17 Weeks!

Once again I cannot believe how fast my little boy is growing! He is now 17 weeks old and will be 4 months old in 3 days.

He is doing really well, growing so fast and learning so many new things every day! He definitely needs a lot of mental stimulation or else he cries. He gets bored very easily, but when thing are going on he's as happy as anything! He has been teething a LOT lately, chewing his little fingers and my hands and drooling all over everything. I think it's been causing him a lot of pain so we've been giving him infant tylenol (paracetamol) which seems to help. I've gotten some teething tablets which I'm going to try as soon as I get the okay from my health visitor tomorrow.

He's also getting weighed tomorrow which I'm looking forward to! I'm sure he has had TWO growth spurts since the last time he was weighed a month or so ago. Last time he was 13.1 lbs and I'm pretty sure hes ATLEAST 14.5 now. He's so heavy!

A few days ago Adam was eating a banana and let him suck on it which he loved! He doesn't eat it but I think it feels good on his teeth. Today I put one in the fridge and he loved it but started screaming when I took it away...haha! He is technically allowed to have tastes of foods now that he's 17 weeks, but we're going to take it slow I think. We'll probably let him try baby cereal sometime in the next week or two but until then the bananas will have to suffice!

I got some adorable photos of him this evening. It was nice because today we had some friends over (Laura and her daughter Amelia who is 3 weeks older than Reuben).

(ok, got distracted and busy so now am continuing this on Tuesday, Reuben is now 17 weeks 1 day!)

So, lots to say but little time to do it!I'm taking Reuben swimming tomorrow which should be fun, hopefully it will wear him out! We just got back from the health visitor and he is now 14.1 lbs and has gotten the okay to start solids - I will probably start with baby cereal and then she recommended sweet potatoes and banana. Will post photos .. :o)

Anyways I still have no time and I need to go eat while he is asleep!

until next time! :)

My little 15 Week Old...

Oh my goodness! 15 weeks! It seems like up until this point I have just been looking forward to him getting to this point. I have long been looking forward to my little man smiling, laughing, holding his head up, and interacting. But now, it's going by TOO quick! I can't BELIEVE that he is soon to reach the 4 month mark. Crazy.

Things still aren't particularly easy, though I don't know if they ever will be! He has been a lot of fun in that he laughs and likes to be tickled, and he likes to wrestle with his stuffed cow. haha. He is always looking around, staring at things and people. He laughs at his image in the mirror. He likes bathtime (despite the fact that he often poops in it, which is disgusting and hilarious.)

He also gets overtired, particularly in the evenings, and can't seem to handle it without excessive crying. Sometimes it really is overwhelming. I have spent several nights over the last few weeks on the phone to a friend, shouting over the crying, "I don't know what to do!!!" He will eventually fall asleep once the conditions are perfect. Sometimes this means me rocking him to sleep and other times it means swaddling him and putting him in his crib in the dark (seriously, after an hour of trying to get him to sleep the other night, I swaddled him, put him in his crib and with no more cries he fell asleep...!)

Other than the evening-overtired-period of the day, he's pretty adorable. Only about 2 or 3 days ago, he started smiling at strangers. He then goes all shy and buries his head in my chest - it's SOOO cute!

On Saturday we decided to brave a family day out to Cardiff, Wales. Our church was taking a bus so we thought we'd go for it. I was extremely anxious and unsure if this was a good idea. 9am-5pm in Wales with an unpredictable baby? Don't know about that! BUT he was wonderful. On the way there he fell asleep for most of the ride (in Adam's arms), and once we got there I fed him in Burger King and then he was quite happy to just be in his stroller and look around. When he did get a bit fussy we would put him in a carrier so he could look around. He slept a little throughout the day but obviously he didn't get great naps. That night he didn't sleep great but I didn't mind since he was in such a good mood during the day!

Hmm what else? He has started becoming VERY distracted during the day which means he doesn't care much about nursing. This is both nice for me and stressful. Nice: I get breaks during the day! I don't worry so much about feeding him because I just know when he's fussy it's probably not because he's hungry. He really eats about every 3 hours during the day.Stressful: I know he won't sleep at night very well because he's hungry! Last night was great because he was up every 3 hours. I can handle that. It's the every-hour-nights that don't do well with me. I was up this morning at 5:45am, and happy, because I got over 8 hours of sleep, even if it was broken. It wasn't broken every hour and that's what matters!

This leads me into the fact that I am SO excited to start giving him solids. Two more weeks until his body is ready for it! Obviously if I don't think he's ready at that point then I will have to wait but I'm not going to hesitate to offer it to him.
I'm not really sure yet what approach I am going to take. There's "baby-led-weaning" which is basically me offering him partially-boiled foods just to explore, like softened carrot sticks or cucumber, etc. This is a technique encouraged and followed by many people in my breastfeeding group, but I think I might be too worried about him choking. Then there's just the straightforward mashed up food way. Haha. I think either way I'm going to start by giving him baby cereal, especially since I got some free in the mail from a baby food company. We'll try that and see how it goes. I AM however looking forward to making my own baby food. I've got a slow cooker now and I've found some fun recipes to try. It's quite good because all I have to do is soften food, puree it, put it in an icecube tray and then freeze it. When I want to use it, I just defrost it and wah-lah! Baby food.

I just want to mention at this point that Reuben has just fallen asleep in his swing as I've been typing and he is so adorable. I love him. Even when I am stressed out beyond belief with his silly crying (sometimes he cries simply because he wants entertainment...) or his fussiness. His smile just makes life worth living.

I'm looking forward to getting him weighed which will happen on the first Tuesday of December, he hasn't been weighed in a month and last time he was 13.1 lbs BUT I'm sure he has had a major growth spurt since then. He's huge now! IT was like one day he woke up and I was like..."where did my baby go??"

Oh, I've also got him sleeping in his crib (cot for you UK people) now. He was sleeping in our bed but I decided that this isn't a battle I want to have when he's bigger. So it only took one rough night to get him to be happy in his crib and now he is fine. His crib is also RIGHT next to my bed so he knows Mommy is near!

He is going to be sleeping in our room until he is sleeping better through the night. The way I see it, at this point all I would be doing is creating a more rough night for myself by having to walk down the hall to his room every 1 to 3 hours. Why would I do that? Also it is suggested by Researchers of Sudden Infant Death that babies stay in their parents' rooms until 6 months old..so that's the plan.

