Nursery Reveal - Gray, Royal Blue, and Dark Wood

Nursery is finally completed right at my 36 week mark.  Here is a snapshot of it, followed by lots of photos below:

However, lease does not begin until next week, when I am technically full term at 37 weeks.  My husband is traveling to Michigan this weekend for his brother's wedding, so this little guy better stay nice and snug in my belly until daddy is back on Sunday night.  Then he is free to come out and play.

I love this room.  From the get-co, I knew most importantly I wanted this room to be inviting and comfortable.  I think I succeeded there, as and I often find myself snuggling with Tito on the glider reading baby books.  I also wanted to decorate it traditionally with modern touches, mixing light and dark, as well as making it gender neutral-enough so that in the future, a) if a girl needs to share the room, we could make some easy changes, and b) we can still use it as a spare guestroom since it has its own bathroom (the couch is a futon, plenty of space for extra air mattresses, and we can just roll the crib into our room down the hall).  There is no theme per se, however we incorporated several world/travel elements like the African mobile, globe, a tapestry from South Africa, and the alphabet art displaying cities around the world.  In addition, we also have some dog items like stuffed animals and another beautiful art canvas displaying dog breeds.  Finally, my husband insisted on tacking up Chicago sports team pennants last minute, so Chicago is in the house too.  All in all, its very similar to my original inspiration below:



Nursery in detail:

A Few of My Favorite Pregnancy Things - Care Package List

There are a few essential things I've bought during this pregnancy that I've relied on, and loved - and would recommend to other newly pregnant women.  There are also a few things I wish I had bought, and will likely buy the second time around.  I thought I would list it all out for all the newly preggos out there, for friends who want to buy something for their newly pregnant friends,  and also to remind myself for friends and future pregnancies.

1.  Long, cotton, maternity, tank tops:  Given that I was pregnant March through Oct in Houston, that's no surprise.  Its been over 90 degrees that whole time, and I couldn't have made it without tank after tank.

2.  Maternity Leggings:  Same as above, and the only thing that feels remotely comfortable in the last trimester.

3. Maternity Shapewear:  I loved this.   I had several weddings I attended during my pregnancy, and this helped me deal with my changing body.  Plus it helps support the growing belly and felt like a relief in the later stages of pregnancy.

4.  Detailed First Trimester Book: As a first time mom, I really appreciated this detailed book on the first trimester.  Most pregnancy books gloss over the first 12 weeks, but I was SO DAMN EXCITED about being pregnant that I wanted more, more and more information.  This book delivered.  That said, once I got into my second trimester, I stopped reading altogether and relied on iPhone apps.

5.  Iphone Apps:  I'm sure there are tons, but I loved the timeline in Sprout, and the tips of the day in Baby Bump.  They also allow you to time your contractions, list what to pack in hospital bag, etc. 

6.  Designer Maternity Jeans:  I bought one pair of AG maternity jeans (so soft and comfy yet shapely) at the start of my pregnancy around week 12 for $200 and wore them the entire time, pretty much every time I went out, through week 36.  They are still in great shape and make me look like half of me is in great shape, and I know I'll get another 36 weeks out of them next time. 

AG Jeans at Pea in the Pod

7.  Maternity online shopping:  Once I hit the second trimester, I realized the two mall maternity stores pretty much had K-Mart style clothes that looked all the same.  So I stopped going to them for new things, and just bought tanks and leggings there instead.  I found some great websites for maternity clothes though at reasonable prices.  My favorites are:  ASOS, Zulily, Gilt, Old Navy, Gap, and Seraphine (Princess Kate's favorite).

 

8.  True Lemon:  The ONLY thing that could get rid of my massive migraines the first trimester was staying hydrated.  Actually, the only thing that could relieve me of all and every one of my symtoms was staying hydrated.  I did this by drinking a TON of water every single day.  At first I started drinking Gatorade and PowerAde but then got freaked out knowing some flavors have BMO and it may not be good for baby.  So I forced myself to drink only/mostly water - which I struggled with.  A friend recommended adding true lemon packet to water, and it worked.  It's 100% natural and made the water go down easier.  Just like adding a lemon wedge.

