Sick and pregnant...booo

     I am lucky, I don't get sick very often. In fact, I believe I have not been sick in over a year - even with a little cold. Unfortunately, it was my turn to get sick and it sucks. What has started with a scratchy throat has turned into a full blow cold with sneezing, hacking, and tiredness. Instead of writing this post, I should have been at work tonight; however, when pregnant cold medicine is a "no-no." Usually I can take a couple of Dayquill and feel just fine. I decided that my co-workers and patients would not like me to "share" my germs.
      Usually I would just be stubborn and go into work anyways, but I took the night off for this little girl. I want to get better for her. I feel terrible that I am sick. I have been trying to do the "right" thing all pregnancy for her. I even feel bad when I have an O'douls, but this is out of my hands. I know people say I am not getting her sick, but I feel so guilty, like I am. I figure if I am not healthy, either is she. I am not sure if it is a motherly instinct or just me being a freak. All I want is the best for her! Here's to hoping I get over this cold soon and we back to both being healthy!!!

Showers




Don't mind the lack of makeup and crazy hair

 

 I am a little late on posting this picture as I am close to 34 weeks, but I thought I should get it up here. I had to laugh because I was going back to save some of these pictures to print out for the baby book and boy was I small when I thought I had a belly :) I have my 34 week doctor appointment on Thursday. I can't believe I only have a little more than 6 weeks left! I am more excited than nervous. I was RSVP'ing to another baby shower today for July 31st and I had to say I would make it unless this little one comes early. I am still feeling pretty good for the most part. My foot swelling seems to be a little better which is very surprising for this hot and humid weather. I do notice my left ear tends to hurt when I am laying down and goes away about 30 minutes after being up. I am sure it is related to extra fluid, but I will ask at my doctor appointment. Another thing that is kind of funny is my fingers get numb and tingly sometimes. I read in one of my baby books that is normal and is related to excess fluid...who would have thought? Sleep is the once thing that has been super difficult. I toss and turn trying to find comfortable positions and then wake up several times to pee. Brian has even been doing some sleeping in the basement because I have been keeping him up. I told him to not get to used to it - this will not be a permanent situation :)

 Two weekends ago I was blessed to have two beautiful showers! The first shower was thrown by my lovely sister-in-laws: Jane and Julie, and also my mother-in-law. Brian's side of the family is very large and they have always been so accepting of me since day one. I know people have a lot going on in the summer and it was so heartwarming to see all these people make it. I got TONS of gifts and everyone spent WAY, WAY too much money. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful "in-law" side of the family!! I am bummed I didn't get any pictures, but everything was set up so cute and the food was wonderful!




Me with wonderful hosts! Notice the "P" for Paityn



 My other shower was thrown by my very best friends, Maija and Erika. I knew they were going to go all out, but they really did go above and beyond all my expectations. The decorations were adorable. Maija owns a cricut (sp?) and they did some a lot of the decorations by hand. The girls were hot on the trail of pinterest and a lot of their food ideas came from there. Here is some of their creations, just to mention a few: Cake pops, a cake that was appx 4 tiers and each tier was dyed a slightly darker shade of pink, individual taco dip in martini glasses, cheesecake fruit dip, and these fantastic baked sandwiches. I do have to give a shout-out to Erika' sister Amanda who did a lot of the cooking too!!! They also came up with some fun games. One game had my mom picking picture and then numbering them. The goal was to see who could guess the age and the most would win. I only got two right, two and they are of me!!The other game was a fun memory game and guess the baby food. This shower was thrown for friends and family and I was so touched at the amount of people that showed up. Again, everyone was WAY too kind and spent WAY too much money! Here is  a picture of some of the wonderful decorations and food: 

I got some really cool presents at this shower including: The baby bullet (you can make your own baby food), my rocker (which I LOVE!!), a huge gift basket containing a ton of different stuff (and my Courtney and Nini even got some of my guy friends to go in on it) bottles, blankets, bath toys, etc. Lots and lots of useful things!!!!