On another note, we've just bought our tickets to go to the States. I am SO excited but definitely nervous because Roo will be 6 months old. This is an awkward age. He will be needing entertainment but not quite mobile yet. OH well, at least it's a direct flight from London to Boston...going to be crazy though. We will be there February 14-March 1st. This will be the first time Reuben has met his Uncle Eddie, Uncle Joe, Auntie Julie, Cousins Andrew and Amelia, Great Aunt Mary and Great Uncle Chris, Great Nana Brydon, etc...the list goes on! He's met Uncle Mike and Grandpa MattMatt and Nana Donahue. :) Can't wait!!! He is also going to meet all his psuedo-Aunts and Uncles...haha!

Ok I'm so starving. Need to go eat. First I will upload photos from our trip to Wales...here we are!

On our way to Wales!

Such a cutie!

14.5 weeks. . . Adorable!

Cutest ever :)

Photo @ 14 1/2 weeks!

Can't BELIEVE he will be 15 weeks old in a few days. Seriously. He's so awesome! Here he is rockin out his Chuck Taylor's....

14 Weeks Old...Where has my baby gone?!

Well I have a few minutes to write since I've got Reuben down for a before-bed nap.

Since the last update, quite a bit has changed! My little man is really looking like a little boy now and not so much like a newborn anymore! Sometimes I look at him and think about how he used to be so small, but most of the time I'm so happy to have gotten to this point and still be sane. It has been a difficult ride so far but so amazing to see a little person grow and learn every single day.

He can now hold his head up really well, he laughs a LOT (especially at lights and mirrors) and loves bathtime! We have been trying for about 5 days or so to get into a night time routine so that he sleeps better at night and it seems to be working. He goes to bed between 7-8:30 (depending on when his last nap of the day is) and usually sleeps about 3 1/2 hours, then it varies but never gets longer than 3 1/2 really. It hasn't been SO bad, but I'm fairly exhausted. Not tired so much...just exhausted.

I've also concluded that he's teething, which is hard for me to believe. How can my little baby be teething!? But for the last week or so he can only be up for 1 1/2 hours at a time before he starts FREAKING OUT and needs a nap - and in the evenings the only thing that calms him down is teething gel and letting him chew my hand. Which hurts. A lot. He really has a bite!

Last week on Wednesday we went to a professional photographer and had his picture taken and also a couple photos of the three of us. I am BEYOND excited to see these pictures. The photographer won Kodak Photographer of the year and I saw some of his work which was amazing. I was convinced that he wouldn't be able to get Reuby to smile, but as I was sitting there (I wasn't allowed to watch in front of Reuben because I would distract him) I could hear constant giggles!! It was adorable. I can't wait! We are going on Wednesday to view the photos and order the ones we want. It's going to cost a buttload to get some, but it's what I asked for for my birthday/Christmas. I've always wanted nice photos like this and I never thought I'd have the opportunity.

What else? In January we've signed up for a Baby Massage Class which should be fun. I'm still going to a breastfeeding group on Tuesdays and still breastfeeding exclusively which I'm proud of - although I am looking forward to when we can start giving him foods so I won't be having to feed SO often. I think breastfeeding is one of the most incredible things I have ever done, but it's been difficult as well.

I'm SO looking forward to giving him baby cereal, which I plan on doing at 17 weeks if I think he's ready!

Gotta cut this short though, he's just woken up and it's bathtime!

Will post photos soon :)

12 weeks 4 days :)

Cutie!

Smiles!

12.5 weeks in his jumperoo

12 and a half weeks

:)

11 1/2 Week Update

I find it really hard to believe that in a week and a half, my little baby is going to be 3 months old. While I'm sad that time has already gone by so quickly, I have really been anticipating this stage of his life. He can finally smile and laugh, he loves being cuddled, he can grab at his toys, and I'm not so frustrated with breastfeeding anymore.

He can just about hold his head up on his own which means in the next few weeks we can finally get out his jumperoo and his johnny jumper (door jumper). He's been in the jumperoo and loves it but he just isn't quite steady enough yet for me to not be helping him.

He is SO strong. Everyone who holds him says how strong he is. I'm happy that he's a strong boy but I never got a little floppy baby! He's always been strong!

We have his next weigh-in next week, last time he was weighed was almost a month ago and he was 11 lbs 14 1/2 oz. I'm hoping he's gained some weight since the last time he was weighed he had only gained 5oz in a week and a half - which I was told that was fine but I want him to gain better than that.

He also had his first injections a couple weeks ago. I didn't go in the room with him; I HATE needles (despite having a C-section) and I seriously can't bear to watch. Adam went in with him and he said he was fine except on the second shot he wriggled so he bled a little. Obviously this freaked me right out when I saw the little marks on his legs. I just can't deal with it. I dread taking him when he's just a little bit older and more aware - it's definitely going to be an Adam job for a while.

Let's see...what else? He's been fitting into 3-6 month clothing for a while now, and I can't see them fitting him until he is 6 months old thats for sure. I've already bought all of his Christmas presents ... I have always been ridiculously excited for Christmas but this year is just so much more special! I also can't wait because around Christmas time he will start eating which will be such a fun/big stage for him!

He's sitting here with me, cooing and playing with his toys. And kicking me. And now I need to go change his diaper.

Back. We are still using cloth diapers, but he recently got diaper rash pretty bad (after our trip to London) so we've been using disposables for a few days because apparently you shouldn't use diaper rash cream when using reusables? I don't know how else to clear it up. Anyways we're now using BumGenius, a couple of Rumparooz which were given to us by my friend Jenny and we LOVE them, and some Bambino Mios.

So we had our trip to London this past weekend and while I don't have time to elaborate on the whole trip, it was fun because we got to see family but acutally going into London was not so fun! Too many people, and we were stuck in the American embassy for THREE HOURS getting his American Passport. I'm glad we did it but I'm also very glad it's over with. He now has dual citizenship which is something I'm very proud of and glad we could give him.

Well I've gotta go take care of my little munchkin!

Bye for now!

Hi Nana!

Hi! :)

My smiley boy

10 weeks 4 days!

Finally. . .

A little smile on camera!

10 weeks !

10 weeks old!

