34 Weeks

I am a little over 34 weeks in this picture on Memorial Day!  Time continues to fly by, and we can't wait until our little one is here. :)

• How far along?  34 weeks
• Baby size:  Baby is the size of a cantaloupe!
• Maternity clothes?  Yes!  A few regular things here and there, but mostly maternity.
• Stretch marks?  Still none.  I love the Mustela stretch cream.  It is so light weight, but I feel like it is doing a great job!
• Sleep:  I am tired all the time, but am having a difficult time sleeping.  I can't seem to get comfortable.  This morning I was up super early and couldn't fall back asleep, so I just got up for the day.  Normally if I was early getting to school it would be a great time to get things done around my classroom.  Today, however, I had a meeting at a different school, so I was trying to waste time so I wouldn't be to the meeting too early.  I ended up stopping at Tim Horton's for myself and a few co-workers, and driving around Marysville for a while.  Those of you who know me well know this is NOT normal!  I am totally not a morning person, nor am I ever early. :)
• Best moment this week:  Today was my weekly non-stress test appointment at the OB.  I also had an ultrasound to check baby's growth.  My mom came with me and we had a fun afternoon. :)  Everything looked great with Baby Wallbank!  He was measuring around 5 pounds 2 ounces, which is normal for 34 weeks.  Baby looked healthy and happy in there, too!
• Miss anything?  Not really.  I continue to enjoy being pregnant.
• Movement:  He moves all the time - especially at night!
• Food cravings:  Bagels and cream cheese
• Anything making you queasy or sick:  Chris's hockey equipment in the laundry room.  Yuck!  But I think that smell could make anyone queasy or sick - sorry babe. :)
• Gender:  Boy! 
• Labor signs:  Braxton Hicks are happening nonstop!  I was actually concerned about how many I was having last week (they were happening about once every 10 minutes for several hours).  When I called the doctor, he suggested Chris and I go to the hospital to get things checked out to make sure there weren't any other signs of premature labor.  Of course I was being an over paranoid first time mom; everything was just fine.  I was a little embarrassed, but still glad that we went and got things checked out.  If I had been starting to go into labor that early and I didn't do anything to prevent it, I would've never forgiven myself for not sucking it up and getting checked out!
• Symptoms:  I'm getting pretty emotional lately. I was definitely crying in the middle of Target the other day looking at the greeting cards. 
• Belly button in or out?  Out, and I am not sure how much I like it.
• Wedding rings on or off?  My real rings are off.  They were too tight and it was making me nervous they'd get stuck!  I got a nice little cubic zirconia at Nordstrom the other day that is doing the trick for now, though. 
• Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy!  And slightly emotional. :)
• Looking forward to:  School being out for the summer!  Only 11 more days!!!
• Diabetes update:  I continue to require more and more insulin, but the doctors tell me that's normal.  In fact, the OB told me today that if my insulin requirements drop significantly, that can be a very bad sign for the baby.  So I am glad I am still needing boat loads of insulin for now.  I just wish I didn't have to change my pump every day and a half!  Too many pokes!

33 Weeks

Last weekend was my first "real" Mother's Day (aside from the ones I celebrated as a mom of my furry baby, Maggie). :)  Chris got me these pretty flowers.  He also wrote the sweetest card thanking me for carrying our little guy for the past 8 months.  It was really thoughtful!

We celebrated Mother's Day brunch over at my mom's house.  It is always great to get everyone together.  I love my family!!  I got to see Stella and Tia, the two newest arrivals in our family.  They are so adorable, and it makes me even more excited to meet our little guy soon when I spend time with them.  We got together with Chris's mom later in the day for a BBQ.  The cold weather wasn't ideal, but we made the best of it!  We worked on the nursery a bit, too, which was lots of fun!

Also, my wonderful co-workers and friends at school threw me a baby shower last week.  It was a lot of fun, and we got some really nice gifts.  We are so blessed!

