This Unfamiliar Road

June 02, 2012

They know something...

When I say my pets have been especially needy lately, it is not an exaggeration! I was able to snap a few pics of our daily life.

Rowen is always near me

Always

And if Rowen happens to be eating....Mustang takes over

Even the 'mascot' where I get my oil changed was clingy!

(This is Rex)

I think it's pretty amazing how animals can sense things, but this is getting out of hand! I wonder if they will be this protective when Junebug is OUT?!

# Pets

June 01, 2012

This was the first Memorial Day weekend in years that I actually got to spend time with Ben. Usually, Memorial Day marks the grand opening of the pool at the country club, which equals a very stressful 40+ hour weekend. This year (although Ben did agree to take call to cover his coworker) we were able to relax and enjoy this weekend the way we are supposed to: by eating :)

We spent some time at the pool

(Heaven on Earth I tell you)

And we ate some ribs

Fall off the bone ribs

Ben says this is one of the <many> reasons why he loves me:

I introduced him to real Memphis ribs

And that, my friends, was our weekend. Oh wait-on Monday, we had leftover ribs. Can't forget that.

It was perfect in every way!

May 31, 2012

38 Weeks

Andrea 6:28 PM 1 Comments

Today, I am 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Part of me cannot believe that we are already here-so close to meeting our little Junebug. But there are times that I think, how am I still pregnant?! I feel so blessed by this miracle!

We saw a midwife today-here is our update: I am now 2cm dilated and 70% effaced and that little head is moving down! Woo-hoo! Our CNM said we have "a good-sized baby" but we shouldn't really worry about a giant baby at this point. If I wanted to be induced next week, it would probably work out very well since my body is already sitting on go-ready for baby! In the meantime, operation induce-labor-naturally has begun!

38 Week Stats:

Size: Pumpkin! (Around 19 inches and 6-9 pounds)

New Development: Starting to lose the vernix from the skin. Bug might have an inch of hair by now (or more...based on my heartburn!)

Symptoms: I really thought I would be totally over it by now but I have to say that I still feel good overall! Work, however, is a different story. A 13 hour shift on your feet is exhausting to anyone, but it's very demanding on a pregnant body. I'm still making it though- 4 more scheduled shifts!

What I'm looking forward to: Baby :)

# Junebug

May 28, 2012

Gender Reveal

Andrea 9:11 PM 1 Comments

I almost tricked you, huh?

No, we still don't know the gender of our little bug! Ever since we learned that we were pregnant, and confirmed that we did not want to find out the gender, I have been entertained by all of the Old Wives' Tales surrounding this big mystery.
So, here is what the tales reveal about baby's gender:

1. The Highs & Lows- Belly: If you are carrying high-it's a girl; Low-it's a boy! Most everyone tells me that I am carrying low. So 1 point for Team Blue.

2. Heart Rate- A heart rate of 140 or above= girl; Below 140= boy. Junebug's heart rate has always been in the 150-160s. 1 point for Team Pink.

3. Sweet and Sour- If you are craving sweet stuff, it's a girl. If your cravings are for salty and sour, it's a boy. I am usually a sweets person, but during this pregnancy, I go for all things salty! That's 1 point for Team Blue.

4. Chinese Birth Chart- An ancient birth chart that uses mother's age & month of conception. According to this, we have 1 point for Team Pink.

5. Drano Test- This one is a little strange, and I wasn't going to try it, but for the sake of equality (and a complete blog post), I tried it. Pee in a cup and mix in 1 Tbsp of Drano. Watch for color change. Green=girl; Blue= Boy. Mine was difficult to tell, but I would say it turned more green-ish. 1 point for Team Pink.

6. Even & Odd- This one comes from the Mayans. We look at mother's age at conception, and year of conception. If both are even or odd, it's a girl; If one is even and one is odd, it's a boy. 1 point for Team Pink.

7. The Key- Place a key in front of the Momma-to-be. If she picks it up by the narrow part-girl. If she picks it up by the round part, that's boy. Well, 1 point for Team Pink.

8. Skin- If you are breaking out like crazy, the tale says to blame it on a girl-she "steals" her mother's beauty. At first, my skin looked like a teenager's, but has cleared up quite a bit. Still, overall I would have to give 1 point for Team Pink.

9. Wedding Ring- Tie your wedding ring to a string and hang it over your belly. If it swings back and forth, it's a girl. If it swings in a circle, it's a boy. Mine swung back and forth for sure...that's 1 point for Team Pink.

10. Morning Sickness- If you had/have a lot of nausea during pregnancy, signs point to a girl. Little or no nausea=boy. Definitely 1 point for Team Blue.

Wow! It's looking like girl all the way!

The one thing that this article didn't mention was mother-to-be intuition. I have said from day one (literally...the day I discovered we were expecting) that I think there is a boy in there. I guess we will have to wait and see...2 more weeks(ish)

# Family # Junebug

May 25, 2012

All Our Bags are Packed

Andrea 8:00 AM 2 Comments

We are all packed and ready to go to the hospital when the time comes! Ben hopes I will just go into labor at the end of a shift, call him and calmly say, "Hey, I'm headed downstairs to labor & delivery. Grab the bags and meet me here." Keep dreaming babe...

