33 WEEKS!

Yay! Only 7 more weeks until our due date and 4 weeks until term! I’ve been pretty hot and moving slowly between the bigger belly, sleeping badly, and my feet hurting. I’m getting more swollen everywhere. It’s moving up my legs and I’ve had to quit wearing my wedding ring. Baby girl is pretty mellow, or I’ve just gotten used to her movements by now, hard to tell which. I can feel hard lumps in my belly and I think she likes to lay the same way most of the time. Her head is down, arms punching my cervix and bladder occasionally, back to my left and feet over to the right-ish. She gets me good on the sides sometimes and it really hurts. I don’t think my abdominal muscles like being stretched. The nausea has been gone for two weeks now, yay! I’m keeping my sugars under control and for the most part feeling rather well besides being worn down. We had a busy week so be ready for picture overload.

Monday was our second wedding anniversary. We did…..absolutely nothing. LOL. I got him a card and two roses. I know he’ll make up for it next year and he did a lot for me on Mother’s Day so I can’t complain.
On Tuesday his friend Brian gave us a toddler bed, mattress, and changing table. I’m not sure if we’ll use the mattress or not. He scrubbed everything down and put the changing table together and it looks pretty nice. I need to get some baskets for the lower shelves and of course a changing pad for the top. Donny came by with Brian so we chatted for a bit. I also made a purse I found online. What do you think?



Wednesday was a super busy day! We had our 32 week Dr appointment. I weighed in at 192 lbs, a 1 lb gain from last time. High five to me! They told me to eat less at my last appointment so I went away from the guidelines of my diabetes diet and started eating 4 meals a day instead of 3 meals and 3 snacks. It’s been working out much better for me. I hated standing in front of the fridge every other hour trying to figure out something to eat. I’ve also introduced some sugars in extreme moderation and so far my numbers have still been good. We met with a medical student that’s now working with my Dr. She measured my belly at 31cm (meaning I’m measuring 31 weeks) and the baby’s heart rate was in the 140’s. So everything looks good! My Dr came in after and told me that starting at 36 weeks I’ll be going to the hospital twice a week for monitoring. After our appointment we met my sister at the fabric store and had lunch with her and Charlotte. Char really wanted us to go see her swimming lessons after lunch to we went to watch her swim. She was so excited and swam her little heart out. After that Mom and Char and I went over to Auntie Anne’s house to help her pack for Germany while Steven went to race his truck. For dinner we headed over to Uncle Larry and Aunt Anna’s house and Michelley met us there. I had made plans to help Chelsea learn to sew and somehow it turned into a big dinner gathering.

I have no idea how I had the energy to get up and clean on Thursday but I managed to get all of our laundry done. In the evening we met the photographer I found on craigslist at a private beach in Corona del Mar for our maternity pictures. He was very nice and had brought a friend and she stood in the background snapping away also. Steven was a good sport and participated in a few shots. I was able to get these amazing pictures for free because he was building his portfolio. I did have to do a few cheesy shots like the heart on the belly thing, but hey, for free I can’t complain. And truthfully I think one of those turned out cute. LoL. What a dork I am. He’s sending me a disk but here are few of my favorites!






















Friday and Saturday were lazy days and I mostly just rested and sewed up some more wipes.

Me at 33 weeks with no stretch marks on the belly yet! (fingers crossed)

32 WEEKS!

This past week has been pretty uneventful. My feet seem to somehow swell even more as the days pass. Baby girl's kicks are getting really painful, especially on the right side. I haven't had many contractions lately and so far I've avoided stretch marks on my tummy. My sugars are staying under control for the most part and although I don't have a lot of energy, I'm getting more things accomplished. Only 5 more weeks until term!

My cousin Chelsea was house sitting for my sister this week so I went and spent an evening with her. It was nice to talk and catch up.

Steven has been gone a lot this week so I've been busting out some sewing projects. I finished a nursing cover...



reversible car seat cover with flower snap embellishment.......





and Momma helped me by cutting out a huge stack of wipes. Auntie Anne wanted a case to hold her knitting needles so I came up with this.



Here is me at 32 weeks.



And a front view for fun.