Reuben's Update...Better Late than Never!

Well, I know I haven't done ANY updating on the growth of my little man, but to be honest this whole mom thing is so much more exhausting than I could have imagined! When I do get a few minutes to myself, I'm either cleaning or sleeping. Sometimes I sit on facebook and just let my mind go blank for a while. :)

Reuben is now 9 weeks (and one day) old! He has grown so much that it's hard to believe. His first few weeks he grew at a rapid rate - about 12 oz every week! He's finally slowed down which probably has a lot to do with the fact that we started using a pacifier. I obviously still check first if he is hungry but where as before I was checking every hour, I now give him the pacifier if I think he just wants comfort rather than food. Either way, he's still gaining weight and is as cute as ever.

I can't say that the last 9 weeks have been easy. The first few weeks were great - we had family around and it wasn't until he was 3 weeks old that I was left with him for any amount of time. Around 4 weeks, he started crying a lot. After working through what could be the problem and trying different things like infacol (to help him with wind), gripe water, colief to break down lactose, etc. nothing was really working. I finally tried cutting out dairy from my diet - not only because he was crying a lot but because his poo was green. Not just like occasionally, but for over 2 weeks and at one point there were spots of blood in it. So I cut out dairy about 3 weeks ago and since then he's had normal yellow poo. I realize this is information not everyone needs to know but I feel very accomplished that I made him normal again. hahah. :)

He started smiling at about 4-5 weeks, and since then every day he smiles more. He is very grumpy when he is hungry or tired, and isn't very patient in waiting for food or sleep! It's wonderful though when I actually know he is crying because he's tired because all I have to do is rock him and sing to him and he falls asleep beautifully in my arms. I could stare at his little face forever.

He now smiles ALL the time, (when he's not grumpy), and even sometimes when he's grumpy I just say, "Where's your smile?" And he stops grumping and lets me have a little smile and has the cutest EVER little laugh. Sometimes though, this cute smile and laughter comes at inconvenient times such as this morning at 4:30am. Around 4-5am every morning, he decides that he doesn't want to sleep anymore. So this morning Adam and I put him between us in our bed to calm him down and he had his pacifier in his mouth when all of a sudden I could see it falling out because he was smiling. Then he started laughing. For no reason. It was so adorable, how could I be mad? Yes I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than 4 more hours of sleep, but my goodness, he has the most beautiful smile I have ever seen in my life. When he is like that I can't take my eyes off of him.

Other things he can do:
- Roll over from his belly to his back
- Smile when he sees me or Adam, or when asked to smile
- Hold his toys (for the first time, today!)
- Watch his mobile or other things (He moves his head/eyes with the objects)
- He CAN sleep 7 1/2 hours at night which he did for a week but then decided 3 hours was long enough to sleep at one time.


I can't believe that he's going to be 10 weeks old on Monday. I'm so looking forward to him being just a little bit bigger - we have a jumperoo and a door bouncer all ready for him to play with. Right now his favorite things are:

- Bath time
- His mobile
- Loud music
- TV. He could stare at it for hours!



I think that's all I have to say - I COULD go on for about 10 pages if I wrote down all the details of the past 9 weeks. I'm still breastfeeding him and it's going really well, though at times it can be difficult to know if he is crying because he's hungry. We go to a breastfeeding group every Tuesday which has been extremely helpful and I've met a lot of great people.

Over the next 2 weeks we are going to Birmingham to go to our friend's son's dedication, then we are headed to London on the 24th to go get Reuben's American passport! I can't wait but am also veryyy nervous. I hope he's not as grumpy in 2 weeks!!

Ok, I'll stop there! I'll try to update more often, too :)

Roll over!

Less than 6 weeks old. . .so strong!

The Long-Awaited Birth Story of Reuben Matthew

Well, now that I have a few minutes to myself I decided it would be a good idea to let everyone know, and write down how my little man came into this world.

First of all, I want to say that it didn't go as planned - at all. I don't feel cheated or "robbed" though of my birth experience. Yes, I'm dissapointed and have moments of sadness that it didn't go as I wanted it to, but I just look at my baby boy in awe and I don't care how he got here. He is safe and beautiful.



Saturday, August 7th

8pm

Adam's mom and sister arrived this evening. We went over to the cottage they were staying at and played cards and hung out. It was a great time, despite the fact that I kept having cramps. They were like period pains - but nothing like contractions - or so I thought. They were random, and didn't hurt on my bump, just in my back. So I ignored them.

10pm

Adam and I got home from the cottage and were getting ready for bed. The cramps were getting pretty bad, and Adam suggested that we time them and that they could be contractions. I said, annoyed, "Adam, don't be silly." They were not contractions! They felt nothing like what I expected. And they couldn't really be timed because they weren't starting and stopping, they just...were.

About an hour later, Adam decided to start timing them anyways. Within a couple hours, they were definitely starting and stopping - and they were coming really close together. They weren't THAT painful, but enough for me to be needing a back rub and sitting on my birth ball. We timed them throughout the entire night. They were coming between 3-5 minutes apart, but sometimes they were 20 seconds and sometimes they were 2 minutes. I called the birthing centre and they told me to wait until they were strong, long, and close together.

August 8th

5am
Adam and I had been up all night. We decided at 5am to take the dog for a walk, but only made it about 30 yards down the road and I had had about 4 painful contractions. We skipped Church and decided to go to the hospital to just check what was happening, and if any progress was being made.

9am
We got to the hospital and they told me that I was measuring about 2-3 cm and that this doesn't count as "established labor." They sent us home. It was annoying because at that point, they were close together, but as soon as we got to the hospital they stopped. Then, just as we got in the car to leave, I had an excruciating car ride home. It felt like a 40 minute long contraction from the hospital to our house.

10am-8pm


During this time the contractions didn't stop. Adams mom and sister came over for lunch - they stayed nearly the whole afternoon and every few minutes I had to leave the room as Adam would hold me and rock me back and forth through the pain of the contractions. Several times during the day I called the birthing centre and they said that I could come in if I wanted, but if I wasn't at least 3-4 cm dialated then they were going to send us home. We decided to wait. The pain was getting fairly unbearable though - I was sure that I must have been at least 3-4 cm , if not more.

