Bump Check: Week 40

Alright baby, come on out now.  Olly olly oxen free!  We’re ready to meet you!  Baby girl has been cookin’ for 40+ weeks so now we’re just playing the waiting game (spoiler alert: she is winning).  So last week I made a list of all the things I’d like to get done before she arrives, and it was quite a long, slightly unrealistic list.  However, because of the help of some wonderful people, items are getting knocked off the list…and things are getting done that didn’t even make the list, which is awesome!

Cinderella came to my house and scrubbed my kitchen floors.  She also vacuumed our bedroom and the nursery.  More importantly, we ate Goodcents together.

Sissy Sarah came up from Texas for a trip home and spent time making delicious food for us!  Because of this master chef, we have a lasagna and 4 Mexican pizzas in the freezer as well as a container of tomato soup and some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (most of which are already gone…oops)!

I’ve had my car for 11 years and have taken good care of everything under the engine.  I will admit, however, that I don’t take the best care of the interior of my car.  I found a small company that seems to be just trying to get off the ground and their prices are right!  Lucy (my car) got her floors and seats vacuumed and shampooed, her dash and door panels were cleaned, her mirrors and windows sparkle, and they even washed and dried the exterior, all for $100!  I really wanted a sparkling clean car for baby girl to ride in and at 9 months pregnant and with a husband who works full-time while attending grad classes and working on his thesis, I figured paying someone else to do it was totally worth it to me.

I can’t even begin to tell you all the things my mom has done around the house to help prepare for the baby.  I won’t even go into the emotional support she’s given me because it’s just all too much to comprehend, but I think what’s so amazing is she doesn’t make a big deal of it.  I’ll be on the phone in another room while my mom is at our house and all of a sudden, I’ll hear her sweeping somewhere.  I’ll be upstairs getting dressed and she’s downstairs unloading the dishwasher.  All of these things add up to a huge relief for Scott and myself. 

One of the best things that’s happened in the last week is I officially started my maternity leave from school.  It’s really hard not to be with my students, but I know a few days off before the baby arrives is a good thing.  Maternity leave without a baby turned into this today:

• Cheddar bites and strawberry limeade at Sonic
• A trip to GAP Kids where of course I had to buy something
• Stopping into Barnes and Noble to pick up this little beauty
• Conveniently located across the street B and N is Andres Confiserie, where I picked up a piece of vanilla cake with buttercream frosting.  DONE.

This baby better come soon so I stop spending all our money!

Since I’ve been on maternity leave, I’ve received countless texts and emails from students wanting to know how I’m doing.  It’s also funny to see the rumor mill in action.  Here are some of the texts I received on my first day away (they are unedited, so you can get a real taste of my students).  Notice how they progress as the day goes on:

• Hey ms dicus we miss u.. Its alberto and Miguel
• Hey ms dicus itz me Jamie. I wish u the best and I hope everything goes well with ur baby!! I love u and miss u!!!
• Omg i just found out ur goin to have ur baby. i wish u da best..n plz!! Send me a pic of ur baby!!!
• Good Luck Miss Dicus Cant Wait Too See Your Beautiful Baby She Will Have A Big Smile Just Like You :]
• Hey Miss Dicus Its Rosa And Daniel We Were Just Wonderinq If Yu Had Yuur Baby Already?
• Omg Ms.Dicus I heard you are having contractions now, We all wish u the best and let us know when she is here...Love yu girly :)

I love my students SO much.  I also love that in a 2 hour span, the texts went from “Hey” to “OMG…you’re having contractions” apparently.

Okay baby girl.  Let’s get this show on the road.  BRING. IT. ON.

How far along: 40 weeks

Current fruit comparison: She is now the size of a baby elephant.

Total weight gain/loss: At the doctor today, I was up 29.3lbs. I’ll take it!

Sleep: Besides bathroom trips every 90 minutes to 2 hours, I’m good!

Best moment this week: Watching the baby hiccup during our sonogram appointment

Movement: Still good, though I know she’s squished in there. She gets the hiccups a couple of times a day, so that’s why it was extra great to actually see it happening during the sonogram.

