Wednesday, October 31, 2012

26 Weeks

I had my 26th week appointment yesterday.  All is well with the baby.  I even had to do the wonderful glucose test. I chugged some orange soda-like drink and waited an hour while the sugar kicked in.  I was feeling pretty loopy from all the sugar and then crashed hard.  I was impressed that I managed to get a second wind and stay away until 9.  We had more ultra sound pictures and the baby looked good.  Sitting breech with its feet over its head and playing with its toes.  They were able to see everything that they couldn't see in the last appointment.  Heartbeat was a strong 146.

Your Baby in Week 26 of Pregnancy


What's up with your baby? It now weighs a full two pounds and measures nine-plus inches. And this week, its eyes, which until now were developing under fused eyelids, start to open. Of course, there's not much to see in there, but if your baby spots a bright light (or hears a loud noise) near your belly, you may notice an increase in fetal activity. (“Hey, I'm in here, Mommy! Where’s the party!”) What accounts for that response? Its brain is more developed and sophisticated.

Week 26 Pregnancy Tip: Baby's Movements in the Womb


Feel like you're carrying the Karate Kid with all the kicking going on? Your baby is actually practicing all kinds of movements that will eventually be used in life on the outside — including pedaling against your belly, a sort of prewalking skill. As your baby's nervous system becomes more developed, the movements will become much more coordinated. And as the baby gets bigger and stronger, the movements will become much more powerful…and occasionally, even painful to you. If your baby lands a good one, that tiny left hook might hurt — a lot. Another trick it may try — stretching that leg out so far that the foot becomes lodged between your ribs (ouch). Next time you come under attack, try changing positions or doing some stretches of your own. You can also gently push your baby back with your hand when your knee-jerker jerks a little too hard. You just might be able to send your slugger back into the corner of the ring!

Week 26 Pregnancy Symptoms


Bloating: Your expanding uterus continues to put more and more pressure on your stomach and intestines, resulting in the bloating you probably feel. Minimize the problem by eating several small meals a day instead of three large ones so that you don’t overload your digestive system.  This depends on how much I eat.  Usually at dinner if I take one too many bites I get uncomfortable.

Occasional headaches: Some women who have a history of migraines have them more often when they’re pregnant (some lucky ducks experience fewer of them), so don’t be surprised if yours flare up more these days. Since strong migraine medications are probably off-limits for you now, consider holistic therapies such as acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, meditation, and yoga (these techniques can also help reduce stress, which is a migraine trigger).  I've never been happier that my migraines haven't been much of a factor.  I hope that trend continues.

Forgetfulness: Has “pregnancy brain” caused you to forget some crucial meetings or bits of information lately? While this decrease in memory is temporary and totally normal, try writing key things down in a trusty notepad or your PDA to help you stay organized for the rest of your pregnancy.  This has come and gone.  I know it's going to get worse as time goes on.

Clumsiness: Your loosened joints, shifted center of gravity, and added weight are just a few of the factors that cause you to slip, trip, and fall more often than usual. This clumsiness is temporary, but for now, be extra careful in the tub, shower, and on other slippery surfaces.  This has not been a problem yet.  Of course I'm starting to get used to not being able to suck in my stomach.

Lower abdominal achiness: If the “growing pains” caused by your expanding uterus (technically called round ligament pain) are feeling particularly achy lately, get off your feet when you can and get as comfortable as possible. Also, remember to shift positions slowly so as not to aggravate the pain.  I don't get these too much.  Every now and then I feel a slight pain but it's gone fast.

Vision changes: If your eyes are feeling irritated, that’s probably because pregnancy hormones decrease tear production, which leads to dry eyes. Use eye drops to ease the discomfort, and be sure to tell your practitioner if you develop serious vision problems since this could be a sign of gestational diabetes or high blood pressure.  I've got the eye doctor appointment lined up.  I definitely need to get new glasses before the little one arrives.

