Emmi's 1 month check-up

We saw Dr Parrish today. She was a little fussy during the visit because she didn't eat enough before we left the house. Emmi weighed in at 10lbs 2.5 ounces. She was 22 inches long with a head circumference of 38cm's. Since I intend to breast feed for as long as I can they said that she should take a vitamin since she wont get vit D from me. She also has a rash on her face so we will be putting hydro cortisone cream on it to help it go away.

We are very pleased because the doctors office is willing to work with us on an alternative vaccine schedule. It may require a bit more work in regards to tracking down vaccines and money on our part due to more doctors visits but well worth it in our opinion.

Overall she is doing well. The doc suggested we start helping Emmi soothe herself. So far she often falls asleep in our arms or while feeding. The doctor said to let her cry for up to 15 minutes. I think I will be breaking out the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child book tonight.

We will be going back on January 18th for her next check up.

4 weeks old

Here is Emmi with Mickey to show how big she is getting already. She can no longer wear newborn clothes since her feet no longer fit in the footsies. She pretty much is wearing all 0-3 month stuff now.

Emmi is no longer in the cradle. We figured why bother with a crib or pack & play and go right for the big bed where she can watch tv and cheer for her favorite football team.

Home alone

Taryn took a night to go to dinner with some friends. That left Emmi, daddy, and Kona to fend for themselves. What are we going to do? This was actually the third time all alone with Emmi as Taryn went for a haircut this past weekend. However, this would be the first time Emmi got a bottle. She has been a trooper up until now having gone 3 weeks without being fed.........

Anyway, she started sleeping but awoke a bit cranky about 20 minutes after Taryn left. Since I was born with superior parenting skills, I acted swiftly. I held her as she was sitting in her chair as I dismembered a turkey. I tested for hunger. She was hungry. I warmed a pre-prepared bottle. We were a little concerned as to how she would do with a bottle............no need for concern. She sucked down 4oz like a rabid wolverine. I guess going 3 weeks without being fed will do that to a person. She finished the bottle and I burped her. Expecting to have to prepare another bottle from the way she ate like a wombat suffering from tape worm, I went to the kitchen to take out another. From the time I walked from the livingroom to the kitchen, she was out like a light. She pretty much slept for the next 5 or so hours.....

So once again, I showed my supreme fathering skills.

3 + weeks old

To give you a bit of an update on what we have been doing... Emmi still sleeps well at night by giving us 3-4 hour blocks. We still have her in the cradle in our room. I have started to get up and go to another room to feed her to start to get myself in the transition phase of her going in her own room. She still sleeps much of the day. Her fussy time is usually at night but Snugli still works like a charm as within minutes of her going in that she is sleeping. We try not to just use that first and calm her other ways but often it is the Snugli that seals the deal.

I dont know where the time goes in the day. I try to do one thing at the house each day, like laundry, vacuum or something to feel like I have accomplished something. Our weather continues to be really nice, in the high 70's this week. Emmi & I take Kona out for a walk daily, Emmi goes into the Bjorn. I have ridden my bike twice. After the first time I ended up with a migraine, but the next ride I felt great after. I am trying to train for a running race in February so instead of trying to coordinate with Jacob at night nor do I want to run in the dark, he set up the trainer bike in the house so I can ride that during the day since we dont have the jogger yet. All & all I feel great. Time is certainly flying by since we will be getting ready next week to go home for Christmas. I guess that means I should get some shopping done. :^)

New Emmi pics. So Precious!!!

Mystery Gift

Someone sent us a gift from Target. It didnt say who it was from so who ever you are thank you.... :^)

Daddy's first night home alone with Emmi

Last night Taryn went out for her first ride since having Emmi. That meant daddy was going to be home alone. Taryn was freaking out a bit since she has not left Emmi's side since she came into the world. Me? I was overwhelmed with confidence. I had a plan. If she was hungry, I would feed her a bottle as Taryn has been pumping a bit. If she got fussy and didn't want to eat, I would snuggly her. If that didn't work, I would put her in Taryn's truck and close the garage so I couldn't hear her (*please note that I am joking). All started well. Emmi was hanging out in her seat, sleeping away. Then it started. She got a little fussy and didn't want to eat. So I held her and walked around a bit. About this time, my work phone rang. At the same time I answered, she ramped up her fussiness. I asked the user to hang on a second so I could put her in snuggli. As I was putting her in snuggli, my cell phone rang. It was my best friend Phil's dad who is a Deacon and is doing Emmi's Baptism. Since I've been trying to get a hold of him for a couple weeks, I really needed to talk to him. So I answered while trying to get a crazy Emmi in Snuggli. Finished my conversation with him and remembered I still had a user on the phone. Emmi ramped it back up on queue as I started to talk to the user again. I had to yell into the phone so he could hear me over Emmi's crying and my laughing as I found amusement in the situation. No sooner did I start talking to the user did the doorbell ring. It's the UPS man!!!! Yeah!!!! He was delivering my new bike fork that I've been waiting for for months. Had the user hold again. Our UPS guy stops at our house at least once a week and is a cool dude so I had to have a converstion with him. In my excitement, I forgot I had a user on hold. Luckily he's one that I speak to on a regular basis and is a good guy and could understand my craziness. So, I finished with the user, talked to Phils dad, signed for a package I've been waiting for for months, and comforted my daughter into a state of quiet bliss. What was Kona doing the whole time you ask? Sleeping on the couch. I think I got this daddy stuff down.

Taryn's ride was good and I was really happy to see her get out. She didn't feel too well when she got home. Seemed to be a migraine type thing she has had in the past. Probably due to she hasn't done any riding since having Emmi. So while she wasn't feeling well I tended to Emmi and even managed to change her into her pajama's on my own!!!! An accomplishment in itself.

And how is Kona? He's adjusting pretty well. During the day he still fights for Taryn's attention since he's used to being an only child. Yesterday he also snagged his first poopy baby wipe and ran around the house with it. That makes me think.........what is it with dogs and poo and just eating gross things in general? Kona has eaten goose poo on many occasion, cat poo, dear intenstines(which gave him lead poisoning), and there was the day I had to chase him around the yard with a decomposed squirrel in his mouth. Imagine if people were like this.
"Hey Jim, what do you have for lunch today?"
"Well, I'm starting with an appetizer of goose feces and having rotten chipmunk for my entree"
"Sounds good. Sally and I had rabbit entrail stew with litter box crisp for dessert last night."
Dogs are weird......

PS: Emmi's Baptism is going to be Dec. 30 at 11am at Holy Spirit Church in Gardner Ma.

Save the Date - Emmi's Baptism

When: December 30th @ 11:00am

What: Emmi's Baptism

Where: In Gardner at Holy Spirit Church. (That is the one we got married at.)


The official invites will be coming out but due to the short time frame we have I just wanted to let everyone know so they can plan on it.

Pics from the weekend...

Emmi lost her belly button stump on Friday night. So Saturday she got her first real bath. She did very well. Things have continued to go great. She gives us, most nights, 3-4 hour chunks of sleep. Definitely love that as I dont feel like needing to nap during the day. I do go to bed early to make sure I am well rested. Jacob is back to work so he seems a bit tired.

I need to figure out a way to keep her the size she is since she is so perfect. She is getting big as there are outfits now that she has only worn once.

