39 Weeks...on Maternity Leave

Yesterday I hit the 39 week mark, and it was my last day of work! Woo Hoo! I originally planned on working up until my due date (the 29th), but upon returning to work after Thanksgiving break, I came to my senses and turned in my leave notice to have my last day be the 22nd. I was actually feeling pretty good at work on Tuesday, but called in sick on Wednesday due to persistent contractions from 2:50am to 6:00am. They weren't painful, just came with some lower back pain. They were ten minutes apart, and after calling the doctor, she recommended I don't go in to work in case they got closer together. They didn't, in fact, as the day went on, they became further and further apart. Aside from being tired (because I was awake since 2:50am) I really feel I could've made it through the day. So, Thursday and Friday I went in to work to finish out my commitment. Those two days were definitely a lot harder physically than my work days have been this entire pregnancy, but I guess that's what happens when you are 39 weeks with a mammoth belly ;)! So, I am now officially on maternity leave until May, when I'll return to work for five weeks, and then Jeff and I will be on summer vacation with our little guy!

I don't have another doctor's appointment until our due date, and since my last scheduled appointment was on the 11th, it was driving me crazy not knowing if I've made any progress from the 2-3cm and 80% effacement. So, last Monday (when we were off work) we went to labor and delivery to be "checked." I normally wouldn't have gone in, but I was having some pretty severe upper abdominal pain that wouldn't go away. I also had some swelling in my hands, which I haven't had the entire pregnancy. So, we went to labor and delivery and got checked. And....NO PROGRESS! I was still 2-3cm and 80% effaced. But, they think the pain in my abdomen is our long legged little man, and all the other tests came out normal. If Mason doesn't make his appearance this week, we will see if those contractions have made any difference this coming Friday! Then Mason will be served his eviction notice! Here is the 39 Week belly shots, and according to the home scale, I'm up 27 pounds (just because you all like to know the weight gain:) ).

38 Weeks...No Baby/Big Belly

I'm 38 Weeks pregnant today, and I still have an inside baby. I know a pregnancy lasts 40 weeks (approx.), and that it could last longer than that, but I was really hoping Mason would arrive this week. That of course was thanks to my doctor who planted the idea in my head that he would "definitely come this week." I had my 38 week appointment this past Monday. My blood pressure looked great, I'm up 25 pounds, and Mason's heart beat was 148 bpm. What got my hopes up though was that the doctor said I was 3 centimeters dilated and 80% effaced. She commented how I was progressing like a mother who was on her second or third baby, and that I would "definitely have the baby this week, if not tonight." So, excitement set in (panic for Jeff ;)), and everyday this week I found myself wondering when he would arrive. I'm still not sure what a contraction feels like, but I'm sure that won't last too much longer.

In light of the "progression" my long term sub came in this week to have her "transition days" into my class. I am so grateful for my sub! She is a fantastic, credentialed teacher that used to teach at my school. It will be so nice to be home with my baby boy, and not have to worry about my 20 other kids! I still have one week left of work, unless Mason decides to make an early appearance, but I'm not going to let anyone else get my hopes up ;).

This past week has also been a time of wonderful baby showers. Last Friday my awesome partner teachers (Jen and Corinne) threw a staff baby shower me. We played games, ate lots of food, and opened such thoughtful gifts. Mason received so many cute outfits, last minute baby items, and a very generous gift card to Babies R Us. Corinne made a delicious cake that looked like a baby, and added a fun play-on-words to the cake that has been a school joke since Jeff and I got married (Brown-Heiny). The shower was wonderful, just like the great people I work with!

Today I had a shower as well! The parents and students in my class gave me a baby shower, and it was a complete surprise! I had no idea they were planning this, and even had to cancel the spelling test to have it. Well, actually one of my parents cancelled the test, but the kids loved it! The shower was complete with baby shower games. Second graders are pretty picky, just like me, but they were good sports about trying the baby food. They also played baby shower bingo, guessed the number of M&M's in the baby bottle, and had treats to enjoy. They made an adorable baby book where they guessed when Mason would arrive, his weight, length, age when crawling, age when walking, career, and if he will laugh or cry. One of my students thinks he will weigh 20 pounds! Yikes! And about 16 of my students think he will be a teacher like his mommy and daddy. Mason also received some great baby clothes, toys, and blankets, and even some student made onsies! It was so touching that my class did this for our baby! We are truly blessed!