31 WEEKS!

This last week was a busy week for us! Somehow I hurt my foot. I don't recall hitting it on anything, but a large bruise colored spot appeared around my ankle and hurt like none other. I'm also having tons of swelling in my feet and I think it's moving up my legs. Little one has been feisty in there and wiggling away. I feel huge movements and see all kinds of body parts distort my stomach. She's putting a lot of pressure down below and I'm having pretty frequent Braxton Hicks contractions and Round Ligament pain.

On Sunday Mike and Tanya and their kids came by for the afternoon and evening. It was nice visiting with them as always.

On Tuesday Steven's Mom, Diane, flew in from Salt Lake and we spent the evening with her over dinner at a friend's house. She made a super cute blanket and tutu for baby girl and brought presents from Auntie Laura as well. Thanks!









Wednesday I had a 30 week Dr appointment. I have no idea why we have to go to these, it always feels so pointless. I get more information off the girls in my forum or the Internet than I ever do from her. She looked at my blood sugar numbers log and said I was doing really well and would see me in two weeks. I weighed in at 191 lbs, a 5 lb gain in 3 weeks! Yikes! She didn't seem very concerned about it but the OB coordinator sure laid into me. She said I need to eat less and when she saw my log book she wasn't as thrilled as the Dr. LoL. I'm so afraid to go to my next appointment because she'll yell at me again if I gain more than 3 lbs. Ah well, it's hot, I'm swelling, and haven't gained much weight overall so I'm ok with that. There is no way I can eat less though, I'm always hungry.

On Thursday we went to our 3D/4D ultrasound with the grandparents. I still feel like I have no idea what she looks like, but it sure was a neat experience to see. Here is the best picture. I'm so anxious to be done and meet her!





On Saturday we went to see my grandparents who were visiting from Arizona. I haven't seen them since they moved last year so it was great to catch up. They bought a bunch of cute things for the baby and we had a great time chatting. There's a lot of pictures in this post, but I can't leave any out. :)





And as usual, me at 31 weeks.

30 WEEKS!

We are getting close to the home stretch now. Baby girl has settled into some patterns with her movements. I can feel body parts I just don't know which ones they are. Sometimes I feel something big and long so I wonder if it's her back. Some of the ladies on my forum know which direction their little ones are facing and I have no clue. I can't tell if she's breech, head up, or head down. I've been doing ok as far as symptoms go. I haven't had nearly as many stomach issues since changing my diet. I don't have much energy and get tired easily though.

For July 4th we went to Uncle Jim's house in Riverside and had a little BBQ with some family. It was a quiet little gathering (well, for the Sylvesters) but still very nice to visit with everyone. The weather was surprisingly cool. We didn't go see any fireworks or anything but that didn't bother me. When you grow up next to Disneyland where they do fireworks every night, it all gets a little overrated.

Tuesday was our last pregnancy/ baby class at the clinic and we got our free stroller. :) Everyone brought food and we had a potluck. There was soooo much food! We had a nice time getting to chat a little more informally with the other parents-to-be.

I found out there was a problem with my MediCal this week when I called to see where my cards were. Apparently my information was mixed up with another person that has my same name and a very similar social security number. It was a pain getting that all cleared up and I don't think it's over yet. It also looks like I'll be on Cal Optima which means I likely can't deliver at UCI. :( I'm really sad about that. I have to find out more information when my cards come in and I can talk to my OB coordinator. Luckily I was able to finally get the prescription filled for my Sugar Monitor's test strips. It's $130 for 100 strips if you have to pay cash!!

Momma and I went shopping this week for her trip to TX. We found all of the items she needed and luckily at great prices. I think we can safely say we're awesome bargain shoppers. I always wanted a big pregnant belly to see what it would look and feel like, but after shopping with her and dealing with crappy maternity clothes, I can't wait to be able to wear normal things again. I'm really motivated to get my butt into the gym after this baby comes and go down a size or two.

No news on the job front. One of the jobs Steven really wanted is still in limbo. Apparently they haven't started interviews yet and so far he's the only qualified candidate. So it's a waiting game as usual. They were in such a hurry a few weeks ago and now they are dragging their feet. I know there are always things to tie up and replacing a big position like IT Director isn't easy, but seriously....let's get this show on the road!