 

Monday, October 29, 2012

Weekend in Chicago

It has been almost a year since we were last in Chicago.  So our trip up to visit the Bates' was long over due.  We drove up Friday afternoon with a quick dinner stop in Springfield.  We settled into the Bates house and caught up and I was quickly off to bed.

Saturday was a fairly busy day.  Scott went for a run and then we prepared for back to back soccer games.  It was a little colder than I had expected watching the games but it wasn't horrible.  Afterwards we got some pumpkins and did a little carving.



Scott did a great job of craving our pumpkin.



Afterwards the adults went out to a nice dinner.  I was able to try a few new foods that I would normally not eat:  mushroom ravioli's, tempura buffalo shrimp, polenta fries.  All great dishes at Abigail's.  After dinner a few games of dirty neighbor was played before Scott and I watched and fell asleep during the Nebraska game.

Before we left on Sunday we went to breakfast at Caffe Buon Giorno of Winnetka with the younger kids.  The food was pretty good and there was a lot of it.  An hour of Wii and we were on the road home.  It was a great relaxing trip.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Cherokee Street

Near the Lemp brewery and Anheuser Busch brewery, there is a street that is filled with random shops and some restaurants.  It is known to have great Cinco de Mayo parties and lots of historical markers.  Last Saturday as Scott went on his weekly breakfast with Michelle I decided to tag along.  They went to the Mud House on Cherokee Street for breakfast.



Scott and I had driven down Cherokee Street only once that I can remember and everything seemed closed and no one was around.  I knew we had to go back to check out the shops.  This breakfast was a good excuse to do that and head to the Soulard market afterwards.

Breakfast was pretty good.  The coffee-house didn't really get busy until 10AM when the trendy residents of Benton Park showed up.  It didn't matter to us, we had our table and breakfast and were happy.

After breakfast we said good-bye to Michelle and decided to walk about the block and check out the shops.  Some of the shops where purely crap.  There was a shop that mostly had ovens from the 1950s.  They would look great in museums, I don't even think they would work in a vintage kitchen.  There were shops that had tons of dishware and books and knickknacks from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.  It was fun to walk around and check everything out.

[caption id="attachment_2421" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Shop, house and historical marker[/caption]

We did enjoy stopping and reading some of the historical markers that were posted on the houses throughout the neighborhood.  I can't wait to go back when more shops are open and check them out.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

25 weeks - 15 to go!

Time is moving right along.  Once the holiday's get here time is going to fly by even faster.

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Its weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but its beginning to exchange its long, lean look for some baby fat. As it does, its wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and it'll start to look more and more like a newborn. It's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing



Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.  I've finally started to notice that it's taking a little longer to dry my hair in the morning.  Something I'm not used to. 


You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before.  Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement.  I have my glucose test on Tuesday, as well as another ultrasound.  Hopefully the kid cooperates so they can get all the images that they need this time. 

Have you started thinking about baby names yet? Choosing a name is an important decision, but it should be a fun one, too. You may want to consider family history (Great Grandpa Zeb), favorite locations (Venice, where you honeymooned), or cherished literary or film characters (Greta, Meg, or Atticus, for example). Check out a couple of baby-name books to help you brainstorm, too.  We've had the names picked since we found out.  Easiest part of the pregnancy so far.  And even easier with us not finding out the sex of the baby.  Good thing the names both start with "G."

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

#12 in '12, Almost

Well after an interesting postseason my beloved Redbirds were eliminated from the playoffs by the Giants in game 7 of the NLCS.  After getting a quick 3-1 lead in the series the Birds could not get the final win to earn a trip back to the World Series.  Overall they played a decent season and proved again that anything can happen once you get into the postseason.

The Cardinals won a crazy Wild Card game against the Braves.  The baseball world learned a whole new meaning to the "infield Fly" rule.  And how classy our fans are compared to those in Atlanta.

