Still pregnant...

Not that i expected to have this baby by time i was 38 weeks...but for anyone wondering the baby is still nice and comfy but running out of room with the quickness!

I finished my entire first week of not working. It was a bit hard to get used to i will admit, but once i started working on much needed house projects the week flew by. I finally organized the mess of a room that we call the office. I tackled the closet inside the office as well, which was an absolute disaster. It's so nice to walk by there now and see order. I also did some house cleaning but it turned out to be too much since I've been having more hip trouble since then. Oh well - the house is clean now and ready for baby!

I also had the chance to do lunch with some friends which was great! I also got a pedicure (because pretty feet are a must when you're having a baby), and i got my eyebrows done. I was determined to do these two things before the baby arrived. I know it sounds so strange - but i just couldn't got to the hospital with ugly feet and eyebrows. Once i got my eyebrows done i felt like i was finally ready whenever the baby decided to arrive.

I have my 38 week appointment today at noon. She'll check again for any progress and we'll schedule our next appointment for next week - my due date week! I can't believe it. For as slow as it goes by, it does go by fast as well. I know that makes no sense whatsoever - but some days i look back and think "i never thought i would make it to a week from my due date." Other days it's more like "Wait, what? The baby is coming any time now?!?!" When you think about it, it is almost one year of your life - that's pretty long (when you're growing another human being anyway). When i compare this timeline to when we were getting married i remember that week just flying by. And if this week goes by as fast as last week, I'll be blogging about my 40th week of pregnancy in no time!

No...i still haven't loaded any pictures from 37 weeks but i did take one on St. Patrick's Day. Trust me - it's more green than anyone should have to see. I still need to take one for 38 weeks...such a slacker but hey - as you can see from above I've been a busy girl...getting pedicures and all ;)

The Albano's arrive a week from Thursday! That means April is only days away...again...so hard to believe. Then my Dad and Lisa arrive on the 14th. By that time we'll be half way through the month...and hopefully have a little one!

Off to get ready for the doctor's. More to report soon!

xoxoxo

Full term!

This is going to be a pretty boring post...



I'm officially 37 weeks which means we are full term! The baby can come at any time now and be just fine in the outside world. My due date is only two weeks from this Friday which is unbelievable.



I started getting things together today for the hospital bag. I've been hesitant to go too crazy packing a bag because i feel like the more prepared we are the longer it will take for the baby to arrive. Stupid i know, but either way i have started to wash my hospital clothes, get things together for Nathan and put toiletries in the bag. I'm sure I'll unpack it and re-pack a few more times before it's time to go to the hospital.

That's about it for now...boring as i promised.

I don't have a picture for 37 weeks right now. I'm so fricken lazy these days it's ridiculous. I will take one though, i swear.

Tomorrow is my next doctor appointment. If there is anything worth posting i will be sure to do so!

Hope everyone is well.

xoxoxo

I knew it wasn't sciatica!

So this whole hip thing has been getting worse - and worse and worse. Although I kept thinking that this had to do with my pre-existing hip issues, the doctors kept saying "oh it's sciatica," and "welcome to pregnancy," whenever I would tell them about the pain. It did start to get frustrating when they would brush me off as another whiney pregnant girl with your run-of-the-mill hip pain, but i just learned to live with the pain and deal with it.

At one point, one of the doctors i see, did give me the names of some orthopedics since it had gotten so bad. Needless to say, not one orthopedic will see you when you're pregnant. They all said "you're pregnant - hip pain happens." Again...very frustrating since i felt that this just wasn't a sore hip due to the baby, but whatever. I went about things just living with it.

As i said in my last post, the pain has been getting pretty bad. Although i kept chalking it up to sciatica it had gotten so bad this week that i could barely get to work. In fact, it took me two hours longer to show up for work on Thursday. Between not sleeping and how bad it hurts, i just feel like poop in the mornings. And that continues throughout the day lately. Friday rolled around and it was even worse - i couldn't even get myself out of the chair. So, reluctantly i called the doctor. Now i knew there wasn't anything they could do for me, but Nathan kept saying "just call them so when you go in on Monday they have it documented that it was so bad you couldn't wait for your next appointment." My co-worker suggested the same thing so i thought "what the hell." I was working from home so i gave them a call, they put the nurse on who in turn tells me she will talk to the doctor and call me back.

