Big Day Out

Yesterday Milo and I had our first solo outing and I think it was quite a success! First we went to the pediatrician, where he got a clean bill of health and weighed in at 8 lbs 10 oz. Then we went to a medical lab for the last round of newborn screening tests. Then we went to visit Daddy at work and meet his coworkers, and then we went to the mall so I could get fitted properly for a nursing bra. Of course right when we got to the mall it was time for Milo to eat so I had my first experience breastfeeding in public (using my adorable nursing cover Doug got me for Christmas)... if the "Ladies Lounge" at Nordstrom counts as public. Seriously, if you ever need to breastfeed in a mall, head straight for Nordstrom - it was really nice in there. Milo was so good, he slept most of the time until he ate, and then he was wide awake just chilling in his stroller the rest of the time!

And of course he impressed everyone with his cuteness....

Milo's First Santa Picture

At just 7 days old, he might have been the youngest one yet. He was so amused he couldn't be bothered to even open his eyes!

Merry Christmas!

Why Milo is Awesome....

2 Weeks Old

• He has had his eyes open so much since day one - more then any other newborn I have ever seen.
• When he wakes up he opens one eye at a time. We call this "pirate eye." Aaaarrrggghhh Matey!
• He snorts exactly like a pig when he is upset or frustrated, or sometimes just because. Its about the cutest sound ever.
• He is really strong. He has been lifting his head and rolling partway to his side since we have been in the hospital. Sometimes this makes things like feeding and changing tough... but I can't complain!
• He can already find his hands and bring them to his mouth. And he like to hold on to his pacifier when its in his mouth sometimes.

(And yep, its my blog so I will brag my face off if I want to.... even if this stuff is totally normal for all babies!)

Lesson for the Day

There is no such thing as too many baby clothes.

8pm and we are on outfit #4 for the day!

1 Week Old

And what a week it has been!  

We got discharged from the hospital on Saturday but didn't get out until 7pm because Milo was having all kinds of tests because he had lost nearly 10% of his weight and he was a bit more jaundiced then they liked.  We took him into the doctors office on Monday and his weight was down to 7 lbs 12 oz (from 8 lbs 14 oz at birth) and he was a little bit dehydrated.  The doctor was thinking it was because my milk didn't start to come in until the night before, which is a little later, but normal for c-section babies.  So she had us breastfeeding and supplementing with formula every 3 hours for the rest of the day.  Tuesday we went back to the doctors and Milo's weight was up nearly 6 oz to 8 lbs 4 oz!  The doctor was so impressed - she was only hoping for a half an ounce to an ounce.  Also his jaundice was down and he was looking great.  She took us off formula and he is now breastfeeding like a champ - all. the. time.

Not much else exciting going on here. My parents are still here until Saturday so we've mostly just been hanging out at home.  Milo did have his first Target trip after his last doctors appointment and tonight we went out to dinner and get his picture taken with Santa.  He was a little fussy this evening but once we got him into the car he got through dinner and his Santa picture without a peep... even if his eyes were closed for the picture.  I think he loves to shop just like his momma!

And now some pictures!

My 40 week belly and last pregnant picture!

Daddy and his little man.

I'm such a little peanut my hands get lost in my tiny shirts!

Leaving the hospital... too tiny for the outfit mommy brought to go over my onesie!

Milo and Bella - best buddies already!

Thinking hard.

Trying out my Christmas outfit.

Welcome Milo!

The short story:

Milo Thomas Cole
December 10, 2008 - 10:25pm
8 lbs 14.5 oz - 20.75 in

The long story, with all the gory details:

Tuesday we had our regular doctors appointment and after a variety of tests the doctor decided she wanted us to be induced the next day, the main reason being my blood pressure that wouldn't stop creeping up.

So Wednesday morning we get the call to come to the hospital and leave right away, and check in around 11am. At noon they start the antibiotics because I was GBS + and at 2pm the pitocin. Sometime in between there they checked my urine and it had protein in it, which it didn't the day before, and my blood pressure was up even more - the nurse said I was a "ticking time bomb" so its a good thing we got in so soon.

For the next four hours I felt no contractions, even though according the monitor they were coming 1-2 minutes apart and finally at 6pm I felt one, which was only like a runners side cramp. So we decided to do this thing pain free and I got the epidural. It took a few minutes to get it in and perfect, but it was totally worth it. Over the next few hours I continued to progress but Milo was slow to react on the monitors so they were getting a little concerned. At one point his heart rate dipped to about 70-80 bpm so the doctor suggested we do a c-section. I think this was around 9 or 9:30pm or so and I was already 7 cm. We agreed right away and I was given terb to stop my contractions and we were whisked off the the OR.