Well, that's the update from here! I will try to update shortly after his arrival, or perhaps I will be posting again at 40 weeks while on maternity leave. Only time will tell. Here is the 38 week belly! I'm not sure how much bigger I can get!

36 Weeks...Finally 2010!!!

Happy 2010 Everyone! We are so excited for the New Year, and what an exciting year it promises to be. We never thought January would get here, but it has, and we could have our baby at anytime! I am 36 weeks pregnant today, and I have a lot to update for all you avid readers.

I had my 36 week appointment on Wednesday, and I'm up 20 pounds! So, despite the added goodies during Christmas, I managed to prevent myself from packing on the pounds. Mason's heartbeat was a strong 142 bpm, and my blood pressure was great at 117/67. My doctor also did my first internal exam. Mason is head down, and I'm already 1 centimeter dilated and thinning. I know 1 centimeter doesn't mean much at this point, and he could stay in for another 4-6 weeks, but hearing that my body is already doing what it's supposed to really made things "real." Not to mention that I still can't tell when I'm having a contraction...maybe the real thing won't hurt that bad ::laughs uncontrollably::.

The nursery is also complete! We love the way it turned out, and I often just sit in the glider and think of when Mason will be here. I've washed his clothes, and the car seat is installed. We have also packed the diaper bag, so other than some last minute details, we are about ready to meet our little guy! It's a good thing too because I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable. I don't sleep well at night, waking many times to go to the bathroom. I think it's funny because people say "It's just preparing you for when he gets here." If he gets here, and I'm able to sneak out of bed, go to the bathroom without turning on any lights, and be back in bed asleep less than two minutes later, I think I'll die of shock! I've also started to get acid reflux (attractive, I know), but I haven't had any heartburn. And, the nausea has come back. I'm usually okay until the late afternoon, but after dinner I tend to feel pretty sick. Thankfully, it's not nearly as bad as it was in the first trimester, and I have yet to get sick ::knocks on woods::.

Well, that is the update from here. Perhaps my next post will include pictures of Mason, and a birth story???!!!! You'll have to check back to find out. In the meantime, here are the 36 week belly pictures, pictures of the nursery, and our family Christmas picture (before Mason, of course!)

34 Weeks...and 2 weeks of vacation!!!

I am 34 weeks as of Friday, and I'm officially on winter break! I know, enjoy the break now because once the baby comes, blah, blah, blah...and that is my plan. The past few weeks I haven't slept very well. The 3rd trimester waking has set in, and I find myself going to the bathroom three to four times a night. So, I'm looking forward to getting some rest during the next two weeks. That will hopefully give me the energy I need to get through three weeks of teaching in January. Then, I will be on maternity leave until May! It's weird to think how in just a few weeks Mason will be here. I know it will be life changing and exhausting, and I've never been more excited about anything in my life. Jeff is excited too, and has even been having baby dreams about changing diapers and feeding the baby. Jeff tells me that in his dreams, Mason doesn't cry that much. Hopefully that will hold true ::fingers crossed::.

In addition to waking at night, my back continues to give me the biggest source of pain. Jeff gives me back massages, and I use a heating pad when the need arises. I don't want to think about getting bigger, and how much more my back will hurt then. I am definitely growing too! I'm pretty sure I will have an outtie in the next few weeks, but I'm hoping the stretch marks stay away! According to the home scale I'm up 19 pounds. A coworker of mine puts a basketball under his shirt to poke fun when we're at yard duty.

Other than growing, we're working on finishing up the nursery, assembling the stroller, and putting all baby things in their place for Mason's arrival. We also attended a breast feeding class last week. I am actually excited to take the Christmas decorations down, so we can clean and get organized...let the nesting begin!

So, that about does it for now. On Christmas I will be 35/35...35 weeks pregnant with 35 days to go! We have our next doctor's appointment on Dec. 30th, and dare I say I'm kind of hoping it's an internal exam. With that said, here is the 34 week belly pics. Be sure to check back for doctor's updates and nursery pictures! Merry Christmas! I have also fixed the comment function on the blog...and it only took 34 weeks! Feel free to leave comments by clicking on the word "comment" next to the pencil below the post!