29 WEEKS!

This has been an eventful week for my pregnancy. Little one's movements are smaller because she seems very cramped. My belly changes shape depending on what she's doing. I can't wait for the next ultrasound to see her!

Sunday my sister called with an alteration emergency. Her bridesmaid dress was ordered two sizes too big by the idiot sales girls. Her usual alterations lady wasn't able to make it look right so she brought it to me. We literally took it all apart and put it back together again, a half inch smaller in every way. I think we did a pretty good job and she'll look beautiful at the wedding.

Monday I didn't feel well at all. I spent most of the day on the couch watching tv and making these onsies. I discovered yoyo's and now I can't stop! haha. The EAGeR study called for my monthly update. I miss going to visit those ladies, they are so nice.



Tuesday we had our baby class. We talked about parenting and discipline. It was interesting to hear everyone's perspective on the different styles the class pointed out. There are many different cultures represented in the class and the view ranged from being very strict to very lenient. I'd like for us to take more parenting classes but I doubt Steven will want to go. He seems to think we can "wing" everything but I'd rather be more prepared. I also found out that I failed my 1 hr glucose test and needed to come in for the 3 hr. :(

Wednesday we arrived at the clinic early for the 3 hr glucose test. I had to fast all night without food or water and when I arrived they took a blood sample and had me suck down a drink twice as sweet as the last test within 5 minutes. Gigi set me up in her quiet education room but the drink started to make me really sick so she had me lay in an empty exam room. I was trying so hard not to throw up, because if you do they make you start the test over again. At hour intervals they took my blood again. I know I looked like death because I sure felt like it. It made me hot, and nausiated, my heart was racing, and it was hard to breathe. Ugh...so awful. Thankfully Steven was with me and he ended up reading to me. He's not good at reading out loud, bless him, but it sure helped the time pass quickly. After the 3 hr mark I was able to walk again without hanging on to the wall. LoL. I'm so glad I had the foresight to bring bread and water in the truck to eat on the way home. Needless to say I spent the rest of the day resting.

On Friday I received the results of the test and I failed. They diagnosed me with Gestational Diabetes. I now have a monitor to test my blood 4 times a day, follow a very strict diet, and increase my exercise. I need to keep my sugars at a certain level or they will put me on insulin shots and I'll have to transfer to the hospital Dr's for care since the clinic can't take high risk patients. Gigi said that at 32 weeks I'll have to start going to the hospital twice a week for fetal monitoring. I'm sure I'll find out more at my next Dr's apppointment. The extra exercise has caused me to have a lot of contractions. At my last visit my Dr told me to rest more but now I have to walk to keep my sugars down.

Momma and I also went to visit Rachel for the first time on Friday. We took them a carseat cover that I made. What a beautiful little girl! She really is a miracle baby having been told by all of the Dr's that she wouldn't survive outside the womb. She's 7 weeks old and doing great! Congratulations Matthew and Rida!

In other exciting news, I've found a photographer to do my maternity photos! He has a very cool style and I'm really excited. I found him on craigslist looking to expand his portfolio to weddings and engagements. I wrote to see if he was interested in maternity and he said yes, so yay! Free pictures! It should be really fun. We're going to do them editorial style instead of the usual maternity photos you typically see. I have nothing to lose but a few hours of my time so it sounds perfect to me. :)

Here is 29 weeks!

28 WEEKS

We are in our 7th month and started off the third trimester with a busy week!

Sunday after church my sister and I went to Babies R Us to register. It's soooooo much harder than I thought! We both left exhausted and with headaches. The massive amount of decisions you have to make in there is crazy! And I didn't even get everything on there that I wanted. Like a stroller (they don't carry it), baby legs (again, they don't carry them), and the cloth diapers that we need (grrrrr, don't carry). I feel like I'm guessing when it comes to the highchair and swing and all that. Do we even need a bassinet? Pack N Play? I have no idea. I'm sure we honestly don't NEED half that stuff. And I feel really strange telling people what to buy me by putting it on a registry. I'd rather they use it as a guide more than anything. I mean, I don't care what kind of bath tub, but I had to pick one. Same with bibs and wash cloths and most of the other things on there. We weren't sure what to do about a crib but my sis said I might as well put one on there so I did. I hope that people don't think I'm being greedy or expecting them to actually purchase those big items. I'm sure the two car seats are confusing enough. But she'll need a convertible car seat at some point so I might as well add it on there.

