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~ Evelyn Louise ~ 6 Comments

My comment back to Grete:
Sorry to those of you who feel the way Grete does.  Truth be told – Jeff and I are bad at taking the picture.  We never did take the 26 week photo and now we’re almost to #27.  I promise (cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye) that I’ll get him to take one this week.  I’ll post now how I’m doing.

So, here is how I’m doing…  I am doing pretty good.  I have bad indigestion (do you really want to know all this?) and bad acid reflux.  My sinuses are doing their thing as they usually do, I’m just now ususally pregnant so I’m allowed to load up on medicines.  Currently I’m allowed to take Tylenol Sinus for my sinuses and TUMS for my other issues.  This includes getting up at 2:30 in the morning with a burning in my throat to down some water and chew more TUMS.  Those of you looking into playing the stock market – buy in TUMS, pregnant ladies can’t get enough of them.  According to “old wives” and now even medicine, all this indigestion means a kid with hair.  This isn’t 100% accurate, though.  I have a friend who had indigestion her entire pregnancy and her baby was bald at birth (and still has very little hair at 7+ months).

I’m tired.  All the time.  I stay tired.  I was so excited to be watching the best opening ceremonies of the olympics ever and fell asleep shortly after the US entered, totally missing the torch lighting.  Stink!

I pee a lot.  Rachel gave me a card with the most wonderful belly lotion of all time and the card had the schedule of an expectant mother.  Every 30 minutes (or maybe 15) of her daily schedule said to pee.  How true that is becoming.  I went to the bathroom FOUR TIMES while at church yesterday.  I used to rarely see that room in our building.  Long trips are now longer because I actually have to stop at rest areas (though I still avoid this as often as possible and prefer to buy food in a restaurant or shop at a Target to avoid them).

I’m excited.  We’ve had a bit of a baby boom at church here lately.  Hannah was born in December, Sean was born in June, & Logan was born a month ago.  Yesterday, Colleen (mom) was holding Logan (son) before Sunday school.  She was getting ready to do a sound check with the praise team and Logan wanted to eat.  Everyone (including me) offered to hold him while she did her sound check since she wasn’t going to feed him until afterward.  She turned every single person down.  She was going to hold that baby until it was time to feed him.  How cool – I get to do that this fall.  I don’t have to pass the baby to anyone because she will be MINE.  Now that is really, really exciting to me.  I’ve always loved babies & I love to hold babies.  For the first time in my life, I don’t have to hand a baby off to someone else.  I can say, “No thank you, I’ve got her” and people have to respect that because the baby is going to be mine.
I know, this sounds very selfish – I’m well aware of how selfish I sound – but for the first time in the world, I get to be selfish with a baby because I created and carried this one.  WOW!!!

I’m still scared.  Again, this baby is MINE.  No one else, but Jeff, is responsible for bringing her up right.  If she gets screwed up in the head, it is my fault.  If she is boy crazy, everyone will know where it came from.  When she hates her mother – that will be me!  EEK!  What am I doing?  If you see my previous post about being absolutely scared out of my noggin, I still feel that way at times, but it has subsided a bit as it’s been replaced with the utter excitement that I’m having a baby! 
I’m also still scared that I’m having a GIRL!  I had lunch with a friend last week (my 8th grade boyfriend to be exact) and when I told him it was a girl, he laughed out loud at me.  He said, “What are you going to do – you don’t know how to be a girl!”  If you knew me as I grew up, I was definately boy crazy, but I was not a girly-girl.  I never did my hair.  I never wore makeup.  The most girly thing about me growing up was my love for heels and Cinderella.  I was in a walking leg brace for 6-8 weeks in 7th grade because I went to swing out of a tree (which I’d climbed with a bunch of boys) and got my foot stuck.  I swang, but my foot didn’t come.  I tore all the ligaments in my knee and did some serious damage to the joint.  Thankfully it healed well, though it hurts and pops at times even now.  I have NO CLUE how to french braid.  I can do pony tails and pig tails & that is about it.  Anyone from UCC see Paige’s adorable double braids yesterday? – don’t hold your breath that my kid is gonna have those.  Unless Colleen volunteers to help me when I get to church, this kid is out of luck.  Now, Kathy Ferrell, my hair magician, has volunteered to teach me these great hair things and I’m probably going to try to take her up on it.

