[Pregnancy] Gender reveal party!

Just getting things ready to take to the hospital, and realized I never uploaded the video from finding out we were having a girl! My Great Aunt Whit hosted a family get together, and we had taken a sealed envelope from the doctor's office to a bakery to have a cake made either pink or blue inside, pending the ultrasound results that even Wes and I didn't know. It was so much fun to be surprised while surrounded by our loved ones!

[Pregnancy] Three options...

We saw Dr. H this morning, and I'm still not dilated at all, and seem to be stuck at 80% effaced. The doctor is a little concerned about Whitney's movement, so he's ordered additional testing later today, and an ultrasound. Pending results, I'll go back in for more testing on Friday, and another appointment with him. At this point, I see there being three options for how things will go:

Option 1

Whitney is already Daddy's Little Girl, and she'll give him his wish of a Leap Year baby tomorrow!

Option 2

Whitney is already a Justin Bieber fan, and she's holding out to share his birthday on March 1st!

Option 3

Whitney knows the doctor knows best, and is following his "worst case scenario" that there's no baby by Saturday, and we get induced. If that happens, we'd check in Saturday night to the hospital, and induction would be on Sunday. In which case, there's a good possibility Whitney could share her birthday with her Cousin Noah on March 5th!

While I was hoping to avoid being induced, it is nice to know there's an end in sight! All I want is what is best for the baby. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers - we're so thankful for the support from everyone! <3

[Pregnancy] Forever and a day...

It appears as though I'll be pregnant forever... okay, I know that's impossible, but we're just excited to meet this little baby, and she's keeping us waiting and guessing! Figures she'd be fashionably late - she is her mother's daughter, right? :)

Thank you for all of the good thoughts, prayers, texts, emails, calls, and Facebook posts to check in... our standard response to the two questions we're hearing most ("How are  you?" and "How's Wendy?") these days is: "Still pregnant."

Wes says his co-workers comment every morning he's at work... "no baby yet?" I told him he should tell them I had the baby, but it wasn't that big of a deal, so he came to work. ;) 

We're now seeing our OB fairly often to keep an eye on things, so at this point, here are the highlights of where we are:

• As of last Wednesday, I was 80% effaced, and wasn't dilated at all
• We're trying most safe labor induction techniques out there, with no luck! I've had three cycles of acupuncture even, and nothing!
• Well, maybe not nothing... on Saturday afternoon I did start having contractions that grew fairly strong and consistent. I was up most of the night because of them, and thought, "This is it!" I finally fell asleep about 5 a.m., and woke up to absolutely NOTHING. I've had minor, mild contractions since, but nothing noteworthy or regular
• I had a Non-Stress Test (NST) this afternoon, and there couldn't have been less activity... Whitney's heartbeat is strong and clear, but there were no signs of contractions
• We see the doctor tomorrow morning, and I hope I'm at least dilated...!

I have a feeling she's already "Daddy's Girl," and Wes will get his wish of a Leap Year baby! We've already decided if she is born February 29th, we'll tell her that her birthday is the last day of February so she isn't sad or confused when she doesn't see her birth date on the calendar!

The doctor will let us go as much as two weeks past my due date as long as everything looks good and is safe for her... but I'm starting to think I will go NUTS if I have to wait until March 10th! You can still enter a guess in our arrival pool if you'd like! :)

And last, but not least... here's a recent photo of me at 40 weeks, 2 days pregnant:

Hee, okay, maybe not THAT bad, but Wes does like to imitate my waddling every now and again. And while I do feel like the photo above most of the time, it's not that I'm done, it's just that I cannot wait to meet this precious little girl!

[Whitney] I have an addiction

I have an addiction... to baby shoes. They're just so cute! As you may have seen, we got a darling pair of pink, sparkly shoes as a gift from my friend Alicia, and I just can't get enough of them! In fact, they were front and center for our maternity photo shoot:

 

Aren't they just the cutest?! I have had them sitting out in Whitney's room for months, and secretly wishing I could find a matching pair in my size (just kidding... kind of). Anyway, last week I was moving things around and getting organized, and the shoes were sitting on the floor. Unbeknownst to me, Jager got a hold of one and took it outside. She's been known to be grabbing baby things, but hadn't destroyed anything, just run around with baby socks or toys in her mouth.

She came back in the room and I had clothespins sitting out that I was using, and she grabbed one and ran out... I followed to get it back from her, and that's when I came upon the Destruction of the Pink Sparkly Shoe:

My pregnancy hormones got the best of me, and I started bawling. The dogs got to the shoe before I did, and proceeded to play tug-o-war with it while I chased them around the backyard crying. It was a pretty pitiful sight.

Alicia has been checking stores to try and find another pair for me, and today it dawned on me to try Googling "pink sequin baby shoes." SUCCESS! I found the exact same pair, and discovered that they come in other colors... so now, instead of crying, I'm very thankful to the Desctructo Doggy for getting Wes to take pity on me and allowing me to use one of our gift cards to buy FIVE PAIRS OF SPARKLY SHOES!