8pm

At 8pm we said goodbye to Adam's family and said we were heading to the hospital. Again, the car ride was the worst part. It was so incredibly painful - as if the entire contraction never stopped. The pain was completely in my back, and I couldn't even feel pain anywhere else so it was confusing because I didn't think this is what a contraction felt like.

9pm
We arrived at the hospital at 9pm. At this point, we were brought to a room with a bed and a recliner, and a birthing ball. The midwife checked me over. She said I was 3-4 cm. This was good because they weren't going to send me home; bad because I was in so much pain already. I didn't think it was going to be that painful at that point.

As the midwife checked me over she said, "Did you know this baby is back to back?" She said it flippantly - yet I knew that this was a bad thing. She then left the room, told Adam and I we were "doing great" and that was that.

11pm

At this point the midwife came back and I still had no idea what was going on. I had to ask "what happens now?" She told me that every 4 hours they would check on me. Thanks for letting me know. She was highly unhelpful.

August 9th

2am
After waiting 5, not 4, hours in the corner room in extreme pain, the midwife came to check me out. She did an internal examination and said that I was 5-6cm. She had expected me to be at least 7cm so this wasn't great. Before she was done the check though, she said that she felt something along my water (it hadn't broken yet.) She couldn't tell what it was, so she went and got her colleague.

FIVE examinations later it was confirmed that something was on the outside of my water. It could be a blood vessel, but they couldn't know for sure. The birthing centre supervisor and the labor ward doctors confirmed it was best to send me to the labor ward for further monitoring.

3:30am

I was scared out of my mind but found sweet relief in being given gas and air. Until this point I had been offered no pain relief. The gas and air was incredible, although it didn't make the pain go away. It just made everything a little bit funnier.

A lot of what happened from now on out is a blur. I had some serious contraction pain and was very high on gas and air when the doctor came in and told me that they had discussed the situation and felt it was the best option to offer me a cesearean section. They did not know what the thing on my water was, however they thought that it could be a blood vessel attached to the placenta. If my water broke, then the blood vessel could bleed and basically my little boy would bleed.

They were very honest with me and told me that they just didn't know what it was. I could either have a c-section right then, or I could try and continue with the labor with an epidural and be ready for an emergency c-section.

We asked the doctors to leave the room while we discussed our options. While I was high as a kite on beautiful gas and air during the conversation, I know that I wanted 1) my little boy to be safe and 2) this pain to go away. I knew that something was not right and there was no way on earth I was going to be able to give birth if I was already in that much pain. It was a difficult situation and to be honest, it felt like the only situation Adam and I hadn't discussed. We wanted very badly to have a natural, peaceful birth. I hate needles and didn't want lasting effects on my baby.

At that point, the doctor came in and said we needed to make a decision. We said we would take the c-section. I signed a paper (how did I do that on gas and air? amazing) and they sent me off to the operating room. I was given more gas and air (stronger!) when we got there and was told to hold very still. I was given an anesthetic so I didn't feel the spinal, and then given the spinal which I do not remember in the least because my entire life went completely blank and numb. I came around a few minutes later and couldn't feel anything but my arms.

4:50amWithin 5 minutes my little boy was crying and I couldn't beleive it. I couldn't see him but they soon handed him to Adam, and then put him next to my face. My arms were shaking uncontrollably (a side effect of the spinal) and that was probably the worst part of it because it was so uncomfortable. The c-section itself, I won't even attempt to describe because there is no way to do so. It was the weirdest thing I have ever experienced and not a very nice feeling either!

I heard people saying he was a big boy, so I asked how much he weighed and they said they were going to weigh him in the labor ward. We headed back to the labor ward and I was soon told that my little (or not so little) boy weighed 8lbs 11oz. No wonder he wasn't making any progress - he was in the wrong position, and was somehow fitting nearly 9 lbs of himself in my tiny body.

They cleaned him up and the numbness wore off within a couple hours. I was then able to hold (and actually feel) the most beautiful little person I have ever laid my eyes upon. His big blue eyes and dark hair were incredible. I still stare at him in disbelief. How did we make such a miracle?

I stayed in the hospital for the following 3 days (came home Wednesday afternoon) and while it wasn't fun being in the situation, the hospital staff were incredible. Adam had to go home during the night but I was so happy to feel so supported by all of the people at Musgrove Hospital.

We came home Wednesday afternoon like I said, and since then have had a steady flow of visitors, gifts, cards and meals brought to us.

Reuben Matthew Bradley arrives August 9th, 2010 at 4:50am

Well, our absolutely beautiful and amazing little boy made his entrance into this world slightly different than anticipated! I will be posting a full "birth story" later on so that I don't have to keep repeating it, but for now we will just say that he is more than I could have ever imagined (and bigger). haha.

Will be updating as soon as I can separate myself from this little guy - I can't be far from him for long, he is TOO cute to stay away from!!!!

I Hope the End is Near...

While I was hopeful that I wouldn't post again until baby was born, I had to just record these last wonderful "pregnancy" feelings.

My back hurts, I'm crampy, I never sleep past 3am without an hour or two laying there wide awake. My hands are swollen and hurt, I can't wear flip flops, my bump is huge and I have way too many stretch marks!!

I'm 2 days away from my due date (actually, today was the original due date) and all I have to show for it is being grumpy and impatient!!!

39 Weeks, 3 Days, No Baby Yet!

Well, I'm still here. My little boy has shown no desire to leave his comfy home. I sit here at 10:30am, still in my pajamas with a big glass of milk and a pack of chocolate chip cookies I intend to eat all by myself over the course of the next half hour. As much as I appreciate peoples comments saying, "Enjoy this time while you still can!", it is difficult to enjoy being 30lbs heavier than my normal self, and having no clue when my impending labor will strike!! There are very few things I can do comfortably, so what am I supposed to enjoy?! While Adam and I pass our evenings by watching movies, I can't even sit on the couch with him because I'm too uncomfortable. I sit on a birthing ball to watch a movie. How sad is that?!

I am SO anxious to just get things going! It seems like this week I have had LOADS of people comment on my facebook saying things like, "my cousin had her baby this week!", or "You're next!" or "I keep checking to see if he's been born!" This is nice of people however it is making me all the more impatient! Where the heck is MY little boy?!!

3 people from my antenatal class have already had their babies. One of them is due today. I thought I was going to be one of the first seeing as how I'm due early in the month, but that is definitely not the case - I'm sure I will be either 4th or 5th out of the 8 of us - and 2 of us are due late August/mid September. This is outrageous.