This weekend will be the first time I leave her with just Daddy. I am way over due for a haircut. I was going to visit my cousin while I was home but I cant take my hair any longer. I have started to pump this week so that Jacob should be all set with milk incase she needs to be fed while I am out. Jacob laughs at me because I am stressing out about leaving her and making sure she does fine. It has all to do with I am always with her and nothing with Jacob. Jacob is an awesome dad and seems very comfortable with her. I guess it is what a mom goes through. :^)

Daddy & his babies.

This is what Jacob had to deal with when he got home from work today.....

Ready to go....

Here she is all ready to head out for a stroll with Kona. Since the weather continues to be nice we try to get out to walk daily. Today was in the high 50's or so. We got a Baby Bjorn yesterday so today was the first day to put it to the test. Emmi definitely likes that just as much as the Snugli so we have two things we can carry her around in.

One week check up

We had Emmi's first check up today. She weighed in at 8lbs 2oz. The appt was with a lactation consultant so I fed Emmi there. Lita said we were doing great and had very little to say in regards to how to make it better.

Since we were out and about I also headed over to my docs office to sign paperwork for my maternity leave. While there I weighed myself since we dont have a scale at home. I am only 7 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I guess the labor/breastfeeding diet is the way to go to lose 15lbs in a week.

Emmi also had her first trip to Target.

New Emmi Pics!!!

Here are a couple pics we took today. Since she subjected us to no sleep last night, we decided it was time for some pay back and have a photo shoot. She proceeded to sleep through the whole thing. pic is to show her size. The Mickey is about 3ft.

Trying night.....

I guess it was bound to come.....

Our first night home wasnt bad in regards to feedings and sleep. Emmi gave us a 2 hour chunk and a 3 hour chunk of sleep. Wednesday night/Thursday morning she decided to cluster feed a bit from 1-3am. But after that she let us get some chunks of sleep again.

Tonight became a different story. It is 4 am right now and I have her in the baby Snugli since we couldnt get her to stop feeding/sucking on my finger or crying for over the past 4+ hours, I may have even lost track of time. She loves the Snugli so finally she is sleeping. Now that we have a sleeping baby on our hands.... I dont want to just put her to sleep yet as I want to make sure I am not right back where I started.

Looks like every nap she takes we will be taking tomorrow, I guess I should say today.

Random stuff

These are some of the fathers observations from the last few days:

-if you're squeamish and tell the nurses/doctors you are, and they say they'll "take care of you", they lie

-when Emmi first came out she kind of smelled like a fish

-Emmi sleeps a lot but only when you don't want her to

-Baby nurses and doctors must be extremely confused as to what patients think of them. One minute patients(like my wife) are telling them that they hate them, the next minute patients(like my wife) are more in love with them than with their husband

-out of all the people who guessed weight and length in the baby pool, Taryn was the closest and almost exact. Taryn's guess was 8lbs 5oz with a length of 20". Emmi was 8lbs 5oz with a length of 20.5". I guess she was pretty in tune with her body

-there is a such thing as love at first sight

That's all i got for now. I would like to thank the nurses and doctors at Presbyterian Hospital here in Matthews for the tremendous support that they gave us through this most wonderful time in our lives.

Pics

Here is a link to Jacob's photobucket account. We have only gotten a few pics uploaded so far.
http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/vinnycactus/Emmi/

You can also check out the post on the bike forum too. Scroll down to near the bottom of page 2 if you check here.
http://www.bikepasa.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3570&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

We hope to get more uploaded soon. We will post them here or the photo account. Stay tuned.

Taryn and I are pleased to introduce..............

Emerson Leigh Burns. Born 11/18/2007, 9:40pm, weighing 8lbs 5oz and measuring 20.5" long. Taryn was unbelievable and delivered Emmi 100% natural. More later.

Sunday & Labor

NOT INTENDED FOR THE WEAK STOMACHED OR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE DETAILS........



If you read the Contractions post you know how the weekend was going. Sunday around 12 Jacob, Kona and I went for a walk at Beatty. It certainly was a slow walk but contractions during that time were very minimal. They were something I was aware of but nothing that stopped me in my tracks or caused me to have to breathe through them. When we got back home Jacob then went out to ride his bike since I really was still very comfortable, plus my mom was here in case anything did happen. We hung out and then around 3:00 I decided that I was going to take a nap since I knew we had to be to the hospital at 5:00 for the induction. When I went to lie down things started to pick up. I couldn't lay in bed and needed to stand up to sway during contractions. I then decided to take a shower since that has always been something that relaxes me. After 45 minutes in the shower it was time to get ready to leave. We still didn't really know how close my contractions were. We guessed about 4-5 minutes apart but still manageable.

When we got to the hospital they took me to my room. I told the nurse that I thought I was in labor but wasn't completely sure. She proceeded with checking me in by asking me a thousand questions and waited for the doctor to come in to check me to see if we still needed to be induced. They hooked me up to the monitor and my contractions were measuring at 2-3 minutes apart. The doc came and said I definitely didn't need Cervidal since I was 5 1/2 centimeters dilated. Everyone was surprised that I was that far along. The doc at that point gave me the option of getting my water broke but I didn't want to at that point. They had trouble finding a good vein so they stuck me 3 different times by 3 different nurses.

Jacob and I did a couple laps around the floor. The contractions were really pretty good where I would have to stop and hold on to the railing or Jacob to breathe through them. Then around 7-7:30ish I needed to do something more to get through the contractions so I got in the shower again and would sway through them. Then the nurse came in around 8:oo-8:30ish to check me. The doc came in around then too so he checked me. At that point I was 7 cms and again was given the option to have my water broken. I passed on it. Then during one of my contractions I felt that I needed to push which caused my water to brake. Jacob rang the bell to get the nurse in. When she got there I was 8cms. At that point the nurse stayed in the room with us. Around that time is when I really don't remember the details well and the crazy person came out of me. :^)

I do know that Jacob was a great support by squeezing my hand and keeping me hydrated. The nurse would rub my lower back for me. The nurse checked me again and I was 9cms. I kept getting the urge to push but had to breathe through it. That was probably the hardest part of labor when my body wanted to do one thing but I was trying to do something else. After a few contractions like that the nurse decided to see if she could help me along. Sure enough she was able to help me get to 10 cms. The doc wasn't in the room yet so I had to try to breathe through the urges to push since we obviously needed him to deliver. Then in roughly 6-7 pushes Emmi was born.

Right after she was born they placed her on my belly for what felt like 2 secs. Then they whisked her to the heating bed since she was blue, which is right in the same room. They gave her oxygen and she was just fine. Her Apgar scores were 9 and 9. I was losing some extra blood so they jabbed me in the leg with some blood clotting shot. I also immediately started shaking uncontrollably and was freezing. They put warm blankets on me while the doc did what he needed to do to repair the 2nd degree tears that I had.

The next day I was quite tired but really felt good. When we got up we proceeded to walk around the floor with her.

I would definitely go natural again. Despite the few stitches and hemorrhoids I have really felt great. We have gone out on a few walks already with Emmi in the Snugli. The thing I wasnt ready for was that my hips have expanded. I have a handful of pants that fit me but due to my hips expanding some that I thought would fit just dont quite yet. I have been wearing comfy clothes so we will see if they have started to go back in the next few days.

Thanks to Jacob we were able to achieve our goal of having a natural childbirth. Emmi has also done great nursing and latching on.

Contractions.....

