Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Thankful for...

Bad weather in Aspen on Saturday/ Sunday. Last weekend Kenny had another 4 day trip (he had one the weekend before as well). I was all prepared to sit on the couch and mope. Saturday night Danny & Tonita came over to keep me company and guess who ended up showing up as well... Kenny. The storm heading towards Aspen meant Kenny's trip got cut short and he flew home early and surprised me! Right before he got to the door, I received a cryptic text that read "Knock. Knock" and was so excited when a few seconds later he was really knocking at the door :)

Parents who love each other and have fun together. Mom & Dad are on an Alaskan cruise right now celebrating Mom's birthday. Today they are in Juno and said that the weather is beautiful! Just like we did in China, Mom & Dad are breaking away from the cruise tours and renting a car to head out on their own. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree :) It is so great to have parents who really enjoy spending time with each other and are best friends. Hope you guys have fun today!

Aunts & Uncles & Cousins for our little guy. It is going to be so much fun having so many people around who love us and our little boy. Auntie Jamie & Uncle David are getting things ready for our Big Baby Bash next weekend... I can't wait to see the cake! Last time I saw Jeffrey, he kept pointing to my belly and saying "Baby" and asking to play with him. Now I hear that he is referring to our little guy as "Cuz". Danny, Tonita & Isabella are a major part of our lives because they live so close. I am so thankful that they are nearby and even after Izzy was born, they still manage to make it over weekly for Survivor night :) Matt & Kelly are adding another little boy cousin to the mix in September! I can't wait until they are all a bit older and there are the 5 boys and poor little only girl Izzy, wreaking havock when we all get together! Uncle Eric & Auntie Sheree are spending the day today in our soon to be nursery painting up a surprise for our kiddo. If it were left up to me I'd just leave everything painted the same color and just have the decals on the wall. I am so thankful that they don't mind the work of painting and wanted to do this for their nephew! I can't wait to see it!!!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

30 Weeks

From Baby Center:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus.

His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face.

You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.

Remember those mood swings you had earlier in pregnancy? The combination of uncomfortable symptoms and hormonal changes can result in a return of those emotional ups and downs. It's normal to worry about what your labor will be like or whether you'll be a good parent. But if you can't shake the blues or feel increasingly irritable or agitated, talk to your doctor or midwife. You may be among the 1 in 10 expectant women who battle depression during pregnancy. Also let your caregiver know if you're frequently nervous or anxious.

Note from Jen:

Sleeping is getting tough. I cannot stay in the same position for long and have to get up a few times throughout the night. Pair that along with the bouts of heartburn that sometimes hit in the middle of the night and you can be sure that I am pretty tired throughout the day. I still think that the lavender sleep oil is helping a bit, but I am pretty convinced that this is just a part of pregnancy that I have to deal with and can't make 100% better.

I don't feel off balance and clumsy physically like Baby Center says, but I do get out of breath easier. My brain is a bit off as well. I have locked my keys in the car twice in the last few months and this weekend completely misread the directions when I was trying to make brownies. Really, how can anyone screw up brownies??? Well, I did. I swear the package said to add 3/4 cup of water. I remember thinking, "Wow, that seems like a lot." Well, apparently I was only supposed to add 1/4 cup of water. I still don't understand how my pregnancy brain could actually switch numbers around on me!

Our little guy is moving around all the time and it is fun to actually be able to see him move from the outside. I am not able to tell what body part is pushing on me at the time, but everyone says that pretty soon I might be able to tell the difference between his feet, knees, head and hands. I keep trying to get a video of the crazy movements on my belly, but our kiddo seems to be a bit camera shy. He'll be moving like crazy, but as soon as I turn the video on my phone he stops completely. Hopefully he won't be too camera shy next week because we are going to do the 4D Ultrasound next Friday!

Last Thursday I loaded up my computer, movies and books and headed out to do my 3 hour glucose screening. I was there for about 4 hours total and received 5 holes in my arms (which have since turned into bruises) where she drew my blood every hour. The reason I have 5 is because on the last draw she stuck the needle in and nothing happened. She proceeded to move it around inside of me trying to get some blood flow, but by then I think my body just said no because she couldn't even get a drop. She switched arms, did the needle search again and finally hit a vein. I was so glad when it was all over and I could go home to eat and sleep.