I’m excited that I’m having a girl. Afterall, I found out yesterday that one of my gifts is THIS:VT Cheer
Now that is exciting to me!  Yes Warren, the Riches had already bought it!  Thank you Dana & Charlotte!  Of course, my dad and the Morris’ (from church) are already scheming to provide me with the UVA alternative.  Daddy claims that since she is his granddaughter, she should represent his team as well.  I told him he’d have to use it after keeping her overnight.

Well, I think that sums up how I am today.  All in all, this pregnancy thing is fun.  I’ve been fortunate that I haven’t had many negatives.  I think I’ll even do it again in a year or so and give this baby a sibling.

Oh – we do have a name, and some people have been allowed to know it.  We’re not sharing it yet, but will soon (maybe).  Dana says that it is fitting for my little girl.  For now she’s being called Bean Louise since her middle name will be Louise.

I go back to the Dr. on 8/26 for my glucose test (for gestational diabetes) and for another ultrasound.  My placenta was low on 6/30 and they are concerned about it’s location.  If it hasn’t come up by the end of this month, I’ll get to have another ultrasound closer to my due date to decide if a c-section is best.
I’ll post my feelings on that later, though it isn’t dramatic or anything.  I’m aiming for a low-drama birth.

26 Weeks Down – 14 To Go

~ Evelyn Louise ~ 3 Comments

Photo of me to come later today or tomorrow!

How your baby’s growing:

The network of nerves in your baby’s ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner’s as you chat with each other. She’s inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she’s born and takes that first gulp of air. And she’s continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds [What to Expect says she’s a full 2 lbs] and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.
26 weeks 26-english-cucumber

How your life’s changing:

Are you rushing around trying to get to childbirth classes and prepare your baby’s room while still taking care of all your other daily tasks? Make sure that you also continue to eat well and get plenty of rest. Around this time, your blood pressure may be increasing slightly, although it’s probably still lower than it was before you got pregnant. (Typically, blood pressure falls toward the end of the first trimester, and it tends to reach a low at about 22 to 24 weeks.)

Preeclampsia — a serious disorder characterized by high blood pressure and protein in your urine — most often shows up after 37 weeks, but it can happen earlier so it’s important to be aware of the warning signs of this condition. Call your caregiver if you have swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, more than slight swelling of your hands, excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, or rapid weight gain (more than 4 pounds in a week). With more severe preeclampsia, you may experience other symptoms. Let your caregiver know immediately if you have a severe or persistent headache, vision changes (including double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, sensitivity to light, or temporary loss of vision), intense pain or tenderness in your upper abdomen, or vomiting.

If your lower back seems a little achy lately, you can thank both your growing uterus — which shifts your center of gravity, stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, and may be pressing on a nerve — as well as hormonal changes that loosen your joints and ligaments. Plus, the extra weight [I haven’t put on too much weight.  On 7/28 I was 142.  I am currently 38 inches around at my belly button] you’re carrying means more work for your muscles and increased stress on your joints, which is why you may feel worse at the end of the day. Walking, standing, or sitting for long periods, as well as bending and lifting can all put a strain on your back. A warm bath or hot compress might bring relief. (Some women, though, find cool compresses more comforting.) Try to maintain good posture during the day, avoid activities that require bending and twisting at the same time, take frequent breaks when sitting or standing, and sleep on your side with one or both knees bent with a pillow between your legs, using another pillow (or wedge) to support your abdomen.

25 Weeks

~ Evelyn Louise ~ 2 Comments

How your baby’s growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn’t much more than an average rutabaga, but she’s beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she’ll start to look more and more like a newborn. She’s also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you’d now be able to discern its color and texture.

25 weeks 25-rutabaga

How your life’s changing

Your baby’s not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It’s not that you’re growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you’d normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

You may also notice that you can’t move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it’s fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don’t work out when you’re feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don’t lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you’re apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

24 Week Update (a little late)

~ Evelyn Louise ~ 1 Comment

24 weeks

So I was at camp last week and was unable to post my 24 week update.  Here it is today:

How your baby’s growing:

Your baby’s growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she’s almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she’ll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing “branches” of the respiratory “tree” as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

 24 weeks 24a-corn-open

How your life’s changing:

In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.
No Wonder I look so large!

