7 months

Dear Bria,

You just turned 7 months old last week. Wow, it's hard to believe you are already that old. This has been the best, the hardest, the most fun, incredibly exhausting, wonderful, frustrating, and by far the most amazing 7 months of my life. I've never been happier and I truly mean that. I don't know what I would do without you, you are my best little buddy and I love being with you.

Thanks to your hard-working Daddy I get to stay home with you and it has been the best experience of my life. It is definitely challenging and demanding, more so than I ever could have imagined, but at the end of the day I am always elated that I get to be with you all day. It is the best feeling watching you learn and grow. I love making you smile and laugh, it's what I live for now.

You are such a happy little baby and everybody thinks so. You love to lay on your back and wave your arms and legs all over. Your favorite game is peek-a-boo with a blanket and we play that each night with Dad, I'm pretty sure it's your favorite part of the day, I know it's my favorite part and your Dad's too. You are sitting so well now and you'll play happily with your toys for awhile, until you get bored and then you want me to hold you.

Right now you prefer me, but fortunately you'll still let other people hold you. You smile at everyone and they can't help but smile back, you've got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. Plus you have a little bottom tooth now so your smile got even cuter!

You are very tickelish and it's adorable. I'll tickle your thighs, tummy, armpits, and neck and you'll laugh and laugh until you can hardly breath.

You love when I sing to you or read you books. You get all excited when I start reading and you'll babble and try to touch the book and then of course eat it.

Everything goes in your mouth these days. Your favorites include our cell phones, the remote controls, and anything that is hanging around our necks.

You are a petite little thing, except for your thighs, they are rolly and adorable. Your feet are still newborn size! They are the cutest little things ever. Your eyes sparkle like diamonds, your hair is very very blonde, and your belly is just as kissable as ever.

Bria, I love you so much I can barely stand it. You bring more happiness into my life than I ever thought was possible. Your Dad and I are just in awe of you and love you to the moon and back. We are so proud of you and will always be here for you. Thank you for bringing so much joy into our lives, we love you so much Bria, never forget that.

Love,

Mom

3 Months

Dear Bria,

You just turned 3 months old yesterday. It feels like I was just sitting down to write you the letter when you were in my belly. Now you're here and my heart is full.

You have beautiful blue eyes, just like I thought. You came out with a head full of dark hair and I was just thrilled. It's starting to lighten up which is adorable, although the last dark patch on the back of your head makes me realize you've lost almost all your newborn hair. You have long fingers so we think you may be a piano player :) You have your daddies feet and your mommies nose. It also appears you got your mom's big belly and we love to give it kisses.

Your smile makes my day. I'm not even kidding. After I got my wisdom tooth out and was in pain, I came home and when I saw you smile at me I couldn't help but grin, even though it hurt. You were worth it. You just make my whole world brighter.

I love watching you with your Dad, it is the sweetest thing. He loves making you laugh and smile and can't believe how big you are getting. He was worried your chunky thighs were too big, but I assured him that is just not possible, the chunkier the better. You will sit and talk to his "mobile hand" as he calls it. I told him to enjoy this time that you'll be entertained with him moving his hand above your head. He gives you lots of kisses everyday. You have also pooped on him twice and that is hysterical. Oh, and you peed on him which is pretty impressive for a girl to do. Kudos my beautiful baby.

At first everyone said you were the spitting image of me, but now they see both your dad and I in you. All I know is you are beautiful. I love when you lay your head on my shoulder and let me cuddle with you, it is the best feeling in the world. I love to touch your soft hands and feet, they are the cutest things ever. I absolutely love when you smile, especially when you stick your little tongue out and squint your eyes, it's the biggest smile. And your laugh, oh my goodness it's so precious. It starts out with you tipping your head back and saying "oh" and then turns into a full on squeaky laugh, I can't tell you how much I love hearing your laugh. And oh how you love to talk! Your voice is so angelic and adorable that I could listen to you talk all day. You take a big breath and then just talk and talk. I just love it.

I have to admit, part of me misses you in my belly. I loved feeling you move around in there, but it's nothing compared to holding you in my arms and kissing you all over.

Bria, I love you so much. Always remember that. I wish I could shield you from this world sometimes, I'm not going to lie, it's a cruel world out there. I want nothing more than to keep away all the bad things, but I know that's not possible. Just know that your Dad and I are ALWAYS here for you, we are your biggest cheerleaders. We believe in you and love you to the moon and back. You will forever be our beautiful Bria.

I love you Bria.

Love, Mom

A Close

This blog has served it's purpose and since the journey of pregnancy is over, so is the blog. However, I'm not going to delete it, I absolutely love this blog. I am so glad that I did this and now have it to look back on and show Bria when she's older. I highly recommend a pregnancy blog to those out there, it is a wonderful way to jot down the details.
I thought about doing monthly letters to Bria on this blog, but I think I may just do monthly updates on the other blog. Who knows, I tend to change my mind a lot :)
Anyway, thanks for reading and thanks for all the suggestions and congratulations-they are much appreciated!

A few more tid bits

So of course after I posted the birth story I thought of a few other details that I don't want to forget. I blame my lack of detail on my little sleep.
1. The blood was apparently normal and just a result of dilating. The nurses kept saying it was a very good sign- I believed them and went about laboring.
2. Tina broke my water when I was 7 cm.
3. Bria was grunting a lot when she came out instead of crying. They kept using the little blue sucker on her but a few hours later she spit up some fluid in her bassinet so they decided to pump her stomach. They put a little tube down her throat, pumped some saline down there, and then pulled it all out. It did help but man I didn't like watching her gag, it broke my heart.

Okay, I feel better now. I think that is all the details, although I may think of more at the 3 am feeding.