Things are starting as of Friday night/Saturday morning. I woke up at my normal 1:30am Saturday to go to the bathroom. Then I woke up at 2:30ish to go to the bathroom again. Kinda weird since I often only get up once in the middle of the night. This is when I noticed the cramping sensation...... could it be. Some other stuff was happening too. I woke Jacob up because I was excited that my body actually does know what to do. At 4:30am I decided to take a Tylenol PM so that I could calm down to sleep. Saturday during the day I had random mild contractions and I was sleepy all day since I didnt sleep well the night before. But nothing steady enough to pay much attention to.

Then last night starting at 8:00pm or so I could start to feel contractions again. We were at Arleigh's birthday party so we left. I came home took a Tylenol PM and went to sleep. I think I slept for a few hours before the constant getting up to go pee/contractions started. We are not sure of the frequency since we havent checked it out yet. But I am guessing I am having at least 4-5 an hour, but that is just a guess. I have figured out that standing makes it much more manageable.

I still have to report to the hospital at 5 today. But I think my cervix has started to dialiate so hopefully no cervidal and they will send me home.

Last no baby post....

Since I went to the doctors today this will be the last no baby yet post. I am refusing to post again until she is here. One way or another she will be here either by induction on Monday or naturally before that. (Same plan of Sunday at 5:00pm to get Cervidal to soften my cervix. Then the next morning they would start Pitocin.)

The doctors visit consisted of another non-stress test and internal check. Still not dilated, effacing a little, her head is dropping, and she was doing great in regards to the test. I was weighed on a different scale this time which said I put on 3 pounds. Not sure if it were due to the different scale or maybe the fact that I have been eating cupcakes and junk all week. My blood pressure was 102/68.

We had a high pressure system come through last night. I swear I had some good contractions at like 3:00am but not sure if I was in a sleepy state wishing it were happening.

The doctor thinks that the odds are I will have to be induced. I am hoping Emmi doesn't want to follow that suit so she will come on her own. We will see.

Stay tuned since the next time we post it will be about a baby.

Not yet...

Still no baby yet.

I had a mellow birthday yesterday by heading up early to the Bike Stampede to check out some buys and support the Bikepasa booth. Hit lunch, went for another bike ride with Kona and Jacob at Beatty. Then finished my day hanging out at my bros. Benjamin immediately greeted me with singing happy birthday to me. Very cute.

Today is just another chilling out day. Going to take Kona for a walk and find some errands to run for something to do.

Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes.

EDIT: In randomly searching online today I found that 40% of babies are due after 41 weeks, not saying I should believe everything I read online..... Since I am 41 weeks today so Emmi is just trying to keep with the statistics.

What to do on a beautiful Fall day...

Go for a bike ride. Since this is my birthday weekend and we really hadnt planned anything since we didnt anticipate still hanging around, I wanted to do something I love. Jacob and my friend Mel joined me on a bike ride today. I figured at this point there isnt much harm I could do and hopefully it may shake things up to get things going. Tonight we are going to go eat at Sante (the place where we found out we were having a girl) for a nice relaxing dinner.

Here are some pics from the day....

Pre-Ride

First Log Pile
Second Log Pile
Small Drop

Long Day at Doctors

Jacob was able to keep me company today during the tests. We started with the non stress test where they were able to determine that Emmi is still doing great. They did hear a little bit of a skip beat. It wasn't anything to be concerned about but something they just noted. They said that it could just be something that is normal for her but that the pediatrician would check her out further once she is born.

Then we hit lunch before heading back for an ultrasound. The ultrasound was done to determine that the amniotic fluid was still at good levels, which it was. Then the doctor did an internal check to determine that my cervix is still where it was when he checked me at 36 weeks. He also said her head is down but not down in the point of ready to come out.

I do have another non stress test scheduled for next Thursday and to see the doc again just to make sure things are still going well.

We then discussed induction again... We had our choice of next Wednesday or the 18th. We decided that since I am not having any issues then we would go the longer route to give my body more time to potentially kick start on it's own. If things don't change between now and then I would go in on that Sunday to get Cervidal to soften my cervix. Then the next morning they would start Pitocin. Not my desired route as I would be in the hospital my entire labor when I was hoping I would be able to stay at home as long as I could.

I have picked up some Evening Primrose Oil to start taking today to hopefully soften my cervix up. The doc didn't say if he thought it would help or not but he said it couldn't hurt if that was something I wanted to try.

To sum it all up, we are still in the waiting game since there is no magic ball that determines when she will be here. Even though my cervix isn't dilated and she isn't quite low enough does not mean that my body wont just kick into labor and it all get started. But we do know that at least we will not go after the 18th/19th.

Still no baby...

Some great things have taken place over the past few days...

Our dryer broke but I was able to take the dryer apart, Jacob located the part, and then I went to get it. Replaced the part and now it is working again. Yeah! Very proud since the part only cost $12 when if we had a service call it would have been a $100 bill.


Paul Bellin was able to hook us up with the Blue King Brown CD. Very excited. Thanks Paul!!

I was able to make 4 Hooter Hiders. I will post a pic of me modeling mine. They are used to provide coverage when breastfeeding. Sure I can just drape a blanket over my shoulder if I need privacy but this makes it so I dont have to worry about the blanket falling off. I made mine with receiving blankets and adding a strap around the neck with boning to puff out the front slightly.

Congrats to our friend Mark Hawke who won the mayoral election in Gardner. This is a pic of him that was taken from the telegram.com.




Tomorrow I will be heading to the doc for my battery of tests to make sure Emmi is still doing great. Check back late day tomorrow for more information.

NO baby yet.....

Today I am 40 weeks. That would be officially full term. Emmi just seems a bit content in there. I have been having Braxton Hicks Contractions each night. My hormones are running crazy, last night I was having night sweats so bad that Jacob woke up and asked if my water broke. All just signs that at least things are preparing for the end result.

There are still 18 people in the pool. There are 6 people who guessed for tomorrow so maybe that will be the day. Stay tuned for the baby announcement or for Thursday's doctor test results.

Anyone have the Blue King Brown CD I can borrow? We heard it this weekend at the Tree Shaker bike race. I really liked the music and would love to listen to it during L&D.

Get out and vote tomorrow.

Vote for Mark Hawke

Anyone not from Gardner, please ignore. I usually don't get involved with politics and whatnot, but Taryn and I's last couple trip home have been disappointing from the standpoint that Gardner is in terrible shape. From the business' leaving the downtown area to the overall mood that seems to be in the town. Kinda depressing. Over the last few years, it seems as though the current mayor, Gerald St. Hilaire, is more concerned with giving himself and others holding office raises, being buddy buddy with higher ups in Massachusetts government, rather than taking and working these funds back into the community or using his contacts to invigorate the city.

Mark Hawke, who is a friend of ours, is running for the mayoral office against Mr. St. Hilaire. We've known Mark for years and has some great ideas for the city. For the past five and half years Mark has worked as the Grants Administrator for the City of Gardner. Mark has successfully averaged over $1 million in grant funding per year for the City. He has managed these funds in projects such as the renovations of the Greenwood Memorial Bathhouse, West Street street scape improvements, construction of 3 affordable houses on Wasa Street, S. Bent environmental assessment work, and numerous other projects around the City. So he's been in the loop.

