My return (aka we finally have internet again)

Wow, I've let way too much time pass in between posts. I still owe a birth story (and I will get that up). I also need to catch up on my blog reading/commenting. I have a good excuse for disappearing. There was the baby, then the moving (which consisted of a 12 hour flight and a 20 hour car ride), then the moving in (nightmare), and finally the unpacking and setting up. We just finally got the internet to start working.

We are doing well here. PJ is 8 weeks old now (crazy)! She gets cuter and more human like every day. She just took her first bottle yesterday--she wanted nothing to do with them before then. So, I may actually be able to return to work at some point here. We are settled in NYC and I'm currently job searching--which is awful--nothing like six years ago. Other than that, just enjoying PJ. It is remarkable how much she changes from week to week.

She's Here!

Baby PJ was born on August 11, 2012 after 27 hours at the hospital. I'll share more of my birth story later. She was 8 lbs 6.9 oz (though I'm sure the massive amounts of fluid I was given helped that number). Her head is huge 91st percentile. Birth was an experience and not what I wanted or how I envisioned it but I'm happy with how it turned out. PJ is adorable and we are spending our time just getting to know her. I promise to share the whole story soon.

Induction Time

Continuing with my pregnancy tradition, I have borderline protein in my urine. The cutoff is 300 and I'm at 315. So, I'll be heading out in a few hours here to start the induction process. I'm hoping it goes well, though I'm aware my plans for no pain medication may go out the window. Will update you once PJ is here.

Overdue

PJ still hasn't made her entrance. It's making Mr. F and I very nervous. Mr. F is supposed to be on a plane on his way to NYC next Friday. So, we were hoping for earlier instead of later. I've been watching those on my blog role who were due after me give birth before me (congrats ladies!) and it's been tough. I want Mr. F to have as much time with her as possible before he needs to leave.

I spent the day in L&D yesterday. I had a regular appointment in the morning and was checked and found that I hadn't progressed from the last appt (they checked me last time because I had someone other then my normal midwife). My blood pressure was high and my feet/legs still swollen, so that coupled with GD got me sent in for testing. At L&D my blood pressure still wasn't stellar (hovering around 137/93) but apparently that's good enough for them as I was sent home. I'm doing a 24 hour urine collection now--which I would be surprised if it showed anything. I've never had anything more then trace amounts of protein in my urine. I have a follow-up appointment with a Dr on Friday.

I was told at L&D that I won't be allowed to go past 41 weeks (which is next Tuesday). I'm hoping that PJ will make her entrance well before then. I really don't want to be induced but also don't like the possible risks associated with GD--especially since it seems they don't plan on doing an additional BPP to check for placenta problems like I thought they were going to do. My plan for the next few days is to continue walking, eating spicy foods, and trying not to stress--while hoping for the best.

Still Waiting...

Almost 39 weeks (2 more days according to the drs office). I'm not surprised at all. Statistically speaking I know I'm likely to go over 40 weeks. I am starting to hope she comes soon though. Our schedule for moving  is regimented down to the last second. PJ delaying her arrival (past one week overdue) will delay plane tickets and Mr. F's departure for orientation. So, we are really hoping that she decides to come before then. 

Here's my complaining for the week--so skip if you don't want to hear it. I'm also in considerably more pain then before. I'm certain that the stress of moving and physically helping to move household items isn't helping. However, the bigger the baby gets the more the joint pain increases and the harder I'm finding it to move around. An hour long walk around the mall is about all I can handle these days and I hate it. I don't like feeling like I'm unable to do things...and that's currently how I'm starting to feel. 

Otherwise, things are going really well. The GD is firmly under control, still with diet only. I rarely have a number that is over and if it is it's usually by a few points. My exams have all been great--no cervix checks here though so no idea if I'm progressing--and PJ is measuring on track. I have another exam today, so hoping I see the same results. 

Almost there.