Food cravings: Cereal still…no big changes.

What I miss: Doing things around the house quickly.  Everything nowadays is soooo slooooow.

Milestones: Baby girl is fully cooked at 40+ weeks!

Bump Check: Week 39

I’ve been thinking a lot about “nesting” lately, mostly because there’s a lot I want to do and a bunch that’s already been done.  Also, this nesting instinct means less time to write about it and more to do around the house…meaning I’m not sure how long this entry will be but DEAL WITH IT, SUCKAS.

What’s been done

• Nursery is ready (pictures to come in a bit)
• All blankets/clothing/hats/PJ’s/ridiculous baby mittens are washed
• Clothing is organized in her closet and dresser by size
• Linen closet is organized and baby girl has her own shelf now
• All major baby items have been purchased and assembled
• All my lesson plans and grading guides for the entire semester are ready and organized in a binder for my long-term sub
• Frozen meals are prepared, and it’s been really hard not to eat them already
• Our bedroom is ready for her to sleep in it for awhile (clothes put away, dusted, etc)
• Hospital bag is packed
• Organized the closet in the bathroom with the help of my lovely mama.

• I’ve started cleaning under my nails a lot…I cannot be grabbing a freshly birthed baby with grubby nails.  That will not do.
• My jewelry is re-organized (and for those of you that know the amount of jewelry I have, this is amazing).  I wanted to make sure it was organized so in a couple of weeks when the baby is like, “Hey, can I borrow that vintage cameo of yours?” I know right where to go.

Things I would still like to do

• Clean our bathtub.  It’s nasty.
• Clean the kitchen floor.  It’s nasty.
• Sweep downstairs (lots o’ dust bunnies).
• Organize the gift-wrapping area in the basement. Oh my goodness, I get to wrap little baby presents at Christmas this year!  Side note: Christmas music begins November 1^st on one of the local radio stations. I will be there. Don’t hate.
• Wash all the rugs in the house, including the one in front of the washing machine.  This sounds like Danny Tanner a la Full House when he was washing all of his cleaning supply bottles.
• Get my eyebrows and (let’s be honest) moustache waxed one more time before she arrives
• Put away some laundry baskets of school books that are just sitting in the dining room
• Clean out the file cabinet in the office
• Finish hanging up a couple of things in her nursery
• Do another good vacuum of our room and her room
• Wash our sheets so the baby doesn’t know about this situation
• Get my car detailed on the inside.  There’s so much stuck on Tad’s Tropical Sno, melted chocolate, and granola bar crumbs, it’s a little out of control. I could probably just wait until the baby’s old enough and then she can just crawl around and eat all those little bits for me.

If anybody would like to volunteer their services to get anything done, just come on over!

Also, it’s totally crazy to think that this could be my last bump check…or there might be one more.  Only baby knows for sure!  I’m due the 26^th and if she’s not here by October 3^rd, I would be induced, but homegirl could come any day now!  Though it might be the last bump check, there will be many a good baby updates to come as I struggle through a new adventure called parenthood.  Get PUMPED (breast pumped…badum, ching)!

 

How far along: 39 weeks

Current fruit comparison: She’s the size of 8 watermelon put together.  Well…not really, but that’s what it feels like.

Total weight gain/loss: I didn’t weigh myself this week.  Sorry to disappoint you.  Let’s just assume I gained weight, okay?

Sleep: Not the best comfort-wise anymore, but to make it to 39 weeks and have felt pretty comfortable leading up to now?  I consider that a success.

Best moment this week: Finally getting the chair for our nursery delivered – yay!

Movement: She moves pretty good when I lay down.  To my students’ disappointment, she doesn’t always move when they touch her.  “Mrs. Dicus, make her move!”

Food cravings: Cereal…probably because of the cold milk.  Ice water – duh. I have been super into Panera lately.  They have a steak and white cheddar sandwich that is delightful.  I order with the mac & cheese.  Mmmm!

What I miss: Sitting upright on the couch by my husband.  My rib starts to hurt too bad, so I just lay down by him, making it more difficult to hold is hand.