9.  Pill reminder storage:  Blame it on pregnancy brain or not, but I could not quite ever remember if I had taken my prenatal vitamins or not during the first 12 weeks.  As soon as I purchased this, it helped a ton.  I don't think I've missed a day.  Also nice to travel with.

10.  Bikini Shaper: There comes a day when you realize you can no longer see, down there.  At all.  Its also hard to reach.  This little tool allows you to precise and safe bikini trimming without needing a mirror.

 

Ok now for things I wish I had bought.

 

11.  Memory Mattress Pad: By week 20 you are only supposed to sleep on your side and I swear I woke up with bruises on both of my hips.  It got worse as the weight increased.  My sides literally ached with pain making my already lower back pain unbearable.  I actually finally purchased a memory mattress pad last week at 35 weeks and it make a world of difference.  I wished I had done it sooner. 

 

12.  Pregnancy Body Pillow:  Same reasoning as above.  Its been extremely uncomfortable for me sleeping on my sides.  Coupled with the incessant bathroom breaks and insomnia in general, finding a way to sleep should be your utmost priority.  I ruled this body out in the beginning of my pregnancy because I thought it may be too big, and unnecessary.  I thought oh I could just snuggle up to a regular pillow.  Wrong.  Next time, the minute I find out I'm pregnant, I'm buying this as a gift to myself.  $100 is a small price to pay for uninterrupted sleep pre baby.  . 

 



Are there any other things you found useful or of relief during your pregnancies?



36 weeks - Drama! (10th Prenatal Appointment)

I went in for my last routine ultrasound this morning at 36 weeks.  Since Baby Mac has a two vessel cord, we get ultrasound growth scans monthly - and each time he has passed with flying colors.  So I expected the same this week and took two hours off of work to accommodate this final scan.   Little did I know pulling up to my appointment, that I'd be admitted to the hospital and told I might deliver today!

The ultrasound technician seemed cool, and remained poker faced throughout the scan.  However, when I met with my Nurse Practitioner afterwards to go over the results (my doctor is on vacation this week), she told me they were admitting me to the hospital for further testing.

The NP explained that the results told her that a) my amniotic fluid was very low.  Normal levels are from 8-18, and I am currently at 8.3 and  b) the baby's abdomen growth was only at 5th percentile (where as in previous weeks it was in the 35th percentile), so they were concerned about his lack of growth there.  She said, "Don't freak out, but there is a possibility we may have you deliver the baby today."  My head started spinning, and my first thought was, "What?  I have a briefer to write for the Under Secretary of State today...delivery today, not ideal." 

So, I was admitted to the hospital, signed registration papers, and proceeded to get checked out by a high risk specialist who gave me ANOTHER 45 minute ultrasound.  However, upon measuring the abdomen, she said the first technician had misread it.  In fact, the abdomen was measuring FINE, at the 30th percentile, not 5th percentile.  The reason the first ultrasound technician might have misread it is because the baby is still breech (head up)!  In fact, he is sitting in the same position "frank breech" he has been sitting in the last couple of months.  See below:

And with my amniotic fluid so low, its doubtful he has enough liquid to flip.  Which is why none of my crazy breech exercises have been working!

 

Alas, crisis averted, for now.  The doctor said that because his abdomen was in fact growing fine, and that the amniotic fluid was still on the normal scale, albeit the lowest number on the scale (8, out of 8-18), I was discharged today.  

However, moving on, I will now be seen by my doctor twice a week, every Thursday and Monday.  And each time, if my amniotic fluid decreases, there is a chance I will need to deliver the baby. Plus, I am already 1 cm dilated!  He is also already 5lbs 13 oz, so plenty big enough to come out and play.  So based on my non-medical opinion, I don't think this baby is going to wait until his due date of October 23 to make his appearance. 