After the Wild Card game the Washington Nationals came to town.  They had the best record in baseball and have a great young team.  They looked strong and like a tough team to beat.  However, with our backs against the wall the Cards pulled out a miraculous win in game 5 to move on and leave DC and their fair-weather fans crying.

Next up was a trip out to San Francisco.  The Giants had just come from behind to beat the Reds to move on to the NLCS.  When the series started it looked like the Cards would wrap things up in 5 games.  During game 5 the Giants pitching and bats came alive just as ours started to crumble.  We ended up forcing a game 7 and by the 3 inning it was over.  The Cards couldn't get a hit to save their lives.

It was sad to wake up and see that baseball was over for the season in STL.  Maybe it was because we had a rookie manager in his first ever post season of any kind.  Maybe it was because we won the World Series last year and had a short off-season.  Whatever it was the Cardinals proved that once you get a spot in the playoffs, the regular season doesn't matter and anything can happen.

Can't wait for next year - I have already read articles saying that we could be even better next year!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

24 Weeks

Things have been moving right along and I'm feeling great.  I am happy the morning sickness only lasted about 6-7 weeks total.  Now the holiday season is in full swing and we are getting ready for that and of course getting the house ready for the baby.

Having gained about 4 ounces since last week.  That puts it at just over a pound. Since its almost a foot long it cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but it's body is filling out proportionally and it'll soon start to plump up. It's brain is also growing quickly now, and it's taste buds are continuing to develop. It's lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactants, a substance that will help it's air sacs inflate once it hits the outside world. It's skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Size of Baby: Eggplant (9in., 1.7lbs)

Total Weight Gain: I'm sure I've gained about 10lbs, we'll find out in a couple of weeks when I go back to the doctor for the wonderful glucose test.

Continuing Symptoms:  I'm getting sleepy sooner again but other than that I feel great!

New Symptoms This Week: Nothing new - more kicking and moving around as the weeks go by.

Maternity Clothes: I don't think they are coming off till after the kid is born.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Columbus Day

This year the Columbus Day parade was held the week after Columbus Day.  The reason was the Sunday before Columbus Day was Buena Festa on the Hill.  So we adjusted and made our way to our normal seats, right in front of my cousin's pizza place.

[caption id="attachment_2397" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Rizzo's[/caption]

Debbie greeted us and said we could sit anywhere.  Which was nice since she had her table all marked reserve, unless you were a customer.  We got our table and had our appetizers brought to us in plenty of time before the parade actually started.



This year's parade was a little better than last year.  The huge Schnuck's shopping cart made an appearance as well as the Shriners.  It seemed like there were a few less Shriner's this year but they still put on some tricks.  I didn't get my annual Vitale's Bakery t-shirt this year, instead tons of Tootsie rolls.  It is a great tradition that I can wait for next year.

Before we headed home, we picked up an old picture of Grandpa and his siblings and my great-grandmother.  I'm told it's one the few remaining pictures of all of them together.  I'm off to make copies for a few people and then hang it back up in Debbie's restaurant.

[caption id="attachment_2398" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Can you tell who is my grandfather?[/caption]

Happy Columbus Day!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The race is on

On Sunday morning, before the Columbus day parade Scott and his sister Michelle ran the Go! St. Louis Halloween 5K.  It was Michelle's first race ever and Scott was by her side cheering her on throughout the race.

[caption id="attachment_2400" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Before the race with the tombstones[/caption]

We got down there early enough to walk around, look for some coffee and get into place before the race started.  I love this race!  It is so much fun to see all the costumes that people attempt to fun in.  There were a bunch of Waldo's, Ninja turtles and run away brides.  Those who paint their face and body to get sweaty amaze me.



Scott and Michelle lined up and I headed towards the start of the race.  I love watching the start of the races.  It amazes me to see how fast the first people pace themselves.  Plus it gives me plenty of time to look for Scott when he starts a race.  I was able to find Michelle right after the start of the race and get a great action shot!

