22 weeks!

How Far Along? 22weeks 

Size of baby: At 11 inches and almost 1lb- size of a spaghetti squash!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +10lbs

Maternity Clothes: Occasionally wearing maternity stuff.....  a shirt here or there but still wearing my non-maternity pants!

Gender: BOY (another....) - thinking Jaxon Tyler!

Movement: yes, lots. It isnt quite strong enough that I can feel it outside my belly all the time but last Saturday I definitively felt a strong kick on my belly and my hand moved. :)

What I miss: nothing right now!

Sleep: Although I am definitely getting up to pee 1-2xs a night I cant complain, Im sleeping pretty well!

Symptoms: Still waiting for the heartburn to kick in but nothing yet, hoping I escape it this pregnancy!

Stretch marks: No sign of any stretch marks

What I am looking forward to: another big ultrasound with the specialist on Tuesday- June 9th!

Belly button (in or out): In

Milestones: Getting close to the point of viability!

Baby Ramey’s Progress

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Your Body This Week

At this point, you may find your belly becoming a hand magnet. It's perfectly okay to tell folks who touch your tummy that you'd rather they didn't. And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that each woman grows — and shows — at her own rate. What's important is that you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby's growth is on track.

19 weeks and moving along.............

We had a big week on the baby front. On Tuesday we had our big mid-pregnancy ultrasound with the specialist and thankfully our baby looks beautiful..... including his brain! This is an area of sensitivity for me and something which haunts me until this appointment is over. I do have to go back to the specialist one last time in 4 weeks but that's just to ensure everything is growing appropriately. He mentioned the baby's heart is the size of a dime at the moment so a double-check is fine by me. Plus this dr seems to be more cautious than most. Either way, getting the a-ok! is music to my ears. 

How Far Along? 19w

Size of baby: Over 8.5oz and 6 inches- size of a large heirloom tomato!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +7lbs

Maternity Clothes: No maternity clothes yet....

Gender: BOY (another....) - no first name although we do have a short list, middle name will definitely be Tyler

Movement: The flutters and nudges are more defined but nothing consistent or anything anyone could feel outside of my belly.

What I miss: nothing really at this point!

Sleep: terrible... but not because of the baby! My dream sleeper boy#1 has taken to needing mommy laying with him each and every night which is pretty uncomfortable. 

Symptoms: I've finally gotten beyond the first trimester fatigue. The only real symptoms I'm having is my ever growing belly! I also have been extremely HUNGRY and now THIRSTY!!!!

Stretch marks: No sign of any stretch marks

What I am looking forward to: trip to STL for Memorial Day to meet baby Madden- I love being there so Im looking forward to it!

Belly button (in or out): In

Milestones: Made it past the first trimester and definitely have regained some of my energy!

Baby Ramey’s Progress:

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of an heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Bump Pics thru 18 weeks

14weeks Preggo

I figure its finally time to start putting these together, even if I don't post them. I'm already long behind where I started last time with Gavin. Oh well, guess that's what happens with Baby#2. I'll save these for future posts until I'm ready to post a catch up to where we are today.

How Far Along? 14w4d

Size of baby: Over 1 ½oz and 3.5 inches- size of a lemon!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +1lb

Maternity Clothes: No maternity clothes yet....

Gender: BOY (another....) - no first name although we do have a short list, middle name will definitely be Tyler

Movement: none

What I miss: wine and the gym!

Sleep: Although I am definitely getting up to pee 1-2xs a night I cant complain, Im sleeping pretty well!

Symptoms: I've finally gotten beyond the first trimester fatigue. The only real symptoms Im having is my ever growing belly!

Stretch marks: No sign of any stretch marks

What I am looking forward to: nid-pregnancy ultrasound!

Belly button (in or out): In
Milestones: Made it past the first trimester and definitely have regained some of my energy!

Baby Ramey’s Progress
Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as histiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him -- a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches -- about the size of a lemon -- and weighs 1 1/2 ounces.