Now that Bria is here, her journey in the womb is over which means this blog has served it's purpose. I still may do monthly updates on here, but for the most part I'm going to go back to the Holcombs Hideaway blog. I'm so glad I have this journal though, I don't want to forget what an amazing journey it was to bring little Bria into this world.

Bria's Birth Story

Bria Michelle Holcomb entered this world on February 20th at 4:37 am, her due date. She weighed in at 7 pounds 4 oz and was 19 inches of perfection. Here is how she entered this world:

At my 39 week appointment I had still made no progress- no dilation at all. I was bummed, but focused on the fact that Bria was healthy and doing well.

Tuesday and Wednesday (17th and 18th) brought at least a little change as I lost parts of my mucous plug. I didn't get too excited though since labor could still be a week away. Wednesday I started having some mild contractions, but nothing that was timeable. Again, I didn't let myself get excited since some women have contractions for weeks before they deliver. Thursday morning between 4 and 6 am I had timeable contractions that were like bad menstrual cramps, but they dwindled off and I went back to sleep.

That day I did a few things around the house and then went to my mom's to put more songs on my Ipod and help watch Kailey and Porter (my niece and nephew). At about 2 pm while I was watching Shrek with the kids I started getting timeable contractions, they would be anywhere from 8 minutes to 15 minutes and were uncomfortable. I went home and watched some tv until Brian got home. It was the first time that week that he got to come home at a decent hour, he had been working such long hours and was exhausted. So at 7 pm I sent him to bed just in case this was labor and then I went for a walk. The contractions were getting more painful but I still thought it was going to be a long time before things got going, in fact I thought I'd be going to my doctor's appointment the next morning at 10:30 am and all I could think was that I hoped I was dilated enough for them to strip my membranes!

I came back from my walk and laid on the couch while timing my contractions. They were now 5 minutes apart and were getting really hard to deal with. I tried laying down, standing up, swaying, but they were getting pretty bad. At about 9:30 pm I was lying on the couch and felt what I thought was wetting my pants. I couldn't believe it, I had made it 9 months with no bladder accidents and now I wet my pants. I waddled to the bathroom only to find blood, lots of blood and it was still coming. This freaked me out. I mean they tell you your water can break, but they don't talk about blood coming out. So I called my mom who said it was probably fine but I should call Jaime to ask if she remembers blood and then call the doctor. She said it definitely sounded like I was in labor with how much pain I was in. I called Jaime who said to get to the hospital, we both were thinking it could be the placenta tearing away. Leave it to us to think the worst!

So I waddled upstairs and woke Brian up by telling him it was time to go to the hospital. He was adorable, trying to finish packing the hospital bag half awake. We got the car loaded and dropped MJ off with my Mom then continued to the hospital. The bumps and turns were so painful, I kept telling Brian to stop but he didn't, probably a good thing.

We got to the hospital about 10:30 pm and they checked me, I was 3 cm dilated! I was so happy that this really was labor because holy cow the contractions were coming fast and were painful. They monitored me and Bria for 1/2 hour and then I labored in the jacuzzi tub which was awesome. Brian rubbed my arms while I sat with the jets on my lower back, it made contractions so much more manageable. The contractions started getting so close together though that I barely had a break in between and I had to focus all my energy on relaxing. I pictured my cervix opening and Bria moving down. I also focused on the parts of my body that didn't hurt, so I would tell myself that my lips didn't hurt, my nose didn't hurt, etc. It actually helped and I remained surprisingly calm during contractions.

They checked me again around midnight and I was at 4 cm so things were continuing to progress, thank goodness. This is when I ordered the epidural because the contractions were getting very painful and so close together that I was struggling. Brian was doing a wonderful job keeping me relaxed and helping me through it all.

I believe this was around the time that my favorite midwife came in-Tina Gain. She is the sweetest woman and so incredible, I was ecstatic that she was on call.

The anesthesiologist finally arrived at 1 am and I was so happy. She had me sit on the edge of the bed with my feet up on a chair and a pillow on my lap-it was the worst position ever. Meanwhile she decided to do her prep work with me in that position and I was dying. I had to remain somewhat still through contractions and that seemed like an impossible task. I just kept reminding myself that relief was on the way. She placed a big plastic thing over my back and then did the numbing shot. The nurse couldn't believe I didn't flinch with the shot, but compared to the contractions that shot was a hug. The epidural did not hurt at all and I could not wait to feel the effects of it. The anesthesiologist removed the big plastic thing on my back and couldn't believe how much I was sweating, what did she expect?! She had made me sit in the worst position ever for 45 minutes while I had the most painful contractions ever, of course I was sweating! Anyway, about 5 minutes later my contractions started getting less painful and soon I was in epidural heaven. I was all smiles after that and so excited that soon we were going to be meeting our little girl. The nurses kept telling me to get rest and I looked at them like they were crazy, how was I suppose to sleep when I knew that soon we were going to be welcoming Bria into this world.

At 2 am they put the catheter in and checked me again and I was at 7 cm! Wow, things were progressing fast and I was relieved that the epidural didn't slow things down. Bria was at 0 station and I was 100% effaced. I continued to enjoy the epidural and talked with Brian, his mom, my mom, and my sisters. We were all so excited and couldn't believe how fast it was progressing, especially for my first.

