31 Weeks

Exercise this week (May 25-May 31)

Tuesday- Run with FF (1 mile warm up, speed work, 1 mile cool down), strength and resistance bands

Wednesday- Prenatal Yoga

After Tuesday’s run I was so sore and I had trouble sleeping.  Even the next day I felt exhausted and in pain.  I told Seth to remind me of how I felt next week, because I didn’t think I should push myself that much anymore.  I guess Dr. Jacob’s was right!  I didn’t think it would be this difficult to give up running, but I still really want to do it.  No other exercise gives me the stress relief and the feeling that I got a good workout like running does.

Running on Heavy

I had an appointment with Dr. Jacobs today (#17).  He was very nice and friendly.  I had a Crazy Running t-shirt on and so we talked about running a little bit.  He asked me if I was still doing it and I told him I was trying to keep it up 2 days a week, but much slower and shorter distances.  He said he wasn’t going to tell me to stop, but that he did know of some people who really hurt their joints from running that late into pregnancy.  He talked about how it is like being 20 pounds overweight (all in one place) and the strain that would put on your knees.  I never really thought about it this way, but it makes sense.  I will definitely try to be careful and listen more to my body.

Blood Pressure: 110/82
Weight: 139 (gained about 17 pounds)
Heartbeat: 140

Fab Five Trip

Although the weather was absolutely terrible, our Fab Five Boston trip was still a lot of fun.  We were so lazy and relaxed all weekend long.  I think we spent 90% of the time talking about babies and I got a lot of snuggle time in with Miss Parker.  She is precious and still so tiny at 7 weeks old!  It was good to get an honest look at how a baby has changed Tamar and Jeff’s lives since that will be happening to us soon enough.  We really missed Em and George, but we were able to Face Time with them for a little while and plan our next trip (Labor Day 2014 in Charleston).  I think it will probably be the new normal for at least one of us to miss a trip now that kids are in the picture.  It’s just so much harder to plan!  I am glad that we will all be together in a couple of weeks for my baby shower.  These friendships mean the world to me and I’m so grateful that we continue to get together!

Parker's Boots from Aunt Claire

Lobster for dinner

cuddle time

30 Weeks

Exercise this week (May 18-24)

Saturday- 3 mile run with FF (1.5 miles 12:45 pace, 1.5 miles 11:15 pace), a lot of walking around Asheville

Tuesday- 3 mile run with FF (1 mile warm up, 2 400s hard with 2 recovery, 1 mile cool down); resistance bands and strength

Wednesday- Prenatal Yoga

I am on a plane right now on the way to Boston for a Memorial Day girls weekend with the Fab Five.  This is technically Jane’s 2^nd time flying since she flew with me and Seth to California back in January.  It makes me wonder when her first real flight will be and how different it will be to fly with a baby.  There are 2 girls in the seats behind me probably around 1 and 3.  They have been screaming and kicking my seat the entire time.  The mom is with them, but she doesn’t seem to care.  She has been talking just as loudly on her phone long after the pilot asked everyone to turn off their electronic devices.  Ho hum.  I think Seth and I will be much more concerned about what others think when we have a baby, but I guess time will tell.

I hit 30 weeks today which seems crazy.  I feel like yesterday I was posting “halfway there” on Facebook.  I hope the next 10 weeks don’t go that quickly.  Jane has been moving around A LOT this week.  You can see her movements clearly on the outside of my stomach now.  It is funny to watch.  Seth has felt her a couple of times, but we laugh because every time he puts his hand there she stops moving.  He says he already has a calming effect.  I say it’s because his hands are always so warm.  I do hope he has a calming effect when she’s screaming and crying though!

We finally got the rug back for the nursery this week.  It looks great.  I’m glad we got it cut to the right size for the room.   Mom also finished covering the glider with the seer sucker fabric.  I love it!  Seth sanded and repainted the glider so it is ready to go in the room.  I think he is going to sand and paint the changing table one more time and then that will be ready also.  Nanna and Pap came over last night and gave their two cents about how the furniture should be arranged.  We still need some sort of tall dresser type thing to hang clothes in and a small table to sit beside the glider to sit the lamp on.

Baby Shower invitations also started arriving this week!  I got the Porter shower invitation yesterday and the Fab Five Shower invitation today.  We are so lucky to have people shower us and Jane with love! 

Please let this be the end

I had my final appointment (#16) with Dr. Parker this afternoon… fingers crossed!  After waiting in the waiting room for an hour, he called me back for less than 5 minutes.  He said everything looks good and he doesn’t think I’ll have any more problems before delivery.  What a relief!  He did say it could always come back later on, but I’m thankful it’s gone for now.  My only concern is how the bill is going to look for that surgery and all of those follow-up appointments.