18 week update!

It's truly unbelievable how bad I am at all of these updates compared to pregnancies past, but oh well, Ill still chug along as I think to do them. Mostly, I want to keep up with them because I have loved going back and reading about  my pregnancy with Ethan/Gavin so I want to be able to do the same for this little one!

How Far Along? 18w

Size of baby: Over 7oz and 5.5 inches- size of a bell pepper!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +6lbs

Maternity Clothes: No maternity clothes yet....

Gender: BOY (another....) - no first name although we do have a short list, middle name will definitely be Tyler

Movement: I am definitely starting to feel some flutters and nudges but nothing consistent or anything anyone could feel outside of my belly.

What I miss: wine and the gym!

Sleep: Although I am definitely getting up to pee 1-2xs a night I cant complain, I'm sleeping pretty well!

Symptoms: I've finally gotten beyond the first trimester fatigue. The only real symptoms I'm having is my ever growing belly! I also have been extremely HUNGRY!!!!

Stretch marks: No sign of any stretch marks

What I am looking forward to: mid-pregnancy ultrasound! 4 days.......... YIKES!

Belly button (in or out): In

Milestones: Made it past the first trimester and definitely have regained some of my energy!

Baby Ramey’s ProgressHead to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long, and he weighs almost 7 ounces (about the size of a bell pepper). He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

5 month update!

So much has happened this month! Gavin is growing like a weed! We're fearful of the day we have to start feeding him real food! Lol! At his 4 month appointment he was 17.4lbs and 27.5in long- 70% and 95% percentile respectively! It's crazy to us- he looks and FEE LS huge!!! The pedi also broke the news to us that he's officially teething. We wondered about that do to the sudden thrashing of his head but after 2 weeks- still no teeth! Wish they'd hurry though and break through. This month we finally broke the swaddle- woohoo!!!!! It wasn't as tough as we thought and he seems so much happier! After a few rough nights he is back to his nighttime routine of sleeping 8:30-630a. We also started oatmeal a few weeks ago- although initially he was a little skeptical- he has now really adapted. I also started sweet potatoes a few days ago and he loves them! I'm excited about getting him started out right regarding fruits and veggies. I also tried my hand at making homemade baby food and it was so easy. I made sweet potatoes, peas and carrots. Excited to see Gavin try out other veggies as the days and weeks wear on. This month has proved to be another month full of smiles and screams! He loves screaming and imitating all the sounds we make. He also found his feet this month- everything in the mouth- including his feet! Gavin's still wearing a size 2 diaper, but those are starting to feel small. He's also in 6-9 month clothing- see above comments about our pedi visit! :) July will bring a month full of family time, with Ally coming to stay for a month! We can't wait and look forward to this every year! I can't wait for Gavin and her to have all that uninterrupted time together! She is so cute with him! I can't believe she's going to be in 7th grade in just a few months! We love you both so much! Happy summer!

4 Month Update and More....

I can’t believe that Gavin is already 4 months old! We go to the doctor next week so Ill have updated stats then, but I can assure you he is a growing boy. He seems sooooo long! He is loving, loving his hands and his voice these days. As soon as he loses his binky, his hands immediately get inserted into his mouth. He also has seemed to discover his voice. He screams so loud- I think he really enjoys the sound of his voice! It makes watching tv difficult at times and Jason and I just look at each other and worry what the future holds with this little chatterbox. He also has rolled over a few times, probably just 4-5 times. Most of the time he has done it during the day for my Mom but I did get him to do it for me over Memorial Day weekend. He is still sleeping like a dream! We are so very lucky and thankful on the sleeping front. Pretty consistently he sleeps from 8:30p- 6:30a. Occasionally, he’ll cry out in the middle of the night but all I have to do is give him his binky and he usually goes right back to sleep. He is STILL being swaddled (with his legs out) and sleeping in his rock ‘n play sleeper. We’ve tried sleeping in his pack ‘n’ play, which is flat and he seems to tolerate it pretty well but Im dreading the thought of breaking the swaddle habit. He just sleeps so much better when he is bundled up. Without his swaddle he knocks himself in the face and wakes himself up every time. He is wearing a size 2 diaper now and has officially moved up to 6 month clothes. The 3 months clothes are just too tight on his chubby little arms and legs! He is still just so much fun to be around and is so happy! He smiles constantly and is always putting on a show. We love you Baby G!

