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Monday, October 26, 2009

34 Weeks Pregnant: Baby Shower!!!


This may be a long post so I just wanted to warn everyone in advance because I have a lot to write!! This past Sunday was my baby shower for little Kamryn and it was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! I am still grinning from ear to ear from yesterday, it was just a perfect day and so much fun :) My mom and dad threw Kamryn a baby shower at their house in New Jersey and really outdid themselves. First of all, it was just so nice to be at the house I grew up in with my family. I hadn't been there since before Jeff and I had our wedding in August and I always loved coming home to my parents, especially in the fall because my mom decorates the house for Halloween and Fall. The decorations make the house feel so cozy and she always has pumpkin or spiced apple scented candles that just enhance the warm feeling of Fall. I wish we could have stayed longer because I wasn't ready to leave after the shower.

There were so many reasons to love my baby shower. Like I said before, I just loved being in New Jersey at my parents house with my family. Also, the amount of extended family and friends that came to celebrate Kammy's arrival was so touching and really meant a lot to me. I am truly lucky to have these people in my life to support me and am forever thankful :) I was so thrilled that some of my girlfriends that I have known for a long time were able to make it; my girls from college, Laura & Teesdale, were there and it really made me happy to see them. I don't really get to see them much anymore so it was awesome they were there for me :) And my girlfriend Heather from middle school & highschool came to celebrate with me, which was just so great to have her there, too. My parents' house was filled with tons of great family and friends which made it so wonderful to share such an important and memorable moment in my life.

Along with my family and friends, the generousity that was displayed from them was over the top!! Jeff and I recieved soooo many beautiful things for our little girl that we still are in awe of how many sweet gifts we got!! Everything we recieved was so thoughtful and precious and we both are so excited to show little Kamryn all of her cool stuff. I hate to brag (but I'm going to do it anyway haha) but she really received pretty awesome gifts. She has soooo many adorable clothes that she's going to need costume changes throughout each day so she can wear them all!! My cousin Allie did the coolest thing with the gift from her, my aunt, uncle and two other cousins. It was quite impressive and extremely creative :) They gave me a layette with onesies, little socks, outfits, burp cloths, crib sheet, blankets, and pink hangers that were pinned to a long white rope with white clothes pins. She arranged the items in this cute white wicker basket with pink trim so when you pulled the first item out of the basket the rope unraveled to display all of the layette! It was so adorable...it looked like little baby clothes hanging out to dry on a clothes line. When all the items were out of the basket the rope stretched all the way across the room and it took several people to hold it up!! I thought it was the cutest idea...such a creative way to put together a present... Al- I might steal this idea in the future ;)

We also received the Pack N Play that we registered for from my sisters and I personally cannot wait to put it together...well, let me rephrase- I cannot wait for Jeff to put it together haha...handy husband :) We got some really cute bath stuff, a travel system, a bassinet, a high chair, books, and other necessities for a newborn like a diaper pail, first aid stuff, blankets, pacifiers, and toys.

My mom and dad are so cute- they saved all of my things from when I was a newborn like my favorite stuffed animals, little knick-knacks that were in my nursery, my first little shoes, and my baby books and arranged them all in a box for me to save. It cracked me up because my one stuffed animal, I named him PussGuss, was my absolute favorite when I was a baby. And you could definitely tell how much I loved him because his original form (which was supposed to be a cat) resembled more like a thin, old dirty rag instead of a fluffy brown cat. I would carry PussGuss around with me EVERYWHERE and I used to just pick his fur--yes, there has to be some sort of psychological explanation for this behavior because even now, I look back and think I was a weirdo little kid to pick all the fur off my stuffed animal haha...don't judge me ;) My parents also gave me the coolest thing--since Kammy will be born just before Christmas, they gave her the book, "The Night Before Christmas," which was my favorite as a child. This book however, is one that you can record a voice reading the book so my parents recorded their voices reading the book, alternating page by page!! I love personalized gifts like this...especially ones that remind me of my childhood :)

We are SO LUCKY!!!! Thank you thank you THANK YOU (I can't say it enough!!) to all who made my baby shower such a success and something I will remember with happiness and joy for the rest of my life. Now the hard part for me is going to be fighting the urge to want to organize all of her new things. Getting Kamryn's nursery ready is WAY more fun than going to class right?!