At 3:47 am I started feeling contractions on my right side in my lower back and in the front a little. So the nurse decided to check me and what do you know, there was no cervix left! It was go time and I was ecstatic. I pushed 3 times during a contraction and then would rest for a bit. The pushing was exhausting but it didn't really hurt since I was still so numb from the epidural. Brian counted to 10 for me each time which really helped. I kept asking the nurse if I was pushing correctly because it just felt like I was holding my breath. She said I was doing a good job and soon everyone else started to see progress. It motivated me so much to hear my little cheerleaders rooting me on and saying I was doing a good job. I loved having my mom's and sisters there, they were such a huge support. Around 4:20 am the nurse told me to not push too hard until the doctor came because Bria's head was right there. My last push before Tina showed up Bria's head stayed right where it was instead of going back up. Tina walked in, got ready and had me push, Bria's head popped right out with her right hand up by her ear! The cord was wrapped around her neck twice which scared the crap out of me, but it wasn't causing her distress during the contractions or pushing so it must not have been wrapped around her very tight-thank goodness. As soon as Tina removed the cord from her neck she had me give a little push and the rest of her came shooting out. They put her on my chest and I was in pure heaven, I couldn't believe she was finally there. Brian and I were in awe of this perfect little girl.
Brian got to cut the cord and he was actually suppose to help catch little Bria but she came out too quickly. He did help give her the first bath and changed her first diaper. When they handed him Bria all bundled up after her bath I couldn't help but cry and neither could he, it was an amazing moment.
We just looked at her and looked at each other-our little girl was finally here.






The placenta came out pretty easily and when it came out I felt so much weight come out, it felt awesome. As far as recovery goes it was better than I expected. I had a small 1st degree tear that she put 2 little stitches in, I was very grateful for that. The only time I really needed assistance was my first trip to the bathroom. I sure did fill up that cup they leave in the toilet, I think they had 3 bags of IV pumped into me so I was full of fluid. I was going to the bathroom every hour and still filling it up, the nurses were impressed. I really was surprised at how good I felt physically, don't get me wrong, I kept up on the pain meds. Breastfeeding makes your uterus contract and that felt like labor sometimes! But all and all it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I really think it was due to the fact I walked so much in the last 8 weeks, I will have to do that with the next baby :)
I feel so good about the whole labor and delivery experience, I think back on it so fondly. It was such an exciting time and I handled the pain way better than I thought I was going to. Brian said I made it look easy, but I assured him it was FAR from easy. But totally worth it.

I'm a mommy!

Well, little Miss Bria decided to be punctual just like her parents and we are thrilled to death. We are so in love with this little girl, she is the most beautiful little baby in the world (not bias at all, hehe). 

I am going to start working on her birth story and hopefully will post that soon. The labor and delivery went better than I could've imagined. It went pretty quick and my favorite mid-wife delivered her which was a huge blessing. Also, I love epidurals :)

We got home on Sunday and are just enjoying family time, I am so grateful Brian was able to take 2 weeks off. We are bonding and just spending time as a family which is wonderful. We have dinners planned for the next year I think, seriously, our families are amazing. They call to check on us everyday and bring us meals, but don't impose. They are wonderful and we love them so much.

Anyway, hopefully these pictures will tie you over until I can get the birth story up. We feel truly blessed and love our little one so much.

In her little swing for the first time:

In her bouncy seat that she loves, look at those big eyes!

Heading home!

Holcomb, family of 3 :)

Just one day old and simply precious

Bria's Debut

Who would of thought 1 week after Lindsey's last appointment with no progress that Bria would make her debut:) (0-60 in 1 wk?;) Lindsey started having contractions Thursday, went to the hospital that night, did an absolutely amazing job throughout the labor, and delivered lil Bria at 4:37am Friday morning...her exact due date:)  She was 7lbs.4oz, and I believe 19inches long.  She is undeniably beautiful and I'm so excited for the brand new mom and dad!!  Your guys are already amazing parents, and I love you all so much!  So proud of you Lu...love, aunt jenny  P.S. Lindsey will of course post more, but I just wanted everyone to know that baby holcomb is here safe and sound and they are all doing great!

Without further ado, the new proud parents:

She has gorgeous blue eyes and big lips:)
Future Beaver Cheerleader:)  Beanie courtesy of Good Sam Hospital

39w 5d

Still pregnant in case you were wondering. I continue to go on walks everyday and hope that helps things move along. 

I went to the fire station today and had a demo on how to install the car seat correctly so now Bria will be safe. They didn't like my seat protector so she took that off and then installed it in the center, which I originally had wanted it behind the passenger. I think when I show Brian tonight I'm going to put the seat protector under it, I don't see it as a safety hazard, do you? She said they like to install them in the center because of the side impact/air bags. 

So let's revisit my little list:

1. Install car seat-Done
2. Pack hospital bag-In progress (probably will be until we actually leave for the hospital)
3. Buy and hang curtains-Done
4. Hang 3 fabric pieces above crib-Done
5. Organize kitchen
6. Organize guest bedroom

It's looking pretty good, the only thing I really have left to do is clean and organize. We are completely ready for this little girl to come!

I wanted to jot down a few songs that I really like listening to right now, although they tend to make me a bit weepy.  Of course they are all country because country singers love to bring out your emotions. But honestly, you can't tell me these lyrics don't make you well up:

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all nite
Lay'n there in bed listen'n
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laugh'n
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
It won't be like this for long

Four years later bout four thirty
She's crawling in there bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now don't you worry
This will only last a week or two

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll drop her off
And she won't even know you're gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won't be like this for long

One day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times you'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the isle
And he'll raise her vale
But right now she's up and cry'n
And the truth is that he dont mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers
He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watch'n her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows

It wont be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by
He's try'n to hold on
It wont be like this for long
It wont be like this for long

Whew, puts tears in my eyes every time. It's by Darius Rucker and I'm already mentally putting a video together to give to Brian for Father's Day in the future.
A few other songs that get me all emotional:
You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins
I Saw God Today by George Strait

Good stuff. 

