Handling the Holidays Pregnant

Holiday's can be a wonderful and fun time to spend with friends and family, but they can also be a source of stress and exhaustion for even those not pregnant. Thanksgiving happens to be one of my favorite times of year, for many reasons- family, decorations, beginning of the Christmas countdown, and of course number one is all the delicious foods!

This year, Rob and I have taken part in three Thanksgiving's and have played different roles in each. During the first, we hosted a friend's Thanksgiving and were so excited to have many of our closest college friends come in from out of town to eat, catch up, and watch some Michigan football. I cooked the Turkey, stuffing, and made the gravy, while everyone else brought in a lots of the classic dishes to pass. We stayed up late chatting and playing games and can't to do this again next year!

At our family Thanksgivings we played less of a critical role in the baking, making green bean casserole at both and helping with the cooking of the turkey with Rob's family. The best part is the game playing with the different levels of competitiveness, funny answers and responses, and laughs all around. I can't think of anything better than family coming together and making memories, especially during this special time in Rob's and my life.

Here are some tips that helped me get through the Thanksgiving holiday without succumbing to the stresses while being pregnant:

1. Get plenty of sleep the nights prior. If you go into the holidays on little sleep, the small dilemmas and comments will be a much bigger deal than they need to be. 
2. Laugh off the comments about your belly size or eating for two. Comments aren't meant to be mean, just joining in the topic of the little one on the way.
3. Pace yourself! Take breaks in between cooking, eating, and game playing. You deserve some time to put your feet up...and you'll need it so your feet don't swell to the size of the turkey!
4. Dress comfortably or bring another outfit for after eating. You have the perfect excuse to change, you're pregnant for goodness sake! I like to look nice for the beginning and for any pictures, but if you want to enjoy the rest of the evening and not be uncomfortable then bring an outfit of loose clothes for later in the day. 
5. Don't think of the calories, but don't overdo it. If there is any time to indulge in this feast, it is now, but just make sure you aren't gorging yourself. That's not good for you or the baby!

Happy Holidays! 

On a side note, sorry for the delay on Haley's room! Just finishing some details before I post any pictures!

How far along? 31 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 25 lbs 
Maternity clothes? Only my flowy non-maternity shirts can make it over my belly!
Stretch marks? Not yet, but using lotion on my belly to avoid the after effects of the stretching.
Sleep: Starting to wake up more often to use the bathroom. Funny thing is I'm always so thirsty when I wake.
Best moment this week: Both Thanksgivings with family!
Miss Anything? Moving around easily.
Movement: A ton. Haley is definitely a mover and shaker. ;)
Food cravings: Green bean casserole.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Luckily not!
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No, but starting to feel Braxton Hicks
Belly Button in or out? In but expanding
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Emotional, cried over a Walking Dead episode a week or two ago...Ha
Weekly Wisdom: Take things slowly and don't overdo it. Even though you want to do everything you could do before your pregnant, don't do things your truly aren't comfortable with, and take breaks to rest!
Looking forward to: Seeing Rob hold Haley!

The Not Top 10 Joys of Pregnancy

Most of my posts have been related to the fun and exciting things relating to my pregnancy. As I hit the 28 week mark and the beginning of my third trimester, I just want to shed some light on some of the things that my not yet pregnant friends have to look forward too! ;)

1. Swollen legs and ankles. My newly purchased over the calf boots have to be worked on to be zipped up. There was no issue at the time of purchase.

2. Back pain. Make sure that you don't find yourself letting your belly slouch out, your lower back won't appreciate it farther into your pregnancy.

3. Bloody nose. Don't be alarmed if you go to blow your nose and blood comes out instead. It's just wonderful. Keep tissues near by.

4. A 9 pm bedtime. I'm not sure if this is a not so much joy or a real joy, but when it hits 9 pm, it is a battle for me to stay awake.

5. Rumbling stomach. I can't go more than 45 minutes before I think about the next time I can eat. Keep snacks in your office drawer before your stomach speaks up.

6. "Charley horses." Occasionally in the middle of the night, I'll forget I'm pregnant and point my toes when stretching. It's immediately followed up with a "charley horse." Keep water by your bed! :)

7. The smallest bladder in the world. I remember one day that I made myself wait an hour between bathroom breaks. That was tough!

Work Snack! Hot chocolate & Nature Valley bar 

8. Not being able to put socks on easily. I can still do it, but let me tell you, it is difficult to bend over the belly to get socks on my feet!