So in sum, the baby is already the boss of us, and takes after his daddy.  My husband was also breech which caused his mother to have a Cesarean.  And he came 2-3 weeks early, also the first week of October!  Its quite possible these boys may share the same birthdate, and the same birth story.  What did I get myself into!?  LOL.

I just PRAY that he waits until atleast Monday.  This weekend is my husband's brother's wedding in Michigan, and my husband is set to depart on Thursday.   Obviously, I'm bummed I can't make it, but now I am seriously freaking out thinking either a) I could deliver a baby on Thursday, causing hubby to miss his brother's wedding or, b) baby comes sometime this weekend while my hubby is away!  I'm going to drink an extraordinary amount of fluid from now on hoping to resupply Baby Mac's amniotic fluid, so that he remains comfy throughout atleast this weekend.  The doctor told me to remain on bed rest as long as I can, to not do anything strenuous - this will help with the amniotic fluid levels.  So I plan on relaxing and drinking water all weekend long by myself.  Fun times...  I don't care if he comes on Monday, but just hold out for your uncle Dan's wedding boy.  

One last thing, I do have a scheduled version on Monday.  My doctor will only be able to perform it if I have enough amniotic fluid, which she will assess on Monday.  A version is a procedure where the doctor tries to turn the baby manually around with her hands, so that his head is positioned down for birth.  If this does not work (50/50 chance), then we'll have to schedule a C-Section mid October.  Of course this is all if we don't have to do an emergency delivery beforehand.  

My gut feeling is telling me the doctor will not be able to turn him.  He's been stuck in the same exact position for months, and his head is really big (90th percentile), so I just don't think its small enough to fit in the pelvis which is maybe why he is not flipping.  But I guess only time will tell.  Until next time!

Please keep your fingers crossed this baby boy stays tucked away in utero through the weekend!

This month's glamour shots at 36 weeks:

Front view of baby's face.  You can see his nostrils, and his open mouth.

The white fuzzies around his skull is hair.  I wonder what color it is!?

The next two pictures are off his profile with his fist up my his mouth (he was trying to stick his fist in his mouth, atleast thats what it looked like).  His nose looks rather pointy in the first one, and more button nosed in the second one.  I wonder which one it will be?

Breastfeeding Commitment

After attending a weekend long childbirth seminar, I toyed with the idea of a natural (pain med-free) childbirth.  Following the class, I asked my OBGYN her opinion on whether I should put that in my birthplan as my first preference.  She told me that yes, there are a lot of women who put that in their birthplans as their preference, but the only ones that she sees go through with it are the ones that were REALLY determined from the start.  Most of them have birthing doulas, and almost all of them have been preparing for it throughout their pregnancy.  It was at that point, I knew I was going to get an epidural.  I just was not THAT dedicated to the idea of a natural birth; rather, I thought maybe I would just try the day of the birth.  Definitely am lacking ALL the preparation one needs to really be committed to that.

Breastfeeding on the other hand, I am committed to.  The women in my family have a history of not being able to breastfeed.  From what I've learned, they all have had inverted nipples and painful experiences breastfeeding, thus, we were all bottle fed.  Clearly, we turned out fine:  all good college grads, Ivy League alumni, swim stars, authors, sports stars, etc - and I know that if I am unable to breastfeed my formula fed baby will be rockstar nonetheless.  I'm not getting into that discussion nor do I have a problem with that.

However, I really, really, really, really, really, really just want to breastfeed.  And its not because EVERYONE is pushing breastfeeding on new mothers (even my doctor said the pressure these days is more than she has ever seen).

For me, I made the commitment to myself when I served in the Peace Corps. For two years, I watched women breastfeed and calm their babies by breastfeeding throughout all hours of the day - and fell in love with the image.   I have thousands of images of African mothers breastfeeding stored in my head that absoultely make me crazy with joy, and make me pine and long for breastfeeding as well.  I've seen hundreds of African women flipping their babies from the slings on their back to their sides to provide nourishment for the babies, regardless of where they were:  at home, in the market, farming a rice field, on a bus, etc.  And to come to think of it, I rarely heard babies cry in Africa (and trust me, there were a lot of babies).  Yes, there are wonderful benefits to breastfeeding among providing antibodies, nourishment, different flavored milks with different tastes, much cheaper, easier to lose weight, etc... but its the images I remember from my Peace Corps days that make me yearn, and want.  And so I am hoping that this dedication and yearning for breastfeeding enables me to make it happen (like my doctor said about women who go through natural childbirth).