On a brighter note, everything is (still) ready, and I've been preoccupying myself with cleaning, cooking, and watching movies. Adam and I try to get out, but we can't really go too far since we don't want to be too far from the hospital - which is LAME since Krispy Kreme just opened up about an hour away. I don't know, maybe we should just risk it! I need donuts!

Let's see...what else do I want to say and remember about this pregnancy? Well, I desperately hope this is the last time I have to post before my little guy is born. I have an appointment on the 10th of August (2 days late). I guess this appointment will be much the same. If he decides to be stubborn, they won't even induce me until the 22nd - they give me two weeks. I REALLY REALLY hope this is not the case!!!

I have had pains galore. Shooting paints in uncomfortable places. It is not great. I mean, I am VERY happy because I think I have had such an easy/uncomplicated pregnancy that I have no right to complain - but I am very done being huge. I can't sleep at night - I wake up in the middle of the night and just lay there for hours. Not to mention the drooling. We won't go in depth there though - but it's something funny I want to remember! haha.

The little guy hasn't even "dropped" yet. This means his head is not engaged and he's not making any promises to be ready to come out. This is annoying. I have been drinking raspberry leaf tea, eating loads of pineapples, and stuffing my face with things like pizza and curry. I KNOW "he will come when he's ready"...come on people, just let me have my fun.

Adam's family gets here on Saturday (but won't be visiting until a few days after baby is born) and my family arrives the 20th (after spending a couple nights in London.) It has definitely not hit me yet that I am going to see my Dad. Here. In England. I can't think about it too long or I will cry. I am so happy that I have such a loving, supportive family. I love you guys!! (That includes my amazing brothers and sister-in-law.) This little boy is going to be so loved, we are so fortunate to have the support that we do.

These cookies are really good. I don't have much else to tell, I don't think - just a request that everyone would pray that our little boy would get here safely, and preferably SOONER rather than later :)

In hopes that this is the last blog before baby,

Sara, Adam, & Baby Bradley (still in hiding)

38 Weeks!

Well, I think I can give up hope of missing my 38 week appointment on Tuesday. I have had no indication whatsoever that this guy is coming anytime in the next couple days!

I know he will come when he is ready, but I'm having fun anyways trying all of these "labor inducing techniques." So far I have eaten an entire pineapple (which was great, because I discovered that I LOVE fresh pineapple!). I drink raspberry leaf tea constantly; which again I did research on and found that it is actually extremely beneficial to pregnant women, while NOT being something that induces labor. I've been going for lots of walks, and staying busy. So, he might not come tomorrow, but I just hope he doesn't come past my due date. These last 2 weeks, I can already predict, will be the slowest of my life.

We have everything ready. The hospital bags are packed and in the car, the car seat is in place, and nursery is set up, and the house is staying (relatively) clean. Come on little baby!!!!

So, like I said, I've stayed busy this week. In the last few days, I've started and completed several projects. The first one I'll share is the travel changing mat I made. I made a bag last week and decided it needed a changing mat to go with it. So, sticking with the farm theme, here it is:





I also finished the quilt that I've been writing about for the last couple weeks, FINALLY. I'm so happy it's finished! I made it less baby-ish and more little boy-ish so that he won't grow out of it it so quickly! I spent a lot of time designing this quilt and I'm pretty happy with it.





Next, I took a trip with a friend on Friday and went to this MASSIVE (well, in British terms) fabric shop. It was amazing and depressing, because they had soo many things I wanted, but it was VERY expensive. The fabric I wanted all ranged between £9-£14 PER METER. This is the equivolent of $15-$20 a yard. But, we drove really far to get there and Adam wasn't with us. So I risked my marriage and bought a meter of really expensive brushed cotton (like flannel but reallllly nice) and a meter of fleece. I also bought some patterns for some baby things! So here's what I've made so far...





That's all so far, but I've got even more projects in my head! Oh yeah, I made a cloth diaper this week as well, and I hope to make more once I get some flannel. I'll make some the next size up so after we use the ones we have now, I can make some more! We'll see. Anyways, here's my attempt at making a cloth diaper!





Right. THAT is all for this week's projects! I have some other things in mind, so hopefully I will get those done before baby bradley gets here!

So, due in 2 weeks. I can't believe how fast time has gone by but at the same time, it is going incredibly slow right now. I'm excited beyond belief; I'm nervous for labor but to be honest, I want him here so badly I feel like I would go through anything for him. I just can't wait to hold him.

We had our last antenatal class on Tuesday and it went really well; one of the women in the class had her baby on Wednesday! I'm so happy for them but VERY jealous at the same time. I want mine!!

Oh, speaking of which - here is a photo of me and all the other girls from my class!



It was a great class, I learned a lot and met some really nice people. I hope to stay in contact with some of them, and even more I hope to remember all the things I learned when the big day arrives!!!


That's it for now -- must go eat pizza!!

37 Weeks, 1 Day

Where to begin!...Well, I've reached 37 weeks which is VERY exciting yet nerveracking. The boy is cooked! He can come at any time now and will be fine! What a scary thought. Most of the time I'm calm until I think, "Oh no, what if he decided to come tonight?" I then realize all the things that I need to do. I haven't even finished packing my hospital bag yet!

I have however stayed busy lately. This week I printed off my birth plan, the hospital bag checklist, and started typing up the list of phone numbers of people to call when my little guy is born. I've started putting together the hospital bag, and I have all the things that need to be put together but I just haven't really collected it all in one place yet. Let's hope he doesn't show up before I get that done!

I have been reading all of these "Self-inducing labor tips," and so far have tried sitting on my birthing ball for a long period of time (Supposed to get him in the right position for birth), going for a semi-long walk (This means about 15 minutes...haha), and eating curry. I didn't make the curry spicy enough I don't think - since he's still in there. haha. I've also ordered some raspberry leaf tea, which I have been sworn to by some that it will make him come imminently - however, I've done some reading about it and it doesn't really induce labour. It DOES strengthen the uterus muscles though, and according to research will help my contractions be more effective, and also make it less likely to need intervention. There are actually a LOT of benefits to drinking raspberry leaf tea in the last weeks of pregnancy, so I'm looking forward to trying it. It should get here tomorrow.