32 Weeks...and getting big!

I'm 32 weeks pregnant, 8 months, and now when people ask when I'm due I can technically say "next month." Yes, it's the end of next month, but next month just the same. I definitely find myself thinking more and more each day about what he will look like, how he will act, and all of the things Jeff and I will teach him. I love feeling him in my belly, but get so excited thinking about holding him in my arms. He better stay put though for at least another 6 weeks!

This week I had my 32 week appointment, and we scheduled all of our appointments through Mason's due date (Jan. 29th). The appointment went well. I am up 16 pounds total, which puts me on target to gain the recommended 25 pounds. It also gives me a little wiggle room in indulge during the holidays. Mason's heartbeat was a strong 130 bpm, and the doctor could feel that he is already head-down. Of course that could change over the next 8 weeks, but I'm happy that he is in the right position for now. I was also given the H1N1 vaccine. My arm hurt like no other after the shot, but anything to protect Mason and I from that pesky pig flu!

We've also been trying to get ready for Christmas (just three weeks away)! The house is decorated, and we're almost finished with our holiday shopping, but despite being organized with Christmas, I find I'm not as excited about Christmas this year as I have been in the past. I'm just eager to get through the holidays, and be that much closer to meeting out little boy!

Just for fun, and a recommendation from Grandma Sheila, I've added a new poll "How big will Baby Boy Brown be?" Be sure to vote on how much you think Mason will weigh. Here is the 32 week belly pics. Sorry for the repeated shirt, the maternity wardrobe is limited, but I assure you, these are the 32 week pictures!

30 Weeks...A Survey!

I am 30 weeks pregnant, and I'm happy to report that I don't have much to report! It's been a pretty uneventful two weeks in pregnancy land, and I'm very content with that. I feel like I'm growing everyday, and Mason has been very active. I often feel him push on my left side, and Jeff and I enjoy playing "guess the body part." He also seems to have the hiccups quite regularly. His hiccups even woke me up yesterday morning. With parent/teacher conferences last week, I found myself REALLY tired (I'm normally tired after conferences, but add in the pregnancy and it's no wonder I was in bed by 9pm every night). I also find myself telling Jeff "You try growing a human, it's exhausting!" We are still working on organizing the nursery, and finding wall art. As soon as it's complete, I'll post new pictures. We don't have our next doctor's appointment until early December, but this week we do have our late pregnancy class at Kaiser where we get to tour the labor and delivery wing, and we get to pre-register! I thought a survey might be fun, since I don't have a lot to share.

• How far along: 30 weeks
• Total weight gain: According to the home scale I'm up 13 pounds.
• Maternity clothes: Yep.
• Stretch marks: None yet, but I do have to have Jeff check the underside of my belly, I can't see it ;).
• Sleep: Not very good, but I'm never been a deep sleeper. I toss from one side to the other throughout the night. I know it's only going to get worse.
• Best moment this week: Not pregnancy related, but being on Thanksgiving break!
• Movement: Tons. Lots of kicking, but also lots of stretching & shaking around. My whole belly shakes from side to side when he moves now & it still doesn't get old watching it :)
• Food cravings: I want salami!!! But no deli meat until after Mason is here, so after delivery someone will be making a Subway run!
• Labor signs: Nothing yet, thank goodness!
• Belly button in or out: It's in, but it's pretty darn flat.
• What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and salami!!!Oh, and eating junk food, I'm trying to be good.
• What I'm looking forward to: Our tour of labor and delivery, and seeing our families on Thanksgiving.
• Milestone: Reaching 30 weeks!

Here are the 30 week belly pics, and before I close, a Cassie update. We took her to the vet last weekend, so he could examine the area and see if there's been any regrowth of the tumor. He didn't feel or see anything, her lymph nodes felt great, and she seems to be doing really well. The vet thinks it is slower growing, or they got it all. Only time will tell, but I'll take that great news!!!

We are so blessed!!!