Milestones: Experiencing some Braxton-Hicks contractions.  Is that a milestone?  Whateves, I guess it just means my body is gearin’ up for the real deal!

Bump Check: Week 38

Having been inspired by many of our adorable children’s books, this week’s entry will be an overview of pregnancy guided by the alphabet!  It will be both graphic and medically incorrect. Disclaimer: Please do not use the Pregnancy ABC’s as a measure of what is normal during pregnancy.  Consult your physician before totally believing anything I say.

A is for average.  Baby Dicus has been measuring right on track, 54^th percentile in weight.  Average pregnancy?  I’ll take it!

B is for bladder, a tiny trampoline for your bundle of joy.

C is for chunklets, because I know there are weirdo chunklets of my insides that will be on our sweet baby girl when she’s born.  I’m sorry baby.  I don’t even know what those chunklets are.

D is for dilation, aka the opening of the cervix.  Right now, mine is open the size of a Cheerio and must get to the size of a grapefruit before I can push.

E is for effleurage, a fun French word for light pressure or brushing used as a relaxation technique during labor.  Scott and I learned this in our birthing class.  He is now an effleurage expert.

F is for food, which I now feel like I have an excuse to eat too much of.  Thank you, baby.

G is for gestational diabetes, a regular test all pregnant ladies go through.  You drink some weird orange stuff and then you can’t eat or pee for a while, which is totally rude.

H is for heartburn, which I didn’t even know was a pregnancy symptom.  I would complain about this more, but my antacid tablets seriously do the trick.  I love them.

I is for insurance, which I don’t really understand…just pretend to.  I went up to the benefits lady at my work and said, “So, can you just tell me what plan will be the cheapest for me to enroll in for a pregnancy and then tell me how much to put in my FSA to cover my out-of-pocket expenses?”  She answered immediately and confidently.  I checked the boxes and moved on with my life.

J is for juices, as in bodily juices.  Weird stuff comes out of your body while you’re pregnancy, including this little beauty I’ve been enjoying the last 2 ½ months.

K is for kicking, or baby movement in general, which is pretty much the best thing ever.  They even make “Kick Counter” iPhone apps to keep track of your baby’s movements.  Sounds like overkill, but babies are supposed to move a certain amount in a specific time period so you know they’re healthy.  I haven’t used any apps, but just try to pay attention and make sure baby girl is staying busy!

L is for labia, because that word is funny.

M is for maternity clothes, which are very limited.  I found most of mine at Destination Maternity, Old Navy, & GAP.

N is for nesting.  I’ve spent hours gathering sticks and twigs from our yard to add to the baby’s giant baby nest.  Oh man, totally fooled you!  I’m not making a nest!  I do, however, spend plenty of time happily washing and folding her clothes and blankets, moving around books, and playing with her tiny baby shoes.

O is for ovaries, without which this baby would not be possible.

P is for penis.  A penis played some role in this whole baby thing.  If that confuses you, go talk to your mom or dad.  [Side note for my dad: Remember, I’ve still never kissed a boy. XOXO]

Q is for questions…I kept a list on my iPhone for our doctor so when we’d go in for our appointments, I knew what I wanted to ask.  Scott, the thoughtful engineer, always had better, more researched questions, but that’s why I keep him around.

R is for rib pain.  Have I mentioned this at all during pregnancy?  Sorry I’m a whiner.

S is for skin tags.  This is not a joke.

T is for test, aka pregnancy test.  I took two in one night just to make sure, and Scott and I celebrated by eating onion rings and various other fried treats at The Foundry.

U is for urine that gets checked at every doctor’s appointment.  “Hi, I’ll take your chart.  There’s the bathroom.  Bring your urine back into the exam room when you’re finished.”

V is for vagina.  I have one.  Our baby girl has one.  I’m going to push a smaller, baby-sized vagina out of my grown-up sized vagina.  Awesome.

W is for weight gain, which I thought was going to bother me, but it really hasn’t.  I mean, I’m sure it’s made it harder for me to walk up and down the stairs, but as far as self-confidence, I really don’t mind.  It’s all for a good cause!