As a postpartum nurse, I see a wide range of preparation for the hospital stay. Some of my patients come in with enough luggage and supplies to backpack across Europe; Some are asking me for soap. Although I [obviously] haven't experienced labor/postpartum first-hand, I have a pretty good idea of what is helpful (and what is completely unnecessary) during those days at the hospital.

Mustang thinks she is tagging along!

**This is based on my knowledge of my own hospital-be sure to take a tour of your hospital to find out exactly what you need**

What I packed (besides the obvious-clothes, toiletries, etc)

Maternity clothes- Some comfy tops and bottoms-mostly stretchy cotton. After delivery, *most* women look about 5-6 months pregnant still. It takes time for the uterus to shrink and go back to where it belongs! I have seen some women wearing jeans and other constrictive clothing and it just seems uncomfortable! Loose-fitting and breathable is best.

Towels- Yes, the hospital will provide towels. But I have seen what I do with those towels...let's just say I don't want to be wiping my face with them. I packed my own.

Snacks- During labor, eating is a no-no. BUT-in the postpartum period, my patients are always hungry. The hospital serves 3 meals a day, and we do have snacks available in between. But graham crackers get old. Especially for a breastfeeding Mom, it is important to keep up that caloric intake-EAT!

Ibuprofen- NOT FOR MOMMY! Never ever ever take your own meds from home while you are in the hospital unless it has been approved by your providers and your nurse knows about it! The ibuprofen I am packing is for Daddy-to-be. I have so many new Dads ask me for an Advil (stress, lack of sleep, uncomfortable 'bed', etc) and I can't just give out meds to anyone. Bring your own for Dad, or be prepared to go buy some!

Baby items- I have just a couple of baby outfits packed, including the 'going home' outfit! Most hospitals have diapers, formula, pacifiers, wipes, blankets, and tshirts for babies. Of course, most of my Moms are SO excited to start dressing their little one in the extensive wardrobe they have been preparing for months. The way I see it- this will probably be the only time that someone else has all the baby stuff-take advantage. Of course, we have the carseat in the car, installed properly! :)

Our going home outfits-wonder which one we will be bringing bug home in?!

Insurance Information- It is always best to pre-register with the hospital so you can take care of all of this before you are contracting every 5 minutes. I am bringing my info (along with my short-term leave info) with me just in case! And please...bring a pen!

*What made your hospital stay better? Anything I should add to the list?

# Junebug # Products

May 24, 2012

37 Weeks

Andrea 8:50 PM 0 Comments

Update from doctor this week: I am still 1cm dilated and now 50% effaced but the head has not dropped yet. We are still head down, just not engaged in the pelvis. There are a few things that could cause this:
-Junebug is just not ready...usually the head drops around 38 weeks
-Junebug is really big (great)
-Junebug is in a weird position
I have been asking all of my coworkers for advice on how to get a baby into position, so swimming, pelvic tilts, and a yoga ball...here I come!

37 Week Stats:

Size: Winter squash...the doctor estimated about 7.5 pounds right now

New Development: Lots of practice with suck, swallow, breathing (hiccups, anyone?)

Symptoms: I have trouble putting on my own pants...I'm a mess. I have really enjoyed the pool lately (until I have to get out and realize I am not, in fact, weightless).

What I'm looking forward to: Final touches to the nursery, then completely done!

I took this one from the front so you can read the shirt :)

**Please excuse my appearance-I worked today**

# Junebug

May 22, 2012

Nursery Mural

Andrea 8:00 AM 2 Comments

I am SO excited to reveal our nursery mural. Remember that blank space between the crib and the dresser?

I have a very talented friend, Alyssa, who agreed to help us bring this space to life!

This was my inspiration:

Alyssa was a little nervous about painting a mural because she had never done one before. I just love her canvas paintings, and had faith that she could pull it off!

She had this great idea to project the image on the wall so she could get an idea of correct sizing and scale. Alyssa still free-handed the entire mural, but this gave her a guideline to work with since she had never worked on a 'canvas' this large!

Projected image:

Of course, Rowen had to be in the middle of it all

Artist at work

Partial

I like to call it 'whimsical'

We found these shelves at Ikea-it is actually a picture ledge that we flipped upside down

We Ben painted them the same color as the tree trunk

FINISHED!

I just love how it turned out, and I think it looks even better than my inspiration picture! I am still experimenting with pictures and other items that will go on the shelves-I will decide before the final nursery reveal!

Thank you SO much, Alyssa, for taking the time to do this for us. It means so much to me, and I just know Junebug will love it :)

# Friends # Home Improvement

This Unfamiliar Road

June 02, 2012

They know something...

June 01, 2012

Memorial Weekend

May 31, 2012

38 Weeks

May 28, 2012

Gender Reveal

May 25, 2012

All Our Bags are Packed

May 24, 2012

37 Weeks

May 22, 2012

Nursery Mural

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