Holy Mama!

I don't know if I grew, or if this dress just makes me look huge ... but I put it on today and just about fell over I looked so big. And after this weekend, I'm definately ready!!!

Only 4 weeks to go!

So I am 36 weeks today! I've been having really bad backaches lately, and I pretty much have gone to wearing Shane's shirts, because none of my maternity shirts will fit anymore. I only have like 1 or 2 I can wear, so I wear those when I go out. Those are really the only updates though. I'm still 42 inches. The other day I put my hand on my stomach and couldn't feel him until I was about 2 in above my belly button, so he was pretty low. It was actually kind of weird feeling. He must have been too cramped though and stretched back out because he's been kicking me in the ribs a few times. Anyway, here are the pictures!

The Baby Game!!!

There is a link to the right where you can enter in your guesses on the day and time Tayson will come, his weight and length at birth, and what gender we think he will be (I suppose if you think it's going to be a girl, you could put that, but here's a freebee ... Doc said he's 100% sure he's a boy). Then when he is born I'll put in his birth info in the game and it will tell us who won!!

35 weeks!

Well, over the last week I've had quite a few contractions, but the Dr said he's not too worried about them because it hasn't really done anything to my cervix. I went in yesterday and we did an ultrasound. Tayson is 5lbs 13oz so far. Hopefully he will stay right around 8lbs, which if he keeps growing at the rate he is, that's right about what he will be. I'm hoping for even smaller, but we can all hope right? Doesn't mean it's going to happen. Anyway, here are my 35 week pictures. I'm still measuring about 42in around.

34 weeks and 2 days ...

Sorry it's late, I don't know why I didn't take pictures and post them on Thursday, but here they are now. I am measuring 42 in around my belly button. 1/4 in bigger than last week.

Here is another picture for you too ...

"Now Hmmm..." you wonder. "Why is there a hospital bracelet on her arm that says her name?" Well, that was my wonderful Friday night adventure. Ok, so maybe not so wonderful. I was sitting in the movie theatre waiting for the movie to start, and started getting what I thought was Braxton Hicks contractions. However, they were feeling like mentrual cramps and I was getting pain in my back as well. (for those of you who don't know, this is theoretically what "real" contractions are supposed to feel like in the early stages of labor) So I figured I would just sit through the movie and see what happened. Well, throughout the movie I got probably 3 more contractions that only had the back pain, not the cramping.

I went home and got in the shower & laid down so I could try to relax my back. All the while getting contractions, but I wasn't really paying attention to them, because I didn't think it was anything. I dried off and was standing in the bathroom and felt something drip out of me. Well, this may be TMI, but I was afraid I was leaking amniotic fluid. I sat down on the toilet and leaked some more, so I called the Dr's office and talked to the on call Dr. She told me to go to the hospital so they could tell if my water had broken or what was going on.

Well, I went in they checked me out. They took a sample of what came out of me so they could look at it under a slide. It was not amniotic fluid, (thank goodness) so we had no reason to believe that my water had broken after that. However, I was contracting every 3 minutes, and at 34 weeks along, that's not a good thing. They called the Dr and they told them to give me a shot of turbuteline to stop the contractions. Now this can be given up to 5 doses, 1/2 hour apart each, and if the contractions didn't stop by the 5th dose, I would still be there, probably getting ready to give birth to my baby. They ended up giving me one, which stopped the contractions for a while, but then they started back up again. So they gave me another, which made them stop, but they were still wanting to give me a third, but my heart rate was too high. Turbuteline makes your heart race, and my heart rate was almost as high as Tayson's. (I was concerned before so I just though I'd add ... it does not affect Tayson's heart rate, just mine) So while I was laying there with my heart beating out of my chest, they couldn't give me a third shot, so they gave me a pill version instead, some ambien to help me sleep (which also is completely safe for Tayson) and sent me on my way. We got into the hospital probably somewhere around 8pm and were out of there right around midnight.

Anyway, it's a good thing that the Turbuteline worked, because if it didn't I would have had to stay. I'm also glad they felt comfortable letting me do the third dose in a pill and sending me home for it. I was tired, and by the time I got home with that pill and the ambien in me, it was all I could do to brush my teeth and make it all the way to my bed. I actually don't remember getting in bed. Shane said I was snoring pretty loud too, and I didn't have to get up to pee in the middle of the night, so I slept pretty well last night. Now they said I'm basically on bed rest for the rest of the weekend and I have my appointment with Dr. Beck (my ob) on Wednesday so we'll see what he says about it. Anyway, everything is fine, Tayson was hooked up to a fetal monitor the entire time and his heartbeat was strong and at a good rate. I can't wait to meet him, although I want him to be healthy and fully developed when he comes to meet us. And I want to be a little more prepared for everything as well.

Reminiscing...