My first few days off work have been great, I've stayed busy but also relaxed a bit. I've gone grocery shopping, done laundry, had a pedicure, went to the bank, installed the car seat, and took a few naps. It's a little unsettling which I wasn't expecting, I think because I pictured little Bria here :) 

Well I better get to organizing and cleaning...right after lunch :)

39w 3d

Final Nursery pictures:

So we got a curtain rod, hung the curtains, hung the 3 fabric pieces above the crib, and picked up the rocker from Brian's mom. The nursery is officially complete, now we just need little Bria to make her debut! 

The white bassinet in front of the window will be moved to our room for the first few weeks of Bria's life, then we'll move her to the crib. In place of the bassinet I want to find a little wooden toy chest/bench, I think that would go perfect right there. 

I am really happy with how the nursery turned out and just love sitting in there day dreaming about rocking my little girl and dressing her up in the many adorable outfits hanging in the closet. 

Belly pictures:

Here is what a 39 week pregnant Lindsey looks like: tired and ready to pop

Oh Bria, please come out!

I was thinking my belly hadn't grown that much in the last 3 weeks or so, but looking at these pictures makes me realize how wrong I was. That is a very large belly. I am praying my cervix will get it's act together and start dilating so Bria can come out, she is really cramped in there. 

Week 39

Only 7 days until my due date, 1 week! We're getting there.
My appointment yesterday went well, everything is still looking good. Brian was able to go with me and I was really happy about that. When the nurse asked if I wanted an internal exam I said, "No, thank you." So the doctor came in and Brian was asking how far past my due date they would let me go, just as I had thought: 2 weeks. Gulp. So I could potentially be pregnant for another 3 weeks.
Anyway, she offered to strip my membranes and I was all for it, maybe it would help to get things going. Well, in order to have your membranes stripped you have to be a little bit dilated, even if it's just a finger tip. My cervix was shut tight, so no membrane stripping for me. However, I didn't cry because she did say the baby felt a little bit lower, the silver lining. So Bria is cooperating and getting ready, it's my darn body that isn't getting into gear. Let's hope that changes very soon.
It's my very last day of work today! I can hardly believe it and it definitely has not sunk in yet. I am hoping to be able to find lots of things to keep me busy next week if I haven't had Bria by then.

Symptoms:

Insomnia. Not sleeping well again, good thing I'm about done with work. Wednesday night was awful, I woke up at 2:30 am and could not get back to sleep for the life of me, I was wide awake. Normally I buckle down and lie there until I fall asleep, I have always taken a long time to get to sleep so I've trained myself to just sit tight. But I knew there was no way I was going to drift off and I was restless so I decided to get up and organize the computer desk and upload some pictures. I crawled back in bed at 4 am and was able to get back to sleep around 4:45 am, an hour before that dreaded alarm went off. Needless to say I snoozed a little extra.
Fortunately last night I only got up twice to use the restroom and I slept pretty good, I am very thankful for a good night's rest.

Impatience. I tossed and turned most nights (last night being the exception) because I wanted to go into labor so bad, I'm getting very impatient and want to meet Bria so much I can barely stand it. It's all I think about, Brian too.

Feeling extra large. I'm feeling extra large, especially in the thigh and butt area, I do not like full length mirrors right now. I'm just glad it's winter and I can cover up my chunky legs :)

Ready. I feel ready.


Baby:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.


And I have pictures of the nursery. Still to come are the curtains and wall hangings above the crib, we are also replacing the glider with a rocking chair. Not just any rocking chair, the rocking chair that Brian's Mom rocked all 3 of her kids in. Those 3 things will complete the nursery!

Anna got that cute pink lamp and we just love it!

I'm excited for the curtains, I think they'll really add a lot

View when you first walk in:

The amazing and wonderful canvas totes that Jenny got us, they fit perfectly and I just love them:

Here is the left side of her closet, on the top is a bin that holds her 3-6 month clothes, in the guest bedroom another tote holds her 6 + clothes:

And here is her newborn/0-3 month clothes. Can you believe this? She is one stylish little girl, I love all the clothes and plan to have many fashion shows :)

And since I had them on the camera I thought I would post pictures from our last childbirth class. Unfortunately the lighting was horrible in the room and our camera is pretty basic, but it shows how big our class was! I am the second one in from the left:

Here are the guys, I thought it was hilarious that Brian was by far the tallest guy.

And he was also the cutest :)

Still to come is a 39 week belly picture, I've been slacking on those. I'm hoping it'll be the last one, but something tells me it won't. Oh well, as long as Bria is healthy in there I am happy.

38w 4d

I am happy to report that the eagle has landed, I repeat, the eagle has landed. We have our travel system! It came in yesterday and I am beyond thrilled.


It's perfect. I am happy to say that I like it in person even more than I like it online. I just like that it's gender neutral. To make sure people know that Bria is a girl though, I'll be dressing her in plenty of pink so no worries there :)
Brian put it together after our childbirth class and if it hadn't been 10 o'clock at night I would've put MJ in it and gone on a walk to try it out. But lucky for MJ I was exhausted and ready for bed. So now we just need to get down to the fire station so they can show us how to install it correctly, would you believe 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly? Crazy. So we're going to make sure our little one is safe and secure by leaving it to professionals.

We had our final childbirth class last night. I'm so glad we did the class, we both learned a lot and I think it'll help us when I go into labor. It reassured me that Brian is going to be an amazing coach, I'm one lucky girl.

I'm in my last week at work and oh my, is it rough. That is very sad considering it's only Tuesday morning, but I kind of expected this week to drag on. I've trained my co-workers on my job so I have very little to keep me busy. That and the fact that I have no motivation are working against me.
As much as I am looking forward to my baby retirement, at least work helps keep my mind of when in the heck I'm going to go into labor. Next week I'll be at home organizing and wondering if every little cramp is labor. I did schedule my pedicure for next Tuesday so that will keep me busy for an hour :)

Nothing else to report, still no signs of impending labor. I'm still going for walks everyday, twice a day. I really thought this walking was suppose to do something but it's been 7 weeks of me walking everyday and it appears it has done absolutely nothing. And it was a full moon last night too-no baby, so that theory is out the window.
But honestly, as long as Bria is healthy than I'm happy. I'm just impatient and want to meet her so badly!