What else is going on- Ally just finished up her volleyball season and they definitely were improved from previous years. They even won the first game in their end of year tournament. Unfortunately, they lost their second game but they were playing the #1 seed. She also wrapped up her first year in middle school and got numerous awards! She rocked the oboe this year and even made the Wind Ensemble band for next year, which is the best band in the middle school and made up primarily of 8^th graders, so we’re very proud of her. She also got an award (even though she didn’t go up to accept I- stinker!) for making the A-B honor roll every session this year! Moving on to 7^th grade and her first year of school athletics- cant wait!!!!

I’ve still been running a lot- with my goal still being to run a ½ marathon (13.1 miles) in Sept/Oct. I ran my first 5k over Memorial Day weekend and Im glad that I got at least one race under my belt before taking on my ½ in early fall. I still do most of my running on the treadmill, but I have started doing my long runs outside early on Saturday mornings. I’m up to 5 miles now and feeling much more confident these days that Ill make my goal. Just 3 months ago when I started running I couldn’t run more than a few minutes before I’d have to stop and walk for a bit. I’ve definitely been bitten by the running bug!! I never feel as good as I do after a long run is done and I feel like Ive accomplished something I never thought I could. Im definitely encountering challenges/running problems that I never would imagine Id run far enough to have. Im having to research and start considering my options for mid-run hydration and fuel- SO WEIRD TO THINK ABOUT!

I guess that’s about it! Hope everyone’s summer is starting out well!

Back to work!

Ive been back at work now for 1 week of half days and 2 weeks of full days. It’s certainly been an adjustment but we’re all doing well. Gavin hasn’t missed a beat and for that I’m very thankful. He is still is just a sweet, happy boy. He makes the sweetest sounds these days and does his best to mimic  whatever silly sound his Mommy or Daddy are making. I can’t even believe he is about to be 4 months old. Seems just yesterday we were preparing for his arrival. He still loves his hands and will sometimes stick his fingers so far into his mouth  he chokes himself. He also has made a habit out of giving us a really good cry after every feeding. Don’t worry, he isn’t hungry, we aren’t starving him, he just really likes to feed so he briefly gets upset when it’s over. Have to admit it kind of makes me chuckle. He still isn’t rolling over which worried his Mommy for about 1 minute, but I read up on 3 month milestones and he does everything perfectly so I’m not worried he isn’t quite rolling over yet. He is very close and rocks feverishly back and forth but hasn’t quite made it over yet. He is so strong and when he kicks his feet at me, he often catches me just right and it takes my breath away. I’ve debated over starting some solids at 4 months but I think Im going to hold off until 5 or 6 months. I figure why rush it. We also tried having him move out of his rock ‘n play sleeper and sleep flat in his bed. Let’s just say he isn’t a fan and didn’t sleep as well so we’re going to leave him where he is for another few weeks. We’ll try again. He also is still being swaddled. He is so long we have to swaddle him with his feet out but he loves having his hands close to his body. It’s the signal/routine for him to signify sleep and there seems to be nothing wrong with continuing to swaddle his arms so that’s another thing we’ve put off changing for awhile. He still very much has the startle reflex and without his arms swaddled he knocks himself in the face and immediately wakes himself up. Not fun for anyone.

