Kelvin's birth story

Oh, Kelvin. I so wanted you to start labor on your own so I didn't have to be induced like I was with your sister. But you were nice and cozy in there so I didn't get my way. I thought I was going to when I was 99% certain my water broke in the early morning of Saturday, August 4th, but the Prentice Women's Hospital triage nurses confirmed that it wasn't so. You made us wait about 60 more hours to meet you...

My induction was scheduled for 4:30 am on Monday, August 6th. We were told to arrive at 4 am so we did...but we weren't taken to our room until closer to 5 am. Like John said at that time, if it wasn't so darn early, we wouldn't have minded the delay but we could have slept another hour! It took the nurse two tries to get an IV in me which was unusual as I have pretty good veins. She hit a valve the first time though. I think she felt really bad once I told her I was a nurse too (at least I waited until afterwards and was super nice about it).

Around 6:20 am, Nathan, the resident, placed the CRIB (cervical ripening with balloon) which is a foley catheter inside the cervix to help it dilate. At that point, I was dilated to 1.5 cm so Nathan wanted it checked in 3 hours. When Johnna, my midwife, came in around 9 am and saw that Nathan wanted the CRIB checked in 3 hours, she left to find him and confirm since they usually check it after 6 hours. Sure enough, she came back around 9:30 to check it and it came right out. My water broke at that time too and I was 3 cm dilated.

The next step was to start the Pitocin but first, I got to eat some super bland oatmeal that John found. Unfortunately, Starbucks was all out of oatmeal and he couldn't find any toppings at the place he got it from. It was pretty gross but I managed to eat a decent amount of it. In retrospect, I should have put one of my GU energy gels on it. John left to go get himself a good breakfast/lunch around this time too.

The view from my exercise ball. Can't complain about a lake view during labor!

The Pitocin started at 10:20 am. I mostly sat on the exercise ball from then until they checked me at 2:15 pm. John watched the monitors and put counter pressure on my back during contractions just like he did during labor with Ada. When Johnna checked me at 2:15 pm, I was only 4 cm dilated but fully effaced so she thought it would go fast from there. Just before she checked me I told John I wasn't sure I could keep going without pain meds. I decided to keep at it for a bit longer. I stayed in bed, lying on my right side and squeezing the bed rail with each contraction because I was completely exhausted by this point. John looked on from a chair in the corner of the room.

I called the nurse around 3 pm because of constant rectal pressure and the urge to push. Johnna came in to check me again by 3:15 pm and I was 9.5 cm! I told her I wasn't sure I could stop myself from pushing so with my next contraction, she got my cervix around Kelvin's head. Then I could start pushing. 10 minutes later, Kelvin was born at 3:39 pm! They put him up on my chest right away and he started crying. I was wearing my Oiselle sheroes sports bra which Johnna and my nurse both loved and thought was very appropriate for the day. Kelvin weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20 inches long.

Kelvin Sy Lenz

John wore the same shirt he wore when Ada was born.

Big sister Ada meeting Kelvin for the first time!

Dressed and ready to go home!

First time mom: Resources and my two cents for pregnancy and the first 3 months

I've been a mom for three whole months now! There are a few things I've found really helpful these last three months and wanted to write them down before I forget all about them.

Pregnancy

First of all, during pregnancy I really liked The Pregnancy Countdown Book. There's a page for each day of pregnancy. I would read the page for the next day at night before I went to bed. I borrowed this book from a friend but it looks like there's an updated version now.

Another book the same friend lent me was The Pregnancy Bible. (There's an updated version for this one too.) I did not read this one cover-to-cover but what I did read was very helpful!

In preparation for labor and delivery, I read most of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. It's a bit "crunchy" but I also found it really empowering. I also read parts of HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method. John read The Birth Partner which I think was really helpful for him. He also researched breathing videos on YouTube which we watched as I was being induced...

I subscribed to a number of websites/email lists, some during pregnancy and others since Ada was born:

• Lucie's List - This is my favorite email list!
• The Bump - I have the app and get the emails as well. Pretty basic but helpful.
• Babycenter - Pretty similar to The Bump.
• Scary Mommy - I love the Scary Mommy weekly emails.
• The hospital I delivered at also has an email list that is really informative.

Baby

Since Ada's arrival, The Happiest Baby on the Block book has been our best resource by far! The 5 S's (swaddling, side/stomach, shushing, swinging and sucking) really and truly work! Swaddling is the trickiest of the 5 S's but once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze. We like Bambino Land swaddle blankets. The owner went to my high school! We also have a couple of fleece Halo SleepSack Swaddles for when it's really cold (and we have a cotton one for at daycare as they don't allow blankets). 