I had my 34 week OB appointment last week and my doctor said everything is going really well--pretty textbook pregnancy. Her head is down, my blood pressure is perfect, glucose levels perfect, and Kamryn is growing wonderfully. When he measured my belly he said that I was all baby and there was no where left for Kammy to go!! I had maybe 2 cm between the top of my uterus and my sternum. No wonder I can barely breathe haha. He says she may be an 8 lb. baby...as long as she's not a 10 pound butterball turkey like I was is good news to me!!

I am still feeling pretty good, just enormously pregnant. It's sometimes a struggle to sit down because there is no room for my insides and they are squished inside my belly. Then I think it would be better if I layed down, but that is uncomfortable too because if I lay on my back I can't breathe and if I lay on my sides it hurts too. Some days I get really exhausted but usually I feel normal. My finger "arthritis" has definitely gone down, but they still hurt, just not as bad as last week. And I was sad to have to take off my wedding rings because I really miss wearing them. It's funny because I have noticed a big change in my belly size in the past few weeks and let me tell you, I feel like I ate a basketball. I feel HUGE...like a big, round sloth haha. Jeff thinks I look pretty big too but when I went home this weekend, everyone was saying that I really don't look big and that they thought I'd be bigger at this point. Even if people were just saying that I didn't look that big so I wouldn't feel self-concious, I don't care because it did actually help my confidence. This may be selfish and I hope I don't sound like a total biatch, but I do sometimes have a hard time with my body getting so big...even though I know its for a great cause and the end result trumps all the negative feelings I have about my body...I just really am excited to get my body back in shape So, it's kinda weird. I guess every pregnant woman thinks they look huge probably because they feel huge. But in the end...it's worth every pound, heartburn, sleeplessness, inability to bend over to pick something up, and swollen foot :)


Monday, October 19, 2009

33 weeks and I think I developed arthritis overnight

Is it possible to just wake up one day and have arthritis at the age of 25? Not only do my hands and fingers look like these plump, swollen sausages, but the bones inside my hands HURT. BAD. It's really painful to flex my fingers or to make a fist. It definitely hurts to write or hold anything but typing is actually not as painful. Of all of the pregnancy books I've read nowhere does it say "finger pain" is a common symptom. So, I have an OB appointment on Wednesday and I'll ask the doctor about this "overnight arthritis." Although, I'm pretty sure they will just say, "oh, it's normal."

I cannot wait for this weekend. This weekend is my baby shower!!! On Sunday my mom is throwing me a baby shower in New Jersey and I am so excited for it!! I can't believe its here already, which means the time when Kamryn will be born is getting closer and closer :) I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone at my shower and being with my family. It's going to be such a great day that I will remember forever and can't wait to tell my daughter how fun her baby shower was!

This past weekend I was hanging out with some friends and they got to feel Kamryn kicking. It made me feel so good to have my friends so interested and supportive. They were asking me lots of questions about pregnancy and raising a newborn and I didn't realize how much I really have learned until my friend was like, "Geez, you know so much about pregnancy and I don't know any of this!" I thought about it later that night and he was right...I think I have learned a lot about being pregnant and while I do read lots of material, I think the majority comes from experience. I know how lucky & blessed I am to have this experience and I cannot even describe how being pregnant has changed my life in so many great ways. I'm really looking forward to how Kamryn will change my life in these next days, months, and years. I love her so much already and can't wait to meet her :)

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

32 Weeks Pregnant!!

Wow these weeks are really flying by! 32 weeks and counting :) Nothing too crazy going on this week...Kammy is just kicking away and sometimes I swear she is doing the YMCA in there because I feel these taps and pokes on the far sides of my belly. It really caught me by surprise the other day when I was driving...I even yelled out because I was so startled! It felt like a really hard kick and her little arm or leg was going to shoot through my skin! She's a wild woman in there!