[caption id="attachment_2402" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Michelle is in all black, near the orange shirt guy[/caption]

I tried to get both of them in one picture but I couldn't get a clear shot.  I do have a great view of Scott's arm in the picture above.  After they passed us, I met up with Scott's mom and we headed over to the finish line.  The first runner came by at 16 minutes and Scott and Michelle finished at 37 minutes.  Great run for a first timer!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

23 weeks

Things have been running smoothly lately. We have been busy cleaning the house and getting things moved around so that the new baby things will be organized. It's amazing how much junk can be in a basement, even when you think it's actually clean. Our next big project will be new flooring on the main floor. Until we are ready for the flooring we are enjoying the last 3 months of just the 2 of us.

Your Baby in Week 23 of Pregnancy


Your little doll-sized babe is about to chub up a bit. Its saggy skin will start to fit his frame as fat deposits fill things out. Beginning this week, it'll start to pack on the pounds (which means you will too!) and by month's end it'll be double the weight he is now (though you won't be — whew!). Right now, your baby's organs and bones are visible through its skin, which has a red hue due to developing veins and arteries beneath. But once those fat deposits settle in, it'll become less transparent.

Week 23 Pregnancy Symptoms

Fetal activity: You may be getting used to feeling your baby’s movements in the womb. Cherish these light kicks now before they get more pronounced (and painful) and before your little mover and shaker gets a foot caught in your ribs! This kid is kicking up a storm and loves my yelling at sporting events, whether it's on TV or at a Birch kid event, this kid loves sports (mainly football, soccer and volleyball).

Hearty appetite: It’s perfectly normal to find yourself wanting to devour the contents of your kitchen cabinets and fridge (you have a growing baby to feed!). So try to stock your home with healthy snacks such as fruit, cut-up veggies, nuts, and whole-wheat crackers. It's amazing how much I can eat now. It was just a short time ago when I didn't want to see any food in front of me.

Bloating: If you can’t seem to shake that ate-too-much feeling, you’re experiencing the effects of progesterone. The hormone causes the gastrointestinal tract to relax and slow down digestion, so that the nutrients from the foods you eat have more time to enter your bloodstream and reach your baby. Help keep things moving through your system (and out of your already bulging belly) by drinking plenty of water. This has only happened a few times. Just a good night's sleep and I was back to normal.

Forgetfulness: Are you consistently forgetting your keys, appointments, and where you parked the car? “Pregnancy brain” is likely caused by those pesky pregnancy hormones — and since it’s completely normal (and temporary), try to laugh it off and refrain from being too hard on yourself. This hasn't kicked in just yet, small signs every now and then.

Snoring: This fairly common (and annoying) pregnancy symptom can disrupt your sleep and your partner’s. Partly due to nasal congestion (caused by extra weight and swollen mucous membranes in your nose), you can alleviate the nighttime nasal noises by wearing a nasal strip at bedtime and running a warm-mist humidifier in your bedroom. I've been waking up congested but I'll have to check with Scott on the snoring.

Tingling hands (carpal tunnel): Swelling during pregnancy can put pressure on nerves in the wrists and cause the aching and tingling associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. If you work at a computer all day, take frequent hand-stretching breaks and make sure your wrists are straight and your elbows aren't higher than your hands when you’re at your desk. This has been going on for a few weeks. It will wake me up in the middle of the night and then i readjust my arms and go back to sleep.

Bleeding gums: Reduce irritation to your gums (which are swelling more than usual these days due to hormones), by avoiding chewy sweets, brushing and flossing regularly, and visiting the dentist at least once while you’re expecting. I haven't noticed this too much, need to get a dentist appointment.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Best Husband

Since the weather decided to drop from 80s to 40s in a matter of a day we started to bundle up.  It wasn't too cold on Friday evening and we went to bed without the heat on in the house.  When we woke up Saturday morning there was a freezing cold dog nuzzled between us.  Since Reily got an extra summer cut late in the summer, it's a little slow to grow back.