I took some pictures of the nursery, including the stuffed closet, so I'll have to post those once I get my pictures uploaded. She has so many 0-3 months that I had to put the 3-6 months in a tub so I could hang all the other ones. So now I have a tub of 3-6 months, 6 months +, and her closet is stuffed full of newborn and 0-3. Let's just say she is set...and I love it. Guess I won't have to do any laundry for a few months ;)

Oh, since I've marked a few things off my list I want to revisit that:

1. Pack hospital bag-In progress (probably will be until we actually leave for the hospital)
2. Clean and organize house-I'm taking this off since I detailed it out below
3. Wash bottles and teething rings-Done!
4. Pre-register-Done!
5. Get MJ's bag ready-Done!
6. Check to see if insurance pays for some of breast pump-I think I decided to get a single manual pump since I plan on breastfeeding. We may rent the hospital one for a little bit if need be, we'll play it by ear.
7. Organize little table in computer room-Done!
8. Organize kitchen
9. Organize downstairs closet-Done!
10. Hang 3 fabric pieces above crib
11. Buy and hang curtains

Whew, needless to say it was a productive weekend and it felt great to get so much done. Let's look at the new revised list shall we?

1. Install car seat
2. Pack hospital bag-In progress (probably will be until we actually leave for the hospital)
3. Buy and hang curtains
4. Hang 3 fabric pieces above crib
5. Organize kitchen
6. Organize guest bedroom

I put them in order of importance, obviously it is not vital that I organize the kitchen or guest bedroom, it's just something I want to do and will keep me busy next week. I love how my list is shrinking, even though I add a few each time :)

My mom and I are now on the hunt for the perfect curtains. She brought some over that were really cute, brown suede ones from Fred Meyer's, but unfortunately the brown had a tint of red in it and didn't quite match the other dark brown in the nursery. So we'll have to keep searching. I think the curtains will really finish off the nursery so I'm anxious to find some and get them hung.

10 more days until my due date, holy cow!!!

Week 38

I had my 38 week appointment yesterday and it went well. The nurse asked if I wanted an internal exam since I hadn't had one yet and curiosity got the better of me so I said, "Sure!" I really wish I had said no, just say no! The midwife said not only am I not dilated, but Bria is way high up and I'll most likely go past my due date. Everyone kept telling me that since it's my first I'd go past, but I don't think I actually believed them. I thought since I've been walking everyday for the last 6 weeks that I would be a few days early, but apparently not. Apparently the walking is doing nothing. I was fine before I got the internal, after wards I was a little bummed and I don't like that. It's not that I am overly uncomfortable and ready to be done being pregnant, it's that I'm ready to be a Mom and meet this little girl. I want to hold her and kiss her and it feels like it's still so far away.
Oh well, most importantly Bria is doing well, she's strong and healthy and that is really all I can ask for. We'll meet her when we meet her and until then I'll enjoy her kicking and squirming in there :) At least with her inside me I can protect her from this crazy world.

Symptoms:

Dreams. Every night I dream about labor and going into labor, or waiting to go into labor, or thinking I'm weeks past my due date and she still hasn't come. I get all frustrated in my dream thinking about how I walk for at least an hour every single day and still nothing. Apparently I fear I will be going past my due date (and the midwife confirmed that).

Sciatic nerve. My lower back has been hurting again and I think it's my sciatic nerve. It can get pretty uncomfortable at times and nothing seems to make it go away. Night time is the worst which makes it difficult to get to sleep. On Wednesday night I was dreaming that my left foot hurt really bad so Brian was rubbing it for me, but it still hurt. I woke up and realized the whole left size of my body was aching horribly so I switched sides, that actually did help thank goodness.

Swelling. I am officially wearing a fake ring full time since my wedding ring doesn't quite fit. I can squeeze it on but getting it off is difficult and I don't want to take any chances of the doctor having to cut it off or something. Usually my ankles go back down to almost normal size by morning, but not so much anymore. I miss my bony ankles, although shaving around my ankles is much easier now.

Frequent urination. Even more so in the last week, Wednesday night I went to the bathroom 4 times within about 45 minutes, it was crazy. We learned in our childbirth class that frequent urination is an early sign of labor because it means that the baby is low and squishing your bladder. Brian got all excited and thought for sure I'd wake up with contractions, but no.

Movement changes. The last week or two it's been fun to feel her actual foot on my side, just moving around. I love touching it because it's so tiny and I just want to kiss it. I also feel her hands way down low, by her head and it tickles.


Baby:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)


I still need to take a 38 week belly picture, but I do have a 36 week belly picture that I never posted:

36 week belly pic:

Plus, I finally uploaded a few pictures from my baby shower last weekend. Jaime has all the pictures of the gorgeous decorations on her camera so I'll get those from her.

Bria's gifts:

Me with each of my hosts:

With Anna

With Jenny

With Jaime

With Mom

Thanks to all of you for throwing me an amazing baby shower, I love you all so much and am so grateful to you.

To my daughter

Dear Bria,

These last 9 months have been nothing short of amazing. I have dreamed about becoming a mother since I was a little girl and dragged around my dolls, pretending to go to church. But now it is actually coming true and I am overwhelmed with joy. You are truly the answer to my prayers little one.
I still remember seeing those positive pregnancy tests (yes, I took 2) and being utterly elated that we were going to have a baby. A baby! I was on cloud 9 all day and couldn't wipe the smile off my face, neither could your Dad. We exchanged many smiles that day and could not believe our dream of becoming parents was coming true.