The c-section went well, I was really only a little nervous for the beginning but before I knew it I heard Milo cry - at 10:25pm on his due date! At which point I cried... like crazy. Then the doctor started putting me back together and the pressure they tell you you'll feel was a bit more then I expected.. and I was hormonal... and already crying... so I was pretty miserable during that part and everyone in the room could tell. I was given morphine and something else to get me to calm down I don't really know what, but Doug told me they put a few things into my IV at the end because I was flipping out at the end pretty much! Whatever it was it made me totally exhausted, unable to keep my eyes open, and my limbs felt like jello! But the good thing was Doug and Milo were right next to me the entire time and then we got moved directly back to our birthing suite, so I didn't need to be without either of them at any point.

I tried to breastfeed asap, but he must not have gotten enough that first time because his glucose levels were too low so the nurse insisted we supplement with a few mg of formula, which they gave him through a tube up against my breast. I had a total break down at the formula idea, but I blame it on the hormones and how hopped up I was on meds... and the fact that this nurse was a little bitchy and not understanding. At any rate, after that first feeding we have been breastfeeding exclusively with really no problems at all, besides needing a nurse to help me get him into position once in a while.

All in all, I'm feeling pretty ok right now. I have been going to the bathroom unassisted since this afternoon and it really only hurts at the incision when I am trying to sit up, walk, or cough - stuff like that. To be honest, although that pain sucks, I don't mind it as much because I'm not bleeding as much as with a vaginal birth and things down there all feel fine (which was a big worry of mine for some reason! So basically, I swapped one pain for another - no biggie.)

Milo came out 8 lb 14 oz with a head full of dark hair and the chubbiest cheeks. He is pretty darn cute if I do say so myself!

40 Week Dr Appointment

Today was my 40 week appointment and what a day! We went into the doctors first thing for our regular appointment. She checked me and I was 3-4 cm (yay!) and my blood pressure was up again (boo!). Combined with my crazy swelling she decided to do a few more tests.

So, she did an ultrasound to check fluid levels, which turned out fine considering how far along I am and then we did a non-stress test where you are hooked up to a monitor that shows the babies heart rate and they look for a particular pattern. He did ok on this test, steady heart rate the entire time, but they didn't see the pattern they were looking for so she sent us to the hospital for a biophysical profile ultrasound scan. Also she ordered some blood work to check mostly for pre-e.

Off we went to the hospital and the blood work came back normal, as did the bpp scan. If they hadn't we would have induced right away tonight. Also, we found out he was measuring about 9 lbs 14 oz (+ or - a pound.) Umm.... yikes?! The doctor was guessing he would be around 8 lbs or so, so even she was surprised at this high number.

Since everything was fine she decided to get me on the schedule to be induced as soon as I could be fit in, due to my blood pressure creeping up. Turns out this is tomorrow! So first thing in the morning the hospital will call us and tell us what time to come in tomorrow and hopefully Milo will be born the same day - on his due date!

I have to say, with the crazy swelling, the carpel tunnel, the back pain, etc etc, I am so glad to be done with this part tomorrow and we finally get to meet our little (big!) man.

39 Weeks

Umm, I really had hoped I wouldn't have to update this week because he would be here already, but no such luck!

Here I am, stretching my clothes to the max.

According to Babycenter: Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

At each of your now-weekly visits, your caregiver will do an abdominal exam to check your baby's growth and position. She might also do an internal exam to see whether your cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). But even armed with this information, there's still no way for your caregiver to predict exactly when your baby is coming. If you go past your due date, your caregiver will schedule you for fetal testing (usually a sonogram) after 40 weeks to ensure that it's safe to continue the pregnancy. If you don't go into labor on your own, most practitioners will induce labor when you're between one and two weeks overdue — or sooner if there's an indication that the risk of waiting is greater than the risks of delivering your baby without further delay.

While you're waiting, it's important to continue to pay attention to your baby's movements and let your caregiver know right away if they seem to decrease. Your baby should remain active right up to delivery, and a noticeable slowdown in activity could be a sign of a problem. Also call if you think your water may have broken. Membranes rupture before the beginning of labor in about 8 percent of term pregnancies. Sometimes there's a big gush of fluid, but sometimes there's only a small gush or a slow leak. (Don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. Call even if you only suspect you have a leak.) If you rupture your membranes and don't start contractions on your own, you'll be induced.

Uhhhh, a watermelon all of a sudden?! I can not believe this has to come OUT of me soon!