Erika helping me keep track of all the gifts




Some good friends: Molly, Nini, and Courtney - Love them!!!



 I had just a blast at both showers and cannot express enough how I feel so lucky to have had all this love from everyone! I know there are a lot of people looking forward to seeing baby Paityn!

Wow, 32 weeks!

 Time is really flying by and I am trying to take it all in! My belly is getting bigger, so much so that I have grown out of most of my scrubs. Luckily I have some long sleeve trauma shirts and the good old hospital scrubs that I can "borrow" that will help get me through the rest of the pregnancy. A few things I have definitely notice in the last two weeks.....swelling, swelling, and more swelling. I was a little concerned it was related to pre-eclampsia, but I did have an appointment this week and my blood pressure is looking wonderful at 110's-120's (they get worried at about 135- 140 and up.) At first I notice my swelling was mostly limited to days I work, but with this heat, it is starting to be a regular occurrence. I worked two 12 hrs shifts and was up walking around today and this is what my foot looks like:

Although the foot is hideous, notice my nicely painted
toenails from my pedicure :)

For whatever reason, my left foot and leg is significantly more swollen than my right. I wondering if it has to do with my scoliosis and where the baby is laying that is causing this back up. Not only are my feet swollen, but my fingers have become rather plump. Brian has been telling me for weeks to take my wedding ring off so it didn't get stuck. I kept thinking I had more time. I mean, some people never have to take it off and wear it through delivery. I am only 32 weeks, I should have more time. Well, this week I was at the point of no return. I knew it was tight and it was time to come off. But low and behold, it was stuck. On my own I tried ice, butter, soap, lotion, saran wrap, olive oil and dental floss. No luck. I told Brian. He gave me a look and was about to say "I told you so" when I started crying. Instead he just gave me a hug and told me that we would get it off without having to cut it. I was at work last night and a guy I work with was sure he would be able to get it off with string, but try as he might it was unsuccessful. Another co-worker and I tried one last time - lots of KY jelly. She twisted and pulled as I pushed from the bottom and after a rather painful few minutes, the ring was off! Thank goodness - I was so afraid I would have to cut it :( Now I have it in safe keeping and I can look forward to when I get to wear it again!

  I am really looking forward to my baby shower's this weekend. My lovely sister-in-law's and mother-in-law are throwing me a shower for Brian's family on Saturday. There should be about 20 people there. I am so blessed to have so many people who want to come celebrate this little girl of ours! My girlfriends are also throwing me a shower for my side of the family (it is very small) and some friends. I can't thank these girls enough. Not only are they going above and beyond with the shower, but they have been there for me through day one of the infertility and have truly been a support system that has gotten me through all of it. I know both of them will love this little girl so much and Paityn is so fortunate to have two wonderful "aunties" to love!

  Speaking of my sweet friends, we came up with some great craft ideas for the walls on Paityn's room and I can't wait to put it all together. We got all the supplies and now just need to plan a craft day. It will be so much more memorable and fun to know we did the artwork by hand!!!! I thought I would include a picture of little miss Bella and her new fun spot to play - she is very, very sneaky :)

 I have been fortunate enough to not have ANY strangers come up and just touch my belly. I get lots of nice people asking when I am due and do I know what I am having, but I did have my first awkward stranger encounter the other day. First off, men should just not say anything to pregnant women - just keep your mouth shut, it is for the best. I was a the grocery store the other day and this guy looks at me and says  "You hoping for twins?" I smiled and said "nope it is just one." I wasn't even offended, but as I was making my way through the aisles I though - "jeez someone could get really offended by that question; are you trying to say I am a large Marge?" Like I said, doesn't even bother me, but some woman may have really been hurt or hauled off and whacked the man!!! Tread carefully men, you don't want to mess with a pregnant woman!

  Can't wait to post some shower pictures on here and I need to get a 32 week picture taken!! It is amazing that I thought I was big at 20 weeks and now looking back, that was nothing! As dorky as I feel taking these pictures, they are really nice to have! 

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!





3rd Trimester!

At 28 weeks I have officially made it to my 3rd trimester. I had my 28 week appointment a little early (at 27 weeks) because they had to get the glucose screening test done. I wasn't that nervous, but with my mom having gestational diabetes with my brother, I knew there was a chance I could have it to. Luckily I passed so it is not an issue. My blood level was just slightly lower than they like to see it (hgb was 10.8 they like it 11 or greater), but they were not concerned and I don't need any supplements. My grandma asked me if it felt like it was going slow. I actually feel like it has gone very fast. I am trying to savor every moment since I am sure this will be my only pregnancy. I am trying to take in all those sweet baby kicks and rolls and even the comments "when are you due?", or "look at that cute belly." However, every week that goes by is just another week she is safer if she did happen to come early, so for that fact it is very comforting. Sleeping has become a little more difficult (I know, can you believe it? even for me!) only because I have to lay on my side and the pressure after a few hours tends to hurt and I have to flip. Oh and there is that little thing of having to get every few hours to pee, but for the most part it is just fine. I was even still rocking the mini heels yesterday! I had some minor cramping the other day in my lower abdomen that made me slightly nervous, but when I called they told me to drink more water and that it was probably just my uterus stretching. I laid down and had some water and low and behold they went away. I have been lucky to not have that round ligament pain that you read about so any kind of pulling/cramping is new for me and scared me a little. Like I said though, although it would not be ideal if she came out, I can breath a little easier knowing that she could do okay. However, little Paityn....STAY IN THERE!

  I spent some time at my friend Maija's house yesterday with her and her girls. We had a lot of fun hanging out in the sun. She also gave me a car load of things to bring home including a boppy, swing, and bouncy seat. I know I have said it before, but I am so blessed she is letting us borrow all of her stuff. We are saving a TON of money. We also hit up another just between friends sale in Elk River. She found some fun things for her girls and I found the below items (of course with super mom's recommendations):

I got all this stuff for $16.00 - not bad!

  I was at target the other day looking for a gift for our friend's Scott and Julie who are expecting girl number 2 any day now (literally just got a text after I wrote this sentence, little girl is born and is 9lbs 11oz!!!! Woooo Hooo). I have really been trying not buy any clothes because this little girls already has a ton of stuff.



That is just the closet. Not to mention I know she will get more stuff for her showers and I have a TON of clothes from Maija, but I just couldn't pass this outfit up. How cute is that skirt? It even has white undies underneath the skirt.



Seriously, could you pass it up?

   We also got the NEW and unbroken dresser that we bought. We are really happy with it. We just need the changing pad to do on top of it (of course we registered for it :) ) Also below I will put some pictures of the lamp that I mentioned in another post. I still need to get the orange ribbon on it and it will actually go on the nightstand, not the dresser. We will have to do a little room organizing since the window and the closet take up so much space, but everything should fit and hopefully look halfway decent. I don't have any artwork up yet, but my lovely girlfriends are going to help me with that soon. We are going to have a craft day!!!

 With mother's day coming up I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful mom and mother-in-law. There is so much love and support from the two of them! Last mother's day it was a very real possibility that I may never be a mom. This mother's day I am so overjoyed that I am pregnant and Brian and I will get to raise this little girl. For all those who are still experiencing infertility, it is long, trying journey filled with heartbreak. But hold your head high, because in the end, all those tears will be worth it!

What's in a name

  My friend, who is an avid reader of blogs, suggested that I do a post on how we came up with our daughter's name. Unfortunately, being a nurse,  a lot of names I correlate with patients I may have taken care of (most of them being a negative correlation). Brian liked a lot more names than I did and I spent the majority of the time shooting down his ideas.