So on November 6, if you're a Gardner resident, get out and vote for improvement, vote against the status quo, vote for Mark Hawke.
http://www.markhawke.com/index.html

Dr Visit

Had the normal dr visit today. My weight is still holding at 21 3/4 pounds. The doc asked if I have had any issues with eating since I have held steady for the past month or so. I havent eaten as much as I had when I was working but no problems. Emmi's heart was beating at 158 and he guesses she is in the low 7lb range now. My belly was 38cm's. I also attempted to measure around my waist the other day. It was about 44-45 inches. I dont know what my waist was before so I dont know how big I have gotten. The doc left it up to me on if I wanted to get checked. I decided not to as I didnt want to get my hopes up since that really isnt a determination on when she will be here.

I also got the dr on-call list until next Friday. One of my favorite docs is on call Monday which is the actual due date so I think Emmi and I may have a chat today to convince her that should be the day. Really any of the docs between now and then are great.

Next Thursday I will have a Non-Stress Test, Ultrasound, and they will check me. In chatting with the doc they wont actually induce me until 41 1/2 weeks if everything is fine (Nov 16th-ish). They rather let nature take its course. So that means my mom who flies in tomorrow could be packing her bags back up before Emmi is even here. My second line of help, (my dad, step mom, and 1/2 bro), would be on their way in for Turkey Day.

It is not too late to get your vote on for when she will be here. There are still 23 people in the running. Tomorrow and then Tuesday are the big hitter days.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

waiting waiting waiting

No baby yet but I am only 39 weeks and one day along. Not that I am counting.

The 3 other people that Jacob works with that were expecting babies around now have all had their babies. Even the one couple that were due 3 days after us. So Jacob says I need to get to it as he wants some time off. Since I am a planner this waiting game is no fun. I have done just about everything around the house I can. I have been eating spicy foods or pineapple and going on long walks to get Emmi to drop & give me something to do. I have gone out to lunch with some friends and also been hitting yoga during the day. At night I often sit in a squatting position to help stretch my hips. In reading online on ways to naturally induce labor it says of course if she isnt ready then nothing will work.

I can say she definitely has dropped. The long walks that Kona and I have been going on at Beatty require me to stop to pee at least mid way because otherwise I feel like I am going to pee myself. hehehehe I have been having contractions but I think they are more like Braxton Hicks. My belly will get super tight at random points. At least there are signs that the end is near.

The dream of having Emmi on Sunday so that we could hold Emmi while watching the Red Sox win the World Series just didnt happen. Oh well, maybe we will be holding our pumpkin tomorrow since I never bought one.

Stay tuned to either updates from my dr appt this coming friday or announcement of a baby.

Pics

Here is what we did over the weekend:
http://www.bustedspoke.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=40087

Week in review..

We are officially 38 + weeks. I went to the doctor this morning to get the same old information. My weight hasnt changed so I am officially at 21 3/4 pounds gained. My blood pressure was 112/60 and Emmi's heart was beating at 155. This week we chatted about Primerose oil which is suppose to help soften the cervix and then Red Raspberry Tea which is suppose to strengthen the uterus. He didnt say it was good or bad to do and that of course nothing can guarantee labor. I also asked about when would they start to look at inducing me. It would be the first appt I have after my due date which would be on the 9th. They would bring me in to the hospital to start Pitocin. I have been feeling random contractions so he said that there may not be any warning signs and those contractions could just get stronger and then I would be in labor. Emmi feels a little lower where I have felt a bit of relief in breathing. The doc said that first babies usually drop gradually. So that made me feel better.

This week I have managed to get some meals made and frozen, the house cleaned and then other random house chores. All nesting as Jacob would say. I am not sure if I think the same since I knew I was going to be off this week and wanted to get all that stuff done. My energy level remains high which I think may be due to the fact that I can sleep in as late as I want. Definitely have been enjoying my time off. Since I have most stuff done I will get to just relax going forward. :^)

We have had two days of rain. It stinks because I havent been able to walk like I wanted but on the other hand the Charlotte area was in drought conditions. We were not allowed to water unless it was hand holding a hose. Hopefully this rain will help bring water levels back up.

Oh so close

Yeah, we're getting pretty close. Taryn is starting to nest, although she'll deny it. Cleaning, organizing. I think Emmi will be here next weekend. But who knows. A guy at work's wife went a week early, anothers wife went a week late. Taryn is also looking at the cycles of the moon. I think she gets mad at me because I'm not really interested in the cycles of the moon and all these other things that will determine when Emmi will be born. Me? I like to take things as they come. I'm prepared for the birthing part and am confident that I'll be fine and will be able to help Taryn through. She was mentioned some of the not so glamorous parts of labor and she gets upset with me since I really don't want to hear about them. I've heard about them, I know what is going to happen, and I feel bad that she has to experience some of these things, which is the main reason I don't want to hear about them. I don't want her to have to experience pain or any of the other things that goes along. Thinking about my wife, whom I love, experiencing pain, without me being able to help upsets me. So I like to focus on the oh so many great things that we're going to experience that day. The firts time I'll see Taryn hold her daughter, the first time I'll get to hold my daughter. Those are the things I like to focus on.

Anyway. Taryn took nesting to a whole new level last week. She mowed the lawn. And we also put the car seat in her vehicle today and I got my hospital bag together........we're getting there.

Finally pics.... :^)

Dr & 37 weeks.

I have managed to technically lose ¼ lb but I will just say maintained my weight at 22lbs gained. Last time they used a different scale, not sure if that makes a difference. My blood pressure was 94/60. Emmi’s heartbeat was 152. Head is still down and the doctor estimated her still being in the low 7 pound range at birth. Sounds good to me. He did say she seems like she has dropped a little as I couldn’t really tell or not yet. I just wished they were able to predict when she will be here……

Today is my last day of work. I am quite excited to not have to get up at a certain time for a few weeks. Even though I will be in the waiting game, I think I will have plenty to occupy my time… I have to run some errands for me since I think we have everything for Emmi, like getting things that a recovering mom might need. I hope to hit lunch with some people next week and also head to yoga every day since they offer it during the day times. Then I plan to make some meals to freeze so that if she comes early we will be covered or once our help leaves we have some reserves. We will see if I start doing any crazy nesting things in the next few weeks.

We took pics last night but ran out of time. I will post them when I get home today. Read here if you want to see what Emmi is up to at 37+ weeks.

Dr Check

I have put on another pound for a total of 22 pounds so far. So it looks like I will put on around 25 pounds. Not bad at all since the range for me is 25-35. My blood pressure was 120/60. I was not dialated at all but he did say my cervix is soften up.

Emmi's heart was beating at 158 beats. The doc estimated that she should weight around 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 pounds. Probably more around 7. Her head is still in the down position and he said she is pretty low. I guess that is why at times I feel like I could go pee every hour if I wanted. I am still able to sleep without having to get up so that is great. I do cut down on my fluid intake after dinner to be safe.

UJ is back with us to finish his Charlotte Golf tour and feeling much better from the stomach bug. Peter comes in today to visit for the weekend and help finish Emmi's room.

I promise pics Monday. Next dr visit is next Friday. It will be weekly going forward.

36 Weeks

I had wanted to post a pic but have not been able to get one this week. As soon as I do we will post it up...