23 weeks down…17 to go!

~ Evelyn Louise ~ Leave a comment

FSCN2896

How your baby’s growing:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she’s more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes.
23-mango 23 weeks

Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby’s increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won’t faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

How your life’s changing:

You may notice that your ankles and feet start to swell a bit in the coming weeks or months, especially at the end of the day or during the heat of summer. Sluggish circulation in your legs — coupled with changes in your blood chemistry that may cause some water retention — may result in swelling, also known as edema. Your body will get rid of the extra fluid after you have your baby, which is why you’ll pee frequently (thank you for the card – too funny – and the lotion, Rachel!!!) and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery. In the meantime, lie on your left side or put your feet up when you can, stretch out your legs when you sit, and avoid sitting — or standing — in one place for long periods. Also, try to exercise regularly to increase circulation, and wear support stockings (put them on first thing in the morning) and roomy, comfortable shoes. You may be tempted to skimp on liquids to combat swelling, but you need to drink plenty of water because staying hydrated actually helps prevent fluid retention.

from another mother’s blog I faithfully read…

~ Evelyn Louise ~ 2 Comments

Unworthy…

July 10, 2008 at 10:00 pm · Written by Amber Stoffer on http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/

So some people have recently commented on some posts telling me I’m a good mom. That pretty much blows me away because most of the time I feel like I’m standing in the middle of the house in my sweats with snot and spit-up on them (not mine, mind you), no makeup and hair in a messy ponytail, looking around at dirty dishes, fingerprinted windows, a stack of bills, dusty endtables, and crumb-y carpet thinking, “Huh?”
What happened?
Who am I?
Where did these kids come from?
What do I do with them?
Whose house is this?
What do I do now?
Do you ever feel like that? Like, wasn’t I just 18 and living on my own, making my own money, spending it as I pleased, with a TON of free time?? Wasn’t that just yesterday? Really- WHERE does the time go? Will I ever FEEL my age? Will I ever FEEL like a wife? Will I ever FEEL like a mom?
I L-O-V-E my life, my husband, and my kids. Please know that. I love them more than ANYTHING. It just feels like so often I find myself thinking- how did I get here!?! You know? When I was younger I always thought there would be some magical age that I would begin to feel like an adult. I’m beginning to think that age doesn’t exist!
I was talking with a lady at church a few weeks ago about this very topic and she said something that hit me. She said, “Often I look around and think- who is responsible for all of these children? And then I realize it’s ME! Who thought I was responsible enough to have my OWN children?”
When I think about that, the only possible answer is God. He thinks she’s worthy. He thinks I’M worthy. So even when I don’t feel that way inside I know HE thinks that of me. And I thank Him for the opportunity to raise up some little people to know Him.
So thanks for the comments even though I don’t feel that way all the time. It makes me want to try a little harder. And makes me want to go in the other room and turn off the video I put on for my son…

Well – the parts in bold absolutely sum up how I a feeling this week about being pregnant!  Standing in Babies R Us registering for the crib, the stroller travel system, picking a diaper bag, and nursery “stuff” I thought to myself, “Oh, God – you’re giving me a kid and I think I’m going to freak out!”  It’s funny.  I’ve wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember.  I started supervised babysitting at 10-years-old and by 12 I was Infant/Child First-Aid and CPR certified.  I had gotten certification from the Red Cross for babysitting.  I was preparing for the day I would have one of those little squirmy things for myself.  And now the day is quickly approaching – 17 weeks to go.  I am utterly nervous that this dream of mine is going to come crashing down and I’m not going to be the mother I always planned on being.
I worked in a private pre-school/daycare for three years starting off as an assistant in the toddler room then moving to toddler teacher, toddler supervisor, center supervisor, and eventually assistant manger.  I loved every day of my work with those little ones of all ages.  Now I am petrified because I’m going to have one that is all mine.
Seriously, I have planned and dreamed for so long that I am overwhelmed at the thought of it all coming to be.