Ally’s school year and volleyball are wrapping, at least for now. We’re in the midst of the end of season tournament and for the first time they made it to the 2^nd round. Cant wait to see them play Saturday morning. As they’ve gotten more competitive my level of excitement has also increased. Next year she will get to try out for the school’s volleyball team so we will spending some extra time this summer trying to get ready. We have a few camps and clinics lined up for her. She is getting so big, its unbelievable to think I remember when she entered kindergarten and now she’s going to be a 7^th grader next year! WOW!

We’re ready for the summer. Excited that my Mom’s apartment is right down the street which means there is an accessible pool right down the street!

Ive been picking up my running over the last week. My goal is to run a ½ marathon sometime during the fall so I have to make a concerted effort to bump my mileage up. I ran a 5k twice this week. According to my training schedule it says I need to run 4 miles this weekend. We’ll see!

Reflections

Where do I even start my reflection on the last 13 weeks?! They’ve been AMAZING, tiring, terrifying, scary, exhausting but most of all the best 13 weeks of my life. I knew Id love our baby but I didn’t know how much Id love him or have any idea how much Id love my husband and Ally that much more after seeing them with Gavin. Ive said it before but Im so thankful that Ally now has a sibling. She has THAT person! She has a built in best friend for the rest of her life because I promise there is no age difference that can separate siblings! I’m so happy for her. She doesn’t know or realize it yet, but she will. And there is nothing like seeing your manly husband cooing at our 2 month old. Ill forever be grateful for the 13 weeks that my company has afforded me, but Im ready to go back. Im ready to get into a routine that is long lasting, anxious to get in a routine that we can implement long term.

Gavin has absolutely woohed Jason and I into thinking this all easy. Every parent says their baby is easy but ours truly is. At 11 weeks, he was sleeping through the night- 830p – 630a. We cant ask for more. He cries, sure, but only when he’s bored, overtired or hungry. He has almost made us think that another one would be just as easy, but Im not as easily convinced.

Reflecting on where we are: Gavin is now “talking”, cooing and smiling like a crazy man. He is consistently wearing 3 month clothing and size 1 diapers. He probably could move up to size 2 diapers but we had so many size 1 diapers that Im holding off until I absolutely have to move up! LOL! He is so fun right now. He can lay on his play mat and play independently for 30-45 mins. Its great for Mom when she’s cooking dinner! He has the most beautiful eyelashes and eyes, they just suck you in!  Im so proud to be his Mommy and having him here with us, has exceeded anything I could have imagined. I cant wait to experience the next few months, years when his personality really starts to come out.

Now comes real life- going back to work!! Ill have many more updates when I have a bit more “hands free” time. Sure Im sad about going back to work, but I can promise that never before will I ever be so glad to come home at the end of the day.   

Some Pictures from Gavin's Birthday!

Gavin's Birth Story

I figure its time for me to document Gavin’s birth story while all the events are still fresh in my mind, although its unlikely Ill ever forget the highlights! The day before, Monday, January 30th Jason went in to work; however I stayed home with my Mom. I was scheduled for induction the next day at 5am. We went and ran a bunch of errands and around early afternoon I started having contractions and lost my mucus plug. The contractions started coming pretty close together and I wasn’t sure Id make it through the night. Jason came home from work around 6 and Mom, Jason and I headed out to dinner at Mama’s pizza. I had plans to go home that evening and try and go to bed really early, 3:45am was going to come bright and early! I laid down around 8:15 but didn’t take my usual Tylenol PM to rest because I was nervous I was going to go into labor over night and didn’t want to be groggy. As it turned out, I should have taken the Tylenol PM, because I definitely didn’t go into labor that night. My plans of going to bed early were squashed as well; I was entirely too keyed up. It was closer to 11 before I went to bed.

My alarm went off at 3:45 and I got up to call L&D to ensure they still had room for us to come in at 5am. Thankfully they did. I woke Jason up, we got dressed and loaded the car. We made it to the hospital right on time. We had to first stop by the registration desk and it took about 15 mins to finish up the paperwork. I was shocked to find out that they were asking us to pay before I had even been set up in a room!!!