Yesterday marked 37 weeks (according to my drs office). I've been going through the normal testing and at this point everything is looking good. PJ has apparently decided, however, that she will not be coming out anytime soon. She is still high up with no signs of dropping. I'm fully expecting to go 41 weeks. Though, I hope she will come on her own before then so that I don't have to be induced. Pitocin seems as if it will throw off any delusions of a natural birth. Yes, that's my birth plan so far. Well, it's more of a see how it goes and stay flexible birth plan. If all possible, however, I would like to give birth without drugs. I also plan on using the labor (not birthing) tub at our hospital. I really like water and I am hoping it will help me a lot with pain management. Crazy how real this is getting now.

In my spare time me and Mr. F have been furiously packing up our apartment. It's a lot of work to move from one side of the country to the other. We are hoping to have everything done/sold within the next week or two so that we are both able to relax a bit before PJ comes. Everyone keeps telling me how brave I am--quitting my job, moving, having a baby, looking for a new job--but I think my response that I'm just crazy is a bit more accurate.

Meds and Other Things...

What does everyone do with their leftover meds? I've been holding on to them because I was worried I might need them again. However, as we get ever closer to PJ's arrival, I'm finding myself a lot more confident. I've got 4-6 doses of menopur, an unopened bottle of PIO, 10 or so Climara patches, and 8 or so vials of crinone. And, I don't know what to do with them. What has everyone else done with theirs?

Mentioning meds, I found out that I have GD. I'm super borderline which makes me feel a bit better. So far, so good on the GD diet. All of my numbers have been within target--without meds. So, I'm hoping I'm one of the lucky one's with GD and can stay away from additional meds or insulin. I've spoken at length with my Dr's office about how this will affect my pregnancy. Right now, they are hopeful it won't have any affect. I'm measuring on track and they won't force induction unless something changes and/or I need to go on insulin and it affects my placenta. So, that gives me even more impetus to make sure I'm following the dietary recommendations.

I've been really busy the last few weeks. I'm finishing up two classes for my degree. So, I'm out the door at 7am and don't get home until about 9:30pm. I've only got 2 more weeks though, so I'm hoping I can continue and push through to the end. We are also working on packing and getting all of our stuff moved out of our apartment. We are headed to New York City shortly after PJ's arrival. So, there is much upheaval in our household right now (and no cute nursery updates). Anyways, hope you are all well. I look forward to having more time (ha!) to catch up.

Time flies...

I'm already almost 30 weeks! My next goal is 32 weeks and then I'm just going to focus on getting everything done before PJ decides to arrive. I've been crazy busy trying to finish the last 2 classes for my masters degree. I leave at 7am for work and don't return home until 9:30pm. My classes are 6 weeks long and I still have 5 to go. I've begun counting down already.

I may or may not have GD. I failed my one hour and got to go in to take the lovely three hour. I rushed in last Wed morning wanting to get it out of the way--and begin diet/tracking if I indeed had it. Well, I get my results via computer and my midwife said no call means nothing to worry about. My results were confusing. I failed the fasting (before the drink by 2 points). I failed the 1 hour but I passed the 2 hour and 3 hour. My test results say that you must pass 2 after taking the glucola drink--which makes me think I've passed. However, dr. g.oogle leads me to believe I failed. There has been no call from my midwife's office....so I took things into my own hands and emailed her. I'm still waiting for a reply.

Other than that, I am just moving along. Pregnancy has been pretty kind to me and I hope that trend continues. PJ is really moving in there now and Mr. F has been able to feel her a few times--which is really awesome!

First Shower, Defenses, a BabyMoon, and 27 weeks

Time seems to be going by very quickly. I hope that continues to be the case when I am at the end and just wanting to meet this little girl. We have been extremely busy which certainly is helping this pregnancy speed by.

We had our first baby shower last weekend. It was hosted by a close friend of mine and she did a fabulous job. She hand made all the decorations and they were adorable. We got a sea creature theme (Mr. F studies them). About 30 friends and family were there to celebrate and they were extremely generous. PJ now has many new outfits, blankets, books, diapers, and toys. Now, I just need to sit down and get the thank-you cards written.