I've also stayed busy making things! Long story short, I got a sewing machine after many attempts. Since I've gotten the machine, I've made 2 quilts, a baby sling, 6 placemats, and a bag. It's been soo much fun.

The first quilt I made (pre-sewing machine), I hand stitched. This was extremely time consuming. I made this to match the farm theme in my boy's nursery. Here it is:






My second quilt, which was using the sewing machine, is REALLY cute - BUT I don't want to post it on here quite yet because I'm sending it to a friend and I don't want to ruin the surprise :)

The third quilt is done with the exception of the back, which I hope to put on tomorrow. I don't have any photos of it uploaded right now but when it's done I'll put them up. This quilt is also for my little boy - it is red, blue and black and has different types of transportation on it :)

Today's projects were a bag and some placemats. The bag was more of an experiment, but i LOVE it and can't wait to make another one. There were a couple of mistakes made, but now that I know what I'm doing I think I'll be able to improve when I get some more fabric.

Here's the bag:







After I made the bag, we decided that a good use of the leftover material would be to make some placemats! So, here they are!





Last but not least, I made a sling yesterday. While I know the photo isn't much to look at, when I put it on it's soo cute and amazing how something so simple can clearly hold a baby! I borrowed the pattern from

http://www.mykarmababy.com/pages/BabySlingPattern.php

Very easy and fun to make!




That's all the photos I have for now but there will definitely be more to come!

In other news...tomorrow is our last antenatal class. I can't believe how fast it's flown by. There are a lot of things that I want to remember about this pregnancy, (hence writing the blog), so I should also update on the fact that I wake up every morning around 5 (or earlier) and can't sleep for several hours. It's very annoying. This morning I laid there for so long I eventually got up and had breakfast then went back to bed til 9.

My hands swell at night, HORRIBLY. They hurt every morning when I wake up. Aside from the little aches and pains though, I don't have many things to complain about pregnancy-wise, so I'll take it. :)

My little boy still moves a LOT, and can really push himself out really far which sometimes scares me. Haha. He hasn't "dropped" yet, but I've heard that they can put this off until right before labor, so I'm not too concerned. He is head down though, so that's what matters.

We've just started making big meals and freezing the leftovers - I've been told by LOTS of people that this is a good idea since I won't have much time to cook in the next few months.



I think that is all for now! I will probably update again this week since we have our last class tomorrow. I have my next appointment at 38 weeks, next Tuesday. Here's hoping I don't have to go to it!!! :o)

36 Weeks, 3 Days. . . 25 Days to go!

Well I can easily start off by saying that I am ready to not be pregnant anymore! This past week I have felt (and been told by many) that I am huge. My midwife saw me and said, "you are as wide as you are tall! Thanks, midwife. Thanks.

I wake up every morning with very sore hands. They don't appear to be very swollen, but they feel so big and they are painful! I am looking forward to that not happening anymore.

I sleep for intervals of about 2 hours. I have to wee and roll over, which is a process within itself. I am finding that being this big is extremely restricting and I do not like it!

On a positive note, I have my 36 week appointment yesterday and it went really well. Once again my midwife was astonished at how "fit and healthy" I am: I have great blood pressure and am right on target with weight gain. I have gained just over 25 lbs, and the average weight gain is between 25-35 lbs. She also told me that at this rate the baby will probably weigh about 8lbs, however I do not believe her. I mean, I don't know what he will weigh - but I have NEVER known these guesses to be correct. I have too many friends/family who have been told they were having 10-12lb babies and ended up having 7-8 lb babies. You just really can't tell how much he/she is going to weigh.

Well..what else? last night we had our antental class. I can't believe that next week is our last one!! Crazy how quickly the time has gone by. On Thursday we had a breasfeeding session which was really helpful. I'm really looking forward to breastfeeding! I am a little nervous about how it's all going to work out with the whole going out in public thing, but I'm sure I will get over it.

The class last night was good, we talked about what our needs as parents were within the first 6 months of baby being born. Obviously my needs included: Eating, Showering, and having a clean house. I also requested that Adam give me a diamond for every hour I am in labor, but I don't think that worked :o).

We also had to hand a baby doll around the room while it was "crying" and say what we would do. So we each had to think of a different reason why the baby might be crying, and then pass the baby along. I held him and said that he obviously wanted a cookie, and proceeded to shove a cookie in his face. It was funny but I think he kept crying. bahha. So to appease my class, I said I would give him a bath and see if that calmed him down.

We then talked about colic. This scared me. I think after last night I started realizing that we are actually having a baby. He is going to cry and we aren't always going to know why. This makes me anxious just thinking about. I can say that I am genuinely excited for holding him and being with him, for trying to ease his crying and just love him. I cannot wait to hold my little boy. I spend long periods of time trying to think about what he will look like. I can't really imagine it; but it is fun to think about. I am definitely getting nervous though for the fact that I don't know much about babies. I mean, I remember my little brother being little and taking care of him, but if I was ever in doubt I just handed him to my mom. No problem. But now my mom is really, really far away.

Anyways. This is all to say that the reality is sinking in. In 4 days the baby will be considered "full term." THIS is a scary thought. He could come at any time! I have yet to pack my hospital bag or even write my birth plan. I just keep putting it off! I am going to look online for all the silly ways to induce labor though. See what I can get to work. Surely if I start at 37 weeks then he will HAVE to come a LITTLE early, right? I've been told drinking raspberry leaf tea does the trick, so we'll see.

My next midwife appointment is in 2 weeks. I made the appointment hoping that I wouldn't have to actually go to it. I would be quite happy with this little guy showing up at 38 weeks!

35 weeks! Only 35 days to go....

Well, this week has been hectic to say the least! We had Uncharted Waters Sports Ministry with us this week, and I was in charge of serving 50+ children dinner every night. I had a lot of help but it was still crazy! This week has been hot as well, so needless to say...I'm exhausted.

Fortunately the exhaustion has come at the right time, since today is my first official day of Maternity Leave! I have the next 39 weeks off of work, PAID! I am ready to just relax - hopefully this little guy sticks around in there until he is due so I can catch up on some sleep before I lose it all again :)

And now, for the first time, I am experiencing real pregnancy symptoms. First of all, I am finally tired. I wasn't tired in the first 12 weeks when everyone said I would. Now, I go upstairs to get dressed and I sit down and pretty much wake up 2 1/2 hours later. I've done this several times. It reminds me of my time at ENC with my roommate Brooky...I would come back to the room every afternoon and lay down, and she would say, "Are you going to take a nap?" and I would say, "no, I'm just laying down for a minute." I would then wake up several hours later. Haha. Good times.