You have been so good to me while in the womb, I have enjoyed this pregnancy so much and cannot tell you how I've loved getting to know you. I love feeling you move around, kick, and squirm, it's the best feeling ever. Watching my belly move is hilarious and it makes me smile from ear to ear to picture you stretching in there. I laugh when you get the hiccups, which is usually when I lay down to go to sleep, but I can't be mad because it reassures me that everything is going well in there. Daddy loves to feel you move too and he's already giving you kisses goodbye when he goes to work, and kisses hello when he gets home.

I am irreversibly in love with you and we haven't technically even met yet, but it's true, I am head over heels for you little girl. Your father is no different, he is already calling you the most beautiful little girl ever and I'll tell you a secret: you have him wrapped around your finger already.

There are no words to describe how excited we are to meet you, we simply cannot wait. What color is your hair going to be? Will it be curly like Dad's or straight like Mom's? What color will your eyes be? Blue like Mom's, green like Dad's, or a pretty mix of both? I can't wait to see you for the first time, hold you, kiss you, rub your little toes, and just take you in. I'm sorry that your first impression of me will be a blubbering mess, you can count on me to be crying, but they will be tears of utter and complete happiness so don't worry.
I hope we have a safe and healthy labor and delivery little one. I know it's got to be a traumatic experience for you so let's try to make it easy on each other ok? You don't pull any tricks and scare us and I'll do everything to make your descent into this world as quick and painless (for you) as possible.

Although I simply cannot wait to see you, a tiny part of me is ok that you'll be inside me just a little longer. I know that once you come into our lives time is going to start racing by. I've gone over and over in my mind the day we bring you home and our first 2 weeks as a family getting to know each other, all of our "firsts" with you. Soon it will be a memory and I can hardly believe it, I want to hang onto these moments so much and I'm scared I'll blink my eyes and they'll be gone.

I feel truly blessed and thank God everyday for you and the miracle of being able to carry a healthy baby. It means so much and I feel truly honored that Heavenly Father has chosen me to be your mother. I want you to know how much I already love you and how much I'm looking forward to raising you. I love that you have a little piece of me and a little piece of your Dad in you, it makes my heart so happy. You are truly the greatest gift.

I love you Bria and can't wait to meet you.

Love,
Mom

37w 3d

My appointment on Friday went well, just a normal quick check up. I measured a little small (could've fooled me, my belly feels huge!) but at this point that is pretty normal. The office did make a mistake and had me scheduled for 2 pm, but the appointment card they gave me (and the time I requested) was for 3:15 pm. So they thought I was late, but I fortunately keep my appointment cards and showed them. Since it was their mistake they squeezed me in real quick so it was an extra fast check up. The good news is I didn't gain any weight, so I guess my walking is helping after all! Bria sounds great and is head down, getting ready for birth.
Before that appointment though we met with the maternity care coordinator, Betty, and it was nice to get our questions answered. We finished pre-registering so that is something I can cross off my list. We also went over the birth plan, I don't have a lot of requests since I know things usually don't go as you expect them too. I just want to make sure I get to breastfeed ASAP.

Saturday was my shower (I haven't uploaded my pictures yet so those will be coming)! It was so much fun, I can't even express how grateful I am to my mom, sister's, and step mom. They did an unbelievable job, seriously. Jenny went all out and then some on the decorations, everything was perfectly coordinated in pink and brown. She even had a wooden stork out front of the house with balloons, which one of our neighbors thought was because we had her, lol. She got beautiful brown and pink linens for the table and then had gorgeous little vases with pink roses in them, tied with a brown ribbon. She also got these beautiful white parasol's and hung pink binkies from them, so cute. Every little detail you can think of, Jenny did it. Jenny's husband, Kyle, is in the party renting business. His family owns a party rental store so she has great resources available to her. And it makes me think she should do this professionally! My mom and Anna did the food and my goodness was it delicious. We had amazing artichoke dip with bread, crackers, cheese, chocolate fondue with all kinds of things to dip in it (strawberries, pineapple, short cake), a fruit platter, adorable pink cupcakes with brown M&M's, and I'm sure more that I'm forgetting. Funny story about the M&M's: They were the little mini cupcakes (which I love and are easier to eat at a party) but the M&M's were the regular size so only one fit on it, so it looked like a boob and we thought it was hilarious and very fitting.
Jenny also made delicious chocolate mousse that was to die for. My mom made an unforgettable punch that included: sherbert ice cream, pink lemonade, water, and sprite. Oh my gosh, it was awesome. Jaime had really fun games planned, we did The Price is Right, Baby edition where you guess the price of the baby items and can't go over. We also did the celebrity baby game where you matched up the celebrity parents with their babies, man those celebrities give their babies weird names. And at my request we did the baby food game where you taste different baby foods and guess which flavor it is. Vegetables are horrible, seriously, give me raw veggies any day over that baby food stuff! But I'll have to put my best act on and pretend to like them when I give them to Bria for the first time.
We had lots of fun talking and socializing and it was just a wonderful time. We received so many wonderful and thoughtful gifts which we of course are so grateful for. Lots of stuff off the registry which was very exciting for me, it was awesome to get the things we need. A few of the items included: car seat protector, back seat mirror, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, crib sheet, receiving blankets, gift card, papsan swing, photo mobile, Nursery Rhyme book, pink & brown canvas baskets, and bumbo tray.
I had so much fun showing Brian everything and got started sorting the stuff on Sunday. I have one load of her laundry to do and then I should be good. Heather also got us a basket of newborn to 6 month clothes from a friend of hers and wow they are cute. I will be going to the store to get more hangers :) Would you believe Brian and I have not bought one item of clothing but her closet is stuffed full? I love it. I'll take a picture to show you Bria's unbelievable wardrobe.