38 Weeks

38 weeks today - holy crap! I had a doctors appointment yesterday, and in case you are interested I'm already 2-3 and 90%. If you know what that means, then good for you. If you don't, well I'm not going into details! But, basically, it doesn't seem like its going to be much longer - we will all be surprised if he stays put until his due date 2 whole weeks away. At this point, anytime after I get to eat myself silly tomorrow will be fine by me!

My blood pressure was up a little yesterday as well, so combined with my swelling she is keeping a close on that. Should it turn into something and we need to deliver asap I am already favorable for an induction to take so it won't be an issue.
According to Babycenter: Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps, catch up on your reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can.

Some swelling in your feet and ankles is normal during these last weeks, but call your practitioner without delay if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have a sudden weight gain. Also let her know immediately if have severe or persistent headaches; visual changes (such as double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision), intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting. These are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.

Oh and it looks like we have been downgraded with our produce again this week. I mean, a LEEK?! Dude, come on!

Dear Pedestrian:

I am 9 months pregnant, therefore this speed is the only speed in which I walk (aka slowly!) You have 2 choices - either suck it up, or go around me. But FFS, get off my grill.

That is all.

37 Weeks

Happy Full Term Day to me! Milo has 3 weeks to make his way out of here, then he gets his eviction notice! Oh and that hand on the bottom of my belly... its covering up my lovely stretch-marked stomach that keeps popping out of every shirt I own.
According to Babycenter: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Braxton Hicks contractions may be coming more frequently now and may last longer and be more uncomfortable. You might also notice an increase in vaginal discharge. If you see some "bloody show" (mucus tinged with a tiny amount of blood) in the toilet or in your undies, labor is probably a few days away — or less. (If you have heavier spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately.) Also be sure to ask your caregiver about the results of your Group B strep culture. That way, if the result isn't yet on your chart when you get to the hospital or birth center, you'll be able to give the staff there a timely heads-up if you need antibiotics.

It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. If you can, take it easy through the day — this may be your last chance to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby's movements, too, and let your caregiver know immediately if you notice a decrease. Though her quarters are getting cozy, she should still be as active as before.

Ok, seriously there are so many things wrong with this weeks produce! First of all, this has got to be a downgrade from last weeks MELON! And secondly, wtf is a swiss chard anyways. You have to do better then this, Babycenter!

Weird Milestone

This past weekend we were at the hospital for our Newborn Care/Breastfeeding class and during lunch we went down to the hospitals cafeteria.

We sat in a booth and it was smushing my stomach in way too much to even suffer through... so we had to move to a table with regular chairs.

Yeah. Nice, right?

36 Weeks

AKA 9 months pregnant - whoa!

So I had the first of my weekly appointments yesterday. All is looking good, Milo is still head down and getting lower (as demonstrated by a phenomenon I like to call "My Crotch Feels Like it is Getting Ripped in Half!" which is apparently normal btw.) Only 2 more weeks of work left as of today, thanks to the short Thanksgiving week. And seriously, thank god! I am a total biatch and feeling pretty miserable by the end of the day.

I am quite sure that this picture is proof positive that velour should be outlawed once you reach a certain level or gigantic-ness. Too bad there isn't much left that fits anymore!According to Babycenter: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Now that your baby is taking up so much room, you may have trouble eating a normal-size meal. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point. On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to "drop" down into your pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor if this is your first baby. (If you've given birth before, it probably won't happen before labor starts.) If your baby drops, you may also feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, which may make walking increasingly uncomfortable, and you'll probably find that you have to pee even more frequently. If your baby is very low, you may feel lots of vaginal pressure and discomfort as well. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs!

You might also notice that your Braxton Hicks contractions are more frequent now. Be sure to review the signs of labor with your practitioner and find out when she wants to hear from you. As a general rule, if you're full-term, your pregnancy is uncomplicated, and your water hasn't broken, she'll probably have you wait to come in until you've been having contractions that last for about a minute each, coming every five minutes for an hour. Of course, you'll want to call right away if you notice a decrease in your baby's activity or think you're leaking amniotic fluid, or if you have any vaginal bleeding, fever, a severe or persistent headache, constant abdominal pain, or vision changes.

WTF is a crenshaw melon?!

I feel so special!

I have been tagged for the first time ever by the fabulous Mommy Moreno over at Smooth as Baby's Blog! (She just had an adorable little girl by the way!)So here it goes - 7 weird/random facts about myself:

1. I hate sitting with my back to the door at restaurants and make Doug move if he sits in the wrong seat (although by now he knows to let me sit first if he isn't sure!)

2. I can speak Japanese. I'm not fluent, but when I spent a summer there is college I got pretty damn good at it.

3. I love my dog as if she were a person. She will always be my first baby.

4. I have all the clothes in our closet organized by type - as in pants, skirt, and then shirts by sleeve length and then how warm. I take it a step further on Doug's side and his work shirts are separate from other long sleeve button down shirts.

5. I love anise and black jelly beans so much but I hate black licorice more then anything, even though they are all essentially the same thing.

6. When the house is messy I always clean the master bedroom first, even though its the last room anyone visiting would ever have to see.

7. Every weekday I eat cereal and orange juice for breakfast. And I always eat it in front of the computer, while catching up on blogs and email. If Doug decides to get up and sit at the computer it throws my whole routine off and I don't know what to do with myself!

And now I get to tag 7 fantastic blogs to play too!

• Alison at A, B and Baby C
• Ava at Gametes in Love
• Faith at I Pray to Gouda
• Janessa at O Baby!
• Meg at And Baby Makes Three
• Shannon at Picture Your Best Day... Now Add A Monkey
• My little brother Tommy at Living the Dream

35 Weeks

According to Babycenter: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.

Mmmm, Honeydew Bellini. Screw the actual fruit, I would kill for one of these right now!

Milo's Room!

Here it is finally - Milo's finished room! The only thing missing is some more wall art for around the room and a couple shelves to hang on the wall of the nook in there, since the ones we had were too long.

Way to kill my morning, Tully's.

So I just went to Tully's for a Cappuccino Chocolate Chip muffin and decided to get a hot apple cider, since its Halloween, and really even they can't screw that up. (I admit it, I hate Tully's - they just happen to be inside my work building.) Well so much for not screwing that up - this drink is so hot that I'm pretty sure she actually gave me molten lava. I waited until I got back upstairs to even try it and burned the crap out of my mouth. Oh and I'm pretty sure this apple "cider" is actually apple juice.

Oh yeah, and since when do they rip off Starbucks sizes (Tall, Grande, blah blah blah)? This girl looked at me like I was crazy when I asked for a small, but this is the first crappy coffee place I've been to that has ganked SB sizes. I KNOW what a tall is, I just didn't want you to feel bad for not being Starbucks and call it that! Little did I know!

The moral of the story I guess is don't mess with a pregnant woman who is in a lot of pain and needs a nap. And for the record, anyone who says they like Tully's better then Starbucks is a lying liar.

There. It felt good to get all that out!

Happy Halloween!

Hot dog!

34 Weeks

Gah! 3 more weeks until full term - 6 weeks until D-Day!

So this week has been fun times with the sudden onset of sciatica. It started on Sunday and hasn't let up since. There is nothing like an extremely sharp shooting pain on one side of your back every time you walk, stand, or move at all to really slow a person down. According to the doctor it is most likely caused by Big Man here sitting on a nerve where he doesn't belong. If he moves the pain could go away. Or he could stay put. Or it could come and go. So basically, the verdict is too bad, suck it up.

In other news, here is my gigantic gut, which no longer fits into any of my clothes. My new theme song is "Fat Guy in a Little Coat" for pretty much everything I put on. This outfit should look familiar since its almost the only thing that fits so I put it on right after work almost every day!
According to Babycenter: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.

I don't know if I believe this weeks produce comparison. Cantaloupe seems like a downgrade from last week! Shenanigans Babycenter!

33 Weeks

According to Babycenter: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.

You may be feeling some achiness and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can retain fluid, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" may end up pinched, creating numbness; tingling, shooting or burning pain; or a dull ache. Try wearing a splint to stabilize your wrist or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or on an assembly line, for instance), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks — which should be frequently.

Thats a big piece of produce! Yikes!

A less exciting first...

Today was our first real trip to labor and delivery.

So, I finally called the on-call doctor today because I was afraid I was leaking fluid. Without going into details, it had been happening since yesterday straight, was different then anything I had experienced yet, and didn't go away over night. Of course the doctor sends us to triage so we can get everything all checked out.

We head out at about 1, right as we were about to eat lunch, and finally get to the hospital at about 1:30, thanks to some totally random Saturday traffic. We get up to triage and they strap the monitors to my belly and we wait... and wait and wait for the doctor to make it in. Once she finally got there she did a (most uncomfortable) exam and then came back and said there was no fluid, I was fine. BUT, when we first got there the baby's heartbeat had a couple dips in it so she wanted to send me for an ultrasound to make sure the fluid wasn't too low. So we wait another few decades for ultrasound to come and get me.