Last night the nurse called me with the results and... I passed! Whoo hoo! I am so glad that I don't have to worry about changing my diet or taking insulin shots or anything.

Well, we are getting down to it... only 10 weeks left until my due date. Time is going by so fast! There is so much that we still need to do and the next few weeks are packed with doctor's appointments, ultrasounds and baby showers. Sometime in there we need to schedule our hospital tour and think about packing our bags for the hospital and making a birthing plan. Whew! So much to do!


Saturday, April 25, 2009

Redesign: 3 Bay B Chicks



The 3 bay b chicks are back! This time with a fun new redesign for Spring. I love their cute little birds from before and this clean, fresh design is perfect for them :)

The chicks are also launching a fun new series starting today called "Chick Chat" I was able to work with them to create their logo for the series as well as a button for their sidebar. Check out "Chick Chat"... I believe there is even a giveaway scheduled for today!



A few weeks ago, I was also able to create some virtual postcards and button for their series "Where's Wenda" Tons of bloggers participated in finding Wenda over the course of a few weeks and had a blast. I loved this little logo!


Friday, April 24, 2009

Redesign: Ovolina 3.0



I love working with this Italian Mama, Ovolina.

Once again, we changed up her design. This time with a new color scheme and a fun new header. This Italian, military mom is "Living the American Dream" and proud of it!

From Anita:

Oh My goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it! LOVE IT LOVE IT!
It's completely perfect.


Aww :) Thanks!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

29 Weeks

From Baby Center:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel.

His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Your baby's very active now. Your practitioner may ask you to spend some time each day counting kicks and will give you specific instructions on how to do this. Let her know if you ever notice a decrease in activity. You may need a nonstress test or biophysical profile to check on your baby's condition.

Some old friends — heartburn and poor digestion — may take center stage now. The pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation, coupled with the crowding in your abdomen, slows digestion, which in turn can cause discomfort and heartburn — especially after a big meal.

Some women get something called "supine hypotensive syndrome" during pregnancy, where laying flat on your back causes a change in heart rate and blood pressure that makes you feel dizzy until you change position. You might note that you feel lightheaded if you stand up too quickly, too. To avoid "the spins" lie on your side rather than your back, and move slowly as you go from lying down to sitting and then standing.

Note from Jen:

About half of this week I slept wonderfully and the other half I hardly slept at all. It is kind of hit or miss and I am trying to figure out what helps on the nights I do sleep. A great friend who is one of Kenny's students gave me a Bath & Body Works gift card when he found out I was pregnant. I used it to buy Lavender Vanilla Aromatherapy Oil- Sleep and it seems like when I use it I do end up sleeping better. Also since it has Sunflower Oil & Vitamin E, I can only hope that it helps with preventing stretch marks too :) Anyway, since it does seem to help, I am going to try to use it all week this week and see if I can catch up on my sleep. If it works, I'll have to go back and stock up!

I had a bit of heartburn again last night, but nothing too bad. So far I have been very lucky!

On Thursday I go in for my glucose tolerance test so yesterday I started adding those extra carbs to my diet. The good thing is that I really like having the toast and grape juice, so it isn't a problem at all. However, I am dreading Thursday!

I am definitely getting bigger and bigger each day. I think all the weight that I didn't gain in the first and second trimesters decided just to pack on all at once. So far I have gained about 15 pounds with most of that being just in the last month. By the end of the day it is more like 20 pounds since my feet end up swelling a bit sitting at work all day! Even with the extra weight, I still feel good and am able to take Pilot out for walks and pretty much be myself. Not waddling yet :)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

28 Weeks

From Baby Center:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.

At this point, you'll likely visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks. Then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits. Also, if your glucose screening test result was high and you haven't yet had follow-up testing, you'll soon be given the 3-hour glucose tolerance test.

Note from Jen:


3rd trimester! How crazy is that?