Brian attended his Daddy Boot Camp class on Saturday and absolutely loved it. I am so glad our hospital has that class, it's for first time Dad's and it's guys only. There is an instructor there as well as a few veteran Dad's with their babies. So Brian got to change his first diaper :) They give them a really helpful book and talk about what to expect. Since no mommies are allowed the guys are free to open up and talk which I think is just awesome. Brian left the class feeling more excited than ever and was so pumped. He was adorable when he got home, he couldn't stop talking about it and it just made me so happy. I highly recommmend this class to all first time Dad's, hopefully there is one in your area!

Sunday was suppose to be the day we got the last minute purchases that we needed since Saturday was the last baby shower before Bria comes. I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to this day, I just couldn't wait to get the car seat and have it installed. There were 2 things on the list that we needed: Travel System and the Diaper Champ. Easy enough right? Wrong, very very wrong. I started out Sunday innocently, excited about our big purchases and crossing things off our list. At long last we were going to get the car seat and officially be able to take Bria home when she decides to make her debut. We opted to go to a bigger Target than what our little town has to offer so we drove 35 minutes north. I anxiously hurry through the store to the baby department and spot the travel systems. This is where the day begins to go south, and it goes down fast. Not only is the selection not large, but they don't even have any in inventory. WHAT?! The only Graco they have is pink and brown, which of course I love, but wanted to get a neutral one in case our next baby is a boy. So we look for the Diaper Champ to at least make the trip somewhat successful, oh they don't have them in the store. I didn't have a melt down quite yet, we decided to go drive back home and go to our Target, at least they'll have some in inventory right? Nope. They have the same exact selection as the Keizer store, and once again they have nothing in stock. Why even have display models?? What is the point of that?! No Diaper Champ either. This is when I begin my 5 year old tantrum. Why does Target even have a baby section in their stores, they have minimal inventory and nothing stocked. I can't tell you how livid I was, this coming from someone who has previously loved Target. I whined in the store for awhile thinking that would help make our travel system appear, when it didn't we grabbed diapers and wipes that we had coupons for and headed home. I was utterly deflated and wanted to scream. But Brian being the practical guy he is said we would just get online and order it. We begin this process and all comes to a screeching hault when they only let you put in 4 giftcards, we of course have about 6. Brian calls Target and they tell him we need to go to Target and have them combine the gift cards. Sure, no problem, we like to go to Target multiple times a day. At this point I begin crying, I just can't hold it in any longer. This is what I am thinking: We want to purchase a travel system and diaper champ from Target, but the store doesn't carry them and we can't enter in all our gift cards online to purchase them. Why is Target making it so difficult?!?! Brian fears his wife has officially gone off the deep end so he returns to Target so they can combine our giftcards onto one.
This story does have somewhat of a happy ending in that he returned home, made the order online and we will be receiving the travel system any time between February 6th thru the 10th. The diaper champ will not arrive until the beginning of March, which really annoys me, but better that than the travel system.
It was a rough day to say the least.

So that has been the last couple days for us, very eventful and busy. I'm looking forward to a low key week and weekend. I want to tackle lots of stuff this weekend, much of which includes organizing :) It also includes a pedicure since my Mom so kindly got me a certificate for one, I'm beyond excited to get a pedicure.

I'm still feeling good pregnancy-wise, Bria is still moving but a little less than in previous weeks since she is running out of room. But I still feel her stretch and kick and just love it.
We have our second to last childbirth class tonight and I'm looking forward to going. I think that's it for now, my goal for this week: walk, walk, organize, walk.

Week 37

FULL TERM BABY!!! Can I get a woo woo!
Any time you want to come out now Bria, please feel free to do so :)

Surprisingly I actually slept better this week than I have in awhile. A few nights this week I only made 1 bathroom trip!! That is unheard of so I was thrilled beyond words. I noticed I wasn't quite as tired during the day so I'm very thankful for these good nights and hope they continue. I'm still going for walks, 7 days a week :) In addition to my evening walks I try and get out on one of my breaks at work and take a walk which feels really good. I would say 4 days a week I am walking 35 minutes and 3 days a week I'm totaling 55 minutes, not bad for a 9 month pregnant lady. My next goal is to get Brian to walk with me, at least on the weekends, I need a walking partner.

Symptoms:

Smaller appetite. I am noticing I'm not quite as hungry anymore which is nice. Although I'm still gaining weight so apparently it doesn't matter how much walking I do or how healthy I eat. A little frustrating, but worth it. I eat more often but I eat smaller portions since there's not a lot of room in there.

Braxton Hicks. Lots of Braxton Hicks this week, still not painful just a little uncomfortable. My belly just gets rock hard and it feels like everything in there is squeezing so tight.

Swelling. My ankles will occasionally swell throughout the day, but by the next morning they are almost back to normal. My hands are swelling a little as well during the day, enough so that I am wearing a fake wedding ring that is a size bigger than mine. This way I still look married and people don't glare at me for being a pregnant teen (since I look about 17).

As far as food goes this week there is nothing new, just my usual cereal and toast. I'm making sure to put peanut butter on my toast so I get protein.
I think that is about it for symptoms this week, not too many.


Baby:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

36w 4d

Well yesterday was our 3rd childbirth class and we are still enjoying it. We got a tour of the labor and delivery floor and saw all the rooms and everything which was fun. We also watched another video of a baby being born and then the placenta being delivered. Oddly enough watching it only made me more excited, just the thought of finally getting to see Bria is incredibly thrilling beyond words.

I had lots of braxton hicks yesterday and in the evening, but then they completely stopped once I was in bed. She was also really active yesterday and I just love when her little feet kick because they are so tiny. I can't wait to rub and kiss those little things.