While we were in the hospital, John found the Feed Baby app. We paid $4.99 to have the full capabilities of the app. It is so helpful! From the beginning, we've used it to track feedings. If you're breastfeeding, it's an easy way to remind yourself which side you fed off last and how long the baby has been eating. For the first month or so, it was also really helpful for tracking output (pee and poop). At those first pediatrician appointments, they ask how many times the baby has peed and pooped since midnight. If you're anything like me, you won't have a clue. We don't track Ada's output anymore but we've started using the sleep tracking function. My favorite thing about this app is the variety of widgets available.

Breastfeeding
 
If you're breastfeeding, know that it can be a struggle. I thought I was doing OK at first but then Ada wasn't gaining weight. I was producing milk but she wasn't getting it. Breastfeeding hurt. A lot. There were a number of times where Ada was crying because she was hungry and I was crying because it hurt so much to feed her. At one point, I was dreading her waking up because I would have to feed her. It was bad.

Luckily, I have a friend who's a lactation consultant. She came over to help me twice. Ada's pediatrician office also has lactation consultants on staff. I talked to one of them on a Sunday morning while I was in tears and two others during Ada's appointments. I also had a ton of support from my husband, my mom, and other friends.

I was very close to giving up on breastfeeding but a friend told me that it took her a month to get the hang of breastfeeding with both of her children. That became my deadline for Ada. I told myself that if she wasn't breastfeeding well after one month, I could either pump exclusively or formula feed. It worked out for us. By one month, we both had the hang of it.

My cousins suggested coconut oil for nipple soreness. I tried that a couple times but my lactation consultant friend recommended Motherlove nipple cream. That worked really well for me. Ada damaged my left nipple quite a bit in the beginning so I also used all purpose nipple ointment, a prescription strength ointment that my midwife prescribed for me. It did the trick!

KellyMom.com is a fantastic resource for all things breastfeeding!

Room Sharing

The American Academy of Pediatrics announced in October 2016 that:

"Infants should sleep in the same bedroom as their parents – but on a separate surface, such as a crib or bassinet, and never on a couch, armchair or soft surface -- to decrease the risks of sleep-related deaths."

We only have a one bedroom apartment so we were already planning to share our room with Ada. Luckily our bedroom is huge and her crib fits perfectly in one corner. My mom (and probably many others) thought we were crazy to stay in a one bedroom apartment but it's honestly been great. We have a sound machine (part of the 5 S's) that I think helps us sleep as much as it helps Ada. And, now that we're used to her little noises, we know which ones means she needs us and which ones don't.

Partner

The most important thing for making these past three plus months manageable and enjoyable has been my husband. He's an amazing dad. Not all moms are as lucky as I am. I'm truly thankful!

Ada's birth story

Ada Jo Lenz was born November 5, 2016. This is the story of her birth as I remember it almost two months later...

As I mentioned in my 39 weeks post, I was induced at 39 weeks due to concerns about intrauterine growth restriction. We went from our 39 week appointment to lunch then back home to pack our bags and then to Prentice. We checked in at the triage desk and then were directed to take the regular elevators up to the 8th floor labor and delivery unit. We got into a room at approximately 3:30pm. I got into a gown, keeping my Oiselle Lesko bra, underwear, and Steph Bruce Dream Big Pro Compression socks on (I got so many compliments on my socks!). The nurses did my intake questionnaires, got my vitals, started an IV, and hooked me up to the monitors. The midwife, Lia, one of the few I had not previously met came in soon and discussed how the induction would go. The first step was to insert a CRIB (cervical ripening with balloon) which is a Foley catheter inserted into my cervix to help it start to "ripen." Lia said that sometimes the providers are able to insert the CRIB with their fingers but sometimes they need to use a speculum. She tried it with her fingers a couple of times but couldn't get it (I wasn't dilated at all). So, she asked a resident to come in to try it but the resident couldn't get it with her fingers either. This process was uncomfortable but not painful. Then, the resident apologized but said she would need to use the speculum. She was successful using the speculum and I hardly felt it! Lia later said that once she saw how well I tolerated the CRIB insertion she knew I would be able to get through labor without an epidural (which was my ideal).

