30 Weeks



    Wow, time is really flying by. It is hard to believe that I am 30 weeks already, just 10 weeks to go! Part of me wants it to slow down a little, really enjoy it (not that I am not enjoying it, but it is flying by). All you moms out there are going to laugh because I am sure you all know that in about 6 weeks or so I am going to be posting that I am so ready to be done! I feel pretty good. Sleeping is a little more difficult, finding a comfortable spot to sit so my back doesn't ache is a little more difficult, but all very minor things. Even the swelling in my legs is pretty limited to working my 12 hour shifts. I also can't say enough how much I enjoy feeling her moving! Those kicks, rolls and jabs are just so much fun!

  I had my 30 week appointment on Friday and although I have like all the nurse practitioners and doctors I have seen, I really like this Dr. Krause. He was really kind and told me what to expect in the coming weeks and why. For instance, everyone says "you need to feel 10 fetal movements in 2 hours or you should call the doctor." That has always made me a

little nervous because she is not a real active baby. What he said was that I should feel her move at least 10 times in 2 hrs once a day and mostly in her active time. The reason being is the further along you get the older the placenta gets (especially after 36 weeks). He said even if you have an appointment the next day at 8am, just give us a call if something doesn't seem right. I would hate to have someone wait too long and not find the heartbeat. The once nice thing is that we do have an at home doppler so I can check if I get nervous and it does really put me at ease. The doctor said right now things look really good. My weight gain is on track, although it feels like a lot to me (I have gained 20lbs so far). The average weight gain is 25-35lbs for pregnancy....now lets just hope I can lose it fairly easily! He also said my blood pressures are running great and the baby's heartbeat sounds fantastic. I am down to going every two weeks now!

  It is funny the things that get harder to do with a bigger belly. Shaving my legs, while do-able, is a bit trickier these days. Clipping my toenails is out of the question so it looks like I will be getting a pedicure in the near future. Work is still going pretty good, it is the bending over that gets me more than anything, but I am still doing my 12 hour shifts.

 I am really looking forward to my showers in the next couple of weeks. I am so blessed to have wonderful sister-in-laws and friends who will be throwing me showers. I also have some amazing work friend who will be throwing me a shower in July. I am certainly blessed (and so is this little girl) to have all this love and support.



My girlfriends Erika and Maija who are throwing my shower



  One of my friend's throwing the shower is experiencing some infertility treatment of her own at the same clinic. At this point, it is unexplained, but I hope for her that she doesn't have to go through all of the steps that I had to. Although worth it in the end, it is very hard, emotional journey to take so I hope and pray it is quick for her.     





My Friend Stephanie Madson

   I also have a friend who I have talked about before here. She is current undergoing her last round of  chemo and will be undergoing a stem cell transplant to try and rid her of her Hodgkin's lymphoma. In addition to all of that, she got some devastating news that this stem cell transplant, while it can do wonders for her cancer treatment, had a great risk of infertility. Not the kind of news you need in addition to all the other things she is going through. I know her and her husband will be wonderful parents whether through conceiving on their own or adopting, but I do hope she has the chance to carry a child of her own. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. She is a strong woman and there is no doubt she can get through all this, but it is a lot for a person handle and she deserves a break! We have been friends for a long time and although we lost touch through the years due to distance, that facebook has a way of getting people back in touch and I am so glad it did. Here is a picture to enjoy of us in kindergarten!