So I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for everything. I love spending time with my family, and I don't get to nearly as much as I want to. It was really fun this last August to go on the cruise to Alaska with all my dad's family, and I really appreciate that Grandma gave us all the opportunity to have that memory. I was sad that Annie and Jenny couldn't go, but life gets in the way. I see my nieces and nephews on my husband's side playing together and being so close and it reminds me of the way we all were when we were younger. It's funny, Rob sent me a text today that had a quote he had seen.

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were ... know each others hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time."

I think that goes for cousins, brothers & sisters, long time friends, even parents & their kids, aunts & uncles & nieces & nephews, and grandparents & grandchildren too. It's funny because when I get together with cousins like "the boys" (Jeremiah, Josh & Jeffery), we always end up reminiscing about when we all lived on "the farm". It was never an actual farm, at least not when we were growing up, granted it had dogs and cats and a barn and a garden, but we never raised anything like cattle or sheep or large crops or anything like that, but it was "the farm", and still is to this day. We always talk about Gramma's "hotcakes" (ok, so I was just craving some the other day)or her asking us to show her the latest dance moves, or playing in the play room, or the bucket rides from Grampa.

It's funny how certain things become dear to us or "precious" because they are a reminder of a time when things were easier or better or less stressful or just plain good times. I don't have very many memories, or at least as many as I do on "the farm", of Grandma and Grandpa Heintz's, but every single memory I have is one I cherish. I always loved playing on the merry-go-round and having Grandpa Heintz push us, or Dan or Chad. I watch my father-in-law pushing the grandkids on the rope swing, or giving the wheelbarrow rides, and I miss Grandpa dearly. I've been thinking about him a lot as it comes close to the anniversary of his death, and I wish that I could see the look on his face as he sees his first great-grandchild, or see that smile or see him pull his toothpick into his mouth as he would give us a kiss. I always miss making applesauce and jam with Grandma Heintz, and actually was wanting some of her applesauce today. I definitely never got to spend as much time with my cousins on my dad's side as I wanted to, because we were all so far apart, but it was always a blast when we were together. It had been way too long since I'd seen most, well, probably all of them until we went on the cruise. It's been fun ever since to keep in contact with some of them.

Anyway, these were just some things I was thinking about, could be my emotional pregnant side of me coming out, but I just wanted you all to know that I love you all and miss you all. I wish I could be closer to everyone, and that everyone was at least still in the same state. And Rob, we at least need to keep everyone in the same country, so I've decided you're never allowed to move to Cambodia. K?

My dear sweet sister that I love so much!

So I got a call today from Annie-bananie ... she said she had read my blog about not sleeping well, so she said she sent me a Target gift card because she had a friend who got a "snoogle" and she said it has saved her life at night. For those of you who don't know what a snoogle is, it's a pillow that contours to your body, kind of like a body pillow, but it also goes behind you so you can have complete support of your body. So she told me I was to get a snoogle, so I went to the store, and they didn't have any, so I ordered it online. I'm so excited to get it so I can start sleeping again!!! She also put a little extra on there and I was able to get some of the other stuff I still needed for little Tayson Rex. I got some wash cloths, a few receiving blankets, some pacifiers, and a crib mattress pad. So THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! I really appreciate it Annie! I love you!!!!

33 weeks and counting ...

I went to the dr today for my check up.

Weight - gained 2 lbs, at a total of 23 lb weight gain which is on the low side of normal.
Blood Pressure - 107 over 70, again the low side of normal
Measuring - "just fine", I always mean to ask him what I'm measuring at every appt but always forget
Baby's Heart Beat - 144 which he said is a good strong beat
Baby's Position - Head down with his booty on my left and his feet continuously pushing on my ribs on my right (I could have guessed that though without the dr telling me)

My next appt is on the 18th of June, so 1 day less of 2 weeks from now, and we'll be doing an ultrasound (yay!!!), talking about labor (scary!!!), and also checking labor progression ... wow, while I hope I don't go late, but it's crazy to think I could have a baby in a matter of weeks! I'm excited though. Anyway, here are my pictures for 33 weeks, and I was only measuring 41 3/4 inches, which is only 1/4 of an inch bigger than last week. Although today I feel 10x more ginormous than yesterday even.


Wow, I am completely exhausted today. I hardly got any sleep last night because I was being eaten alive by bugs (or at least it felt like it ... I have like 3 bug bites this morning), I couldn't breathe because I was stuffed up, my throat was completely dry even after a drink of water, I had to get up to pee probably 4 or 5 times, and my legs were aching when I would lay in one spot for a long time. I think that was probably the worst night's sleep I've gotten in a long time. Hopefully I didn't toss and turn too much and keep Shane up too. I haven't had any energy to do anything, but also haven't been able to take a nap. It takes me probably an hour to fall asleep because every time I start to drift, I start to get uncomfortable and have to move. I feel like I have a 20 lb weight hanging on me and I went to go shopping for some stuff for Tayson, and got to the baby isle, but then had to leave because I was too tired. Sad huh? I thought so. Anyway, done venting.