Pregnancy Pics

I have taken some of my last pregnancy pics this weekend. I'm sure Ry and I will photo document the whole day of the birth but these are the last pics of me out and about (most likely anyway.) Feel free to comment!!

Now that we know that Loralei is coming on Wednesday, I've been thinking about everything that I am going to miss about being pregnant. The realization struck sometime last weekend that I have no idea how to maneuver without my huge stomach. I am actually going to miss it. It has served as my TV tray, attention getter, and my personal favorite free drink getter from 7-11. I will miss my huge stomach because I have had it so long that I don't remember life without it.

I'm so excited for Wednesday! I can't wait for Loralei to get here and for me to be able to see her. Any advice is very welcome!!

C-Section and Other Pregnancy Developments

Wednesday I had my 38 week appointment. I had been looking forward to this appoint since 35 weeks because this was the day that we would discuss induction or basically what our plan will be with the she-hulk child. It did not start out well, we invited Brie to come see my baby on TV this time and when we all arrived at the doctor's office we found out that the ultrasound tech had called in sick and there was no ultrasound. I almost started crying, with all the pregnancy hormones combined with the fact that I hadn't slept well all week. Ry and I went up to our appointment with Dr. Smith just crestfallen.

After a short wait, we were able to see Dr. Smith and I tentatively asked about being induced. We told her about Ry's grandma being in town and how we would love her to be present. Then Dr. Smith laid a bombshell. She told us how since I have literally been measuring full term for five weeks that she would have expected to see more progress than I've been showing and that frankly she thought that I was headed for a C section. Honestly, I have been mentally preparing myself for this for a long time so while it was a shock and dissappointment it was half expected. Dr. Smith was very calm and forthcoming and told use our options of induction or c section and gave us the night to think it over. She asked us to get the ultrasound done at the hospital at 10 pm that night and she would call me on Thursday to talk about what we decided.

We left for home and decided to go shopping since we didn't know when she would decide it was time for Loralei to come. We had a fun time spending all the money that the super generous ladies from my work's CA office gave us. We rested and headed for the ultrasound appointment. Looking at the baby again was just magical. For once, she wasn't being a diva and let us see her face. She is so adorable and looks like one of those fat cherubs. She was even waving her hands, she looks like she had inherited my "fat kindergartener's" hands. It was magical. When it was time to reveal the weight she came in estimated at 9 lbs 2 ounces, plus or minus 22 grams which is just over a pound. I asked the tech about it and he said "That's one big baby...I would go with plus." Hee hee, Ry and I know how to make and grow big babies evidently. That cemented Ry and my decision to follow the doctor's advice of a c section. I have read about how bigger babies have a harder time through the birth canal and since my pelvis is all funnel shaped we just thought that it would be better to follow the doctor's advice and hope for a more normal sized baby next pregnancy.

So C-section it is! It is scheduled for Wednesday the 13th, with the possibility of it being moved up to the 12th. I'm doing my research and being as optimistic as possible. Today is my last day at work which is very bittersweet. It's been tough to work as big as I am, but I really thrive off being needed and work fulfils that for me. I will miss everyone I work with and know I'll have work withdrawals.

I am so excited to have my daughter's birthdate set out and I'm so grateful that she and I are healthy. I have truly been blessed. I am spending this weekend taking my last pregnancy photos and will hopefully upload soon!

Please Oh Please Oh Please!?!

Today is my 38 week appointment and I get to have another ultrasound. I am so very excited to see my baby on TV again, but I am even MORE excited to see her in real life. I am desperately hoping that my doctor will talk to me about inducing Loralei today. I don't necessarily want to be induced today but tomorrow would be great or any other date pretty close to now. I am so ready to not be pregnant anymore and to start the mama phase. I think I really might cry if she doesn't talk to me about it. And the tears are really close to the surface as I've already cried once this morning and almost teared up last nite at dinner. Dumb hormones and lack of sleep. I was awake from 3:00 AM this morning until pretty much when my alarm went off at 5:15 AM. Sleep deprivation is LOVELY :P Just being prepared for Loralei's arrival.