This last weekend we hung a few more items in the nursery and I was all giddy with excitement. On one side of the window we hung a pink canvas frame that her foot prints go in, and on the other side of the window we hung a little white shelf and put her name on it. Originally we were going to hang the letters above the crib but we really like the pink letters on the white shelf, they just pop. So now I think we'll use the 3 little square fabrics that came with the bedding to hang above the crib which should look nice. Then the last thing are the curtains. I'm not a huge fan of the curtain that the bedding came with, it's cute but just wasn't doing it for me. So I decided I want floor length brown suede curtains, of the tab top variety. I think that will look really good since we hung the pink on either side of the window. I'll try and remember to take some pictures of the nursery this weekend. I'm so excited with how it is coming along. Plus, I need to take a picture of this little girl's closet, it's stuffed full.

On Friday we are meeting with the maternity care coordinator and I'm excited to iron out all the details and get pre-registered. That will be another thing I can cross off my list. Speaking of the list, let's take a look at how I'm doing:

1. Verify the pediatrician is covered by Brian's insurance-Done, she is!
2. Call pediatrician-Done, although we don't do anything until we actually have Bria in the hospital, at which point we just tell them who our pediatrician is.
3. Find a list of what to pack for the hospital-Done
4. Pack hospital bag-In progress (probably will be until we actually leave for the hospital)
5. Create a phone list for people to call when I go into labor-done
6. Iron out details for when I go into labor-Done, we will drop MJ off at my moms and head to the hospital. Once we get confirmation I am in active labor we will get settled, and then start making the calls. In the room with us will be: my mom, Brian's mom, Jaime, and Jenny. My Dad and Anna will also come visit of course and maybe Heather if it's on a Saturday :)
7. Pick coming home outfit for Bria-Done, although I'm open to changing it if we get something before then.
8. Clean and organize house-In progress (always, this is broken down into more detail below)
9. Wash bottles and teething rings
10. Call Maternity Coordinator to go over birth plan and get a hospital tour-Done, meeting with her on Friday.
11. Pre-register (this will be done on Friday when we meet with the maternity coordinator)
12. Get MJ's bag ready
13. Check to see if insurance pays for some of breast pump
14. Organize little table in computer room
15. Organize kitchen
16. Organize downstairs closet
17. Organize upstairs hall closet-Done

So here is the new revised list with some additions (how am I ever going to complete the list if I keep adding to it?!):
1. Pack hospital bag-In progress (probably will be until we actually leave for the hospital)
2. Clean and organize house-In progress (always, this is broken down into more detail below)
3. Wash bottles and teething rings
4. Pre-register (this will be done on Friday when we meet with the maternity coordinator)
5. Get MJ's bag ready
6. Check to see if insurance pays for some of breast pump
7. Organize little table in computer room
8. Organize kitchen
9. Organize downstairs closet
10. Hang 3 fabric pieces above crib
11. Buy and hang curtains

Not too shabby :)

Week 36

The appointment went well today, nothing too eventful. She did the strep B test which was just a quick swab. My belly measured right on track once again and her heart beat sounded good. At this point if I went into labor they would not stop it, I can't believe I'm at that point. 1 more week and she's considered full term.

Symptoms:

Uncomfortable. My belly is growing and growing, which means Bria is getting bigger and bigger! This also means she's getting heavier to cart around and by the end of the day I'm exhausted and just feel like collapsing on the couch in a coma like state. I've taken a bath the last two nights and that felt wonderful, I'm going to start taking more of those. Turning over in bed is actually kind of painful and I have to have the body pillow under the belly to support it otherwise my muscles strain to support the belly.
The belly belt has been great for my walks and helps tremendously to support the ever growing belly bump. I'm very grateful for that.

Cramps/Braxton Hicks (BH). I get a few BH's throughout the day and they are a little more uncomfortable than they were in the beginning, but still not horrible. My belly just gets really tight and occasionally I'll get some good cramping going on. I doubt they are doing anything besides warming me up for the big show.

Exhausted. As I mentioned, I am completely drained by the end of the day, and even more so by the end of the week. During the work day I want to take a nap so bad I could cry. Needless to say I am not productive in the evenings after my walk. I'm hoping to spend the weekends nesting and cleaning since nothing is done during the week. On the weekends I usually fight naps because they seem like a waste of time, but I've given in the past few weekends and it feels great. I love my naps.

Lots of movement. Bria moved a lot this week and I of course loved it. I've heard towards the end they reduce their movement since they run out of room so I'm glad she's still wiggling away. The right side of my belly is really sore and hurts, I think it's from all her kicking :) Wednesday night I was dreaming about her moving all around in my belly and sure enough I woke up to her swimming around in there. I felt punches really low, where her head is, which made me nervous that she had turned around and those were her feet or something. So I couldn't get back to sleep because I was stressing out and praying she was head down and not breech. Although, first and foremost I want a healthy baby. Anyway, at the appointment today the doctor confirmed she is still head down and in the same position-whew.

New food obsessions:
1. Wheat English muffins toasted, one with butter and honey, the other with peanut butter and honey-yum
2. Honey Bunches of Oats cereal


Baby:

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Maternity Photos

I cannot begin to tell you how in love with these pictures I am. That is saying A LOT considering I don't like any pictures of me right now. It just goes to show you how incredibly talented Jaime is. I sent these to Brian while he was at work and one of his first responses was how Jaime needs to do this professionally. We did these at Jaime's house even though they look like they were done in a studio. I've showed some of my friends and they also comment on what an amazing photographer Jaime is-seriously. I just love how they turned out and I am so grateful to her for this wonderful and irreplaceable gift. I'm thrilled to have pictures of the belly and can't wait to show Bria when she gets older :)

These are just a few of them: