Updates Galore

This week I got to the 30 week mark. I don't know what it is about the 30th week but it feels like such a huge milestone! Although I still have two very long, uncomfortable months ahead of me, for some reason I feel like its just around the corner. I am definitely feeling more uncomfortable in general. I am NOT feeling "pretty good" anymore on a regular basis. Its more like "eh, hanging in there - especially considering I know its just going to get worse until I deliver!" lol. I've gained 20lbs so far, and we will see how much I gain additionally. I really hope I don't gain more than another 10. We shall see. I'm having more trouble breathing (so I'm coughing all the time cause I can't take a deep breath) and I was getting really bad night reflux, so Ryan got a wedge pillow for me. It is working out wonderfully, and I haven't had any reflux since I started sleeping with it.

Cheryl brought back my Epi-No from her latest trip across the pond to England. I was really excited to get it. I took it for a test run (much to the horror of Ryan who had to endure the process as we were going to bed one evening.) I was surprised to find out that my pelvic floor muscles actually have really good tone (must be all that awesome sex we have been having). I also tried out the balloon feature, which you are not supposed to do the actual daily stretching exercises until a few weeks before expected delivery, so I just did it the once to see how far up I could get and I got to 6cm, which I think is a great start! But it also makes me really excited to get to work those last few weeks with stretching my perineum since I clearly have some work to do (only about half way there).

I got my blood results back from a few weeks ago. My 1 hour glucose results were awesome! I got a 75 which I now know (thanks to my dear friend Alyssa) is practically a fasting level. However, my iron level was 11.4; still anemic. :0( So that means more iron pills and iron rich food for me. I guess my body just runs slightly anemic (Ive been anemic at a number of times in my life starting in high school), and I just need to adjust with my diet and supplements!

I had another "urgent care" experience last week too. Late on Sunday night, I woke up at 11pm, (yes woke up - Hey I go to bed early now days!!!!) and had really bad stomach pain and cramping. It continued on and off all night and when I woke up it still had not gone away, so I called and spoke with the Midwife on call, who recommended I come in just to make sure everything was ok even though it didn't sound like anything in particular. After an NST, running a urine sample, checking my discharge under a microscope and checking me out, I was not having contractions, urine sample came back normal, didn't have an infection, wasn't dilated and wasn't effaced. We decided that Abby is just EXTREMELY active, in sort of a strange sideways position and that is probably exacerbating the braxton hicks.

At my Midwife appointment with Rebecca on Wednesday we also talked about birth control after I deliver. She gave me a bunch of info to look over. Ryan and I had originally talked about getting him snipped after we had Abby, because we for sure are done, but then I started thinking, what if? I know we don't want anymore kids right now, but I can't say with 100% certainty what will happen with our family in the next 10 years while I would still be of child bearing years... So why make a permanent decision now; why not wait until we are 40 yrs old and for sure not going to be making any changes to our family? I don't even want to talk about or mention the what ifs, I'm sure you can imagine what they would be. Anyway, so Rebecca suggested an IUD. I have always had this pre-conceived notion that an IUD is a barbaric form of birth control but after looking into it a little more, I think I'm actually going to try it out. Paragard is hormone free, which is something I will need for up to a year after Abby is born since Ill be breastfeeding and/or pumping. (Last time I tried the mini pill and it affected my milk production so I'll need a hormone free bc option). I also don't want to have to mess with anything daily or weekly, so condoms, diaphragms, foam, etc are all out. If it ends up working out you can leave it in for 10 years which is exactly the time frame we would be considering a permanent option, and is very cost effective as you just have the one time up front cost. I have heard terrible second hand stories from people about IUD's but honestly, what birth control method has anyone ever heard of that DOESNT have negative experiences from someone somewhere? I think Ill try it out and see if it works out for me. If not, then Ill look into something else.

Mother's day weekend was quite lovely. Ryan (and Rory) got me flowers, a new pair of Reefs and made a super sweet handmade card with pictures of me and Rory all over it to keep at work to remind me of them. He did so good! We got Thai take out on Sat for lunch (Sooo yummy and I was craving it) and then really enjoyed actual Mother's Day on Sunday at Aunt Diana's house with Cheryl's side of the family and my family too. I made a second batch of my now famous strawberry lemonade, and two versions of my cheesecake. It was undecided (split down the middle) as to whether the light, fluffy, cakey version was preferred to the dense, rich, creamy one.

In other news, Finley Bruce is here! With a whopping 10 minutes of the day to spare, Finn couldn't wait another second to come out and now will forever more share a birthday with Aurora. So funny that in our group, two sets of kids already share a birthday. Luke and Reese with 4-20, Rory and Finn with 5-5. And the way I'm headed Abby could be a 7-4 baby.... so our group is turning out to be a bunch of pot-smoking, margarita drinking pyro-maniacs; or so you would think based on their birthdays. LOL.

Aurora recently had her 2 yr old apt too. She weighed in at 23 lbs, and 33 inches. She didn't need any shots, and they don't need to see her until she is 3 yrs old. Her talking has really increased as of late; she repeats nearly everything you say, and is saying 2, sometimes 3 words at a time. We still have a hard time understanding her a lot but it's slowly but surely getting better. She really is the light of our lives, and makes each day somehow a challenge and the best day yet. I am really looking forward to her being a big sister and seeing her with Abby. She's so excited about the other babies (Hayley, Reese and Finn) but I can't really let her hold and touch them as much as I will with Abby. So I feel bad holding her back because I know she so desperately wants to play with them and be with them more, but they aren't my kids so she will have to wait until Abby gets here!