I haven't really gotten a good night's sleep in the past week, but I should probably get used to that. I have a hard time getting comfortable. I'm either too hot, or my back is aching, or I just can't fall back asleep after I use the bathroom. I've heard from other pregnant girls that taking a bath before you fall asleep is a good way to help your body relax so you can get some sleep so maybe I will try that.

I'm super excited for Saturday because I'm getting photos done of my belly! Not too sure of what I want to wear yet...I think I will decide that day. I'm really hoping for some good outdoor shots because the leaves are changing and are so colorful this time of year. Maybe I'll get really fancy and ask for some black and white pictures, too :) Hopefully, the pictures turn out cute because I plan to frame them and hang them in her nursery, which is coming along quite nicely. Here is a picture of her bedding...its called Tropical Punch by CoCaLo. I love the colors and the animals are so adorable!!
I'll post pics of her nursery once its finished so stay tuned!! :)

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

31 Weeks Pregnant: Confessions of a Pregnant College Student

Hey everyone! I'm 31 weeks already and time is seriously not slowing down AT ALL!! Being pregnant is definitely an experience I would never trade for anything. Each day brings something new to the table. I think traditionally, most women experience pregnancy while they already have established their career and are out working. Me, I do things a little different I guess. Being a pregnant college student, I experience things that perhaps most pregnant women may not.


I am in my last semester at Mason and really cannot wait to graduate! I feel like I have been here forever...well, let's face it, I have! So, here I am a senior at Mason, ready to graduate, and 8 months pregnant :) Here are the things I have noticed about being a preggers college girl:
  • I know where every bathroom on campus is. Even the buildings I have never had class in, I can tell you the exact location of every ladies room.
  • People stare. I usually get the long stares at my belly, but lately I get the "look at my face stare, look at my belly stare, then back at my face stare." Usually, most of the stares come from other girls, but I get the occasional frat boy that looks at my belly with a little fear in his eye...like he could catch being pregnant or something haha.
  • For the most part, my professors have been very nice and accommadating. I'm pretty lucky because Mason is one of the most diverse colleges in the country and they really pride themselves on being welcoming of different types of people. I like to think I am a part of the "pregnant culture" population on campus :)
  • I'm not exactly sure how I am going to fit in my desk in a few weeks. Right now, I still fit but I have a sneaky suspicion that my belly is going to extend beyond the space the desk allows...maybe I'll sit sideways. Hopefully, I won't make the person sitting next to me feel too creeped out that I am directly facing them.
  • I really really really miss Starbucks coffee. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I kicked my coffee habit to the curb. It really wasn't that bad and I did sometimes wish I could have a precious vanilla latte, but lately I have been very jealous of people enjoying coffee. I think seeing other students have their frappucinos, lattes, and mochas perched on the corner of their desk, casually taking delicious sips during class has been the reason why I have been craving it so much. AND because it is now fall and Starbucks has those fabulous spiced pumpkin lattes that are soooo irresistible :) Oh well, I just have to stick it out for a few more months. I can do it!!
  • The Swine Flu (aka H1N1 virus) scares the hell out of me...especially being around college students for most of the day at such a large campus. I cringe when I hear other students in class saying, "oh yeah, my roomate has it." I literally get up and move my seat because I am so paranoid about catching it.
So those are my confessions :) In other baby news...haha...the crib and changing table are assembled and look absoultely beautiful!! Jeff and his mom helped put them together last weekend and Kamryn's nursery is off to a great start! She is beginning to collect quite the number of things...Jeff's mom got her an adorable handmade quilt with cute little toys attached, some onesies, (you can never have too many I hear) a sweet little hat for her to wear when its cold, and a shade to put in our car to block the sun from shining too brightly on Kammy. I want her to come out so she can see all the cool things she has so far!

I have an OB appointment tomorrow morning and I'm not quite sure what they will be doing at this appointment but I'll let you know how that goes!! Hope everyone has a great week :) Kammy, I can't wait to hold you and love you and smell you and kiss you!!! Soo soon :)