This past weekend we had Tyler's Baptism. It went well until unfortunately the stomach bug that the rest of us had last week plagued everyone starting Sunday night who went to the after party. Jacob, UJ, and Cocie all were affected but they are well on their way back to normal. Now is time to sanitize the house from washing bedding to opening windows to just cleaning again. Luckily the weather is going to drop down into the 70's starting tomorrow so the good air will replace the contaminated air. :^)

I am doing well. I have the belly button that sticks out slightly. My advice would be to never get your belly button pierced if you are going to get pregnant because I think the scar tissue has some impact on it, at least for me. It is quite funny looking since only the top sticks out and the bottom stays in. To give a visual. I have gotten better sleep so I don't feel as tired as I had a few weeks ago. Still walking Kona or getting on the trainer bike. I am noticing being short on my breathe at times when just hanging out. Emmi's kicks continue to get stronger. Friday I have a doctors appt.

I have started to make a pile of things to pack to bring to the hospital. It is tough to figure out clothes for me to wear home. They say what you wore when you were 5-6 months pregnant. In looking back at the blog I was in the bella band with my regular clothes and I remember a few pairs of pants that still fit. I have a pair of capris with a sweatshirt so hopefully that will work. My mom is sending down an outfit for Emmi to come home in. The nursery is well under way. We picked up a bookshelf over the weekend which is all set up. Just waiting for Peter to come put the finishing touches on this weekend. I have a few odds and ends to get but otherwise we are ready. I have Monday off so I may run around getting those last minute things. Then next Friday (19th) will be my last day of work. Yeah!!

Check back later for a pic and then details of my doc on Friday.

Dr Stats....

I put on the pound I lost from last time and then gained one more for a total of 21 pounds gained so far. My blood pressure was 102/74. My belly measured 35 cm's.

Emmi's heart rate was 162. Her head is still down.

I now start going to the doctor weekly. Next week they will check me to see how diliated I am, if I am. :^) They will also check to see if I have Group B streptococcus. If it is positive, then I would be treated with antibiotics during labor to prevent Emmi from getting it.

This week I had a surprise shower at work. Got some of the things I needed that I hadnt gotten yet like sheets and bottles plus other fun stuff. This weekend Cocie Betty & UJ are in for Tyler's baptism and UJ's transit conference. Timed out perfect. I have a nice long weekend with today and Monday off. Just the start of the preparations for when Emmi is here.

Sick.... :^(

Team Goguen came down with the stomach bug over the weekend. Since I had seen them on Saturday I was cursed with a touch. Sunday I just felt exhausted but didn't think much of it since that happens to me now and again. But then I didn't feel like eating much for dinner. Again I thought whatever since I was tired so maybe that took over. I did not sleep well and woke up sweating. Yesterday I struggled to eat a banana for breakfast on the way to work so I knew I was in for it. I was able to eat pretzels during the day and tried to keep drinking water. When I got home from work Kona and I napped on the couch. My belly was super tender and was nauseous but didn't ever get sick. Thank God because I cant even imagine that being 35 weeks pregnant. Today I am doing much better.... keeping with a mild diet and drinking fluids to catch up just to be safe as dehydration is typically the only risk to Emmi. Well on the road to recovery. :^)

Parent Club

We are fast on our way at joining the parenthood club, only 5 weeks from tomorrow left. Let me tell you this is one of the best clubs to be in. People are just so giving when it comes to helping others along into the club.

Thanks to every one's generosity, from the baby shower in MA to people handing stuff down or just not having a need for something so they think of us to just words of advice..... It just keeps going. :^) Jacob had his work baby shower last week. Then this weekend while Jacob got some awesome bike riding in, one of his last hurrahs. My friends, Melanie and Sue, put on a baby shower for me with my biker friends. (Here are some pics from the day.) Couldn't have asked for anything better.

I thought the idea of being a parent was amazing but I think the generosity that people have showed us is amazing and overwhelming. Not something I expected. Thanks everyone as all the kind gestures have helped ease us into parenthood preparation. Now it is time to just wait for the day to come.

34 week pic

Here is the latest pic of me at 34 weeks. Still doing great. The lack of sleep makes me lazy when I get home from work. Just want to hang out. Jacob has picked up Kona duty pretty regularly now. I have been lucky to catch up on sleep on the weekends. It will be 8 am and I will eat something. Then crawl back into bed to "relax"...... next thing I know it may be 10:30 or even as late as 11:30. Gotta enjoy it while I can.

I decided to go through the piles of stuff in Emmi's room. Now I feel more organized but still need a bookshelf to put it all together. I have started to wash Emmi's stuff. I started with the blankets of sorts. Next I need to find a home for it all. All her clothes are in piles by size so those will be next.

I went through all the maternity stuff again. I really dont care for the pants that go over the belly. Just arent comfy for me so hopefully my pants will last 4 more weeks since that is all I have left to work. But I did find a few more shirts to wear.

Definitely crazy to think I only have 6 weeks until she may be here, only 4 weeks left of work. I think that is the best part. This week is my last 5 day work week for the rest of the year. Then a few 4 day work weeks until vacation to maternity leave. :^)

Dr Visit Stats

Visit was good. Didnt really have much in the way of questions this week since things are going great. I have actually lost a pound(19 pounds total gained) but the doctor didnt mention any concern. Part of that may be because I cant seem to find anything that sounds good to eat for dinner. Chicken is still a struggle for me and things just dont sound good. My blood pressure was 90/60. I honestly can say I am pretty ignorant on blood pressure so I need to figure out what it means. I know it is good since they say it is. I measured 33 cm's which is right on as well.

Emmi's heart was beating at 156 beats. I asked the nurse how they tell the beats. She said it is a combo of the doppler giving the beats and her counting at the same time. I did ride the bike this morning before going so I dont know if that would have caused her heartrate to be different from last time. She was still head down and the doc mentioned that it was really easy to check me for whatever that means.

We had a good night sleeping. I had been wearing a Night Guard for over a year because I grind my teeth when I sleep. Before pregnancy I would occasionally make "clicking" noises as Jacob would say but normally he would just nudge me and it wouldnt be a big deal. Well in the past few weeks it is non stop no matter what position I slept in. After many nights trying different things I decided to go without the guard and sleep was great. Looks like another thing I will give up until Emmi is here. I figured that going 6 weeks without it so we both can get good sleep is well worth the minor damage to my teeth. :^)

Next appointment is October 5th.

Taking a Sabbatical....

The time has come where I need to take a sabbatical..... that would be from running. I tried to run to Squirrel lake last night with Kona. I was able to jog there, walk around the lake, then jog home with that final stretch a bit of a push. Last night I paid for it. I kept waking up due to my hips hurting and today they are still sore. It is probably better that I just stick to the trainer bike which I have been riding the past few nights. The weather here has dropped down into the low 80's during the day so it is perfect exercise conditions. I definitely miss being outside exercising which was why I thought I would try running. Although it does tempt me to hop on my bike and ride greenways....... so maybe I will do that as an exercise treat once a week.

Side note: Kona's pathology tests came back fine. Yeah!! Friday we both have appointments.

33 weeks

This week is the Larry Bird(33) week.

Kona is doing great but is helping to contribute to my lack of sleep. We have a bell on him and lock him in our room at night to make sure he doesnt lick his boo-boo. Everytime we hear the bell we wake up to make sure he isnt getting into trouble. He is going to the doc today to just double check his boo-boo since he has been trying to lick it more and more.