  We were lucky enough to have some phone apps and a name book to search through names. Most people are surprised when I tell them that we have already come up with name, but once we found out what we were having, Brian wanted a name we could start calling the baby by. Some people are very adamant that a baby may not "look" like the name and to wait. I personally think a lot of babies look similar and don't really grow into their "look" until further along so that has never been something that has concerned us.

  Both Brian and I were never "set" on a name we had always wanted (well I guess that is a lie, I was set on the middle name) for a boy or girl so we just started throwing out ideas. Brian came up with the name Peyton for a boy. I told him I didn't like it for a boy, but for a girl I did. Brian didn't care if it was a boy or girl name, he just liked it. The more I started to think about the name the more I started to fall in love with it. Once we saw some of the meanings behind it, I was sold! From day one the embryologist called this baby a fighter and to give it a chance. With only one two-celled embryo, I knew if this baby took it was going to be a fighter. Depending on what app or book you look at, the name Payton comes from either "fighter's farm", or "from the warrior's village." How perfect!!!!

  There are three ways I have seen Payton spelled and, of course, we are going to spell it the least common of the three. PEYTON is often the spelling used for boys. PAYTON is the most common female spelling. PAITYN is another way to spell it and, to me, it is the feminine especially with it being a gender neutral name. People always warn you about spelling a name differently. They say "you will never find a cup with her name on it, etc." So many things can be personalized these days it doesn't even bother me. You can make a case with even the most popular names: Sara, Sarah, Katie, Kate, Katy, etc. I will tell her to not get mad if people spell it wrong, it her mom's fault :)

  The middle name I have touched on before. My great grandmother's name was MAE. I feel so blessed to have been able to enjoy 21 years with her. She died when she was 96 and was one of the most wonderful women I have ever met. Not only that, but my grandmother, mother, and myself all have the middle name of MAE. I told my great grandma before she died that if I had a girl, her middle name would be MAE also. I am so excited to carry on a such a meaningful name and can't wait to tell Paityn about her great great grandmother.

 So with is all decided, our little fighter daughter will be named:     

PAITYN MAE HIME

Baby kicks

   It is such an awesome feeling to feel that little girl inside of me moving and kicking. I know some people have babies that are always moving around and , at times, can get annoyed. My little girl is pretty mellow. There are times I can go most of the day and only feel her move a little. I have noticed that when I am working nights I feel her way more than I do when I am up and home during the day. I think I am going to be in trouble!!! :) Although I have felt her move and kick inside and with my hand no one else has seemed to catch her. I was so happy that today daddy got to feel her move and kick! He has seen my belly move and "maybe felt" something, but this time he knew what he was feeling! I can't tell where she is laying in me, but I know she tends to hang out with limbs that kick me on the upper right side and lower abdomen. Again, I just can't get over what a neat and wonderful feeling it is!

   I must have finally reached the stage where it is very clear that I am pregnant. My co-workers have commented lately that I have "popped" as you can now see my bump through the scrubs. In fact, some scrubs are getting quite snug. Today at the grocery store the clerk took one look at me and told me this must be the pregnant aisle today. She then proceeded to ask me what I was having, the name, etc. Brian's grandma has been very sick and in the hospital for about 3 weeks now, but every time I walk in she perks up and loves to rub my belly. It is so sweet, she was so excited to find out it is a little girl!

  My girlfriends send out my baby shower invitations this week. They are so adorable I can barely stand it. I took a pic with my cell phone and with the lighting it does not do it justice, but here it is:

  The invite says I am registered at babies r us, but we haven't gotten that far yet. Brian and I hope to register there this weekend and if we have time Target also, but that may have to wait for another day. My mom and I did pick up a few cute items at the just between friends sale in Andover. Tomorrow is the Maple Grove one and I still have my eye out for a pack and play. I guess this sale is about 5x larger than the Andover one so I hope to find some good stuff!