I am feeling pretty good. Our little guy is moving all around every day and is getting an "A" so far on the fetal movement counting chart, which is great because around week 26 his movements were really slow for about a week. I guess he just has more room now :)

Last week I had 3 days where I was getting heartburn at 4:00 each afternoon. It would last a few hours and then mostly go away. Luckily I haven't had any since Friday, so maybe it won't be a daily thing. I hope!

I went in to the doctor on Friday when my mom came down to visit. It was an easy appointment and she had fun getting to hear our little guy's heartbeat. Once again it was between 155 and 160 BPM. I think he is going to be a bit hyperactive like his daddy considering most boys tend to have slower heartbeats!

At the appointment I was given the paperwork to schedule my 3-hour glucose screening. It is all set for next Thursday. They gave me two lists of things I need to add to my diet for 3 days before the test. So, starting Monday I need to add either 2 slices of bread, 2/3 cup of rice, 1 cup of noodles or 2 corn tortillas AND either 12oz of apple juice, 9oz. of grape juice, 1 large banana, or 2 large oranges. The good thing is since I don't really eat breakfast I think I can just have the 2 pieces of toast and apple or grape juice in the morning and call it good :)

Hopefully my test comes back negative and I am OK. I really don't want to change my diet or anything due to gestational diabetes. I like being able to have ice cream every night if I want it :)

I have been gaining about 2 pounds a week since my last appointment and everyone can tell I am pregnant. I don't feel too big or uncomfortable yet, but have noticed that I can't wear heels if I am going to go shopping or walk around too far. The added weight hurts my feet like crazy if I do!

Here is my 28 week picture. Can you believe I am 2/3 of the way there? He is going to be here before I know it!

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

27 Weeks

From Baby Center:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers.

With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now.

Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all, and your expanding uterus is putting pressure on the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart as well as on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs. Unfortunately, the cramps may get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle should give you some relief. Straighten your leg and then gently flex your toes back toward your shin. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.

Note from Jen:

I feel like I am getting bigger and bigger each day. It is pretty undeniable that I am pregnant, but this weekend it made me laugh when an old friend of ours saw me and didn't even notice. Chadd isn't too observant I guess, but we still love him :)

My calves have been cramping up at night when I sleep, but it goes away if I stretch them out. My feet were also falling asleep this weekend then I was crouched down on the floor going through boxes. Overall, not that bad. I feel pretty good most of the time.

The last few nights the heating pad has been an addition to my night time routine. So far it seems to work every time at relaxing my back, saving me from hours of lying awake hoping my back would stop hurting.

The weekend we cleaned out the shed and took about 5 boxes of stuff to the Salvation Army (on top of the 4 bags of stuff we took last week!) We are trying to condense everything and make room for the kiddo and all of his stuff! I am definitely in clean-out mode and got rid of a ton more stuff than I normally would. Stuff from high school...gone! Painting & craft supplies... gone! Old electronics... gone! More than once Kenny had to ask to make sure I was really ok with getting rid of things he knew might hold sentimental value and my answer was always, yes, get rid of it!

We have a few things that we didn't want to just dump at Salvation Army and are going to try to sell on Craigslist or give to someone we know could use them. If any of you could use a couch, office desk, office chair, or end tables, let me know :)

Anyway, I go in for my doctor's appointment Friday and then I'll schedule my 3 hour glucose screening when I am there. Hopefully I can get it over with as soon as possible.

Only one more week and then I am in my 3rd trimester! Can you believe it?

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Madame Zaritska's Prediction

I found a site that "predicts" what your birth experience will be. It is too funny. I sure hope mine is not correct! 13 pounds?!? No thank you! And where did he get his eyes and hair??? I think our baby was switched at the hospital!


Madame Zaritska, using her mystical powers, has the following prediction:

The day you deliver, outside will be shiny. Your baby will arrive in the late morning. After a labor lasting approximately 11 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 13 pounds, 3 ounces, and will be 17-1/2 inches long. This child will have medium violet eyes and fluffy red hair.


If you want to try it, go to: http://pregnancyandbaby.com/pregnancy/baby/Madame-Zaritska-predicts-your-birth-experience-1.php

It asks funny questions that aren't relevant at all... "What is the weather outside?" "What animal did you see last?" Too funny!