X is for xylophone…because what other x words are there really…or, umm, sometimes, the baby hits your organs as if they’re playing a musical instrument. Yeah, we’ll go with that.

Y is for yawning.  Seeing the baby yawn during a sonogram was one of the sweetest things I’ve seen and just reminded me that I have a real little person in there, not just an alien baby.

Z is for zebra trainer, our daughter’s future career.  Duh.

Picture note: I have straight hair from "Crazy Hair Day" at school.  Don't judge...I don't have the haircut or the patience to actually make this look good.  It's just straight and that's that.

 

How far along: 38 weeks

Current fruit comparison: Still a watermelon, but now a 7 pounder!

Total weight gain/loss: +28.2

Sleep: Still no problems…just when I wake up to pee my body is really stiff and sore, but hey, I’m still able to sleep, so I’m not complaining!

Best moment this week: Getting to spend social time with many friends over the weekend…having our last moments as just Scott and Michelle.

Movement: Still moving her butt around a lot.  She better not be a stripper or something.  Some of the baby names my students have suggested sound like stripper names, so we’ll avoid those in order to maybe get her on a clean path.

Food cravings: Besides ice water and Goodcents?  Oh man, there’s this thing at TCBY called a Sorbet Fizz, and I had one the other day with grapefruit sorbet and it was like CRACK.  I just wanted more and more and more, it was so good.

What I miss: Umm…right now, I miss not living in Topeka so I can properly feed this baby Tortilla Jack’s and Casa at least three times a week.

Milestones: I guess I’m considered full-term now?  There are like…393 definitions of full-term, but the one I hear most consistently is 38 weeks --- woohoo!!

Bump Check: Week 37

There have been a few things that have made me way more comfortable over the past 37 weeks.  If you or someone you know is preggers, consider one of the delightful products below as a gift.  Note: I am not paid by any of these companies to endorse their products.  However, if you are reading this and work for any of these companies, I will gladly take your money.  Thank you.

Michelle’s Favorite Pregnancy Products

CVS Assorted Berries Antacid Tablets

I have had heartburn like WHOA over the last 4 months.  I’ve never been a fan of antacid tablets and how chalky and gross they are, but once I saw how effectively and quickly they worked, I was sold!  Plus, they’re just extra calcium for the baby.  This is one of two pregnancy errands Scott has run (#1 – go to CVS for some antacid stuff and #2 – go to Hy-Vee for milk because all I wanted to eat was cereal).   I love that man.

Thermos

 I am obsessed with this thermos.  It goes everywhere with me.  Let me tell you how amazing this thermos is.  I really really really crave ice water and my classroom is 85 degrees every day (no…seriously).  If I put ice in this in the morning with cold water and refill the water throughout the day, there is still ice in it when I go to bed!  I got it at Target and highly recommend it to ice water lovers.

Boppy Pregancy Wedge & Boppy Body Pillow

The pictures of this one pretty much sum it all up, but I’ve slept with these every night for a while.  I’d say the wedge is more versatile, but they’re both great.  I thought maybe it would be difficult to fit Scott, all my pillows, my growing stomach, and me in our queen bed, but it’s been no problem.  In fact, I’ve even caught Scott tossing a leg over my body pillow a few times.

Liz Lange Maternity Tank Tops from Target

 

There are lots of maternity tank top options out there, and I tried these from Target and some from Old Navy.  The Old Navy ones stretched out more…maybe there’s more spandex in these Target ones…?  Anywho, they’re super soft and continue to fit like they did when I first bought them.  Wearing maternity tank tops has allowed me to continue wearing some of my non-maternity shirts by ensuring my belly doesn’t hang out anywhere.

What to Expect Book/App/Weekly Emails

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, this book has made me feel less crazy.  Plus, I get daily emails (essentially excerpts from the book) emailed to me everyday, which have been really nice and timed to where I’m at in my pregnancy.  There’s also an iPhone app that I didn’t use as much, but it was free, so whatever.