9. Pregnancy brain. For all you out there who doubt this, it does in fact truly exists. Keep a notepad with you and make lists before you head to the grocery store!

10. A lack of gracefulness. With the expanding belly, you really do lose your balance more often. Sadly, I'll admit that I have already fell down on my butt a couple times. Don't worry though, everything was fine...but my pride!

Although these are really some of the more annoying things about pregnancy, this list is all in good fun. If you can manage these few inconveniences, there are plenty of good times along the way (And at the end of 9 months) that make it all worth it. I have been so blessed to have an easy/healthy pregnancy, and I can't believe I only have less than 3 months to go!

Next post will be about Haley's room (Including lots of pictures)! In a couple weeks I'll share the real Top 10 Joys of Pregnancy that I have experienced so far!

How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 22 lbs 
Maternity clothes? Just bought myself a few more basic tops to make it through winter
Stretch marks? Not yet, yay!
Sleep: Been working through some back pains that keep me up, but it's been getting better.
Best moment this week: My second shower and putting together the room!
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back
Movement: Haley is doing laps and working on her back handsprings in my belly. 
Food cravings: Turkey dinner <3
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not this week :)
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Hiding in, trying to get my expanding stomach to forget about it.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: A little emotional...Ha Maybe I should let Rob do this question
Weekly Wisdom: Be so grateful to all the woman in your life that help support you and your family. I couldn't express enough how thankful I am for everyone involved in the baby showers that Rob and I were blessed with! Haley will be loved by so many, and that makes a mother happy! 
Looking forward to: The three thanksgiving meals we have planned this month!

Yuck Glucose Tests!

Update: Passed the 3-Hour Glucose Test meaning NO Gestational Diabetes!

Thank you for all the prayers.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a girl who enjoys her candy. Knowing that I am a sweets girl, I thought that I wouldn't have a hard time taking the required glucose test. Oh Haley, was I wrong or what! 

I'll start with the first test. During my last prenatal office visit the nurse informed me that I would have to take a glucose test, between the 26-28 week mark during pregnancy, to check whether or not I had gestational diabetes. Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, would mean that I will need to be more careful about my diet so that the baby won't be too big when born. I think if Haley is anything like her dad, and makes it close to her actual due date, that no matter if I have gestational diabetes or not, she will be big. But I guess you never know what will happen when you mix someone 5'3" and 6'7"!

The test consists of drinking 50g of glucose and then getting your blood drawn and tested. My doctor's office only had the orange flavor, but assured me no real orange is used since I have a orange allergy. (Weird, I know). I took the drink home, not thinking much of it until I reached the 26 week mark and had my next doctor's visit. 

I woke up early to drink the stuff so that I could get my blood work done before my office visit. Luckily, Rob had already left for work. The first few sips were fine. In fact, I remember thinking, this isn't that bad, it just tastes like sweet Gatorade. Half way through the drink, I was regretting my optimism. Oh and I forgot to mention, you have to drink the whole thing in fifteen minutes. The time limit probably isn't an issue for most people, but for me it was. Getting down to the last few minutes, I still had a bit to go, and when I tried to drink it quicker, the rest ended up in the toilet. YUCK!

At this point getting blood drawn was easy, even with a history of fainting, but for the rest of the day I was pretty sick and extremely nauseous  In fact, it was hard for me to eat much at all. Rob thought the orange flavoring may have played a factor into how sick I got considering I haven't had anything orange since I was a kid. To make things worse, the next day, I received a phone call from the office. I failed...meaning I could possibly have gestational diabetes and that I'd have to endure the 3 hour glucose test. 

At first I thought that every time my blood was drawn that I'd have to drink more glucose, but likely you just have to drink a higher concentration of glucose in the beginning, 100g. This time I had Lemon Lime flavoring based on a friend's recommendation. The test went the same way. First sips fine and then with a third to go the struggle began again. This time only a few sips still ended up in the toilet.  Thank you God, I didn't get nearly as sick! I had to sit in the office for the next three hours, and each hour I felt progressively better instead of worse. 

I'm still waiting on the results of this test but will be sure I let everyone know! 

Prayers for a healthy baby Haley are appreciated!

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 21 lbs 
Maternity clothes? Trying to avoid buying more! 
Stretch marks? No! Feeling lucky about this!
Sleep: Waking up a little more frequently during the night for no reason
Best moment this week: Having my first shower
Miss Anything? Feeling in shape
Movement: Tons! Haley is really starting to move my belly around!
Food cravings: DQ
Anything making you queasy or sick: Glucose!
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Amazingly still in, but stretching out
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Weekly Wisdom: These glucose tests were the only time I ever wished I knew how to take a shot. Women who can do this will probably have more success downing the icky glucose drinks! (However I don't suggest taking up drinking just to make this test easy! :) )
Looking forward to: My second shower! <3 Yay!