Two hours later my phone rings. The nurse (who was very nice) says "Dr. Cernandas says that sciatica is normal and if you're having some pain to go to a chiropractor. Mmmm...really? Some pain? Oh...and we're assuming, yet again, that this is just sciatica? Not that I'm down playing sciatica at all - but as i keep saying, i had this feeling something else was wrong. At this point i was really upset. I've never been a huge fan of chiropractors and i was just aggravated that the doctor basically tells me my only choice is alternative medicine - you know - since I'm just another complaining pregnant girl.

Anyway, the nurse gave me the number to a chiropractor that they use often, who thank God, accepted my insurance. By this time i am in tears because I'm thinking my only chance for the doctor to believe me at this point is to go see this guy who might not even take my insurance. And what if he doesn't take my insurance??? Then i have to spend my entire Friday finding someone who will: A) accept my insurance and B) see me that day so i can report back to the doctor at my Monday appointment.

Off i went to see the chiropractor. Nathan was able to bring me, which was great since i couldn't even sit in the car on my own. When we arrived the doctor was shocked to see how hard it was for me to move. The first thing he said was "Well, at least i know it's not your neck that hurts you!" He gave me a full evaluation and come to this conclusion: I have major issues with my hips, especially the left one ( i knew that - but in an effort to please my OB/GYN i needed him to determine that). It's NOT sciatica (mmmm...what do ya know?) - i have something wrong (which can't be determined until post pregnancy with x-rays and MRI's) with my sacrum and hip bone. It also seems to be effecting the top of my pelvic bone. He also said he's willing to bet that this will not be going away once the baby arrives - which really stinks since i was hoping it would and i could just go about life. He felt around and had me do a bunch of things so he could evaluate things. Apparently I've also done some muscle damage at this point from straining it so bad. When he asked me why i hadn't come sooner i said "The doctor kept telling me it was normal, so i lived with the pain."

After checking me out, he gave some strict instructions:

1. No more stairs. Period. This wasn't surprising and Nathan saw this coming by Wednesday night based on my condition. He moved all of our bedding to the bedroom downstairs. So...we've moved for now. He did say if i had to go up and/or down - that i was restricted to twice a day so choose my daily routine carefully.

2. No more grocery, or any other, shopping. If i do go i need to go with someone.

3. No sitting in the same position for too long - especially in the car. Oh...good thing my commute is only 1.5 hours one way!

4. No more house chores unless i can do them while sitting (can't think of many!). This is the point where Nathan announced "That's it, we're out of here!"

5. I'm supposed to ice my rear/hip every hour. Yeah...ok.

6. No standing while getting ready in the morning - doing hair, make-up and brushing my teeth.

7. There are some others - but you get the point.

So...as i was leaving he said "By the way, be sure to tell your doctor you're not just another whining pregnant girl." HA! Ok...i will!

I knew it. Jerks.

Any who - sorry, but i had to get that out. I go to the doctor tomorrow, so we'll see if they choose to believe me now, or continue to classify me as someone who can't handle some normal growing pains due to pregnancy.

So that's my life in a nutshell since the last time i blogged. We also hit the 4 week mark this past Friday! I think i have something like 28 days until my due date. INSANE! I just can't believe it.

Here's a 36 week picture (can you tell i didn't even bother to do something to my face today?!? Hey! I'm following doctor's orders!):

(Jesus, I'm enormous).

It was 66 degrees here on Saturday. It was so beautiful. Nathan got a chance to get out and golf which I was so happy about. I hope he gets a couple more chances between now and when the baby comes. It can't be fun to sit at home with your fat and mobility challenged wife all weekend. Poor guy.

I have my first training event this week for work. Becky and Lynn, my co-workers, are coming along to shadow me as they will be running some of my programs for me while I'm out. They're usually 12 hour days so we'll see how that goes. After this week I'm supposed to start working from home until the baby comes - unless the doctor decides to pull me out altogether when i see her tomorrow. I find that doubtful since they think I'm faking.

