also listened to the baby's heartbeat which was in the average range as well. I also got more info on what I have to do for the stupid 3-hr. diabetes test. I have to add a food in each catagory for 3 days and then fast for at least 8 hours before taking the test on the 4th day. I go in and they take my blood. Then I drink the gross sugar syrup and then they draw my blood after an hour, two hours, and three hours. Fun, eh? So as long as I can make the appointment for first thing Friday morning, you now know what I'll be doing Friday morning. Yeah me!

Oh, and congrats to our friends Jon & Katy for finding out they're preggers!!

About baby...

So for the last three weeks or so, the baby seems to be moving a lot more. Not like the baby wasn't moving a lot before, but now it seems like an all day thing. Plus, now the baby sometimes moves when I take a shower. One not-so-cool side affect: it hurts the lower part of my rib cage on one side (like where it comes together in the middle) when I lay down at night. Oh, and I've been getting more heartburn too, which I never got pre-pregnancy.

The doctor's office called on Thursday to tell me I failed my gestational diabetes test. Opps. So now I have to go in for the 3 hour test. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday so I'm going to talk to her about it then since she wants me to add things to my normal meals, but then I'd have to cut back on my normal meals b/c there's no way I could eat all that food.

Dave feels the baby move a lot more now, which is fun. He says it's weird to see my whole stomach move & twitch under clothes b/c the clothes move in funky patterns.

Ikea and testing, etc.

Last weekend, Dave and I worked on putting together his new dresser (he's so happy now), the baby's new dresser/changing table, and the dvd display cases. Each case holds 140 dvds (he has just over that) or 70 videos. I actually had to call my mom to go get another dvd display case that she can bring out in June b/c we filled up the two we have and still have videos left that need a home (we inherited a lot of kid videos when my uncle moved to Scotland). It's going to be a challenge to get everything in the baby's room b/c it's so small, but we'll manage. I'm going to put a basket w/the plane liner on it next to the changing pad. Oh, and my dad bought us our crib mattress today so that should be here at the end of next week. He's also getting us Lands End diaper bags. Yeah dad!!

We also put together (well, dave did) the snap n go stroller the twins & my mom gave us; however, I'm short and I feel that the handlebar is a little on the high side for me. Of course, Dave thinks it's fine. So last night, we went to BabiesRUs to measure the Gracco one vs. the SnapNGo one. The Gracco's handles are adjustable and you can make it about 3 inches shorter than the SnapNGo, which is good for me. We were talking to the assistant manager (we had to borrow a tape measure) when I said it's too bad I couldn't have discovered this when the coupons were going on, and he said that they accept coupons until about 30 days after the expiration date. Too bad I threw mine in the trash and dave says he draws the line at digging through our trash for coupons. So then I asked if BabiesRUs accepts ToysRUs coupons since ToysRUs has some good ones right now. He said that they accept the dollar amount off ones, but not the percentage off ones. Sweet! I have a $10 off TRU coupon for strollers over $50. :) I'll need to go back at some point to do that return/exchange.

Dave's starting testing again at work so tonight he has to work from 12am to 4am. He came home at noon and is now sleeping. :) He's supposed to work nights on Friday as well as the weekend.

Oh, I had my phone interview on Wednesday with the GM at Smartwool. It went well, but I got an email today that I didn't make it to the final interview. There were only 3 of us left as of Monday, but I'm sure the whole pregnancy thing played into their decision. I just have to reassure myself that I wasn't rejected, but instead, that God has different plans in mind.

Dave's decided he has an allergy to something. He's really ticked about the whole thing. He doesn't want to have anything to do with allergies. He's been itchy for about a month now. He doesn't have a rash or anything, but after he itches, he creates these huge welts exactly where he itched. We discussed it when I got home last week and decided that it might be the detergent. So we rewashed his clothes and we'll see how he does today since it's the first day that he's had rewashed clothes, sheets, and towels. Today, he also came up with the theory that he's suddenly become allergic to the soap he's been using for the last 5 years. So he's going to try to use my hypo-allergenic soap for sensitive skin. Hopefully something will work and he'll stop itching!

We're 27 weeks...

Officially in the 3rd trimester now...

How our baby's growing: Our baby is really starting to fill up my uterus. This week he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement 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 isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what he's thinking?

NO, we don't know whether it's a boy or girl.

catching up...

I'm so far behind on updating this blog that I don't even know where to start.

I think I last left you with an update of our ski trip with Dave's aero friends. Well, on that Monday I spent the day doing laundry, packing, and in general trying to get ready for my trip to CA. That night after dinner I drove up to Cheyenne and spent the night at Dave's mom's house.

Tues. 2/27:
I woke up at 4:30am and picked up Dave's sister Jenny at 5am. We then were off on our cross-country drive to CA. However, we got caught in a massive storm that started just a few exits outside Cheyenne. It was dark and snowing quite hard. There were times where the snow was packed on the road so bad that I couldn't see where the lines on the road were...I was only driving between the poles on either side. It was not fun. Then after it got light out and Jenny was driving, it was snowing so hard we couldn't see but 10 feet in front of us. It ended up snowing for 12 hours of the 19 hour trip. It didn't stop snowing until about 30 miles outside St. George, Utah. Boy was it pretty to see some blue sky after 12 hours of snow! We did, however, enjoy a dinner at InNOut in Vegas and got to my mom's at midnight. Long day!