• How far along?  33 weeks
• Baby size:  Baby is the size of a pineapple!
• Maternity clothes?  You know it.  I did one last shopping trip to Destination Maternity with my mom this week, and I swore I am not buying ANY more maternity clothes after that!  I actually bought myself a few normal tops at one of my favorite stores (Club Monaco) for after baby arrives.  They are flowy and loose fitting, so hopefully they'll fit!  
• Stretch marks?  None!  But I am getting some strange scars where I put my pump in.  Must be because my skin is more sensitive and pulled tight right now.  Not the most attractive look ever!
• Sleep:  I am definitely sleeping lighter than I used to, but have no problem falling asleep!  My 3rd trimester sleepiness doesn't compare to the 1st trimester EXHAUSTION, but I'm still pretty tired.
• Best moment this week:  I went to the OB on Wednesday for my first NST (non-stress test), and it was so sweet to hear our little one's heartbeat for 20 straight minutes!  I loved it.  I will be getting NST's once a week from this point on.  It will be a lot of driving back and forth down to the doctor, but it is so worth it to make sure Baby Wallbank stays healthy in there, even with my diabetes.
• Miss anything?  Now that the weather is getting warmer, I have been craving a cold beer or a glass of white wine.  Won't be long now!
• Movement:  I can tell he is running out of room in there!  The doctor says he is in head down position, but his arms, butt, and feet are all over the place.  I can feel them all the way from my hip bones up to my ribs.  I feel bad that he is probably getting a bit cramped!
• Food cravings:  Ice cream!  I am usually not a huge ice cream fan, but I can't get enough of it this week.  Chris has made a few DQ runs for me - what a guy. :)
• Anything making you queasy or sick:  For some reason I hadn't noticed the "heightened sense of smell" you supposedly get during pregnancy until just recently.  And of course I am only smelling the yucky smells!!  I keep smelling something musty in our kitchen and can't seem to find it.  I have torn the refrigerator apart, cleaned out the sink and garbage disposal, and even got special tablets to clean out our dishwasher.  Still can't find it.  WHERE IS THAT SMELL COMING FROM?!  I feel like a crazy person!
• Gender:  Boy! :)
• Labor signs:  Still just a few Braxton Hicks contractions everyday. 
• Symptoms:  Swelling!  Lots and lots of swelling!  
• Belly button in or out?  Way out there.
• Wedding rings on or off?  I ran my hands under cold water for about a minute last night and used all kinds of soap to get my wedding rings off (after not being able to get them off for about a week).  Thankfully they came off, but I don't know if I should put them back on! :(
• Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy!!!!
• Looking forward to:  Chris and I are heading down to see our friend's Jeff and Molly's beautiful new house this afternoon!  It is so pretty and big!  We are so happy for them.  We are also going to stop at Buy Buy Baby to do some exchanging of shower gifts, and then get dinner down that way.  We might make a date night out of it and see a movie, too. :)
• Diabetes update:  I saw my endocrinologist this week and he was really happy with how things looked!  It is the last time I will see him before delivery.  We talked a lot about what will happen that day.  He says he likes to let the Beaumont nurses and high risk OB's handle my diabetes while I am in labor using insulin and sugar water through an IV.  While I am a bit nervous handing control over to them, I know they are the best at what they do.  It is really important to stay in tight control during delivery for the baby.  If my blood sugar is high when he is born, he will be receiving that extra sugar through the umbilical cord.  When they cut the cord, his body will still be producing extra insulin to cover MY high blood sugar, so his will drop low.  I'd rather he not have any formula right after he's born (which would happen if his blood sugar went low).  But I will just have to trust that the doctors will keep a close eye on everything so it will go smoothly.  I know it will!

31 Weeks

I am nearly 8 months pregnant, with only 8 weeks (or less!) to go.  This is a picture from our baby shower this past weekend.  It was such a wonderful day!  My mom, sister, sister-in-law, and niece put so much time into making the shower perfect.  A few of my mom's wonderful friends helped out a ton, too.  We are so lucky!  It was great to see all our family and friends.  Chris and I felt so loved and blessed. :)  Baby Wallbank is quite blessed, too!!!  His room is overflowing with awesome new goodies from the shower!  We haven't started putting any of it away yet, but I am looking forward to getting his nursery organized this weekend.

Also, we went to a birthing class AND breastfeeding class last week.  They were both really informative - especially the breastfeeding one!  I think the birthing class was pretty eye opening for Chris.  We had to watch a video of a woman in labor from start to finish, and at the end he said, "That was a little over exaggerated...right?  You won't be like that because you're going to have an epidural.  Right?!?"  Haha I think he got a little nervous!  