In addition, Mr. F is now officially Dr. F. He finished his graduate degree and he is finally back to normal. It's been a stressful couple of months for him and you could visually see the stress lift from him after he finished his defense.  I am almost done with my graduate degree. I have 2 more classes to finish this summer before PJ comes.

We have also booked our babymoon. We will be doing a tour of all the major Hawaiian Islands. I've been to many before but there are still things we wanted to do on each of them. So, off we will go the first week in July. I am very much looking forward to my last bit of relaxation.

Finally, I'm 27 weeks today. 28 weeks is my next milestone. So, almost there. I am feeling really great. I have no major complaints. I have a little carpal tunnel (I think) in my hands and sometimes my back is sore...but otherwise I am functioning completely like normal! I know there is still time to develop the awesome things (like hemorrhoids) but so far, so good.

Cloth Diaper Overload

I have a very serious problem. Well, maybe two of them. First, I am a bargain shopper. I love finding things I want, on sale. Shopping for PJ has been a blast. For instance, I knew I wanted a BOB. So, I watched and waited for months and got it for a great price. I also knew that I wanted to cloth diaper (for a variety of reasons). If any of you cloth diaper, you know how many great prints are available. I think I may have went a bit overboard. I may have bought 14 BumGenius Elementals and Free-Times this weekend (don't tell my husband he only knows about 8 of them). That is in addition to the other 29 diapers that I already have (in various brands/colors). In my defense, BG just came out with some adorable new prints/colors (The CornfedFeminist is also talking about this) The Albert print is perfect for us with Mr. F being a scientist so that was a must purchase. Also, they were discounted most places at 25% off. That being said, I think I have enough cloth diapers for awhile. That is, until I discover another great print....Cloth diapering is a very dangerous addiction.

Viability

My ticker may say I'm one day away, but my dr's office says today is the day. I'm so relieved. Another milestone met. Though I realize that things can still happen, I still feel much safer having hit this point. I can exhale a bit more.
The pregnancy is still going well. I really have nothing to complain about. I've had some pretty brutal pelvic pain but the chiropractor seems to be helping that. Yesterday, I freaked out for a few seconds and almost convinced myself that I was having contractions. I kept feeling this rhythmic feeling and at first I thought it was PJ kicking. However, after it kept going on that's when I started worrying....until I figured out it was the hiccups (or at least I think it was). So, cool.
In moving news...it's looking more and more like it is happening. We will be headed to NYC a few short weeks after I give birth. My husband will head out first and I will spend a few weeks with family before heading there. It's our hope he can find a place and get settled a bit before the baby and I head over. We are fairly certain we will be living in Brooklyn. Now, it's just finding a place. The easy part, right!?
We will also be having our baby shower soon. We have a lot of friends here that will be taking off for the summer. So, the hostess decided to throw it a bit earlier than expected. I'm excited though and am sure it will be a ton of fun. I promise I'll try to update more in the future. Hope you are all well.

Movement and a Great Book

So, I have anxiously been awaiting PJs first kicks. Over the past few weeks there were a couple times when I thought I may have felt something. However, I was not completely convinced. The last few days it has become unmistakable. It's the craziest feeling. It alternates between feeling like a little bug under my skin and when I assume PJ is flipping--like I just took a crazy dive on a roller coaster. I'm loving it. This is something I was really looking forward to. I'm a little worried about what it is going to feel like when PJ gets bigger but I think I am ready for it.

I also just finished a really great book. What.Alice.Forgot.  It's a chick-lit book about a women who forgets about 10 years of her life after an accident. That's not what hooked me though. Instead, the story about her sister, a fellow infertile, is what really drew me in. I had no idea that it had anything to do with infertility and found myself crying throughout much of the book. It was so well done though and very realistic. I kept thinking either the author has went through this herself or someone very close to her had told her their deepest secrets regarding IF. I highly suggest the book.

In other news, we are still deciding where to move next fall. We will make a decision by mid-april. I'm nervous, excited, and all those other emotions that go along with making a huge move. We've done it twice now though, so at least I have a small idea of what we are getting ourselves into.