Wed. 2/28:
I woke up early to take a phone interview with Smartwool. It sounds like an interesting position and they want a second interview with me. After getting ready, Jenny & I went to Santa Ana to go out to lunch with an old coworker of mine; however, we get there and she had called in sick. (She called me the next day and said that she had left her dayplanner at work w/my # and wanted to reschedule for Monday.) We saw another old coworker of mine who gave us the grand tour of their new offices. Legal Aid has certainly moved up in the world of offices since I worked there!! Jenny and I then found a Carls Jr on the way to my Nana's house. We spent a while visiting with my Nana and then we went back to my mom's. Katie and her baby Sara met us there and I got to see baby Sara for the first time. :) She was very fussy. I did get to try out my Gypsy Mama wrap on her. I wore her around and she fell right asleep. Too cute. We had dinner with Katie and Derek.

Sara actually frowns...too funny!!

Thurs. 3/1:
I woke up with what I thought were allergies but later determined to be a cold. Jenny and I walked to Starbucks to get Jenny coffee. She walked there every day we were there but I couldn't after that b/c I was sick. :( Then Jenny and I ate lunch (me at Golden Spoon...yummy!!...and Jenny at Boston Market) and went to puruse Ikea. We then drove up to Camarillo to visit Dave's grandma Ethel, aunt Candy, and Uncle Dale. We had a lovely dinner with them at Olive Garden before leaving her house around 9:30 pm and getting home around 11pm. Boy was I tired. Thank goodness Jenny drove home!

Fri. 3/2:
I was supposed to have my second phone interview with Smartwool but the lady never called. Apparently her cell died and she left a message later that she wanted to reschedule. I'm blanking on what we did Friday so I guess I'll come back to it later. I know we went to Target at some point to get me Sudafed, Tylenol, and throat drops. On Friday night, we went to my sister Amanda's for dinner with my whole family. It was really fun to hang out with everyone. Plus I got to see the pretty sunset. :)

Sat. 3/3:
We went to my sister Amanda's a little early for my baby shower. Since the other two hosts didn't show up until shower time, I helped Amanda out by washing dishes, while she set up and my mom cleaned. The shower was nice, but small. It was fun hanging out with my family, Jeffra, and Kevin afterwards. We all went to dinner at Chick-fil-A and then went shopping at BabiesRUs with some coupons and gift cards. :)


Me with some of my presents :)

Me and my hosts (minus mom), Katie, Amanda & Jenn

The gang: Amanda, Katie, Kevin, Jenn, Jeffra, me, & Jenny.

My mom & I :)

Kevin & baby Sara.

Sun. 3/4:
Jenny and I went out to lunch with Dave's grandma Noah at my favorite restaurant Maggianos. Yum!! Then we went to BabiesRUs in HB to get a few more things. After that, Jenn, Jenny, Amanda, Jeffra, Kevin, and I went to Balboa Island to walk around. It was really nice to be by the water again...plus we saw a beautiful sunset. :) Jenny and I then went back to my sister Katie's for dinner.

Mon. 3/5:
I wake up worse...breathing is a problem so I call my ob. They tell me to double my asthma meds and it seems to do the trick. Mom says that I overdid it and she makes me cancel my lunch with Yolanda so I can stay home and take a nap. Mom takes Jenny to Laguna to have lunch on the beach while I sleep. When they got back, we went to Ikea so I could get some things. I ended up spending $920 and getting 3 dressers, 2 dvd display cases, and a bench for shoes. We then somehow got it all in my car, although we did need help getting one of the boxes in from a guy. Amanda came over for dinner and it was nice to get to visit with her again.

Tues. 3/6:
My last day in CA...so sad...time went by way too fast and I was too sick to enjoy a lot of it. :( Katie came over and we went down to Nana's to visit while my mom and Jenny went to BabiesRUs and Mervyns. We stayed at Nana's for almost two hours. Then Katie dropped me off at Mervyns and mom, Jenny, and I went to Golden Spoon. One can never have enough Golden Spoon. :D The lady from Smartwool called to reschedule my interview for the Monday after I get back. We then went home so I could nap for an hour before I got my haircut. After the haircut, Jenny & I cruised around my old neighborhood killing time. Then mom, Phyllis, Jenny, & I ate dinner at Rubys before going home to pack.

Wed. 3/7:
Jenny and I drive 17 hours to Cheyenne. We arrive around 10:30pm MST and I spend the night at Dave's mom's house.

Thurs. 3/8:
I get home at 11:05am and Dave's eating breakfast. He had the 6pm to 2am shift the night before. We get to chat a bit before he has to go into work.

Sat. 3/10:
We sleep in late. I haven't slept in in 2 weeks and it feels so good. Dave made me pancakes for breakfast. :) We went to Target and BabiesRUs to use some coupons and gift cards we had gotten. I also did my job contacts for the week and worked on updating my spreadsheets.

In other news: While I was gone, Dave finished his first Master's class. He also got 100% on a test, but he says that wasn't a big deal b/c it was open-book. He has this week off before starting next quarter. He also did some testing at work which meant he was working odd hours. He also claims I gave him my cold over the phone. Oh, and on Sunday, he went to an arena football game with his mom, step-dad, bro-in-law, neice, and nephew.

We're 26 weeks...

How our baby's growing: Our baby now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in her ears are developing, which means her response to sounds is growing more consistent. Her lungs are developing now, too, as she continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when she's born and takes that first breath of air. 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.

Mom's sick though so that kinda stinks...got sick last Thursday, but now have a lovely cough which is complicated by my asthma. I'm now on a double dose of my asthma meds...never taken that much in my life!!