With that being said I was all about turning the heat on as soon as possible.  But I was informed that we needed to get a new filter before doing so.  So, I waited till that afternoon.  Thankfully we weren't really home much so I didn't seem to mind.

Scott put the new filter in and waited for the heat to kick on.  Scott did mention that we should have had someone out at the house to check the furnace before doing anything but Mother Nature didn't wait.  Instead I sat on the couch debating the need for carbon monoxide detectors.  I've never been a worry ward on things like this, but with a baby on the way I didn't want to take a chance.

So, I casually mentioned my worries and to my surprise I was met with agreement.  And a quick trip to Lowe's we now own 2 carbon monoxide detectors, one for each floor.  It was well worth the sense of relief.

I completely have the best husband ever, for getting up at 8:30PM on a Saturday night, in the middle of the Nebraska game to go to Lowe's to get these for me!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Missouri's Best

Last year we attended the Missouri's Best Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens and had a great time sampling all the food and seeing all the craft vendors.  This year just Scott and I went and enjoyed all the samples one can get.  It was a little colder this year.  Although being in the big tents really helped keep me warmer than I had expected.

We got there around noon and I didn't think the crowds were as bad as they were last year.  Or I was hanging around the wine tasting booths like last year.  It was obvious to see which places were giving out samples and they had very long lines.  Some where worth the wait, others like the sweet/spicy mustard was not.

We walked through all 4 huge tents and found a few new goodies that we had to go back for, after a stop of water.  I do love going and support MoBot and the events that they have.  Not to mention the 15 minutes of driving around the blocks trying to find parking spaces.

Here are our goodies, we've already made one of the soups in a bag from Thompson's Farms.  And yes, we did buy goose poop!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

22 Weeks, Already

I have been feeling more and more like normal lately.  It's nice to stay up past 9:30 and not feel completely wiped out.  The baby has been more active in the last week or so.  It was really active when I was yelling at the Huskers game and while we were at the Rams game last weekend.  We might have a sports fan.  At Elizabeth's volleyball game, the baby was moving around to the music before the game.

Per babycenter.com - Your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Its lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and it's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. Its eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.

Size of Baby: Papaya (8in., 1.2lb.) - This kid is getting big fast!

Total Weight Gain: I'm guessing I haven't put too much weight on in the last week.  Although I feel like I'm always hungry.

Continuing Symptoms: Occasional headaches when I wake up.  It might depend on amount of water at night.

New Symptoms This Week: Scott was finally about to feel a little bit of the baby moving this week.  No new symptoms

Maternity Clothes: What are regular clothes?

Monday, October 1, 2012

It's October

I can't believe it's October already.  We had an extremely busy last weekend in September and I'm pretty sure things are only going to be busier from here on out.

On Saturday I went with Scott on his weekly breakfasts with Michelle in Soulard.  And then we headed over to the Market to get some much-needed groceries.  We ran into to Kristin down there and stayed longer than we had planned.  We headed home for a little football and napping before going back to Taste of St. Louis.



We ended up getting downtown around 3 and it wasn't too crowded yet.  We tried a Windy City Dog and burger from Paul's, gooey butter cake, pulled pork, crab rangoon, and dumplings from the booths.  While we were there we listened to a Johnny Cash cover band on the main stage.  They weren't too bad.  It was a really nice afternoon to be walking around St. Louis.

Sunday was game day.  Scott was able to get tickets to the Rams/Seahawks game from his boss and it was a great game.  It's been a while since I've been able to say that about the Rams.  We picked up Mike and Nicole nice an early and headed downtown to tailgate a little before the game.  Scott was in charge of the grilling and did a great job.





[caption id="attachment_2370" align="aligncenter" width="300"] If you look at the big screen you can see Coach Fisher celebrating.[/caption]

After the game we met up with Kristin at Ted Drewes and then headed over to Art in the Park.   We were exhausted by the time we got there and the crowds had thinned out, however we still ran into a few people that we knew.  It's always nice to see the local artists.

What a great way to end September, bring on October!