Sunday was our baby shower for Baby Mason! Grandma Sheila and Auntie Kym planned the baby shower, and I had a wonderful time! The shower was held at mom's house, and so many of our family and friends were able to attend. There was delicious food, fun games, and great company! Everyone was so thoughtful in their well wishes for our little man, and Jeff and I are so blessed to have received so many thoughtful gifts. We have some absolutely beautiful, homemade blankets that Mason is going to love. We also received a lot of clothes, bath supplies, and even our play pen and travel system! I was exhausted after the shower, but have so many wonderful memories to cherish! Here are a few pictures from the shower! Enjoy!

28 Weeks...We have a NAME (well...2/3 anyway)

I can't beleive I am 28 weeks, 7 months, along in this pregnancy! It seems like it has flown by, yet somehow January feels sooooo far away! This week has been pretty eventful in pregnancy land, but I'll get to that in just a bit. As the title of this post reads, we have a name!!! Our Jelly Bean will be named Mason Brown! It took many weeks of discussion (i.e. me convincing Jeff), but we are really happy with the name choice. I didn't even have to bribe Jeff with a flat screen TV ;). We are still discussing the middle name, but 2/3 isn't bad, right?

In other news, I had my one hour glucose test last Tuesday. This is a standard screening test they give all women around 28 weeks to check for Gestational Diabetes. Well, I failed the one hour test, and was absolutely devastated. I have been eating soooo healthy, and was really worried about how this would affect the rest of the pregnancy. If you fail the one hour, you have to go in for a three hour test that involves fasting, a disgusting sugary drink, and blood drawn four times in three hours. I had that test on Friday, and I'm relieved to say that I passed! So, I will continue my pregnancy eating habits, and don't have to worry about avoiding sugar (which I already eat a minimal amount of)! Yeah! In addition to failing the one hour test, my blood work also showed that my iron was low, so I am now taking an iron supplement in addition to the prenatal vitamin...but I'll do anything to keep Mason healthy and growing! At my 28 week appointment Mason's heartbeat was 134 bpm and overall I'm up 11 pounds.

And, to give a quick update on Cassie...my other baby...she is doing well! She had her stitches removed on Monday, and is her happy, playful self. She is eating regularly, and is as lovey as ever. I'm still so concerned about her, but we're just loving her the best we can. She has another appointment in a week, where they will check the surgery site to see if there has been any regrowth of the tumor. I'm hoping it comes back clear, keep your fingers crossed!

Finally, my baby shower, given by Grandma Sheila and Auntie Kym is tomorrow! I'm so excited to see my family and friends, and celebrate Mason with them (of course Auntie Kristi will be greatly missed)! It is sure to be a fun day! Check back to see shower pictures!

Here are the 28 week pictures! The lighting in the second picture is bad. It looks like I'm the sweatiest pregnant woman on the planet. I really haven't been sweating, and surprisingly, haven't had any increase in body temperature thus far.

26 Weeks...A rough two weeks!

Hello out there in blog land. I am 26 weeks along, and physically I'm feeling pretty good. The past two weeks, however, have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Let me apologize now, as the next part of the post isn't Jelly Bean related, but Furbaby related.

Last week my puppy Cassie began walking funny. We took her into the vet, only to find out that Cassie had a tumor in her anal gland. She had surgery last Monday and they sent the tumor off to be biopsied. The results came back Wednesday, and the news wasn't good. The tumor was a very aggressive form of cancer. The tumor was connected to the tissue, and this type of cancer isn't responsive to chemotherapy or radiation. So, our only choice is to make sure Cassie is comfortable, and watch her activity level and appetite to get an indication of how fast growing it is. Cassie is between 11 and 13, so she isn't a young pup, but it's my first "baby" and this news is just devastating to me. I'm hoping that is will be very slow growing, that she still has plenty of time left with us, and that she gets to meet Jelly Bean. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers! Here I am with my lovable ball of fur Cassie!

