sore spot

I can't sleep because of my back hurting and some braxton hicks contractions so I'm online tonight/this morning reading lots of pregnancy message boards! Something jogged my memory about some pregnancy related pain I was having a few weeks ago that I forgot about because it went away! Just thought I would back track a little a document it. . . you know, for the sake of historical records.

Around Thanksgiving (Nov 25) I had a REALLY sore spot on the side of my belly. Not on my skin, but underneath/inside there on my uterus itself! It was really tender to the touch like a bruise and also hurt pretty bad when I would have a contraction. I'd never heard anybody complain about this before, so I of course immediately assume it's the worst case scenario- my placenta is separating from the uterine wall and DISASTER is coming!

Turns out, people get these "sore spots" and it's just a result of the baby putting a lot of pressure on one part of the uterus and stretching it a little too fast. It went away within probably a week of me noticing it and hasn't happened again since- good riddance! I guess the moral of the story is- if you're pregnant now, or are sometime in the future- everything that's happening to you is probably pretty normal!

36 week appointment

I had my first cervical exam this morning! My doctor said the baby's head is very low, (I guess that's why I'm waddling), but I'm not dilated at all yet. She said he'll probably cook another couple of weeks. Sorry if you were betting on a New Years birth! Although I'm getting anxious for him to be born it's probably best he stay put a little longer. They did a group b strep swab and took some blood today too. I had a REALLY good phlebotomist- I barely felt it at all! She did ask if I was having a boy or girl and then told me she has a 33 year old boy who's still a troublemaker. . .

Another appointment next Tuesday- we'll see if anything changes!

35 weeks!

Things are starting to get uncomfortable this week! Mainly I think it's because I'm not sleeping quite as well as I was. Add in an extra potty break and tossing and turning to an already choppy night of sleep! It's perfect timing to have Christmas break right now. It will be so nice to rest and enjoy the holiday without being on my feet too much! Speaking of feet- let the swelling begin. I noticed a couple of days ago that my once loose wedding ring is now quite snug and I have to loosen my shoelaces a little more for my tennis shoes to be comfortable.

Daytime heartburn is making a more frequent appearance and it's nighttime compadre is here to stay. Overall, I think I'm had it pretty easy in the symptom department though- and it will all be worth it in just a few short weeks!!! One thing I'm very happy with is how low my blood pressure has stayed throughout my pregnancy. It's been at or under 120/70 virtually the whole 8 months so far. I'm lucky I haven't had to change my diet or go on bedrest or any of those inconvenient things. My mom is coming over today to help me sort through baby stuff and decide what I still need to get before he arrives. It will be fun to look at all the cute clothes again!

almost there. . . (Christmas break & baby!)

I made it within three days of Christmas break without getting sick this fall! I guess I shouldn't have been bragging the other day that I hadn't been sick in a while and reminded the powers that be to afflict me with strep throat. I'm bummed to not be at school today because I've missed a lot recently already, plus I had tutorials and test makeups scheduled along with our science department happy hour tonight :( I thought about coming in for a half day this afternoon but I'm really glad I didn't try that because I'm still feeling pretty gross.

I'll have some catching up to do and lots of loose ends to tie to finish the week out, but at least I'm not infecting others and wearing myself down trying to be there today. Hopefully I'll wake up tomorrow morning miraculously healed and ready to tackle Thurs/Fri! One thing Tyler and I are REALLY looking forward to is seeing his sister Lauren's new house! They closed today on a pretty one-story in Edmond, OK on a big lot and I can't wait to head up there Saturday to see it! The car ride probably won't be pleasant with this baby boy's feet in my ribs, but it will be fun to visit and help them get organized.

I've spent a lot of my sick day home on the computer researching whether we should put the baby on Tyler's health insurance or mine. There are so many variables to compare- premiums, deductibles, copays, out of pocket max, blah blah blah. A lot to think about! Our goal is to get this sort of thing, along with installing the car seat and getting the room ready, finished by Jan 1. That way even if baby Gump comes a little early we'll be in good shape. We got to see a cute little newborn bathed and bundled up in the nursery at one of our childbirth classes and it got me really excited to meet our own baby!

We've been talking a lot about it and have decided we're going to announce the name to everybody on his birthday. It's fun to have that little secret between just the two of us (plus it leaves us the freedom to change our minds on the spot!). It will be fun to introduce him in just a few weeks :) Even though my throat is really hurting and I'm stressed about a few things, I have to say- life is good. I've got BOTH my cats inside snuggling on the couch, my best friend as my husband, and a baby on the way who I know will change our lives for the better. I think it will be a very merry Christmas.

33 weeks!

7 weeks to go til this baby is full term and ready to come out! Well, I guess they say they're full term and ready at 37 weeks. . . but going the full 40 sure would be nice for my schedule and plan at school. I went to breastfeeding class Saturday morning which was really informative- but also a little intimidating! It is quite a daunting task when you think about all the time and effort required combined with all the common mistakes and pitfalls. I know it's a challenge for some people but I'm willing to work hard at it, so hopefully things will go well.

Childbirth class starts Tuesday night for a four week series! I've been doing a little reading and research and I'm interested to hear about this particular hospital's norms and procedures. I'll let y'all know how it goes. . .

CATastrophe at the Gumps' house

I am so happy to say that both my cats were warm and cozy last night sleeping at the foot of our bed. For those of you who don't know- I accidentally shut Boyd outside on Thursday night while misting our evergreen wreath with water. He likes to stand in the doorway and sniff the outside air, so when I shut the door I must have bumped him out instead of letting him back in and didn't notice for about 2 hours that he was gone. He is terrified of the traffic noise that comes down our street and is pretty skittish in general so I'm sure he had no idea what to do or where to go as I sat about 6 feet away in my recliner watching tv! (OH, the guilt.)

We have had to have two cats put to sleep in the past year- one in December of '09 and one in February of '10, so I immediately panicked and got really upset, thinking I would never see Boyd again. Tyler and I searched for a couple hours out in the dark and the cold, but couldn't find a trace of him. We put out boxes of towels and some of our clothes for him to sleep in if he came back since it was so cold, and set out some food since he never had a chance to eat dinner. During the night I got up a couple of times to peek my head outside and call his name, but I only ended up attracting other strays from the neighborhood- one of which came right inside the house!

I ended up having to go to school in the morning and I'm sure I looked great with my swollen eyes and red face from crying all night. The awesome AP secretaries arranged for subs to cover my next 2 classes during their conference periods so I came home to keep looking for Boyd. We had some flyers printed at Kinko's and my family came out to help spread the word and look for him. THANK GOODNESS my brother came because while my mom, sister, and I were out hanging up flyers on doors, he got under the house and just before he was about to give up- saw a cat under there!

I was a little hesitant to get excited because it could have been any cat, but I was definitely starting to have some hope that my worst case scenario might not play out! As it turned out, it was Boyd under there and with some serious maneuvering of my brother under the house, and coaxing from us on the outside, we were able to catch the scared little fellow. He proceeded to crawl up inside a sleeper loveseat we have in our bedroom and stayed there for a couple of hours.

Tyler and I are sooo relieved not to have to deal with losing another cat. Perhaps the only member of the household not thrilled with his return is Vlu- she's been hissing at him and has bopped him on the head several times already! I think he might smell weird to her or something. Hopefully they'll work it out in the next few days. In the meantime, I will be MUCH more careful when misting my wreath!