Our baby class over the weekend was good and bad at the same time. It gave us a ton of information on labor signs, when to call the doc, what to expect when getting at the hospital, etc.
The parts I found bad was that there is such a focus on medicated labor. We did one breathing exercise but then most of the other time was spent talking about epidurals. No one really knows what labor is going to be like for the first time but to not give us things to work with like positions to try or relaxation techniques to use was a little disappointing. I am glad I have been going to yoga since that has put a huge stress on breathing and different positions that I can definitely use during labor. A friend of mine, who I ride bikes with and is also a midwife, suggested reading the "Easing Labor Pain: the complete guide to a more comfortable and rewarding birth" by Adrienne B. Lieberman. I finished that yesterday which is what I will refer to again in a few weeks if I cant find a class to give me what I was looking for. That book gave a lot of information of pros and cons to everything. Something I thought the baby class would have been like. It is just sad that people are always looking for the quick pill popping route to everything. In the class they said one should to get to 4 centimeters before an epidural can be given and then there is the pushing phase that one has to endure so not completely pain free. I had also inquired about how long after birth should one wait to exercise and she said 6 weeks since it will have been so long. I of course had to mention that I was still running since I was thinking I would only be out of commission due to needing sleep more than anything for a few weeks.

Here is an excerpt from the book, "Aerobic exercise may even make your labor shorter and less painful. An American study published recently in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology reported that women who continued running or aerobic dancing during pregnancy enjoyed labors about 30 percent shorter than women who stopped exercising. Women who maintained a regular exercise program also required less labor stimulation and fewer epidurals, episiotomies, and cesarean deliveries. An Italian study in the same journal examined women having their second or third babies who pedaled on stationary bicycles three times a week for 30 minutes beginning around the fifth month of pregnancy. The bicyclists maintained higher endorphin levels during labor. Accordingly, they reported less pain than a matching group of sedentary women."

Happy news, My friend Patti gave birth last week to Jayden. She was able to make it 36 weeks which is great since she has been on and off bed rest her entire pregnancy. They sound like they are doing awesome.

Kona update & week recap

Kona had his surgery yesterday. They said he did great. I picked him up around 2:30pm. He paced from the front door to garage door whining no matter what I tried until Jacob got home from work. He then seemed much more happy as he just chilled out. He has a cone head which he only has to wear when we cant watch him. I am working from home today so that he doesn't have to wear the cone head and I could just make sure he was doing fine. Which he seems to be back to himself today. Last night we put the cone head on him while we slept. We could hear him walking into things with it, poor Kona. Jacob has been his nurse checking on him in the middle of the night since he wasn't in our room.

He is such a smart dog because as we tried to give him his penicillin he would eat the cheese or pasta we tried to give him with it but then spit out the pill. We also have to put some neosporin type stuff in his eye 3 times a day. His stitches come out on the 21st so whenever we cant watch him on the cone head will go. :^( He definitely hates it.

Breastfeeding class was definitely good. Jacob was my note taker so I could just pay attention to what they had to say. They showed some videos, lectured and answered questions. Need to get a breast pump and a few bras so that I will be ready. I ended up having to work on Wednesday night since we had a release until 2:30am so I am still trying to catch up on sleep. Tonight we start birthing class from 7-9 and then tomorrow from 9-1. Then we will be done the classes we planned on taking. We are going to go shopping for a bookshelf again this weekend. I want to get Emmi's room situated soon since we haven't done much with it besides put stuff in there that has to go in there.

Long time coming.

It is finally done thanks to the assistance and guidance of many. Check it out I am quite proud since it is my first quilt.

Hospital Tour & Busy week @ 32 weeks

We went for the hospital tour yesterday at Presbyterian in Matthews. I was definitely impressed. Some of the things that impressed me were: they have a Jacuzzi tub in every room, Wifi so Jacob can stay on top of the bike forums while I am in labor, joking as he better not. Really it will be great because we can log in to Sirius radio for a large music selection opposed to bringing in a bunch of CD’s. We can email pics or update the blog immediately so Jacob won’t have to run home to do that. Some rooms have DVD players and all rooms have TV’s. All rooms have a balcony which I think is awesome to be able to sit out there to get some fresh air, although Emmi won’t be allowed. The only draw back is they said no beer. That is one thing I have been craving while pregnant which is kinda odd since I really only drink a handful of times a year. But I do have a Wachusett Country Ale waiting for celebration. The babies stay in the room with you at all times except at night. That is the only time we have the option of using the nursery to send the baby out. They also give you a terry cloth robe which is the parting gift.

Tomorrow night we have breastfeeding class which I hope to learn a lot from. Thursday Kona is going in for surgery. He has a growth on his anus which needs to be removed. He also has a skin tag on his eye lid that they will take care of. I think I will need to warn the vet that a pregnant woman will be dropping him off since I am a little hormonal or maybe sleep deprived lately and can cry over nothing. It does make it nice because I will be working from home Thursday and Friday just to keep an eye on him. Friday night and Saturday we have baby class. Busy week.

I am 32 weeks pregnant or now 8 months. Sleep is becoming something of a challenge. Some nights I sleep quite well. But then other nights I struggle all night with staying asleep. It isn’t because I am uncomfortable, it is more my mind just being active. Jacob caught some wrath on Saturday night when at 3am I couldn’t sleep so I got up in tears to get on the computer to occupy my time. I guess this is only helping him prepare for how insane I may be during labor. :^)

My hips are still sore but manageable again since resting up all week. I did run on Saturday morning with Kona before going to yoga. I was very sore that night but then Sunday I felt the normal just awareness of mild hip pain. I have noticed that some poses in yoga I cant do comfortably anymore so the instructor gave me some options. Kona is not allowed to go for walks off leash until his stitches come out so that means a good week or two of me not running with him. Looks like it will be me running by myself or hoping on the trainer bike which will again hopefully rest my hips.

Dr Visit

Had my doctors visit today. Normal type visit but with my favorite of all docs. I have put on a total of 20 pounds and am measuring at 31.5 centimeters, which is right where I should be. Emmi's heartrate was 148. Her head is in the down position which the doc helped me feel again which was super cool. He said the chances of her flipping at this point is very slim so looks like she will remain in good position. Another interesting fact is that a baby born at 32 weeks has the same survival rate as a full term baby, but would still need neonatal care for monitoring. As of Monday I will be 32 weeks.

I had asked about Braxton Hicks contractions since it was mentioned in my week by week book. I have felt some tensing of my belly but wasnt sure if it were just her moving about. While the doc was feeling around he said sure enough I was having them since he felt one. But they are just normal contractions that are felt randomly at this point.

My next appointment is on the 21st with a doctor I havent seen yet.

Latest pics

31 Weeks & vacation recap

Now that I am 31 weeks it means I have only 7-11 weeks left.


Last week we spent our vacation in Mass. We got a ton of stuff at our baby shower. Most of which we have set up already. Thanks everyone for your generosity. For those of you who saw me at the shower or during our trip, I think I popped big time over the weekend. I noticed my bellybutton changing on Thursday. I still got it but not sure how much longer. Last night I just really felt big and people commented today at how I looked like I popped since they hadnt seen me in over a week. Pictures to be posted soon. Jacob managed to break his bike but still got some good riding in. I got some sun and read as I wanted to. We had some great times with friends and family while home. Always love visiting home. The drive up and back were uneventful and I managed well. Except the crying episode because I had to pee so bad on the way home and there were no bathrooms in sight.