Finally they manage to make it down a floor to us and wheel me on the bed over to ultrasound. A little dramatic, don't you think?! Oh yeah, and I'm still only wearing that lovely nearly see through blanket to cover me from the waist down for this ride.

Long story short, more waiting, a normal ultrasound, followed by more waiting, and we were finally able to go home. So yeah, nearly 4 hours later and everything is fine.

Its 5 when we can finally leave, I hadn't eaten since I had a couple freezer waffles for breakfast and Doug hadn't eaten at all, so he runs down to the cafe while I'm getting dressed and waiting for the discharge form. We walk out of the hospital drinking oj and eating a giant bag of gummy bears and a bag of cheetos. We were that hungry.

So what did we learn today? Lets try to keep emergancies to office hours, and if you have to go to L&D then please EAT SOMETHING FIRST! Trust me on this one!

Doug's First Attempt at Hanging Wall Letters

Yep.

Forget baby bibs, I need my own.

Yeah, its pretty much a rare day when I can get through all 3 meals without spilling stuff all down my shirt. Granted, I've always had a slight problem with this, but it really isn't my fault any more. With the belly sticking so far out by itself, and then it causing me to not be able to lean over my plate as much as I need to I'm screwed when I eat pretty much anything.

Today I am wearing a white shirt under a light gray zip up hoodie. Of course, we are halfway through lunch at the Thai place when Doug points to my shirt - pad thai juice all over me! Now, I'm thinking, oh well thats ok I can take off the sweatshirt and I'll be fine. Nope! The shirt under the sweatshirt is already stained.

Sweet.

32 Weeks

Ummm.... 8 more weeks until my due date. That seems pretty close when you put it like that! As a frame of reference, Doug was born 2 months premature, which is basically now, and he turned out alright. But Milo, you better stay in there a little longer big man - we aren't ready yet!

This is what Doug likes to call my "Grimace" outfit. Yes, I know that Grimace is purple, and this suit is clearly blue, but since he is color blind, he insists that he is right. (I know, it makes no sense!)

I also like to think that I am not quite as roly poly as our purple friend here is!

Exhibit A:Nope, not even close! I win this one Doug!

According to Babycenter: 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, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She 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.

To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath and heartburn. To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often.

You may have lower-back pain as your pregnancy advances. If you do, let your caregiver know right away, particularly if you haven't had back pain before, since it can be a sign of preterm labor.

Assuming it's not preterm labor that's ailing you, you can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. Hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a decent picture of a jicama on the internet? But seriously, what the heck is this thing anyways?

Just in case it was getting too easy...

So, ultimately, I really can't complain out my pregnancy experience. I have had it really easy compared to some people.

But, this new "symptom" is totally unexpected and out of the blue....

Heartburn and Acid Reflux.

Seriously, I didn't even know what it was when I had it the first time!

Me: "Doug, my chest hurts right in the middle here! What the heck is this?"
Doug: "Sounds like heartburn to me."
Me: "But I haven't eaten anything in a while!" (You know, meaning like an hour or two - thats awhile for me!)
Doug: "It doesn't matter."
--------------------------------------------------------
Me: "WTF - why do I keep kind of burping and then throwing up in my mouth a tiny bit out of nowhere for no reason?!"
Doug: "Its called Acid Reflux."
Me: "But I haven't eaten anything in a while!"
Doug: "It doesn't matter!"

I am not kidding - I had no idea what was wrong with me! Thank goodness I have it mild (for now) - Milo likes his tacos and what not too much for it to affect my eating habits!

Combine that with my new need to pee every hour or hour and a half and I am downright lovely to hang around with. :-P

31 Weeks

According to Babycenter: his 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.

Have you noticed the muscles in your uterus tightening now and then? Many women feel these random contractions — called Braxton Hicks contractions — in the second half of pregnancy. Often lasting about 30 seconds, they're irregular, and at this point, they should be infrequent and painless. Frequent contractions, on the other hand — even those that don't hurt — may be a sign of preterm labor. Call your practitioner immediately if you have more than four contractions in an hour or any other signs of preterm labor: an increase in vaginal discharge or a change in the type of discharge (if it becomes watery, mucus-like, or bloody — even if it's pink or just tinged with blood); abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping; an increase in pressure in the pelvic area; or low back pain, especially if you didn't have it before.

Four F@#$ing Oranges!? Come on! There isn't a single piece of produce equivalent to that all by itself? I'm calling shenanigans again, Babycenter!