Onto the stats...

• How far along?  31 weeks, 3 days
• Baby size:  Baby is the size of a head of lettuce.  He is about 19 inches long (no wonder I can feel his little feet in my ribs - yikes!), and weighs just under 4 pounds.
• Maternity clothes?  Almost 100% maternity clothes these days.  I can barely fit into my old t-shirts I used to sleep in!  I have one of Chris's on tonight!!
• Stretch marks?  Still steering clear.  The cream is working!
• Sleep:  Can't get enough of it.  I am super tired.  ALL the time!
• Best moment this week:  The entire baby shower was so wonderful!  
• Miss anything?  Having normal size feet.  They are so swollen and huge!  I feel like my calves have become one with my ankles.
• Movement:  Baby Wallbank has the hiccups at least twice a day!  It's the funniest feeling. He kicks and moves all over the place throughout the day...and especially at night.  Maybe he's a night owl like his mommy? 
• Food cravings:  Hot dogs.  So weird, but I crave them all the time!!  I ate an entire package almost all by myself in about 4 days time!  
• Anything making you queasy or sick:  No.
• Gender:  Ahoy, it's a boy! ;)
• Labor signs:  I am having quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions these days.  No real signs of labor, though...just the warm ups!
• Symptoms:  Back is really sore, my feet and hands are really swollen, and I'm suuuuuper tired.  I've just recently started to get a bit uncomfortable, too.  I can't complain though.  Overall I am still enjoying pregnancy.  I know I will miss being able to be with my little guy all day/everyday and feeling all his movements inside my tummy!
• Belly button in or out?  Oh, it's out there.  Looks so weird!
• Wedding rings on or off?  On...and I am not sure if I will be able to get them off!!  My fingers are pretty swollen!
• Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy!
• Looking forward to:  My school baby shower tomorrow afternoon!  I am so lucky to work with such awesome friends who are planning a fun get together after school at Pepper Joes. :)  Also looking forward to organizing the baby's room with all his awesome new things this weekend!
• Diabetes update:  I am still on the escalator of insulin requirement, taking more and more each day.  I am changing my pump site every 2 1/2 days, which is way more often than usual!  My sensor (Dexcom) is still helping me track the high blood sugars immensely.  I don't know what I would do without it!  I'm not sure why, but it hurts quite a bit when I insert the sensor lately.  Maybe it is because my skin is pulled pretty tightly on my tummy.  It's worth it though!!  I know all of the hard work and pain will pay off when we have a healthy, happy little guy in a few short weeks! :)

Here are a few shower pictures!

10 Great Things About Being Pregnant

I stumbled across the blog Pregnant Chicken a few months ago, and the author CRACKS me right up!  I love reading her posts.  One of her most recent entries was called 10 Great Things About Being Pregnant.  Chris and I both laughed out loud when we read it.  I agree with just about everything she said, too!  I think my favorite is that you "don't have to suck it in". :)  Also, Chris couldn't get over how friendly people were to us when we were in Jamaica.  It is totally true that for some reason people love a pregnant lady, and they are totally friendlier and think you are cute when you have a bump.  

To prove that point, here is a conversation I had with a random lady in our hotel lobby in Jamaica:
Random lady:  Oh!  Hello!  I saw you and your husband on the beach.  You two are just so cute.  Is this your first?
Me:  Yes, it's our first.  We are very excited!
Random lady:  Oh my gosh that is just so cute.  How far along are you?
Me:  Almost 7 months.
Random lady:  Oh!!  That's so great!  What's your name?
Me:  Amanda.
Random lady:  Awwwwwwwww!  So cute!

Me: ?!?!?!?!?!?!

Haha so odd, but people think a baby bump is adorable.  And apparently your name is also adorable when you're pregnant???  I guess I better soak it up now because I bet moms of rambunctious toddlers are not always found so "cute". ;)

You can check out her whole list of great things about being pregnant here:

http://www.pregnantchicken.com/2011/7/1/10-great-things-about-being-pregnant.html

28 Weeks

We are back in the mitten after a great trip to Jamaica!  It was exactly what Chris and I were hoping for...lots of sunshine, relaxing, and time together.  This is a picture of me (and baby) :) on the beach in front of our hotel.  I'm 27 weeks in the picture.  