I also officially have swollen feet AND hands. I've been asked several times this week if my feet were swelling, and I kept saying, "no, they hurt but they aren't swollen." I got home Tuesday night, looked down, and shouted to Adam, "WHERE ARE MY ANKLES!??" It was funny but painful and sad at the same time...haha. Since then I've tried keeping my feet up, but now am finding that my hands are swelling. They are FAT. They hurt at night. I can't snap my fingers without feeling pain...I guess it's called Oedema or something like that, and I keep reading that I should drink lots of water. So I'm trying.

Well that's all really. No other major symptoms! I am actually not as big as I imagined myself to be at this point, which is great. I mean, I think I'm still on the upper weight gain limit, but I always imagined myself at 35 weeks pregnant to feel like a WHALE. I don't really feel like a whale. I do feel uncomfortable a lot, but when I look down I don't think that I am THAT ginormous. I supposedly will gain another 5 lbs, which I think I can deal with...we'll see.

So, like I said, I'm now on maternity leave! I have 5 weeks between now and the due date, so I've started making a list of things for me to due. This list includes (but is not limited to) the following:

- Quilting. I have started my first quilt for my little boy, and also have a couple other quilts in mind that I want to make. I am VERY excited about this...but annoyed because I don't own a sewing machine so I am borrowing one for the time being. I want my own.

- Painting/Designing letters of my little boy's name to put on his bedroom door.

- Writing my birth plan

- Cleaning. A lot.

- Organizing the baby's clothes over and over again.

- Finding fun craft ideas for the baby's room - like the cloth book holder that a friend of mine is making; such a cool idea!



...and more. My main focus right now is on the quilting, and I'm really looking forward to spending some time on it. I took a quilting class in highschool and can remember most of what I learned...so look at that, highschool DID pay off!


I really want the baby to come early. I mean, not too early. I'd glad accept 38 weeks. I do NOT want to be waiting around past 40 weeks, although I've heard that it is common for your first baby to be late. Whatever, I live in hope!



I think that's all for now. I can't believe that I am on maternity leave and only have a month left before the baby is due. I feel prepared but not. I'm so unbelievably excited. I can't even think about my little boy without crying...I wonder what he will look like, and I can't wait to hug him! I know it will pass, but I am looking forward to those sleepness nights because of how badly I want him here!

33 Weeks, 3 Days

Well, I can't say there is too much to update this week! We had our 3rd antenatal class last night which went well, it is getting more fun each week because we are getting to know the other couples a bit better which is nice. It's fun to be in a room with lots of other people who are having just as a rough time leaning over as I am :) hehe. A good half of the class is all due the same week as me, which is really cool since we're experiencing a lot of the same things.

Last night we talked quite a bit about natural pain relief and different positions to help ease the pain of contractions. There were about 8 different little areas we could go to where we would practice whatever movement it was teaching for a minute and a half, imagining that we were having a contraction. It was good because I was able to find out what things I found comfortable, but it was difficult because I have no clue what a contraction feels like, so it was hard to imagine that kind of pain. Overall it was really helpful though. I REALLY want a birthing ball - it was sooo nice.

As far as appointments go, I don't have another one until 36 weeks so nothing to update on that front! As far as my weight, I once again don't dare to check the scales. I feel humungous and know it's just going to get worse. Fortunately, I like the heat of summer and it hasn't been bothering me - although everyone I talk to says, "Oh this heat must be getting to you!" But no. It's not. I like it.

My little boy has been moving a lot lately, and the movements have been SO strange. It is incredible how far out he can stick his butt. hahaha. I look down and half of my stomach is poking out like 3 inches! It is crazy. He rolls around a lot, so it's not so much punching or kicking anymore. I can feel that he is getting bigger, which is so strange and hard to describe.

Sleep has become increasingly difficult, which I suppose is just my little boy getting me used to the lack of it. I wee a lot in the night which at this point I have gotten used to, but for the last week almost every night I've been getting horrendous leg cramps. They wake me up, I start yelling, "OW, OW, OW" and rubbing my leg until it stops. I have no idea how this doesn't wake Adam up. Last night I even kicked him on accident. haha. Anyways, it's horrible, and I read that drinking milk helps this but I believe this is a LIE because I drink so much milk that if I drink anymore I'll probably get some kind of milk-induced problem. So I will just suffer I guess.



That's really all for now - but in the life of my little boy at 33 Weeks ........



Your baby weighs about 4.4 pounds at this point. The crown-to-rump length of your baby is approximately 12 inches and the total length is around 19.4 inches. Measuring from the top of your uterus to your bellybutton is 5.2 inches. Total weight gain at this point of pregnancy is usually 22 to 28 pounds.

With the exception of crying, your baby is capable of doing everything that a newborn baby will do. Your baby is restricted now inside of the uterus, but still can kick and move. Your baby sleeps a lot of the time, just as newborn babies do. Your baby's eyes move in the manner of REM sleep and researchers believe that babies can dream vividly in uterus. When your baby is awake, she is listening, feeling and learning. There are billions of neurons in the brain that make trillions of connections. Your baby will probably have settled into the birth position by now and your caregiver can most likely tell which way your baby is presenting. If your baby were to be born now, the lungs would probably be strong enough to function properly, but your baby may still need extra care from specially trained doctors and nurses.


(http://i-am-pregnant.com)

32 Weeks, 3 Days

Ok! Where to start. Well, yesterday we had our 32 week appointment, which went really well. They did the normal pee testing, blood pressure check, and heartbeat check along with measuring my bump. Apparently he's measuring at 33 weeks, but my midwife said that this could be 1) because usually around this time he'll have a growth spurt, or, 2) I'm short. Haha. Basically, my bump has no place else to go but out - so I might measure bigger. They did the heartbeat check, which sounded great except they had me lay down - bad idea! When I lay down the pressure of the baby makes it very hard for me to breathe; from what I have been told it's because the weight pushes down on the aorta or something and cuts off the blood flow to my brain (nice, right?!). Anyways I got really really dizzy and hot very quickly. I thought I was going to throw up or pass out, so I had to say something and they let me up! It was horrible. Other than that though, great appointment, so good that they don't need to see me until I'm 36 weeks!!!