Monday I went to Auntie Anne's house to make endless jars of apple butter. My Grandfather has some fruit trees and so far we've already done peaches and now apples. That night I was feeling really sick and had a lot of pain in my belly that radiated around to my whole back. I was sick to my stomach again and getting concerned since it happened twice in a week.

My Dr appointment was on Tuesday and everything looked good. I'm at 186 lbs which is a 3 lb gain from last month and 7 lbs overall. Woot! I talked to her about the swelling in my feet and cramping and she said it's likely I'm just over doing it and need to rest a lot more. She warned me that if I feel contractions more than 5 times a day to call her. I had to do the glucose test that I'm assuming I passed since I haven't heard anything. After that we had our class where they talked about family planning and birth control options. Ugh...more decisions to make and things to discuss. Will it ever end?

I received another gift from my forum friends through our virtual baby shower! This came from the sweet lady that organized the whole thing, Heather (sweetsugarbabie). It really made my day. :)



We also got a package from Mom (Diane) with the most adorable hat and piggy bank that she painted!! It's so thoughtful and we love it! How cute is it that she has a piggy bank already? Hopefully I can teach her to be better at saving than her Daddy. LoL



Thursday we went to UCI for our hospital tour. I probably could have waited until the next one but they only do them once a month in the middle of the day so I thought we might as well go since Steven is out of work. I have no idea what next month will bring so now was as good a time as any. I forgot how strange people in CA are. Everyone is looking for a fight. One dad (white guy) was yelling at the nurse giving the tour because she kept saying "husband" instead of , I dunoo... "baby daddy" or "sperm donor" ??? I thought that was a rather nice assumption than the other options but apparently he finds the term "husband" degrading or something. And some granola hippies were asking every question under the sun about ridiculous things like if they could have a refrigerator to put their own food in. REALLY? You'll be there for two days, I'm sure you can deal. So the tour went much longer than it needed to because of dumb people. The hospital is very nice though and the new post partum rooms should be finished by the end of July so it looks like we'll be in the new wing! I'm very happy that they promote breastfeeding and the golden hour of skin to skin with no interruptions. Baby will be with us in the room the whole time so I don't need to worry about them sticking her with any shots I don't want or giving her glucose water or formula. We'll have a nurse assigned to only us for the delivery and they all seem very nice and supportive. I'm feeling a lot better now about having to deliver at a hospital.

Mom left for her family reunion in New Mexico on Thursday night so I had a very quiet weekend with all three dogs. Steven went racing on Friday and won so he was in a great mood. I've still been sewing on various projects and am spending more time on the couch or in bed. The cramping is picking up and my energy level is dropping rapidly. I think the last trimester is going to be much harder than the first. Steven loves to make me go lay down on my left side and encourages me to sit like a bum all day. I have to sneak loads of laundry in when he's not around.

So here is me at 28 weeks! I really feel like we had a growth spurt. 11 Weeks now and counting!

27 WEEKS! THIRD TRIMESTER

Wow, hard to imagine there is only three more months left! Sometimes it felt like time was dragging but right now it feels like this pregnancy is speeding along faster than I can keep up. :)

This week the baby has not been moving as often but she hasn't let me forget she's in there with the massive kicks I'm getting. Steven was surprised at how hard she kicked me one day when he saw my belly jump and change shape. I've started swelling in my feet every day now. Putting them up doesn't seem to help much. I have an unquenchable thirst but I think that's a good thing. I'm not good at remembering to drink fluids usually. I'm very tired during the day because the bathroom trips at night have increased. I'm up every two hours at least.

Steven had a phone interview that went really well. We're waiting for them to set up an face to face interview. He's very excited about this position so I really hope they follow through on it.

I've been working on some projects for the baby. Mainly burp cloths and bibs. I started a car seat cover as well. I know I said I'd post pictures soon but they will have to wait until next week.

This picture was taken a few days late and I had had a sick day.