I saw this a dozen times a day, over two years in the Peace Corps.  It wasn't uncommon for women to greet you while their child was drinking from their breasts, totally natural with no reservations.

African mom working, pounding millet, while breastfeeding.

Moreover in my line of work, we strongly encourage African mothers to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months as it is the single most preventive intervention for ensuring child survival in Africa.  A Lancet-published study estimates that 13 percent of all deaths of children under five years old in developing countries could be prevented by exclusive breastfeeding.  

We encourage the breast crawl after deliveries in my line of work.  Unfortunately my doctor told me that with epidurals, this is harder to have.  She has seend it a lot with natural births though.
Every newborn, when placed on the mother's abdomen, soon after birth, has the ability
to find its mother's breast all on its own and to decide when to take the first breastfeed.
This is called the 'Breast Crawl'.  Starting at minute 2.  So amazing.

I KNOW its hard work, our instructor at our breastfeeding class last weekend pretty much told us to give up our lives the first few months.  I told her I was planning on hiring someone to come for a few times a week during maternity leave so that I could get out of the house.  She told me "not in the first month honey.  If you really want to breastfeed, don't introduce a bottle for a month, and that baby needs to be with you at all times that first month."  Thats a lot.  And every 45-90 mins??  WTF.

But, I'm committed to it as much as I can be without knowing what its really going to be like.  And my husband is just as committed, coming with me to the class to learn how to help me along the way.  Also, I've already hired a lactation consultant to come to my home the day after I deliver (with a generous gift certificate a friend of mine gifted us).  So I'm doing everything possible to make it happen.

That said, if I am unable to succeed, I will not beat myself up about it.  Just like birth plans, breastfeeding plans are 50/50 -- and I'll revise it as necessary to accommodate whats best for me and the baby at that point.  But I'm going to try really really really hard.

Houston Baby Shower

As a bonafide nomad through my 20s, I've never stayed in one place for more than a couple of years (Champaign, Chicago, Senegal, NYC, Mali, Washington DC and Houston), so I've always considered Chicago as HOME base.  This is indeed still TRUE...  and I've remained in close touch with my hometown friends over the years thankfully, so I still have a wonderful and deep base to come back too.  However, after buying a home in Houston last year, I think our roots just got a little deeper in cowboy country.  And Houston is beginning to look a lot like home too.  This weekend helped solidify that.

When my good friend in Houston offered to throw me a baby shower here for friends, at first I was worried I didn't have enough, LOL.  However, upon thinking about the invite list, I realized I've met some pretty awesome people that I continue to seek out time and time again for friendship, and have developed some great friendships in just the past year or so.

My friend really outdid herself for what I thought was going to be a small shindig, and my friends who showed up were so warm and welcoming.  I feel so grateful to have made these friends in the past year or two, and am grateful as well that three of them already have little boys of their own -- so Baby Mac has a head start in friend making!  I can't wait to see them grow up together.

Here are some pics from my lovely Houston shower:

Infant CPR

As I was looking through childcare listings the other day, I noticed most nannies and babysitters were certified in infant CPR.  I thought well if I am requiring my nanny to be certified, then most certainly, my husband and I should be trained in it as well!  Moreover, my husband's uncle had a stroke last year, and within seconds, a teen lifeguard on the train performed CPR on him and SAVED.HIS.LIFE.  So although we hope that we are never called upon to perform CPR, a three hour training certainly is a small price to pay for possibly saving our or another infant's life.

When we arrived in class, we received our very own plastic blow up baby.

Then we watched a DVD on how to perform CPR by pressing into the baby's chest 30 times, and the puffing breaths into his mouth two times.  The plastic baby's chest "clicks" when you press in the right spot and hard enough; and his chest rises when you puff the right way.  It wasn't as simple as I thought!