We also had our 3^rd Birth and Beginnings Class tonight.  We talked about recovering from labor and delivery and then we took a tour of the hospital.  It made it so real to see the rooms where I will actually give birth.  Eeeek!  She also talked about needing to identify a pediatrician before you get to the hospital so that’s another thing to add to our to do list.

29 Weeks and a Debatable Mother's Day

Exercise this week (May 11-17)

Tuesday- run, hill work on Buena Vista

Wednesday- prenatal yoga

Thursday- Yoga

Sunday was Mother's Day and Seth and I debated whether or not I should be considered a mother at this point.  We both agreed that technically I am a mother now, but next year will be much more special.  We did get to celebrate and spend time with our mothers.  We took his mom out to breakfast at Midtown Cafe and took a few pictures together in their beautiful backyard.

Then Seth went to play a gig and Courtney had a cookout at her house for all of us.  I could not be more grateful for such wonderful role models.  I hope I will be half the mother to Jane that our mothers were to us!

Doctor, Doctor... Appointment #15

I met with Dr. Pollard this afternoon.  He said I’m measuring perfectly, weight gain, blood pressure and everything else looks great.  He also told me that she is in a good position with her head facing down.

Blood Pressure: 108/72

Weight: 139.5 (almost 18 pounds I think!)

Heartbeat: 156

2nd Birth and Beginnings Class

During our second class we learned about what pain medications are available for labor.  Then we watched a video about Epidurals.  They actually showed an anesthesiologist put the needle in the ladies’ back and I couldn’t look.  I thought I was going to pass out or throw up.  For some reason thinking about an epidural makes me way more anxious than thinking about the pain of delivery.  I told Seth I think the word catheter is one of the most disturbing words in the English Language.

After the video, we covered relaxation techniques and she walked us through a series of massages.  Ahhhhh!  To be fair we traded back and forth.  We also talked about how he could support me during labor (specific things to say and things not to say). 

Finally we discussed labor positions that could be helpful for labor.  I already knew some of them because of the Prenatal Yoga class I’ve been taking.  Now, if only I can remember them when I’m in pain!

After class Seth said he really feels like Courtney needs to be in the room with me also. 

28 Weeks

Exercise this week (May 4-10)

Saturday- run

Tuesday- no run, sharp pain, called Dr. and they told me to rest

Wednesday- Prenatal Yoga

1st Birth and Beginnings Class

Seth and I went to our first class at Forsyth Hospital tonight.  I was really surprised at how many couples were there.  Around 15 maybe?  It seemed like the majority of them are due in June or early July, except I did know a girl from yoga who is due August 12^th with twins.  Seth and I were both really impressed with the instructor and the time seemed to fly by.  She talked about female anatomy and how the baby and the body will actually progress through the stages of labor.  We watched a pretty graphic video of 3 different women giving birth.  I thought Seth might pass out, but he seemed okay afterwards.  I’m not sure if learning this stuff is helpful or not.  It definitely makes me more anxious and makes it more real for both of us!

27 Weeks (Beginning of 3rd Trimester!)

Exercise this week (April 27-May 3)

Saturday- 4 miles run with FF, 13:00min pace, Prenatal Yoga

Tuesday-run

They called today to tell me I passed the Gestational Diabetes test and I celebrated by stopping at Starbucks and drinking a Grande Caramel Frappuccino Light.  There’s no telling how many grams of sugar were in that thing.

How Sweet It Is

I had to fast for at least 12 hours last night so that I could complete the 3 hour glucola test this morning (lucky appointment #13?).  I was more worried about passing out from not eating than I was the actual test!  My appointment was at 8:15 and they had me drink the sugar drink right away.  It says it is more concentrated, but I didn’t think it tasted any different from the last time.  They drew my blood and then took me to a waiting room to sit for an hour.  There were 4 other women in there who were having to do the same thing.  For the first hour and a half I thought I was going to throw up.  I kept trying to get my mind off of it, because I knew if I did I would have to repeat the entire thing over again.  Each hour she would call me back and take more blood, alternating arms each time, so I ended up getting stuck in both arms twice.  During one of the blood draws she asked me what time I had taken the 1-hour test and I told her it was at 3:30 in the afternoon.  She said she didn’t think they should schedule them that late and told me that she didn’t think I would have any problem passing this one.

After the test, I immediately ate the banana that I brought in the car and then ate lunch on the way back to work.  After work I had another doctor’s appointment, this time with Dr. Parker (appointment #14).  I was really hoping to be finished with him today, but he said he doesn’t think I’m completely healed yet and wants to continue me on 10 more days of antibiotics.  I’ll have to go back to be re-checked in 2 weeks.