Made it up to L&D and immediately there were 3 nurses that descended on our room. One was setting up my IV, the other was taking my blood and the 3rd was asking me loads of questions. I took a full bag of saline and the pitocin was started. I wasn’t contracting at that point. They also checked my cervix at this point and I was still dilated to only a 2 even after a week had passed since my last appointment. Should have known that was a bad sign.

Dr. Seligman came in bright and early around 7am to break my water and at this point the contractions started coming every 5-6 mins or so; however they weren’t anywhere near unbearable. My Mom arrived around 7:30 and brought Jason Whataburger breakfast. Dr. S was scheduled to do a surgery that morning from 8:45-11 so he asked the nurse to take my pitocin up very slowly. Should have recognized that was the 2nd bad sign. Around mid-morning the contractions started coming every 3-3:30 mins and around 11 I signaled that I was ready for my epidural. I didn’t end up getting it until about 1 so I labored for quite some time in significant pain. I was also experiencing a lot of back labor. However, the anesthesiologist was terrific and I was quickly out of pain and in great spirits. Aaahh, the glory of drugs.

The nurses were awesome the entire day and I ate my fair share of sugar free popsicles throughout the afternoon. Early afternoon I progressed to 4 ½ cm; however that was the last significant progress Id make until early evening. Late afternoon they decided to change my position and rolled me to one side and propped one of my legs up in a stirrup. They were hoping this would move Gavin down the birth canal. The position was surprisingly comfortable and that was the first rest I got all day. Ally, Jim, Jordan and Ashley were all there with us for most of the day. I was nervous about how I would handle the company, but it proved to be a great distraction. After the position change I did progress to 7 1/2cm.

By early evening Jason began getting very antsy by the amount of time Id been in labor and everyone started to get a bit on edge. Finally around 6pm they checked me again and I had made no further progress from 7 ½ so they said that Dr. S had gone home to have dinner but that he was only giving me 1 ½ more hours to make it to 10 before we had to start discussing a csection. At this point we were open to anything that would get Gavin hear safely. Dr. S showed up around 7, asked Jason to come back to the room and proceeded to tell us that he thought it was highly unlikely that Id be able to birth Gavin naturally. They were starting to see his heart rate dip in time with my contractions and they felt that this was because he was trying to move down the birth canal when I contracted but for whatever reason, was unable to. We trusted Dr. Seligman implicitly and quickly made the decision to take him via csection. Once the decision was made, everything moved quickly.

My room filled with nurses prepping me for surgery and we said our goodbyes to everyone before they wheeled me down the hall to the OR. Dr. Seligman gave Jason photography instructions outside the OR while they prepped me. Once I was prepped and ready, Jason was allowed back in. I remember Jason kept repeating over and over that I needed to breathe. I was so nervous! I just wanted our boy here safe and sound. It seemed like an eternity but between the decision to proceed with a csection and Gavin being delivered was only 1 hour. Dr. Seligman delivered Gavin at 8:01pm after over 14 hours of labor. I immediately heard him cry and felt a sudden surge of relief. I didn’t cry at first, actually I didn’t cry until I saw him and his head full of dark hair. I even exclaimed to Jason about his head full of hair. It was a subject we had discussed a lot over the last several months. I desperately wanted him to look like Jason and I definitely got my wish. In fact, I can’t identify a single feature that he might have gotten from me. LOL! Oh well! Jason and Gavin left the operating room pretty quickly so that he could be moved to the nursery and they could finish cleaning me up. It wouldn’t be until 11:45pm that I was able to hold or nurse him. Long day, long night but oh so worth it. He was healthy (9 out of 10 on the Apgar), perfect and of course we immediately fell in love! Our little miracle had finally arrived after a long journey!

Ill follow up later with more details on our extended hospital stay.

Pictures of Gavin's First Two Weeks!

Ill be back later with his birth story and pictures from his birth and first few days but in the mean-time Ill leave you with a few of my favorites from the first few weeks.

