Please Don't Tell Me

Encouragement and advice can be great things.  I know that people care, but please stop telling me:

1. That most first babies come late.
That’s not what I want to hear right now.  I’m hoping every day that the baby comes.

2. That I need to stock pile my sleep now.
I’m having trouble sleeping, so telling me to sleep more just makes me frustrated.

3. That my life is about to change forever. 
I know and I’m excited about that!

4. All the crazy labor stories that you’ve heard or have had happen to you.
I don’t need to be thinking about everything that can go wrong!  And every pregnancy and labor is different.

5. It’s all worth it.
It’s great to hear this, but I’m excited to figure this out for myself.

6. That I look great.
That’s very nice to hear, but I don’t feel great.  I feel huge and uncomfortable

If you have said any of these things to me, don't worry, I'm not mad at you, but Adam says I'm starting to get snippy, so this is advice for the future ;)


Coming Soon:  Final Pictures of the Completed Nursery!!
 

 

Things I Need to Remember

This is a list of things that I am learning about being pregnant that I need to remember for the remainder of my pregnancy.

1. I'm pregnant.  I can't do things the way that my non-pregnant 24 year old self would do things.

2. I am slower than I want to realize.  Yesterday I decided to run errands in the afternoon before picking up Adam.  I went 6 places and it took me three and a half hours.  Non-pregnant 24 year old me could have done it in 2.  But now I'm slower and have to find the bathrooms more frequently.

3. I need to go to the bathroom when a bathroom is available, not when I have to go.  It can be hard to find a bathroom when you are running errands.

4. I can't sit on the ground crafting all evening.  Well, I can, but the next day I will feel it (like today).

5. I can't trust my brain.  I need to write things down.

6. I can't be the sleeper I once was.  I used to never have any trouble sleeping unless something was wrong.  Now when I lay down, I never know what I am going to get, except for multiple trips to the bathroom.

7. I can't bend and lift as I once did.  I need to ask for help.

8. I can take a deep breath and not get everything done.

9. I can just sit and enjoy the baby moving.

10. I can cherish these days because there aren't many left.

11. I can eat whatever I want.

12. I can wait excitedly for a little baby to arrive.

I’m Officially Ready to Give Birth (yeah right)!

On Saturday Adam and I attended a Childbirth class at the hospital that we are going through.  It was a pretty long day, but it was very informative and we learned a lot.

 

We learned all about the stages of labor, we got to watch several videos of births (much to Adam’s enjoyment), learned breathing techniques, and comfort measures.  We even got a certification for going.  So that means that we’re all set for the labor pains, right?

Probably not.  Everything we heard this weekend was all about how we cannot really be prepared for labor and we shouldn’t have a plan.  Well if you know me, you know I’m a planner, so not planning how my labor will go is hard, but really I’ll know nothing until it happens, so we’ll just have to see.

Let me just say that I’ve decided that I don’t want to use any pain medications, the goal will be to go totally natural.  And while I was watching the video of the births I just kept thinking that I hope I’m not as wimpy and whiny as the women in the video.  I know that sounds awful, but it is true!

We’ll just see how it goes.  It should be interesting.  Good thing I have a couple months before I have to experience that!

10 Things I Learned During the 2nd Trimester

Today I enter the third, and final, trimester of my pregnancy.  Woah.  Here are ten things that I learned during my second trimester.  (And if you need a refresher, here is the link to the 10 things I learned in the first trimester).

1. Stock up on Snacks

During the second trimester I was hungry all the time.  My appetite was and still is huge.  What do I do about this?  Eat every time I’m hungry of course.  So, I kept snacks around like apples, pretzels, brownies, and I also didn’t plan the weekly menu to contain a lot of leftovers because I also started eating at least two servings at dinner.

2. Buy an Awesome Pregnancy Pillow

I wasn’t able to sleep this trimester.  I was looking for anything that I could get to sleep better, which for me was this awesome pillow.  To read more about my favorite one, click here.

3. Use energy when you have it

I had a lot more energy this trimester, so I made use of it when I could.  I tried to keep the house clean, Adam and I worked on the nursery, and I got several projects done.  Use the energy now because I have heard that it won’t last very long into the third trimester.

4. Use your free time to read

I found it very valuable to read during this trimester.  I read a few books about babies and I found this was a good trimester to do that because I can start learning now when it won’t be too overwhelming.

5. Drink more water

This is something that I always have to remind myself about.  Much like the first trimester, if you think you are drinking enough, you’re probably not.

6. Always know where the bathroom is

Unlike the first trimester when I needed to know where the bathroom was for a fit of nausea that could strike at any time, during the second trimester I needed to know where the bathroom was at all times because my bladder is smaller and keeps getting kicked.

7. Strangers will start to notice and ask questions, so try to be patient

People started to notice my belly this trimester, and they ask a lot of questions.  Whenever I go into the grocery store I have to stock up on patience to answer the same question the whole time I’m walking around the store.  Just take a deep breath and try to enjoy it.

8. Get some clothes that fit

None of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit anymore.  Which is exciting, and yet stressful.  I bought things that were on sale and never spent very much on any individual item.

9. Cherish the days and the time

I learned to spend all my extra time with Adam if he was home.  I decided to stock up on quality time now when I have it, because who knows how much time we will have in a couple months.  Another thing I learned is how valuable time by myself was.  Just to sit and feel the baby moving is an amazing feeling.

10. Don’t worry about the scale

I put on quite a bit of weight during the second trimester.  I just had to remind myself that it’s good weight, for the baby, and it won’t be around forever.  I did not stress about how much or how little my weight was changing.  I just trusted the doctor to tell me if something changed.

I learned a lot during the second trimester and I’m glad it’s now the third.  I am on the last leg of this pregnancy.  We’ll see what I learn in these months before my child arrives!

Best Book I've Read so Far!

Heading Home with your Newborn: From Birth to Reality—by Laura Jana and Jennifer Shu

I just finished this book last night and it is the best parenting book that I have read so far.  This book was written by two pediatricians and they take you through everything you need to know about your baby.  I learned so much!  As soon as I was finished I put it in Adam’s hands.  The topics that this book covers include:

-Feeding

-Sleeping

-Crying

-A “What goes in must come out” chapter

-Bathing

-Fevers

And so much more!!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is pregnant or has recently had a baby.  It was so helpful and encouraging.  Check it out!

Preparing for Parenthood

If you asked me how I'm preparing to be a parent, I would tell you that I'm doing several things.  I’m reading.  I’m asking questions.  I’m fellowshipping with other mom’s and parents.  But that actually sounds like I'm making progress.

I’m not going to be able to learn everything, or even close to that, about parenting before the baby comes.  I know that a lot of it will be trial and error for our family to find out what works, and that’s a little scary.  Sure, there are general things that when talking with people we can plan to do, but it’s largely going to be about our family and our baby.  So there’s not a lot I can do right now to prepare, and that’s scary.  But I’m filling my head with as much information as I can, and I’m hoping that will pay off in the end.

What is the best parenting advice you have ever gotten?