On other news, my husband's grandmother is coming in from Washington today. Ry is SO SO excited. That's another reason why he wants the baby here so badly. Ry's sister Jessica (yep i know :P) is graduating from the University of Utah this week and we're so proud of her! I hope to cement this momentous occasion with my daughter's birth, who now, just fyi, has the hiccups.

Full Term!!

Woot Woot!! I'm finally full term so there is no worries if this little girl decides to make her entrance anytime. I am so ready for her. I am really really tired of being pregnant, well not pregnant persay but tired of being so so big. I'm sorry I don't have very many pictures. I don't have a scanner for pics that are printed out. Maybe Ry and I need to have some sort of photo shoot before Loralei gets here.

My really good friend Abby had her little boy last week. It was a scary emergency situation, but she has truly been blessed by Heavenly Father. Xander was born weighing 3 pounds and 7 ounces and just the cutest little baby ever! The miracle is that even 7 weeks early he is breathing and maintaining his body temperature! We went to see them on Saturday and he is just so adorable. He got Abby's finger toes and definately has looks like a mini CJ! Mom is doing well and was able to go home yesterday. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father blessed my friends.

I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. I think it will be a quick one again because even if I made TONS of progress I'm not having any contractions. Here is my personal prediction. I think that next week on my next doctor's appointment when I have another ultrasound that my doctor will then start talking about induction or possible c section. What I want to happen, I want to either go into labor before then, or be induced soon after May 6th. I don't want Loralei to get so big that she can't fit through my pelvis or I need to have a c section. But of course my top priority is to get her here as safe as possible.

For me, this pregnancy is starting to really wear on me. I think it's because I got full term big so quickly and my body is really not having fun anymore. I've been full term size for about 5 weeks now and considering I'm doing well. The new symptoms that I have are just an overwhelming fatigue and soreness everywhere. Oh well, Loralei is so worth it.

Pregancy Updates

I had an ultrasound yesterday, April 17th to determine why I am so big. Luckily, my mom wasn't right. I am only having one baby!! Yay for a single birth! It turns out that I measure big because Loralei is 8 pounds plus or minus 1 pound AND I happen to produce more fluid that usual. So put those together and you get me, a really really big pregnant girl. It was so wonderful to be able to see Loralei again before she gets here. She is still perfect. You could see her fat legs which look like little cabbage patch legs and she already has a buddah belly! I was so happy to see her healthy. She wouldn't let us see her face, but we did get her measurements and she's measuring all 38 to 39 weeks.

The doctor told me that we are just going to hold out for a little while and get another ultrasound in 3 weeks if I'm still pregnant. She checked me and I wasn't dilated at all but I was already 75% effaced and the cervix was really soft. My doctor made it sound like I could go in labor at any time and everything would be ok. I just so glad that Loralei looks healthy and I don't really care when she comes as long she is healthy. The only "bad" news was that I am at a higher chance of having a c-section because my abundance of fluid allows Loralei to swim around and doesn't force her to engage in my pelvis, but the doctor said that there isn't really anything to fret over right now.

I am just so relieved that everything is still looking really normal. I was a little sad that she is measuring so big, but honestly all I really care about is that she is healthy and comes at the best time for her.

Baby Shower and Week 33

I has such a great baby shower!! Kath and Brie did and amazing job and I was literally showered with baby gifts! I have included pics below.



As you can see my hair is pretty dark. I really really like it. It's lightening up some more as we go along and there seems to be abit more red. Also you can see the baby belly, it is growing bigger pretty much by the day. I was thinking the other day that my normal is clothes is going to feel huge without the beachball of my preggo belly since I wear a lot of them still.

I got news from my doctor that my fundal height (or the size of my uterus) is about 3.5 weeks bigger than they would expect. This means that either I produce too much fluid or little Loralei isn't going to be a tiny baby. I am guessing on the later with the way that I can feel her hanging out as far as my belly will let her. It's an amazing feeling to feel her with just maybe an inch of skin between me and her. Sometimes tho, I swear she is trying to make her exit thru my belly button. Silly baby.

Everything is going well. We had a little financial scare this week with Ry getting laid off this Monday. But he found another job within 4 days and that is truly a miracle in this economy. He is working hard to paint the nursery. I will post pics when its done. Also, I have been sick. Its a really bad cough/cold. I just woke up coughing and it has not been fun. I'm sore all over from coughing.