Progress!

People, we have progress! I had my LAST doctor's appointment today and I am thrilled with my progress. Dr. Seligman said I was 2+cm and 80% effaced. That's major progress in just over a week! He also swept my membranes so hopefully that speeds things along. If not, we will go in Tuesday morning at 5am for my scheduled induction!! Here is a 38w belly picture!

Update!

It’s a bit surreal to sit here, 10 days away from Gavin’s birthday (if he doesn’t come earlier)- to know that after over 2 years of working toward this day, that our baby boy is finally scheduled to arrive…. In just 10 DAYS!. It’s been a long time. It’s been hard. It’s been happy. It’s been sad. It’s been a little bit of everything, but here we are. Just 10 days. 1 more OB appt. We’re ready. We have everything packed, washed, cleaned and set to go- now we just WAIT. We are scheduled to induce on Tuesday, January 31^st if he doesn’t make his appearance earlier. My gut is that he won’t. I fully expect, have prepared for and am ok with just waiting it out until the 31^st. At my last drs appointment I was dilated 1cm. Whoopty doo dah! LOL! Im feeling pretty emotional these days and it seems that the smallest things can set off feelings of wanting to cry. I suppose that is to be expected. I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed with the pressures around delivery, how it is going to proceed, how I’m going to feel, what I’m going to be comfortable with, etc. I think I’ve finally convinced myself to just relax and let it play out. I think my family and friends are going to understand and go with the flow of whatever I want. I’m a control freak. I like things to be very planned out, detailed, down to the last dotting of the I and crossing of the T. Unknowns make me nervous. And right now the whole delivery scene is a huge unknown to me so naturally I’ve been nervous about it. Starting to feel better though.

I am excited though that 1.WEEK.FROM.TODAY is my last day of work until Tuesday, May 1^st. Holy cow!!! That is crazy to think about. Since I was 16 and started working at Stanley’s I haven’t had more than a few weeks off at a time. It’s absolutely mind boggling to me that I will be off for 13 weeks. I feel very blessed my company offers this benefit but I am still apprehensive about how I will feel with 13 Mondays rolling past where I don’t go into the office. However, every Mom has told me that I’ll be so busy I won’t miss it, so I’ll take their word for it.

This whole process has humbled me so much, to see my body transform and incubate this little human for the past 10 months. I’m sure it’s nothing compared to the awe Ill feel after Im able to actually get him out of my belly and here with us. It is certainly an experience that I will never forget. I feel incredibly blessed that after everything that happened last year, this pregnancy has been so flawless and uneventful. I’m very thankful for that and I hope and pray that the delivery and birth is just as uneventful. I think one of the things that Im most excited about is to see Jason become a dad again. Before Christmas I put together a gift for him that included pictures of Ally from birth -12 years and it was so emotional for me to see the pictures of Jason with Ally just after she was born. I just loved him even more seeing the sense of total adoration on his face in the pictures where he was holding Ally just hours after she was born. I can’t imagine what I’ll feel when I see him with our son. I also think a lot about what this all means for Ally and how I can’t wait to see her with Gavin. Jason and I are giving her the gift of a sibling. Even with the gap in age, it’s a friendship that she will have for the rest of her life that can’t be duplicated with any other friendship. They’re going to have each other, someone to depend and lean on long after Jason and I are gone and I’m very happy they will have each other. Can you tell I’m emotional? LOL!

This will probably be my last pregnancy update so here are some of the details:

Total weight gain: 18-19lbs

Belly button: completely flat, pretty much non-existent these days
Size: at my ob appt 2 weeks ago (36w2d) he was 6 ½ lbs and over 18 inches long
Movement: VERY dramatic- when he moves I feel it everywhere- his head is down with his spine laying on my right side. I do feel like he has slowed down in the last 2 days though
Symptoms: lower back pain, major Braxton Hicks, a little more heartburn, definite shortness of breath and of course PEEING ALL.THE.TIME!!!
Sleep: has gotten much more difficult, but with the help of Tylenol PM I’ve been able to combat it pretty effectively  J
 

… and here is one of the last pictures of this big belly.