I did go into the hospital last week because I had some pains - they turned out to be nothing but ligament pains but I was told that if I ever had any kind of pain then to go in. So I did. They monitored the baby's heartbeat for 30 minutes, took my blood, and took my blood pressure 3 times! I didn't realize they were going to be so thorough but it was reassuring anyways. I got a print out of the little guy's heartbeat which was cool, and everyone who looks at it comments on how great it looks which is nice. :o)

Then, last night we had our second antenatal class. This was a "Girls Only" Session, and we kicked all the guys out (They all went to the pub for 2 hours - rough right? haha.) The reason for the "Girls Only" session was so that we could have a chance to ask embarassing questions or talk about things we might not feel comfortable talking about in front of the men. Needless to say, by the end of this session, I was highly unamused at this whole "having a baby" thing, and not really sure I was happy with what I had gotten myself into! We talked about how after birth we'll all bleed for a good 6 weeks at least, how during labor people poo, and how irrational with pain I will get during the "transition" stage of labor. I am not excited about these things. I keep being told that it will all be worth it in the end (and trust me, I know it will be - I still can't wait to hold my little cutie!) but I'm just that much more aware of the toll that this is going to take on my body. Blah!

On a positive note, the class is going well - the other people are pretty nice and I'm definitely getting a lot out of it. Next week we are talking about labor positions and ways to get comfortable/ease the pain of labor. People are bringing in birthing balls and mats and that kinda thing. I'm excited.

On another positive note, my mom sent me a huge box of things in the mail! I had no idea how awesome this box of goodies would be, so I obviously NEED to share with everyone some of the things that we got!


First on the list of awesome things is this set of turtle/hippo things. It's 3 bibs and 2 burp cloths - and my mom MADE them! How amazing is that?! They are so soft and adorable, I can't WAIT to see my little boy wear them!!



Here's a close-up of my favorite turtle bib



And, of course, an "I love Grandma" bib my mom made!



And another set of things made by my mom: A matching blanket, bib and burp cloth! SO cute!!!




Another VERY special thing in this box was a knitted lamb made by my AMAZING sister-in-law, Julie. I can't BELIEVE she made this - his name is lambert and he matches our sheepy theme!!



Here's a photo of our changing table, covered in stuff. Amidst all of this stuff is some cloth diaper covers Julie sent me - I'm very excited about them since all the other ones I have are white, but these are colorful!



The next couple photos aren't things that were in the box, but I wanted to share anyway.

Here's the changing bag we got, which I LOVE because it's a bag I can still use after it's not used for a changing bag anymore! (Outside and inside, all ready to take him out...hehe.)






And last but not least, is the most current photo of my bump! Taken today.





The little guy's movements have changed this week - I've noticed them less than normal, but when I do feel them it's like he's completely moving his body rather than just a kick or punch. Oh, and at the midwife appointment they let me know that he is head down which is good! They could feel his spine and his limbs...crazy!

He is now around 4 lbs and 18 inches long. When did he get so big?!

31 Weeks, 4 Days

I know I'm not quite up to 32 weeks yet, but I thought I'd do some updating since my antenatal classes are on tuesdays and I want to remember what happened at them!

So, we had our first class on Tuesday night and it went really well. There are about 5 other couples in the group with us and this week was just basic and getting to know a little bit about eachother and our expectations of the class. It was great getting to meet other people not only due in August, but actually 3 other couples due the same week as me! All of them as well are first-time parents so we're really in the same boat.

It was good to meet others and I'm really looking forward to getting to know them better. This week was a little bit awkward since we don't know eachother yet, but I'm sure htat will fade away quickly! The class from what I remember (I wish I could remember all of it, but it was 2 hours and I forget easily!) talked a lot about our questions, worries, concerns, etc. and then we talked about the 3 stages of labor. We talked about the different options as far as where to have the babies - and I must say that I could not BELIEVE how many women - actually I think all of them - who had not been to visit the hospital or birthing center. I guess people just aren't worried or concerned, but visiting the birthing center/hospital helped me so much, just eased my worries. Anyways. We talked about the stages of labor and that was really good to know. I had just done some reading this past week about it, so hearing it and discussing it was helpful.

Next week, we are sending all the men off to the pub while we have a "girls only session." To be honest, I don't know what this means but I'm sure it will be good!

I also got my own personal midwife visit today! There is a lady in my church who is a former missionary/midwife who came by to just chat to me about anything to do with labor/babies/breastfeeding. It was absolutely wonderful to just have an informal conversation about different things that came to mind. She is so nice and is going to come by again after she gets back from vacation next week!

I was told that around this time, the weeks would start to fly by - but actually I feel like they've slowed down. It's probably because I am not taking any classes anymore (I have been studying online with Nazarene Bible College for the past year). I'm taking a break until the Spring and I suppose that gave me something to do in the evenings. Now I feel sort of useless! I'm not exactly sure what I will do with all my time when I go on maternity leave in less than a month! Either way, time has seemed to go ultra slow lately; I've been trying to read and learn as much as I can about labor and delivery and I'm sure that is just making me more excited about meeting my little boy. He has been kicking so much lately - although I've been told that soon he will be too big to kick since he is running out of space in there. I also discovered this week that he IS getting big - (or I am, anyways) - I finally weighed myself for the first time since about 14 weeks, and I have gained 27 pounds! This means that I am right on target for 35 pounds of weight gain. I was told that I would gain between 25-35, so although I'm still within reason I can definitely say that I am on the upper limit! Gah!


Today I had a wonderful chat with my sister in law, Julie, which was great. I really miss her and my brother (and the rest of my family), so I decided to call to say hello! We talked about babies which was fun...I only wish I could drop by so easily. I have a neice and nephew, 3 and 1, whom I have really only met a few times. They are wonderful little kids though and Julie is an incredible mom - I hope I am half as good as her! (I'm sure Joe is a pretty good dad too :) ).

Well I think that's all for now. I have a midwife appointment on Tuesday the 15th (I accidentally missed my appointment this week since I forgot to book it...oops.)