Now that we're home it's go time on the nursery and getting ready for baby!  He will be here in 11 short weeks (or less!).  This pregnancy is flying by!

• How far along?  28 weeks - hello 3rd trimester!
• Baby size:  Baby is the size of a head of cauliflower. We just had some testing done at Beaumont on Wednesday and the technician said measurements found that baby is 2 3/4 pounds, and around 14 inches long.  That seems so long to me!  How does he fit in there?!
• Maternity clothes?  Oh yes.  I am starting to want to buy regular clothes when I'm shopping.  I keep thinking, "I could just buy this for 3 or 4 months from now..."  
• Stretch marks?  Still none!
• Sleep:  The baby is moving a lot when I am trying to fall asleep, and sometimes even wakes me up when I'm actually sleeping!  I can't say I mind though - his little kicks are so cute. :)
• Best moment this week:  There have been lots of great moments, so it's hard to pick just one!  Our whole trip to Jamaica was fantastic.  We had a 4D ultrasound on Monday that was AMAZING!  Also, the baby's furniture arrived today, so that was super exciting!!
• Miss anything?  Being able to walk a short distance or bend over to pick something up without getting winded. :)
• Movement:  Yes!  It is becoming stronger and stronger.  Also, baby had the hiccups for the first time the other night!  So crazy.
• Food cravings:  Mexican food and lemonade.  Oh, and fruits and veggies.  (<-- Who am I?!)
• Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope.
• Gender:  Sweet baby boy!!  Both ultrasounds this week confirmed it!
• Labor signs:  No!
• Symptoms:  Back and feet are super sore, and I am pretty sleepy all the time!  Also, the amount of times I am going to the bathroom each day is seriously unbelievable.  It's like every hour!!
• Belly button in or out?  It's popping out slowly but surely...noooo!
• Wedding rings on or off?  On.
• Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy!
• Looking forward to:  Organizing the baby's room now that all the furniture has arrived!  
• Diabetes update:  My A1C was 6.2 at my last appointment!  A few points up from last time, but still in a great range.  We also got some good news at Beaumont on Wednesday that the baby's heart looks healthy and normal!  Fetal Echos are prescribed for diabetics because heart defects are one of the most common birth defects associated with diabetes. We had a bit of a scare a while back at our first Fetal Echo when they found some abnormal measurements.  We were told not to worry, though, and that they would recheck in 6 weeks.  Thankfully our prayers were answered and everything looked normal at this last appointment! 

Here are some of the pics from our 4D ultrasound this week!  It was the coolest thing.  It made me even more excited to meet our little guy.  He is so darn cute already!

This is how baby was positioned for the first 10 minutes of the ultrasound...hand AND foot in front of his face!  We were worried we might not see him at all!  

Finally he decided to move and be photogenic for us. :)

The hand still made it's way into a lot of the pictures, though.  I think it's so cute that he sleeps like this!

Life is tiring in the womb!

My favorite picture - I love this adorable smile.  Can't WAIT to see it in person!!!

25 Weeks

Here I am at 25 weeks. 

It's been a while since I posted, but there hasn't been too much to say (which is a good thing!).  :)  Everything seems to be progressing normally with Baby Wallbank! 