Dear God, please let me be the mother I want to be.  Let me love my children the way you love your children.  Let me be the example that my own mother was to me.  Be with Jeff and me as we become parents together.  Let us work together and never against each other.  Let us respect each other in our parenting.  Let this child, this little girl, grow up in You.  Let her not be as boy crazy as I was (I’m wanting a Katie Quinn here).  Let us find strength in Your Word and in Your teachings so that we may be the parents you designed us to be.  Now that this dream, this wish, is coming true, God, I am so scared.  Thank you for this blessing.  Please help me deserve it.  Amen.

Early Update: 22 Weeks

~ Evelyn Louise ~ 1 Comment

So I got a little impatient waiting for tomorrow to roll around (my 22 week mark) so I went ahead and looked up all my info and decided to share it.
Our little girl is moving around like a champ a couple of times a day and I enjoy feeling her squirmies.  Matter fact, she moving around right now!  For those who have been asking, we’ll be working on our baby registry soon.  Please don’t go crazy shopping yet, we’ve yet to make some big decisions!

How your baby’s growing:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) [or a pound of coffee beans, not ground] and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she’s even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you’d be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she’ll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

22 weeks 22-spaghetti-squash

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby’s development.

How your life’s changing:

At this point, you may find your belly becoming a hand magnet. It’s perfectly okay to tell folks who touch your tummy that you’d rather they didn’t. And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that each woman grows — and shows — at her own rate. What’s important is that you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby’s growth is on track.

You may start to notice stretch marks on your abdomen as it expands to accommodate your growing baby. At least half of all pregnant women will develop stretch marks by the time they give birth. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color). Although they most commonly appear on your tummy, stretch marks may also show up on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts [amen, sister – this is one disturbing effect I’ve gotten to experience!]. There’s no proof that lotion helps prevent stretch marks, but keeping your skin moisturized may help with any itching.  [Cocoa butter and I are best friends!]

21 Week Update

~ Evelyn Louise ~ 1 Comment

How your baby’s growing:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she’s practicing martial arts [AMEN – I’M FEELING SOME MIGHTY MOVEMENT] as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better [she moves alot after meals and especially when I eat cheese]. In other developments, your baby’s eyebrows and lids are present now.

21 weeks21-carrot

How your life’s changing:

You’re probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You’re not too big yet, and the usual discomforts associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. If you’re feeling good, relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester may bring with it a new crop of complaints.

That’s not to say you won’t have some minor glitches to deal with now. For example, increased oil production may contribute to the development (or worsening) of acne. If that’s the case, be diligent about washing well with a gentle soap or cleanser twice a day, and make sure that any moisturizer or make-up you use is oil-free. Don’t take any oral acne medications — some are very hazardous during pregnancy — or use any topical acne products without first checking with your practitioner.

You’re also more prone to varicose veins now. As your pregnancy progresses, there’s increasing pressure on the veins in your legs; higher progesterone levels, which may cause the walls of your veins to relax, can make the problem worse. You’re more likely to get varicose veins if other family members have them. Also, they tend to get worse with each successive pregnancy and as you age. To help prevent or minimize varicose veins, exercise daily, prop up your feet and legs whenever possible, sleep on your left side, and wear maternity support hose.

You may also notice so-called spider veins (a group of tiny blood vessels near the surface of your skin), particularly on your ankles, legs, or face. They may have a spider- or sunburst-like pattern with little branches radiating out from the center, they may look like the branches of a tree, or they may be a group of separate thin lines with no particular pattern. Though they may be a bit unsightly, spider veins don’t cause discomfort and usually disappear after delivery.

I am having to sleep on my left side all the time – nothing else is comfortable, though I do sometimes wake up on my back (again, though, I wake up because I am uncomfortable).  I can feel her move a lot more often and they are strong enough for Jeff (or who ever is close) to feel them too.  We are still talking about her name, so no news on that to share.

I’ll post a picture from tomorrow (Dogwood Dell!!!) as my 21 week picture.  Miss Bean Cronin will have her first exposure to fireworks.  I can’t wait to see if she reacts.  According to everything I’ve read, she can hear loud noises that are around me.