.... and because none of this would be without him, the last picture of Gavin before we get to see him in person

Getting back in shape!

Baby Gavin is not even here yet and I’m already pricing treadmills for my journey back to getting in shape!! LOL! We have the space upstairs so I want to invest in a really good treadmill. I just feel like this is my best opportunity to consistently get some running time in. I can do it while he’s sleeping, regardless of what I look like, at any time during the day and all with no gym commute at all. Plus there’s the extra benefit that my mom and Jason can use it too.  I have no idea how long Im going to have to wait before I can start running again and Im sure Ill have to start with walking. I think it will be at least 4 weeks if I have a normal delivery, 6 or 8 if it’s a c-section. My goal for 2012- run a half marathon!!!

35 Week Update and Belly Picture!

How Far Along? 35w2d

Size of baby: Over 5lbs and 18 inches- size of a honeydew melon!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +17lbs

Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes – luckily I still have plenty of items that fit and should last through the remainder of my time

Gender: BOY- Gavin Tyler Ramey

Movement: He is still moving a lot- he prefers my right side and is constantly sticking his butt up near the top, it gets very distorted and very hard when he does this, still freaks Jason out.

What I miss: I miss being able to get up off the couch without issues- lol!

Sleep: Getting up multiple times to go potty, but for the most part I’m able to go right back to sleep!

Symptoms: Peeing ALL THE TIME! Fatigue has made a comeback, I’m also experiencing quite a bit of Braxton Hicks and I definitely am not able to breathe as easy as I once did.

Stretch marks: No sign of any stretch marks- moisturizing with this super greasy BB tummy butter TWICE a day!

What I am looking forward to: Hopefully an ultrasound really soon to figure out how big he is!

Belly button (in or out): Mostly out

Milestones: 99% of babies born after 35 weeks require no additional medical assistance because the majority of physical development is COMPLETE!!!

Baby Ramey’s Progress

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete – he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Gavin's Coming Home Outfit!

Merry Christmas to All!

I’ve done such a poor job keeping my blog updated as of late so Im going to have a vast amount of updates to include in this post. Its been such a fun few weeks. I had my last baby shower at work December 14th and I have to admit it was crazy, overwhelming. I was/am overwhelmed by the generosity, friendship and support of my co-workers. We got so much baby stuff. Basically they just went through and got all the last minor things that I had on my list of items to buy- bumbo seat, blankets, pacifiers, changing pad, extra car seat base, pack ‘n play sheets and on and on! We were also able to get our video monitor. Thanks to all those wonderful gifts we have absolutely everything we need for baby Gavin’s arrival!


It’s the night before Christmas Eve and I can happily say that I am done with my Christmas shopping and 99% of my wrapping is done as well. It’s a great feeling. The last week off has been used very wisely. The only major item left to handle is the grocery shopping for Christmas Day dinner. Im very excited that although Jason and I cant travel for the holidays, we will still get to be with a large group of family. Itll be a lot of fun to have everybody together at our house. In an effort to try and reduce some of the work for me, we’re going to do non-traditional Christmas food for dinner. We’re going to do lasagna, salad, garlic bread and some appetizers. I just can’t fathom standing on my feet in the kitchen for hours slaving over a turkey, ham, stuffing, side items, bread, etc at 34 weeks preggo.

Besides Christmas shopping, I also spent a large portion of my week off marking “to do” items off my list to prepare for Gavin’s arrival! I managed to get EVERYTHING washed with the, must be gold because of the price, baby detergent Dreft! I also got his room finished for the most part and all his clothes are now put away. Its such a relief to have all that done. The only things I think we still have to do are to get the car seat installed and get our hospital bags packed! Before I finish up with my weekly update below, I have to share a few pics of the nursery. Those bookshelves are my favorite part- thanks to my MOM for helping me to get them hung. Wow, that was a total cluster! LOL!