OK, I'm done now, i swear.

Hope everyone is well!

xoxoxo

Next month!

We can officially say we're having a baby next month! Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and have one at the end of THIS month?!

It's been a fairly uneventful week or so. I turned a year older (yuck), put all the baby goodies away, and we just got 8 inches of snow today. So uneventful, but busy i guess you could say.

I also went to the doctor for my 34 week appointment. My next one is next Monday which will be my 36 week check up - then we start going every week. It's crazy!

Oh yeah - our glider arrived too! Now we just need to put it together.

The only other thing i have is more of a complaint. Let me tell anyone who doesn't already know this from personal experience (and i hope you don't know personally)...sciatica hurts like a son-of-a-bitch. I can't even walk up and down the stairs to get to our bedroom. Sitting on the toilet is a chore which usually involves some grunting while in the process from the pain - it makes for an interesting time in the bathroom at work. Between the sciatica and my already existing bad hips things have slowed down a bit for me. I've scheduled my pre-natal massage (thank you Nathan) for this Saturday. I'm not sure if it will help or not, but it will still feel good I'm sure. It's been about a week and a half since I've been walking with a limp (my pregnant pimp walk), so I'm just used to it now. I basically look like a knocked-up 90 year old. GOD am i attractive!

Here are my 35 week pictures. I did take a bare belly shot, so don't scroll down if you're easily faint!:

And just for fun, this is what i found in my bed the other morning...:

Here's to hoping for warmer weather very soon!

xoxoox

For the Love of Blog!

First off...I'm fat. I just uploaded my shower pictures (which i will share in a minute) and man o' man...I'm huge. People keep saying that my face hasn't changed at all. Really? So my face has been this round and chubby my whole life? Then why didn't someone tell me!?!? Sheesh. Help a girl out.

On a happier note - my shower was this weekend and it was SO much fun and so nice. I had so many people there to help me celebrate, had some delicious food (including my favorite eggs benedict), and got amazing gifts for the baby. It's so odd to open up gifts for a new little person that's going to be coming home with you in a few weeks. I guess when this little person hasn't made it's debut, it's just surreal to have all these great things for him/her.

Here are some pictures of the shower, as well as me at 34 weeks in my dress - which had i tried it on in the store i would have known how round and clown-like it would make me appear:

Here are some pictures of other fun gifts once we got everything into the baby's room:


My cousin Jessie and Aunt Nancy made me the most adorable diaper cake, which had so many fun things on it, including the cutest little pair of baby crocs:

And here's a shot of the nursery with all the goods, including our stroller in the background which is now also known as the "Cadillac":

And thanks to my wonderful husband, i started off my morning before the shower with a manicure and pedicure! It was a great day - and i was exhausted when it was all over.

I made my trip up to NYC on Wednesday for my interviews. They were all really nice people. We'll see what comes of it, but I'm remaining positive. I also took a picture of myself wearing a suit jacket that used to actually button up in the front. This is me at 33 1/2 weeks...

Needless to say it didn't button last week for my trip. I'm pretty sure it was obvious to the Bank of America people why it wasn't closed for my interviews.

So, we're down to about 6 weeks. I'm really hoping the baby doesn't bring me past 40 weeks - but I'm bracing myself for that reality.

I head to the doctor again this Wednesday for another check up. I'll have another one two weeks from then, and after that we're down to an appointment every week! It's getting close and we're getting very excited to meet this baby and know if it's a girl or a boy!!!

That's about it for now. Hope your weather is better then ours is today: raining, windy and freezing.

xoxoxo

P.S.

Peanut butter M&M's are like a party in my mouth.

That's all.

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Friday marks week 33! We bought the crib mattress and put the linens "on" the crib. We also ordered our glider which we are waiting to arrive.

We went to Ikea this past weekend to buy some shelves which look pretty good. I also came across a set of three pictures that have a bird in them, and also include "girly" colors like reds and pinks. I wasn't in love with this set of pictures, but since i haven't had much luck anywhere else i figured why not just get them (they were cheap being from Ikea anyway). Nathan hung them above the crib. Errr...I'm not that crazy about them at all, but every time i go into the room i test my ability to like them. I change on a day to day basis. Not sure if they will last or not. Until then, my search for cute bird prints continues.