And The Winner Is...

HALEY GRACE BOSS

or 

HAILEY GRACE BOSS

Update: We chose Haley Grace

Like the inspiration of framing our baby girl's name!

A lovely name for our beautiful baby girl! I know a lot of people keep the name of their baby a secret until the end, but for me the idea of already having so many people praying about my little one by name sounds just right! 

Rob and I had no difficulty at all in deciding on the name of our little girl. However, we are still caught up on deciding the spelling. I think I have had the same three names picked out for my future children since the beginning of college, 2 girl names and 1 boy name. (Not saying we will have three, but I just wanted to have some options!) Anyways when it came time to talk about the names, I started to bring up additional options. I just felt like that was what I should be doing. Rob was like wait, I thought we already decided the names! After knowing how happy he still was with the names we had come up with, the more we both were confident that Haley/Hailey was our baby girl's name. 

Rob and I have been together so long, it is crazy to think of all our daydreaming and planning finally coming into reality. We had talked about kids and names but now having it all come true, couldn't be a bigger blessing! 

Another cute way to highlight her name

Rob has really been feeling some of Haley's/Hailey's squirming around lately, and that makes me so happy. Finally to be able to share a little bit of what has been going on inside my belly! I love being able to call our little girl by name, and talk to her during the day. Now, don't think I am crazy! Haley/Hailey can already hear me, and the more she learns my voice, the more of a familiar sound it will be for her. (At least that is what I have read/heard...so if that's crazy then okay, maybe that makes me a little crazy too!)

How far along? 21 1/2 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 15 lbs (But honestly haven't weigh myself in awhile!)
Maternity clothes? I don't know if there's going back at this point!
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Still love it, but not so dependent
Best moment this week: Shopping for little girl's clothing with Rob!
Miss Anything? Life has been too great to be missing anything right now!
Movement: Lots...can't wait to start being able to see movements
Food cravings: Carbs and Candy corn
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope :)
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Still In!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy 
Weekly Wisdom: Now that I have started to get my energy back, I think it is really important to keep doing fun things with Rob. A lot of things revolve around the baby now, but Rob always deserves my full attention and love! 
Looking forward to: Decorating Haley's/Hailey's room

Our Baby Girl

I can't wait to have a little baby girl! Rob and I found out on August 30, 2012 that our first child will be a sweet, beautiful, precious baby girl...well hopefully all those adjectives will fit!

I'm not sure that I can fully describe the mid-pregnancy ultrasound experience, but I can tell you that it is one of the most incredible things I have witnessed.

We had a great doctor from U-M that walked us through everything that we were seeing. You can see so much growth between your first ultrasound and at the midway mark. We got to see the blood being pumped from the heart throughout the body, ten fingers and ten toes, the round little belly, and button nose. They can tell a great deal about the baby's development so early on nowadays. You can see the different lobes of the brain, the size, the spine, and chambers of the heart. And you can see (the answer to the question everyone's been asking) three little dots or two lines to determine if it is a girl or boy. You really feel like your getting to know your baby already!

Now knowing the sex, Rob and I were finally able to register for our little girl! It was so much fun picking out the little things she will need as she grows up. The only tough thing for us was picking out the bedding! This seems to always be the hold up between us. The same thing happened when we went to register for our wedding. After weeks of research, we were finally able to find something we both liked. Thank goodness!... Hopefully our baby girl with like pink and polka dots!

How far along? 20 1/2 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 15 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes, and just bought a new pair of leggings and jeans!
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Not quite as sleepy as before!
Best moment this week: Finding out the baby's sex
Miss Anything? My flat tummy!
Movement: A ton! Rob has just been able to start to feel the baby move. I even am starting to feel some big movements...almost like she's doing somersaults!
Food cravings: Steak and potatoes...which is back to normal for me :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really
Have you started to show yet: My bump is starting to pop out... 

Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Definitely been more emotional and sensitive these past weeks
Weekly Wisdom: Do something to feel pretty! It gets harder to feel attractive despite what your husband tells you, when your body is undergoing some major changes.
Looking forward to: Collecting more clothing for our baby girl...skipping newborn things though, because she's likely to be bigger if she is anything like her dad! Ha