It's the best day EVER! Okay, maybe not, but shoes make everything better, don't they? :) Whitney will be sporting sparkly shoes in various colors and sizes, and I CANNOT WAIT!

[Pregnancy] Wordless Wednesday

[Pregnancy] Diary of working from home

We had an appointment with our OB last Friday, and it was decided to put me on modified bedrest until February 17th, when I'll be off work entirely (unless, of course, Whitney has other ideas and comes sooner!). We had another ultrasound, and there wasn't any change in the levels of my amniotic fluid from the previous week (actually, it was slightly lower), so Dr. H still wants to keep an eye on things. Bedrest should help, and I'll have another ultrasound this Friday to check. I noticed a major difference in my swelling from taking it easy for the past few days, so that's good!

Yesterday I had a snoring Jager curled up on my left, and today I have Latte on my left (not snoring), and Sophie on my right (snoring louder than Jager). It's pretty funny. Even the dogs are perplexed by the noise coming from her! They have another thing coming when there's a baby in my arms in the near future!

[Pregnancy] Wordless Wednesday

[Pregnancy] A visit to labor & delivery...

Saturday started out as any other day, until we had a bit of a scare and decided to check in with our doctor... the OB on call said we should come immediately to labor & delivery. We both panicked, laughed, panicked again... and went to the hospital. Thankfully it was a false alarm, but we were able to get paperwork completed and questions answered that we won't have to do again, so we're thankful we did it! Before we were released, I did start having some contractions, so that was exciting, but they sent us home to see what happens.

The interesting thing is that the nurse said, "So I bet you're ready to have this baby, and you don't want to leave the hospital without her, right?" 

"Uhh, actually, we're just fine staying pregnant for a little while longer," I replied. She gave me a weird look and I explained... I know it's in Whitney's best interest to stay cooking at least one week longer, if not two weeks, for the best chance of lung development being completed. Plus, this may be the only time in my life that I am pregnant, and it took a LOT to get us pregnant, so I'm perfectly content! 

I know this attitude differs from a lot of pregnant women at this point in pregnancy, and although the exhaustion, puffiness, and soreness are annoying at times, I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

We had maternity photos done earlier today with a girl whom I "met" online in a fertility/trying to conceive group. She had her miracle baby 11 months ago, and is a very talented photographer. It turns out we have several friends in common, so we've had fun connecting throughout the past few years. We finally met today, and she was so much fun! It was very special to have her capture this amazing time in our life. While I hoped to reenact every single awkward maternity pose I've seen online, we ran out of time. ;)

We took the photos at my Great Aunt Whit's house, in her gorgeous backyard and surrounding property. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

[Pregnancy] "Glowing" while "showering"

Three of my amazing girlfriends threw me an incredible "Tickled Pink" baby shower earlier this month, and it was such a fun day! Friends from every aspect of my life - from high school, work, college, sorority, book club, etc. - were part of the celebration.

I've gotten to the point where I just laugh when people comment on pictures saying that I'm "glowing" during this pregnancy. Let's be honest, I'm sweating. My body runs hot to begin with, and add on the fact that I'm cooking a tiny human, I've been in a constant state of "glow" for the past nine months. :)

Aside from the "glow" you'll see in the photos, the day was just perfect. Everyone kept commenting on how "me" the shower was, and I couldn't agree more! 

To Alicia, Holly and Susan: thank you from the bottom of my heart. You each have been such an important part of my life, and incredible friends through the good times, and the bad. You've been by my side through this 3+ year journey to motherhood, and I am so lucky to have you in my life. Whitney is a lucky little girl to have "aunties" like you! xo

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

[Pregnancy] 4.5 weeks to go!

Today marks being 35 weeks and 5 days pregnant. In a week and 2 days, Whitney will be considered full term! She is growing right on schedule, and could feasibly arrive anytime between now and the next 6.5 weeks... EEK!

We've been discussing packing our hospital bag for the past few weeks, and today we got some news that has definitely lit the fire for us to get it done...

We had an appointment with our OB, and also had an ultrasound... while everything looked good, they followed up with a call after the ultrasound to share that the doctor was a little bit concerned about my amniotic fluid level. Often times this can be influenced by hydration (or actually, lack thereof), but I am diligent about drinking water all day long. While they assured us this is nothing to be concerned about, it's hard not to worry...!

They would like to do another ultrasound next week to check how things look, and I would guess that if the fluid level is still low, we could be meeting Whitney much sooner than we imagined! There's a chance Whitney and I could share a birthday week! Our hope is that things will look good, and she'll stay cooking for a few more weeks, however, so we'd appreciate your thoughts and prayers. :)

[Fun] New year

I think I speak for both of us when I say we couldn't wait for the calendar to turn to 2012! Now we're just weeks away from meeting our baby girl. Ack! Even typing that seems crazy! In just 52ish days, Whitney will make her arrival! We spent a lot of time during our holiday break doing things to prepare for her arrival... I think Wes has gotten the 'nesting' bug more than I have at this point, and it was awesome to get some random projects completed around the house.