I did manage to over flex my hips with the help of Kona. As I was walking/jogging with him right before we left on Sunday he figured he wanted to go all out sprint. Not something I was ready for and flexed my hips just right. The pain was a bit intense at times but I could handle it until it slowly got better. Luckily today I feel only as sore as after I run. I hope a few more days of hanging low with exercise will help.

Emmi is continuing to move like a mad woman. It is cool now because I can see waves in my belly as she moves about which seems like all day. I have a dr appt on Friday so I hope he can help me figure out what parts of her are where. I wonder if it is an arm or leg moving. She does seem to like the right side since that is where the activity is coming from.

On vacation....

I am 30 weeks today. Only 8-12 weeks left.

Since we are on vacation I will keep it short. So far have had a very nice shower, had a cookout with friends and family, went for a walk and run, and just have enjoyed seeing everyone. We head to the beach tomorrow which I am so looking forward to. Just want some down time to relax, read some books, and get some sun.

Dr Appt & time to alter activities

Stats for this week are I have put on a total of 18 pounds. Emerson's heartbeat was 150. No issues with my sugar test last time. No proteins or sugar in my urine either. My belly measured right on target.

This doctor was better able to explain my hip issue. She said basically my hips twist and turn while running and stresses the cartilage that cushions the bones and the bones where I am feeling the pain. She said to keep running if I am able to manage it but look at cross training with biking or swimming since there isn't anything she is aware of to stop my hips from flexing. She highly suggested me stop riding my bike outside just for safety reasons. :^( Looks like the trainer bike will be my friend for a while which will allow me to catch up on reading. Anyone wanna come over for trainer races???? :^) I may do some laps or kicking at the pool in our development. Kona and I will stick to walks with an occasional run and I have yoga a few times a week. Still plenty of activities I can do.

The doctor does not want me to stop any of my exercise activities other wise. She said exercise is good all around. Like Emmi and myself being healthier, having a better delivery, and our weights will remain at a good level. She said my exercise will keep Emmi's weight at a good if not lower weight, but not a bad lower weight. More of a healthy weight. Sounds good to me.

I still have an odd view of myself. I dont feel all that big yet, if you look at my pics I certainly am showing. But I really dont feel it. Except when Emmi's head is under my ribs. Or Jacob gives me a hung and the belly makes us hug like 7th graders at a dance with the space. I think that being able to remain as active as I have with very minimal issues that pregnacy has been really enjoyable for me. It is crazy that I only have about 8-12 weeks left.

My next appt is on September 7th for more of the same.

It's our Anniversary.

Not sure if all of you know our history so I am posting this up so everyone will know. Once upon a time many years ago….. Jacob and I both attended the same high school, Gardner High School. We hung out with the same circle of friends when I was a sophomore and he was a senior. I was lucky to have the “reasonable hour” on when I needed to be home so I hung out with the seniors since they were the only ones to stay out as late as I could. We ended up dating through the winter for 4 months. But I wasn’t ready for a boyfriend so it ended in February 1993. I just wanted to have fun and hang out with my friends and I am sure Jacob could add to this. :^) I still went to his senior prom. The following year he would then give me a ride home many days after school since he was there to pick up his brother while he attended the local community college, MWCC, at the time. He transferred to the local state school, Fitchburg State College, so I didn’t see him during my senior year. After my senior year I went to Westfield State College. I then transferred to Assumption College for my sophomore year of college. That is where our history picks up again.

I was home at Christmas break, hanging out in a local bar watching a band that my friends and I would follow, Mocha Java. Jacob was there that night and wanted to make sure I got home safe so he gave me a ride. We ended up talking a good part of the night. We hung out a few more nights after that before I went back to school. Shelley Morris was a senior at Assumption who was also a friend of Jacob’s. During that semester he and his friends would visit her often and always call me when he was up there. Funny how that worked out. Once the semester was over I returned home for the summer. I think we hung out almost everyday that summer. Jacob worked building swimming pools and worked long hard days. I waited tables so I would get off work at 10pm. Yet we still always hung out. I often times fell asleep at his place to wake up in the early morning hours when he would have to head to work and I got to go back to sleep. As the summer was coming to an end and I was getting ready to head back to school we decided we would make it official that we were a couple. That day was August 11th 1997.

We continued our relationship for my next two years with Jacob coming to visit or me going home many weekends. Then once I graduated I returned back home. We experienced many things during this time, from college graduations, to job changes, to lay offs, to purchasing a house, to sick grandparents, to just being adults. We moved into my grandparent’s house in the winter of 2002. I then purchased the house in the spring of 2003. That is the point in time I started to think that maybe we should get married. Then on my birthday in 2003 Jacob proposed before work. I had been house sitting for the Walsh’s and was returning home that morning to bring all my stuff back since that was my last night. He surprised me with the ring. I kind of knew it was coming but never expected it that morning. We decided to get married the following year in August. After a tough year for me with losing both my Dad’s parents it got much better… Sure enough August 21st 2004 we got married at Holy Spirit Church in Gardner by Stan Baczewski. It was a very special day since Stan is Jacob’s best friend’s dad and we were surrounded by all our friends and family. It poured that day but it still was one of the best days ever. Our reception was at Alpine Grove which was altered slightly due to the rain so the outdoor grounds were unable to be used.

The winter of 2004/2005 was not fun in regards to the amount of snow we got. We decided to look at moving south so when we came to NC for Benjamin’s baptism we went house hunting. We put an offer on a house which fell through. Then my mom and I came to find another one and put an offer down. So in the spring of 2005 we sold a house, bought a house and in June 2005 we officially made Matthews, NC our new home. That is what brings us here today….

For some statistics….. Jacob and I have known each other for approximately 15 years or half my life. We have been an official couple for 10 years. We have been married for 3 years. Now we have baby on the way.

Happy Anniversary buddy. I love you!

29 weeks

I am 29 weeks. That means I have anywhere between 9-13 weeks left. Crazy. Emmi's head has been pushing on my ribs a bit at times. We also have enjoyed watching her move since my belly really moves when she does. We also push around to try to figure out where the head is vs legs, etc.

I think part of the cause of my hip pain may be running. I ran Saturday morning and then struggled with pain later in the day. I had run a bit longer than I had in a while at Beatty since it was a beautiful morning. The pain is enough to take my breathe away when I first move but gets better as I move around so not something I would just deal with. I am going to try running at different times, distances, and on different surfaces to see if that makes a difference. If not then on the trainer bike I will go. Thanks Rob for letting me use your road bike for the trainer. :^)

I have made some great progress on Emmi's quilt. Yesterday I spent a good part of the day putting the binding on. I have two of the four sides done. I hope to maybe get some more time this week but it is a crazy week. If not then I will just finish it when we return from our vacation.

Busy week again... Tonight I am going to see Body Worlds. Tomorrow I have a Dirt Divas meeting where I will meet my friend Laura who is going to give me some books to read. Wednesday yoga. Then Thursday I have to pack to get ready to leave on Friday to head to Massachusetts. I also have a doctors appointment on Friday. Check back for more posts later this week. Plus tomorrow is our 3 year anniversary.

Pics pics pics......

Here are some pics with my new camera. The first one is from 8/6, 27 weeks. The second one is from 8/12, 28 weeks. We had just gotten back from riding a lap around Beatty. Then the last one is of my boys.