In addition to the stress of Cassie's health, Jeff and his dad have been working very hard on the nursery. Last weekend they installed chair rail. This was a gift from Jeff's parents, and I have to say, I had my reservations about the men doing this project (they haven't done any projects like this before). It was a weekend long project, that involved several trips to Home Depot, but the chair rail looks fantastic!!! It really gives the room a "finished" look! Jeff and I moved the furniture into the room (my mom, Aunt Dee Dee, and I assembled the dresser), and are amazed at how well the nursery is looking. We still have to paint the closet doors, find/hang artwork, organize the closet, and add some other details, but overall it looks like a nursery! Yeah! Here are some pics of the room (ignore the random bedding in the crib...now that I've mentioned it, you're going to look in the picture ;)).

Here is the 26 week belly pic. It is getting big! I am wearing all maternity clothes now, which I find to be unattractive and uncomfortable, but maybe that will change the bigger I get!

24 Weeks...V-day

I'm 24 weeks, and have reached viability day. That means that if the baby were born today (or any day hereafter) he would have a chance of surviving outside the womb. We'll be sure to keep him in a few more months though, so he can grow healthy and strong! And strong he is getting! He is very active at night, and Jeff and I enjoy sitting and feeling him move. It's still a little surreal that there's a human in there, but we love it! According to the books, Jelly Bean is about a foot long, and is starting to gain his baby fat. I guess that explains my growing belly. As of my doctor's appointment this week, I am officially up 6 pounds from my prepregnancy weight. I feel pretty darn good about that. I really look pregnant now, and Jeff is in awe of my growing tummy. His favorite comment to make is "Whoa...big belly!" But he follows it with a tummy rub, and it's really quite endearing.

Jelly Bean still has no name, but we're working on it. It's so hard to pick a name that he will have the rest of his life. And being teachers, we can't help but think about previous students, names kids get teased for, etc. Thankfully no one will be able to make jokes about our last name ::sarcastic::!

In other Jelly Bean news, we started the nursery last weekend. The room is painted and the changing table (a gift from my mom:)) is assembled. My mom, aunt, and I are going to assemble the dresser this weekend. Next weekend Jeff and his dad will be installing the chair rail. So, no pictures yet, at least not until the chair rail is up, then I will display the room in all it's painted glory. After all, it is the ONLY room in our house that's not white! It will probably be the only painted room for some time, as my pickiness came out last weekend when Jeff was painting. He no longer wants to paint any other room in our house...opps!

So, here it is...the "Big Belly!"

22 Weeks...starting the nursery!

I am 22 weeks along, and I'm feeling really good! I'm getting plenty of sleep at night (I know that will change), and I haven't been sick in weeks! In light of "feeling good" we thought it was time to start on the nursery. Before we found out Jelly Bean was a boy, we had decided to do a sports theme nursery. Well, actually, Jeff decided we would do a sports theme nursery since he LOVES sports. So, after countless searches for bedding we liked, we finally decided on a blue, green, and tan sports set. We were fortunate to get a beautiful white crib through my co-worker's friend, and it will match the other white furniture we ordered. Here is a pic of the crib and bedding. We've also been trying to pick out paint colors, hence the patches of blue all over the walls. Picking paint is so hard, especially for me. I guess that's why we haven't painted a single room in our house. We even have Jelly Bean's first teddy bear to hold Jelly Bean's place in the crib until his arrival. It was a gift from my mom's co-worker. She is very talented at sewing, and the bear is even more adorable in person. Here is the crib, bedding, and bear:

Not only is the nursery changing, but of course I am changing as well. I am up 3 pounds total from my pre-pregnancy weight which I feel is pretty good. I have a growing bump, although I can't decide if I look pregnant or look like I ate too much for lunch. The maternity pants are a little big and my pants are a little small, so picking out clothes is a pain. It will be nice when the bump is a little bigger, and clothes fit better. I'm also still waiting for my first "stranger" comment, but I'm sure that will come soon. Jelly Bean is growing daily, and I feel him regularly throughout the day. If he is this active once he comes, I'm sure we will have our hands full! I'm also pretty sure he had the hiccups this morning. That was a really weird feeling, but exciting just the same. He still has no name (we're taking suggestions), but we love him so much already! Here is the 22 week belly pics for all you avid readers ;). Can I also point out that apparently Cassie wanted to get in on the picture with her "brother."