You have to press into the baby's chest with quite force, and fast, to achieve the results you want.  It almost feels like you may bruise the baby - although that's better than the alternative! 

We also learned how to get small objects out of baby if he is choking, which is a real threat.  Hopefully we won't feel the need to use either technique ever, but I feel MUCH better knowing what to do in the event of an emergency. 
 

Babymoon in the Heart of Texas

Hubby and I were planning on going on one last, intrepid vacation this past August....but unfortunately my dreams of Greece, Turkey or Croatia slowly faded away as his work schedule got full and he could no longer take off the time.  Instead, we did the next best thing:  Bastrop, Texas...for one night.

I wanted to get away for atleast a night before the baby arrives, to get pampered, relax, but mainly share some special memories alone time with my husband before children. We checked into a beautiful resort about two hours away from Houston called Hyatt Lost Pines.  The resort grounds were beautiful, and very authentic Texan.  Its situated in a nature park, and in fact, we saw a dead armadillo on the side of the road pulling in (my first!).  

There was plenty to do:  horseback riding, golfing, trap shooting, bass fishing, kayaking, biking, spas, etc.  But yours truly, 33 weeks preggo, situated herself at the edge of the amazing lazy river pool, and proceeded to order one (virgin) pina colada after another, catching up on the latest US Weeklies.  It was bliss.  

Hubby and I tried two of the hotel restaurants and enjoyed a leisurely brunch the next day.  After spending another full day floating around in the lazy river, we made our way back to Houston blissfully relaxed and happy.  Sometimes, you just need to remove yourself for 24 hours to rejuvenate.

On the flip side, there were a TON of families there.  In fact, almost everyone had kids.  So we got a snapshot of what it may be like in the near future.  We are sure our son will enjoy the resort as well, so we hope to go back with him and friends again --  somehow, am doubtful my next trip will be as carefree.  

3rd Trimester Symptoms: I feel like an Animal

My second trimester was GREAT.  Weeks 16 through 28 were easy peasy.  I sometimes even forgot I was pregnant.  The only symptoms I had (other than a growing belly and baby kicks) was lower back pain and frequent potty breaks.

Around 28 weeks, a friend asked me if I'd seen "What to Expect when you are Expecting" and whether I could relate.  I chuckled and exclaimed that I had seen it, but couldn't relate.  It seemed like she was overreacting.  Oh sweet Karma.  What a fool I was. At 29 weeks, everything changed!  I feel her pain plus more!

Check out minute 1:20....

"I find myself crying all the time....The truth is, I'm so uncomfortable, I don't even recognize my body anymore.  I can fit 20 of my old bras into this one giant piece of granny spandex."  "I have no control over my body or my emotion.....all I want to do is punch you in the face."  etc..... "and then I have these purple stretch marks everywhere, and pressure hanging from my uterus, that makes me walk like I was kicked in the ...."  and then she farted.

Yep, ladies and gentleman, at 33 weeks, I relate to her 100%.  It all came on starting at 29 weeks, with the last two weeks being particularly unbearable.  It's not that I am hurting.  I am just so uncomfortable with my body and with the changes!  Some of it may have to do with the 100 degree heat outside.  But even in my freezing 65 degree house, I am constantly taking off clothes to help with constant hot flashes (thank God I work from home!), only to discover minutes later I am shaking from the cold and putting on a cardigan....over and over again.

I have no control over my bowel movement sounds, and have tooted out loud in public several times in precarious situations that have completely mortified me.

My undergarments are so big, that each time I see them, I wonder if I mistakenly took my grandmother's undergarments, only to discover that they are actually tight on me when I put them on.  AND my MATERNITY CLOTHES NO LONGER FIT ME.  I can't even go out anymore.  I literally have nothing to wear besides a mumu.

Long story short:  I feel like an animal.  And, once the baby comes, and I am feeding him all day, I'm pretty sure it's not going to stop.