Silver Born Gena sandals

We have a rule at school where staff and students can’t where flip flops.  What else is a giant pregnant lady…in August…in an 85 degree classroom supposed to put on her hippopotamus feet?  Enter these Born sandals.  They have more support than flip flops as well as a back strap, which makes them ok for my school.  I’ve never bought Born shoes before, but really liked this style and thought they were pretty versatile.  I’ve gotten quite a lot of use out of them!

 

Black old navy dress

This dress has almost become a joke with my mom and Scott.  I’ve worn it so much that now when I put it on, one of them will joke with me and say, “Oh, is that new?  I’ve never seen that before!”  It’s black, so it hides summer pregnancy sweating.  The ruffling on the chest makes me feel fun and girly.  All and all, this dress probably got worn during 20% of my pregnancy (no…fo’ realz).

New bras

Please see Bump Check: Week 19

Wolfe’s tshirts

Please see Bump Check: Week 25

That's my pops on the left, rockin' one of his classic Wolfe's shirts.

One-a-Day Pre-natal vitamins

Apparently Taco Bell and Sonic do not provide all essential nutrients for baby’s development, unbelieveable, I know.  Doctors now recommend taking a DHA supplement for brain development.  So I went to CVS, found pre-natal vitamins and saw these with DHA.  I recognized the brand, so I bought ‘em.  A marketer’s dream…

Slim Fast Peanut Butter Crunch Time

These Slim Fast bars have been great because I’ve really been watching my weight over the past 37 weeks.  I kid, I kid!  No seriously though, let me tell you why these have been great.  When I wake up in the middle of the night super hungry, I don’t want to get even more awake by making cereal or generally getting out of bed.  These bars are SO tasty (just like a Butterfinger) but they’re also filling!  I also keep them in my purse for emergency snacks.  I approve.

Miracle ball

My rib has been an issue during my whole pregnancy, but this little gem has really helped.  My mom found this set at Costco and I’ve used this ball to make it through many meals at restaurants, some plane rides, car trips, etc.  I just put it on my back and lean against it and it provides enough pressure to relieve some of my rib pain for a while.  It’s in my purse every day.  I think this ball has also been good for Scott and here’s why.  He really hates when something hurts and he can’t do anything about it.  He can, however, remind me to bring my ball somewhere, get me my ball, pick up my purse and get my ball out, etc, and it lets him know that he really is helpful.  I’ll say my back hurts and he’ll immediately say, “Do you want your ball?” 

Pedicures

I highly recommend a couple of pedicures for any pregnant lady out there.  Leg massage? Yes please.  Not having to bend over to cut your toenails?  Yes please.  My mom and I went this weekend to get pedicures and I told the sweet girl doing mine that my feet and my toenails would be one of the first things the baby would see when she’s born, so make ‘em look good.  She said that was a lot of pressure, but she must work well under pressure because my toesies are birth ready!

Always Dri Liners

What blog post would be complete without talking about my vagina or some type of bodily fluid?  Turns out “increased vaginal discharge” is a pregnancy symptom every month of this baby-cooking process.  I bought a box of Target brand panty liners (heehee…panty…) and used them for about 2/3 of the pregnancy.  While I was at someone else’s house, I used one of these Always Dri Liners and they were SO much better than just cheapo panty liners.  They actually absorbed stuff and left me feeling as fresh as I can feel at this point.

How far along: 37 weeks

Current fruit comparison: No new fruit….she’s still a watermelon.  Just a bigger one than last week!

Total weight gain/loss: I didn’t weigh myself this week…DEAL WITH IT.

Sleep: Pretty good.  My hands get super stiff during the night because of fluid stuff, so sometimes it’s hard to grip toilet paper in the middle of the night (oh my goodness…my life is soooo hard).

Best moment this week: Getting more of the baby stuff put together at our house.  Pack n Play, play mat, closet organizing, all good stuff!

Movement: She’s moving her tushy around a lot!  She’s going to be ready to star in her first rap video by the age of 3 months (after some training from me, of course).

Food cravings: Ice water…shocker!

What I miss: Wearing other shoes.  I know, I know…I just talked about how much I like my Born sandals, but I wear them every day.  Some variety would be nice.

Milestones: Moving up in the world – 1cm dilated, 70% effaced.