33 Week Update

How Far Along? 33w5d

Size of baby: Over 4lbs and 17 inches- size of a pineapple!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +14lbs – still very happy with my weight- should be able to keep my total weight gain around the 20lb mark. That’s my hope, its going to make it much easier for it to come off after baby Gavin arrives.

Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes plus I’ve graduated to some of Jason’s tshirts 

Gender: BOY- Gavin Tyler Ramey

Movement: He moves a lot! When he pushes on my stomach now the whole thing becomes distorted- very alien like! LOL!

What I miss: I haven’t missed alcohol at all up to this point, but right now, maybe because of the holidays and cold weather, I’m really missing red wine!! I’m plotting my first drinking expedition.

Sleep: I slept so wonderfully through most of the pregnancy; however that has definitely changed over the last few weeks- its much more difficult to find a spot that is comfortable it’s impossible to sleep through the night without getting up to pee!

Symptoms: Peeing ALL THE TIME! Heartburn and fatigue have made a come back

Stretch marks: No sign of any stretch marks

What I am looking forward to: Gavin’s arrival- I feel like its close enough now (no more than 5 weeks) that its within reach!

Belly button (in or out): Mostly out

Milestones: Upcoming 34 weeks- I’ve read that any baby born at or after 34 weeks very likely wouldn’t require a NICU stay!

Baby Ramey’s Progress

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Weekly update, belly picture, etc!

Its been quite awhile since Ive posted an update. So much has happened. I had an ultrasound the day before Thanksgiving and it looks like we're going to have a big boy on our hands. He was measuring ahead 1 week, weighed over 3 1/2lbs and over 15 inches long. Ut oh! LOL! It was so weird because Im used to seeing his whole body on the screen; however he is too big now. You see just one body part at a time, it was actually a little disappointing but very happy to see he looked good.

Last week we lost Grandma June. Very good lady and we are so sad to see her leave us but Ive taken great comfort in knowing she is finally reunited with her husband Dennis and her son Russell! Jordan and I drove down Wednesday to attend the rosary and funeral. Glad that we could be there!

I had my first and hopefully last visit to L&D until Gavin is ready to make his appearance! Thursday I started spotting a bit and of course I freaked out. The timing really sucked because we had to miss Jason's Christmas party, but I would have never forgiven myself if it had turned out to be something bad that I had ignored. They hooked me up to the monitor and I was definitely having some contractions; however they attributed most of that to me being dehydrated. They sent me home with instructions to drink lots of fluids and REST! I seem to have a difficult time with the second part. The spotting did stop! Whew! I need to keep him baking in there a bit longer- at least 5 weeks!

Here's my 31w update plus belly pic. Enjoy!

How Far Along? 31w1d

Size of baby: Over 3 ½lbs and 16 inches- size of a butternut squash!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: down 2lbs this morning for some reason, +12lbs

Maternity Clothes: Im now finding that some of the maternity clothes I wore early in pregnancy aren’t going to fit the whole time :/

Gender: BOY- Gavin Tyler

Movement: Constantly feeling him move

What I miss: Being able to sleep without all the CONGESTION and gunk! Uuuugghhh!

Sleep: I slept so wonderfully through most of the pregnancy; however that has definitely changed over the last few weeks- its much more difficult to find a spot that is comfortable!

Symptoms: I’m attributing all this winter sickness mess to being pregnant, other than that I’d be feeling pretty great

Stretch marks: No sign of any stretch marks

What I am looking forward to: Definitely my vacation time around the holidays-2 weeks and counting until Im off for 10 days! Woohoo!

Belly button (in or out): Halfway out

Milestones: No major milestones to speak of, just very thankful for every day that he stays in there, at least for the next 5 weeks and then he gets an eviction notice!

Baby Ramey’s Progress
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Belly picture- 29w3d!