Doctor's visit

I got to drink the sweet drink this morning. I had my choice of orange or fruit punch. So I went with the orange since it has some carbination in it. They give you 5 minutes to drink it but it doesnt taste bad at all so I drank it down in no time. Then on to see the doctor. I have put on only 1 pound since the last visit for a total of 16 pounds so far. The doctor said that was fine and that I may end up being in the lower part of the 25-35 pound range. Emerson's heartbeat was beating at 150 beats. Everything measured right on target. I will get a call tomorrow if my sugar is too high or my iron is not right otherwise no news is good news.

I asked about the pain I have been feeling in my crotch. There really isnt much to explain other than the normal hormonal changes or just the added pressure of the growing baby, etc. I did wear the belly band that holds your belly up that my cousin lent to Sara this morning to run. I felt good running but still have some discomfort with the pain.

I now have to go every two weeks to the doctor, so I will be back next Friday since I will be out of town for when my normal two weeks should be.

28th week

Busy week for my 28th week. Yes that is 7 months.

Tonight we had infant CPR & safety. The safety part was common sense. The CPR part was good, 2 breaths to 30 compresses. Compresses are done by drawing a line between the nipples of the baby and then placing fingers below. Make sure to tilt the head back to open the airway. Then for chocking, 5 hits between the shoulder blades then flip baby over, 5 compresses all while head in downward position. Always start CPR first before calling 911 if no one is there to call for you. Ok that was a quick refresh/lesson for anyone who has an infant under 1 years old.

Tomorrow I have my glucose test. I get to drink the super sweet drink and hang out for an hour. I will post up latest stats tomorrow. Then yoga at night. Then Thursday I am suppose to ride my bike with the divas. It is suppose to be another 100 degree day so I am not certain I will ride. If it is still on I may just go walk the trail with Kona.

While my mom was here last week we made progress on the quilt. Jacob helped me sew some more last night. He is going riding in the mtns Saturday so I hope to finish it. Then I will post pics up.

Still have to figure out downloading pics from the new camera. Especailly since I have a ton on there already.

Kona's website

As some of you may or may not know, Emmi will not be our first child. Kona was our first. He now has his own webpage. Check it out: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/28942

27 weeks and complaining

We are at 27 weeks. Some quick updates to keep it short.

Memere is in town until tomorrow. Chucky was here for the quick visit for the 3rd birthday party. Happy 3rd B-day to Benjamin since today is his actual day!!! The party was a big hit over the weekend which included the ice cream truck. Weekend went by fast. :^(

I am having some pain in my hips/groin. It almost feels like when you are a girl riding a boys bike and you put your feet on the ground but the cross bar is too high and you hit your crotch on it. That pain. That is what I felt for some of the weekend and then the past few days. It would be the worst when getting up from somewhere. Today is much better then over the weekend. Luckily it is suppose to be a very hot week so I wont be tempted to go running or ride my bike to take it easy. After attempting to run on the sun baked greenway on Sunday at 11:00 am and Kona panting for over an hour after we got home. I figured I would play it safe with just walking this week. The pain is the first real thing that I have felt in my pregnancy that I have thought about calling the doctor with and not waiting until my appt next week. But since it is getting better I think I will just wait. Plus I did some research online and haven't found anything that causes any alarms. Just my hips shifting and getting stressed by the growing Emmi.

We got my push present yesterday. I had some fun taking pics but it will certainly take some time to get used to all it has to offer. I need to figure out how to download pics so I can post the latest prego pic.

This weekend I will be going to see Lion King with a girlfriend. I love plays/musicals so I am quite excited.

Man Birth

I haven't posted in a bit, so here is what I got going on. Couple weeks ago I had kidney stones. I've had them before and they're pretty fun. From what I've been told, the pain can be put on the same scale as giving birth. Good. Now I know what Taryn is going to go through. Pretty sure they're gone now but I was also told I have a urinary tract infection as well as streptocaucos (sp?) in my kidneys. Doc said no big deal. They hooked me up with some amoxicillin to clear it up.

We also did the 24hrs of Booty road ride this past weekend. Taryn put in about 15 miles before the rains came. I tried riding through the storm but eventually they kicked me off the course. The rain got so bad that I had trouble breathing due to the amount of water I was breathing in. That combined with riding a road bike through hub deep water, navigating mud slicked roads due to area constructing, dodging lightning bolts, all while riding a road bike, made for an interesting time. I actually enjoyed it. I road till about 9:30 went home, showered, washed my clothes, watched intervention and headed back out the course about 12:30am. I was planning on riding till about 2am, sleeping for a few hours and heading back out to the course. Well I ran into our friend Ben and road with him till about 2 and was going to jump off course and crash for a bit. On our last lap, I ended running into our friend Rich Dillen. Those who don't know Rich, he's a very accomplished endurance mountain bike racer and bike messenger here in Charlotte. He wasn't even signed up to do the ride but just came out to cheer people on and heckle. I road/hung out with Rich till about 5am. We talked about bike warranties, bottled water, diarhea, and life in general. Rich is good people. Check out his blog http://teamdicky.blog.com/ . At 5 I bedded done in the back of Taryn's Pathfinder (glad we bought it) and woke up at about 9:30. Back on the road. Same shorts, same jersey, same socks. I was funky. I road till about 2pm and decided to call it a day. I ended with 168.5 miles, 9.5 hrs of saddle time, averaging 17.5mph. Not bad considering it was only my second time on a bike in 3 weeks due to me being sick.

Taryn and I have been talking about a "push" present for her. We considered a tv, new bike, or a camera. TV? Nah, a tv is a tv. We'll buy a new one when ours breaks. Bike? Nah. If we really want a bike, we'll just buy one. No special occasion needed. Camera? There we go. We've been talking about getting a new, nice, camera for about a year. So yesterday, after much research I pulled the trigger. We ended up getting a Canon Rebel XTI with two lenses, remote flash, bag, cleaning kit, blahblahblah. We figured in the long run it would pay for itself since we can take nice pictures of Emmi on our own. Screw Sears!!!

Now onto other stuff. Emmi and Taryn are getting big. We've past the 6 month mark and are on the home stretch. Taryn was able to feel Emmi's head at the doctor last week which is cool. She also been kicking the crap out of Taryn. She's going to be a wild one. Soon I'll start working on refurbishing the old tricycle I have for her. She's going to be riding before she walks. We've also been talking about how Emmi is going to change things for us. True, there will be changes. But we're going to do our best to not alter our active lifestyle when she shows up. Look at how Taryn is doing now. Over 6 months pregnant, still running, still riding, working out, still staying almost as active as she was before. No waiting on her hand and foot. I love her for that. I was talking to a guy the other day who had a friend who lived a similar lifestyle we do. They made a point of "where ever we go, whatever we do, our child is coming with us". That's how we're going to be. No I can't do this or that because I'm pregnant or because I now have a child. Some who are reading this who now have kids are probably reading this and saying "no way". Why not? Others do it. Just takes some commitment. I don't want Emmi to be a sheltered child. One that only knows mom and dad and the day care provider. I want her to experience as much as possible as soon as possible.

On to Kona. Kona rules. He's been sleeping on our bed all night. He's still attached to Taryn. Still wanting peanut butter all the time. Still trying to eat squirrels. Still wanting his belly rubbed. Still pathetic. One of our next purchases is going to be another dog bed, blanket and pillow for Em's room. I have a feeling that once she shows up, he's going to be more attached to her than he is us.