To end on a lighter note, this weekend in General Conference! I'm so excited that we get to hear from a living prophet and the general authorities. I need this conference and I feel so blessed to be able to see it.

Change in Hair Color and the End of our Prenatal Class

Saturday was a monumental day for me. I officially left the ranks of blonds everywhere and became a brunette. I really wanted something different that required a lot less upkeep and would allow me to look different and look good with a new baby around. I tried this before...and it didn't work I was way too chicken to actually pick out a color dark enough to cover up my blond. It's much harder to cover up blond than I thought. So I sent Brie on a mission to pick out the hair color she thought would look good. She picked out this one. It's Feria's warm Brazilian brown.

I love it!! The first day or so it was a little dark but the red highlights have really come out and I can say I am a bit of a redhead. Not a ginger per say but I really like. The reactions that I have gotten have been mixed, but Ry loves it and comments on it constantly. I will upload pictures from my baby shower this weekend.

This week we also completed our prenatal class. I am so glad that we went. I feel so much better about the whole birthing process and the scary first few weeks. Our last class was a breastfeeding class and I have to say that it was SO funny to see the fathers (soon-to-be) so uncomfortable about all the breasts that was involved. When I talked to Ry about it he said the worst part was the instructor using her own chest as demonstration. LOL!! Thankfully there was no instructor "live" nudity. I will say that the most disturbing part of the whole process for is seeing the milk actually make an exit. I know it will soon be my reality and hopefully at that time I will think its super cool...but right now it gives me the heeby-jeebies!

On Saturday I have my awesome baby shower thrown by Kath and Brie. I am so grateful such amazing people in my life and all the hard work they are putting into it!! I love ya'll!! I will hopefully take tons of pictures and once again post pictures of the amazing awesomeness that is my stomach. My goal before the end of the pregnancy is maybe to get some video of the amazing movements of my child. It is so awesome to see her moving around, sometimes painful but always amazing!

31 Weeks and the Funnier Side of Being Pregnant

I am closing the 31st week of my pregnancy. I have to be honest other than the random pain that I have all the time, I am enjoying it a lot more. I feel Loralei kick and move and somersault all hours of the day and she really makes me laugh. I also have to laugh at the stares that I get. Now I live in Utah where everyone and their cat is pregnant yet people feel like they have to slow down their cars to stare at me when I'm walking to church! Some call me too sensitive, but I wasn't the one that pointed it out; my husband Ryan did! There are perks tho, people actually stop at the crosswalk when I'm crossing the street ;) and sometimes they hold open doors.

67 Days and Counting

AHHHH the gloriousness of my baby bump. This is me in Saint George getting ready to go out to the pool. I love my swimsuit! Ry picked it out. As you can see, my baby is growing strong and healthy. Just 64 days left!! Woot! I'm so ready to meet her. This has been by far the strangest, most all encompassing journey that I've ever been on. I love the child growing inside me. I love the love that has grown between me and my husband. I love life right now.

Tribute to a Wonderful Guy

This Saturday is my and Ryan's first anniversary and in celebration I wanted to leave a tribute to the most wonderful man I've ever met. I love my husband. He is so gorgeous and funny. I can't believe that he chose me and probably more amazing is that he continues to choose me after this year. Here are some of the things that I love about my husband.

1. He is always able to laugh.
2. He is ticklish.
3. He still looks at me (7 1/2 month pregnant) like I'm the most beautiful woman in the world.
4. He is the only person who can get me to laugh no matter how angry or sad that I am.
5. He's got my back no matter what.
6. He is always dreaming about the future.
7. He loves to lay his head on my tummy before bed to spend time with the baby and to feel her kick.
8. He is the best listener (when the TV is off)
9. He hates sports, so practically no boring TV ever
10. He loves to spend time with just me and him.

There are so many more reasons why I love the kid but these are the top ten. I love him so much and I'm so grateful everyday that he chose to ask me on a walk on a July evening in 2007. I am so truly amazed at how blessed I am to have him. And the best decision I have ever made was to seal myself to him. I love you Babe!!