Things at work continue to be stressful and mysterious all at once. Anyone who knows me wouldn't be surprised to find that I've been very worried about the whole situation. Then last Wednesday i landed myself at the doctor's office with horrible shooting pains from my belly into my legs, as well as the mother of all back pain. It started the night before, but i went to bed thinking i would just let the baby move positions. It didn't really help, but i didn't want to make a big deal about it. The next morning the entire drive to work (all 1.5 hours!) i had shooting pains into my thighs again and the damn back pain lurking. When i got to work i was talking to someone who just had a baby almost a year ago now. I asked her if she ever experienced that before and her response was "Yeah, when i went into early labor."

Mmm. Ok. So i called the doctor, who asked me to come down the office. Once you're this close to your due date (although it's a ways off, people do have babies this early for different reasons), they don't like to take any chances. Loooonnnng story short, i had to get an internal exam and get hooked up to the monitor to look for contractions, etc.

A couple of braxton hicks contractions later they sent me on my way chalking it up to the baby enjoying itself best when it's positioned on nerves that cause the pain.

Fine with me! I felt so dumb for even calling, but i know too many people at work who had horrible things happen to them during pregnancy that i just thought it wasn't worth it to not be cautious. Since that day I've decided that i can't worry about things at work anymore. It's out of my control, therefore i need to let it go. It's not worth mine or the baby's health. So...as Nathan would say...I've turned a new leaf. Things are still worrisome, of course, but time will tell what will happen.

One more thing on work (just as an update): I think i mentioned we had to turn in our resumes a couple of weeks ago, and we did go through a process called talent review. Now next week we have to go to NYC (that's super easy and fun at 8 months pregnant!) to do "meet and greets" with people who haven't been identified yet. Since they like to assume we're stupid - the translation for "meet and greet" in this environment is: interview. Yup, that's right. A 15 minute interview to justify to some stranger why they should keep you over someone else. So I'm thinking I'll just pretend to go into labor and ask if we can reschedule for when I'm back from maternity leave ;)

On the bright side of things, I've been obsessed with a few favorite things lately, that i just thought i would share:

1. Lolli pops - mostly Blowpops and Tootsie Pops. I have been considering writing a letter to the maker of Blowpops to suggest a longer lasting bubblegum.

2. Caffeine free Coke!!! Whoooweee! I mean i LOVE it. Don't know what it is but i can't get enough. I have, however, managed to control my urges.

3. Corn. There's nothing better right now then some good hot corn with melted butter on it. Yum.

5. Garlic hummus in a pita. This has been my lunch for the past 4 days, and I'm still going strong on the likeness. It's so good and a great alternative to lunch meats. Tomorrow marks a sad day as it will be the last pita we have in the house before i need to go out and get more.

6. Foot rubs. Thanks to all the sock rings i get around what Nathan likes to call my "cankles" (calves and ankles running into one) I've been scoring myself some great foot and cankle rubs. Honestly, i still have ankles...but we laugh so hard at the mere sight of how swollen they get these days. It's ridiculous.

7. The warm weather we've been getting. I know it won't last...i mean i live in NJ. But today it's 58 degrees out! Saturday's forecast: Snow. Dare i say more about NJ?

Mmmmm....i guess that's all i have for now on my list.

I did have my 32 week check up today. Everything sounds and looks good. The doctor measured my belly and then felt around and said "Well, you're not going to have a very big baby!" So, i called Nathan and told him we're having a Peanut! I won't say the weight she gave me, as some people who read this are involved in a pool of gender and weight guesses. I wouldn't want anyone to have an advantage ;)

I also asked her how far past my due date they let me suffer for. She said generally one week, unless my cervix hasn't done a thing, and then they will let me go a little longer...more like 10 days. She said they never let it go past two weeks. Well that's good, since i would jump off a bridge by then anyway.

I want to be mentally prepared since i have a feeling this baby knows how horrible my patience are, and therefore will most likely test them by coming out late.

That's it for now. Sorry i don't have any pics to post this go around. I will take more of the room and the ever growing belly this weekend!

xoxoxo