Pregnancy has been treating me well, although I'm definitely exhausted most of the time. Having two weeks off was a huge blessing, and I took advantage of napping whenever possible, and living in slippers as much as I could! My feet and hands are starting to swell pretty badly... not surprising given our 80+ degree temperatures lately, too! I thought I would luck out being pregnant through the winter, but Mother Nature's giving me a little does of heat to keep things interesting. :)

We saw our doctor over the break, and things are progressing just as they should be! I'm measuring right on track for our due date - fun fact... did you know that the measurement of a woman's belly from the top of the uterus to the pubic bone should be exactly how many weeks pregnant she is in centimeters? It can be plus/minus three centimeters, but I measured right at 32 centimeters when I was two days shy of being 32 weeks along. Interesting!

We toured the hospital during the break, and I'm very thankful to be delivering where I am... all of their labor & delivery rooms are private, and so are the mother/baby rooms! The whole maternity wing was redone just a few years ago, and it's very nice. We went back a few days later and met with one of the L&D nurses, whose daughter I went to high school with. She was great to answer questions we had and give us some great advice about delivery and recovery.

We can't wait for the holidays this next year to have Whitney here with us... life is about to change, and we cannot wait! <3

[Pregnancy] Graduation... from childbirth class!

Last night marked our final childbirth class in a series of 12. We've spent every Monday night since the end of September with a group of other pregnant couples, and our fantastic instructor, Danielle, learning everything we could possibly ever want/need to know! Several friends recommended these classes to us, and we couldn't be more thankful that we went to them. We find ourselves not only feeling confident and excited about labor, but definitely more in touch with what's happening during my pregnancy, and with long lists of questions for our doctor every time we see him.

The classes focused on husband-coached childbirth, and it's called the Bradley Method. We wanted to be armed with as much information as possible to make decisions regarding how we'll deliver. We know the questions to ask regarding side effects of medications, possible complications during delivery, etc. Of course we have every confidence in the doctors and nursing staff, but it's nice to be more aware of what might happen. Our classes also focused a lot on relaxation techniques during labor, and Wes got to practice lots of massages each week - I didn't complain. :)

We're so thankful to our Bradley instructor, Danielle, for her patience, knowledge and resources. And we're so excited for our reunion with our other classmates after we all have our babies! One couple is missing from the photo, because her due date was last Monday and she's still waiting to deliver... so they didn't make it to our last class. We're thinking good thoughts for them as they wait to meet their baby! Another couple is due at the end of January, and then the other two couples are due in February. 

[Pregnancy] Wordless Wednesday

[Pregnancy] Showered with love

Yesterday was incredibly meaningful to have some of the women in my mom's and my life with us to celebrate Whitney's impending arrival. My mom and her friend Jill hosted a lovely baby shower for our side of the family, and some life-long friends. It was surreal to be sitting there at my own baby shower! It was a lovely day, and proof that Baby Whitney is loved by SO many people already. She's one lucky baby!

 

Our first letter for the alphabet wall!

 

  

 

 

With Whitney's awesome Grandmas!

[Random Thoughts] Yes, I can!

A few weeks ago we had a guest speaker at school, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. Akbar is one of our assistant football coaches at Sage, and this summer he appeared on ABC's Expedition Impossible with some of his football buddies (he played at San Diego State and in the NFL for several years). He is a Pac-12 football sideline commentator, and aspiring motivational speaker.

He spoke during the assembly at school about the power of positive thinking. He showed several video clips of well-known athletes who'd experienced failures and setbacks in their lives, but yet they became heroes and role models, and found incredible success.

He asked us to think of a time we were told we couldn't do something... and call it the pregnancy hormones, but I was taken to the time when one of the many doctors we encountered in our quest to get pregnant told me, "Oh, you'll never get pregnant." 

As I listened to Akbar speak, I quietly rubbed my belly and started to tear up. If I'd listened to that doctor -- or anyone who ever told me I couldn't do something in my life -- who knows where I'd be today? If I can teach anything to Whitney in her life, I hope it's that a positive attitude and tenacity will take her far.

Akbar wrapped up his time with us by sharing a poem that was his life motto. My several tears turned into full on bawling as I listened to him recite this from memory:

You Can If You Think You Can!

If you think you are beaten, you are,

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you like to win, but you think you can't,

It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost,

For out in the world we find,

Success begins with a fellow's will.

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,

You've got to think high to rise,

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man.

But soon or late the man who wins,

Is the man who thinks he can.

~ C. W. Longenecker ~

I know that Wes and I were meant to be parents, and we stopped at nothing to make this dream come true. Whether we got pregnant or adopted a child (or children!), positive thinking helped us get there. 

A while ago we decided to have a quote stenciled on to the wall of our child's nursery, and the one we picked goes along with this post. I can't wait for Whitney to wake up every day and read this as a reminder to dream, think positively, and believe "Yes, I can!"