• How far along?  25 weeks 
• Baby size:  Rutabaga (what?!).  In case you were wondering - like I was - how big a rutabaga is, it is 13 and a half inches long and about a pound and a half.
• Maternity clothes?  Yes!  Just got a box of goodies in the mail this week that I am excited to try on.  It is oozing with spring colors...I am so ready for warm weather!
• Stretch marks?  None - yay!
• Sleep:  I've been tossing and turning quite a bit.  Between that and having to go the bathroom several times in the night, it doesn't make for the best night's sleep.  I am pretty tired most days.  I guess the baby wants to try to give me a little taste of what's to come... :)
• Best moment this week:  I got my hair done and finally decided to go ahead with regular all over color.  I have been doing glazes to keep things safe for baby, but I am only a few weeks away from my 3rd trimester and have read it is totally safe, so I went for it.  I am so glad I did.  I was rocking an ombre color - without meaning to!!  Now we are back to good old all over dark brown.
• Miss anything?  Not really!  
• Movement:  Lots and LOTS of movement.  So cool. :)
• Food cravings:  Chicken quesadillas and anything salty.  
• Anything making you queasy or sick:  No.
• Gender:  Boy!
• Labor signs:  No, but Andrea let me feel her stomach while she was having a contraction the other day.  So crazy!
• Symptoms:  Back is sore and I'm getting hungrier by the day. :)
• Belly button in or out?  It's pretty much flat.  I hope it doesn't pop out!  Yikes!
• Wedding rings on or off?  On.
• Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy!
• Looking forward to:  Our "Babymoon" trip in ONE WEEK!  Jamaica here we come!!!
• Diabetes update:  I can't believe how much insulin I need!  I feel like I am changing my pump every other day.  Things are still going really well with my blood sugars, although my thyroid continues to be a problem.  I think it is definitely contributing to my constant sleepiness!  I go see my endocrinologist next week, so we'll see what he says.

Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!!

21 Weeks

 Time is flying by!  We are more than half way through the pregnancy, and baby boy will be here in a little over 4 months!!! 

Here I am at 21 weeks. The bump is growing quickly!!

21 Weeks

This past week I celebrated my 28th birthday.  It was a great day...one of the best yet!  I have a feeling 29 will be even more special though! ;)

I celebrated with my family on my actual birthday.  We also celebrated my sister Jodi's birthday.  My mom made a delicious dinner - stuffed lobster, steak, cheesy potatoes, veggies, and GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE. :) Jodi and my fave!  We were all quite stuffed!!  Thanks Mom for all your hard work. <3  Here are some pics from the party with my wonderful family!

Andrea at 7 months pregnant and me at 5 months pregnant!

Yum! :)

Check out this awesome cake!

Cake time

Some pretty cute party guests!

In addition to all that birthday fun, my hubby planned the most awesome surprise for me.  I am a pretty tough person to surprise, but he managed it!  With the help of his trusty party planners, Molly and Lynsey, they planned an awesome birthday dinner for me.  It was such a fun night!  Thank you to everyone who was able to be there to celebrate...and everyone who was there in spirit! :)

Surprise!!!

Thank you so much for all your work making the night so special girls!

Such a fun night with all of you! <3

Ok, on to the weekly stats...

• How far along?  21 weeks
• Baby size:  Length of a carrot (seems so long!)
• Total weight gain:  A lot...we'll leave it at that :)
• Maternity clothes?  Mostly maternity tops and bottoms!  I've ordered a few things for our spring break trip from Old Navy and was pleasantly surprised!  They have some really cute basic dresses that'll be perfect for the beach. 
• Stretch marks?  So far so good.  Still using all my trusty stretch mark creams!
• Sleep:  Like a baby.
• Best moment this week:  So many wonderful moments!  All the birthday fun and surprises were so great.  I was really overwhelmed with love!
• Miss anything?  We were enjoying some delicious cupcakes from Lynsey at the birthday party last night, and everyone's wine was looking very yummy with the dessert.
• Movement:  Baby boy is doing karate in there!  He is moving ALL the time.  I love it! 
• Food cravings:  Still loving fruit.  And basically just food in general. :)
• Anything making you queasy or sick:  No.
• Gender:  Baby boy!!  We need to start thinking about names soon!
• Labor signs:  Yikes!  No.
• Symptoms:  My back is still sore, I am peeing every 20 minutes, and I'm pretty starving all the time.  But I can't complain - I am still feeling pretty good!
• Belly button in or out?  In but it looks really weird.  Old belly button piercings sure don't look as "cute" with a baby bump. ;)
• Wedding rings on or off?  On.
• Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy!
• Looking forward to:  Some exciting things the Wallbanks have in the works right now!  Hopefully I'll be posting some more good news soon!!!! :)
• Diabetes update:  I went to see my endocrinologist last week.  I just love my doctor and his nurse practitioner!  I've had a great experience at their office.  And my A1C was down to a 5.8!  5.8 people!!! I have never been so low!  My goal was 6.0, so I exceeded that - yay!  Not to toot my own horn, but I am pretty proud of myself! ;)  All the hard work will be so worth it when baby is born healthy and perfect!!