20 Weeks...It's a Boy!

We've hit the halfway mark, only 20ish weeks to go! And with the 20 week mark came the big ultrasound, where my suspicions were confirmed. Our little Jelly Bean is, in fact, a BOY!!!!!!We couldn't be more excited! I felt from the beginning that there was a boy in my tummy, but Jeff was convinced it was a girl (there are very few boys on either side). When the technician finished taking the measurements and told us the gender, Jeff had quite the shocked look on his face. Then he immediately began thinking of the sports he would teach our son. Now we have the task of picking out a name. Once we got the positive pregnancy test we tried to think of both boy and girl names, but quickly discovered our taste in boy names differed dramatically. We put all "boy name talk" on hold until we knew the gender. I guess it's a good thing we have until January! I hear they won't let you leave the hospital without a name, so let's keep our fingers crossed that his first birthday isn't celebrated at Kaiser ;) (our hospital).

We have also had baby movement. I felt the jumping Jelly Bean last weekend, and it was a very strange feeling. Once I figured out that it wasn't gas, I enjoyed sitting patiently to feel the soft movements. Then, at our doctor's appointment today, Jelly Bean was moving again. This time Jeff was able to feel the kicks. I was so excited that Jeff could feel it this early! I hear some people don't feel it for a few more weeks.

So, Jelly Bean is growing and kicking, and so is my belly! A few of the girls from my class last year love to come see me, and often rub my belly. Mom has become quite fond of rubbing the belly too (she is soooo excited, and I love it). I just wonder when I will get my first "stranger" comment! I'm sure it's only a matter of time!

18 Weeks...and growing!

Friday I hit the 18 week mark, and boy has the hunger started to kick in! I am hungry ALL the time which is a good thing because that means Jelly Bean is growing. In addition to the added hunger, the morning sickness has finally subsided ::knocks on wood::. I haven't had to take my medicine for a few days, and I've been able to keep everything down. In fact, according to our home scale, I am now only down one pound from when we began this pregnancy journey. The clothes are feeling tighter too! About a week and a half ago I went through my clothes to see which pants I could still where to work, and most of my pants fit. Two days ago I put on one of the said pairs of pants with the intention of wearing them to work, and had to change 5 minutes later. They were too tight! So today the plan is to go buy my first pair of maternity pants...EKK!

One of my classroom parents actually noticed the "bump" last week, which I was shocked at because I've been wearing looser fitting tops, and haven't told my class that I am expecting. This week I'm telling my class/classroom parents, and then I won't have to hide the growing belly :)! So, here it is, the 18 week bump!

16 Weeks...and back to work!

Hi everyone! Long time no post. Sorry for the delay in posting, I will try to post more once things start moving along (i.e. new symptoms, growing belly, etc). As the title mentions, I'm 16 weeks along, and I'm back to work. That's right, summer is over and now Jeff and I are not only preparing for our little one, but I'm getting ready for 22 other little ones and Jeff is getting ready for 180 big ones (yikes!). But back to the pregnancy, after all that's what this blog is for, although I'm sure one about teaching would be pretty exciting as well ;).

I still have bouts of morning sickness. The medicine I've been on has helped a lot, but I still have days of nausea and vomiting. I have been able to eat more though, and at our appointment yesterday I was up 2 pounds, still down 4 pounds overall. We also got to hear Jellybean's heartbeat yesterday, a strong 145 bpm. The doctor had a hard time finding the heart beat at first, but thanks to the home doppler we've been using, I was able to "guide" her in the right direction. I was hoping for an ultrasound and early gender prediction, but no such luck. Hopefully Jellybean will cooperate on Sept. 10th for our big ultrasound. We can't wait!

In other pregnancy related news, I've been asked a lot "Are you having any cravings?" The only craving thus far is pizza. I suddenly looooovvvvveeee pizza, a food I use to not care for. Jeff loves this craving I have, and we seem to eat pizza weekly, hence the increase in 2 pounds. I also have a little bump, or a "Jelly Belly" if you will (humor me)! Jeff and I can definitely tell a difference, I just wonder how big I will get???!!! So, here is the 16 week picture of the "Jelly Belly." I'm sure I won't update again until Sept. 10th, but be sure to get your vote in!