Then we just sat and waited for Lia to come back and check the CRIB in 6 hours. We watched a few YouTube videos about breathing techniques for labor and discussed baby names. We came up with a new list: Ada, Raya/Reya, Kyla, and Keira. We put the names up on the whiteboard in my room and decided to wait until we saw her to name her. At some point, John went out to get food for supper. The worst part about the CRIB was that it was taped to my leg so any movement pulled it. It was also quite interesting to go to the bathroom as I couldn't sit all the way down without a lot of pulling. At one point, I peed all over the floor in front of the toilet.

Around 10pm, Lia came to check my progress. Unfortunately there wasn't much so she recommended keeping the CRIB in for 6 more hours. This was pretty disappointing as I wasn't able to rest very comfortably. This was in part because of the CRIB and in part because the L&D bed wasn't very comfortable. But, John and I both tried to get some rest.

Around 4am, Lia came back to check me and I was dilated to 5cm! It was time for the CRIB to come out and the Pitocin to begin. Lia told me to eat a little so I had a Picky Bar and the apple she brought me from her bag (she couldn't find any fruit on the unit). She also brought me a turkey sandwich but I wasn't really interested in that at 4am. The Pitocin started around 5am.

Johnna came in to check me around 9am, maybe, and I was still at 5cm but fully effaced so that was good (and typical of an induction). I was pretty bummed at this news though because I thought I would be further along. Things got real around 11am. The contractions were coming much stronger. I spent most of my time on the birthing ball. Johnna tied a sheet around my torso with a knot in my lower back and instructed John to pull it tight with each contraction to apply counter-pressure. This actually helped a lot. John diligently watched the monitors and sometimes knew that a contraction was coming before I did!

I think Johnna checked me again around 1:30pm. I can't remember exactly how dilated I was at this point but I know it wasn't enough. I stayed in bed for a little while after she checked me but it was harder for me to breathe through the contractions while I was in bed so I got up again pretty soon after. Also, this was when I started peeing with the contractions, I guess because I was bearing down (which I wasn't supposed to be doing yet). From this point until I started pushing around 3:30pm was the hardest.

Also, at some point before 1:30pm, my mom arrived. John and I had a pretty good system down so there wasn't much for her to do in the room. I think it was hard for her to see me like that but she made it through.

Around 3:30pm, Johnna checked me again and I was 9.5cm. It was almost time to push! Johnna and the nurses starting getting things ready for the birth. I was on my hands and knees in bed at that point, trying as hard as I could not to bear down. Then, it was finally time to push. John and one of the nurses held my legs. I pushed three times with each contraction. At this point, it was a relief to be able to push even though it hurt. Johnna and the nurses were really phenomenal during this part. I felt Ada's head as she was crowning which was pretty cool. John was right there holding my right leg so he was able to see everything. At one point the nurse asked him if he was OK and pulled up a chair just in case but he didn't need it. Mom also had a pretty great view.

Ada was born at 4:33pm! Right away, the nurses put her on my chest as they waited for her umbilical cord to stop pulsing. It was absolutely amazing! John cut the cord and then they took her to clean her up a little and get her weight, etc.

 

 

So much hair!

I delivered the placenta which I honestly don't even remember now. I also had to get a few stitches. I vaguely remember that part...

The nurses tried to help me breastfeed Ada but she wasn't too interested at that point. One of the nurses thought she might have a tongue tie so suggested having the pediatrician check for that.

A couple hours later we were on our way to the postpartum unit. There we got settled in, Mom went out to get supper for her and John, and I ordered a dinner tray...real food, finally! This part is kind of a blur too...feeding, sleeping, changing diapers. Ada got a bath and her first Hepatitis B vaccine the first night. She also had to have her heel stuck to get a blood glucose test because she hadn't eaten frequently enough. Keith and Allyson and Natallie came to visit on Sunday. John walked home to get the stroller and car seat as well as a fresh pair of socks for me. (An extra pair of socks was the only thing I forgot to pack in our 5 minute packing spree.) Then Monday morning we were discharged.

Proud Grandma

It was sunny and in the 50s the day we were discharged so John decided to walk home with Ada in the stroller. I wasn't quite up for that long of a walk though. We walked to Stan's Donuts about two blocks from the hospital to pick up some delicious donuts and then I hopped in a cab. Surprisingly, the cab driver was a former student of John's at UIC. As he was driving me home, I was thinking about giving him an extra tip but when we got home, he gave me a free ride instead. It really is a small world, even in a city as big as Chicago.

Overall, I think it was a really good birth. I didn't expect to be induced or to have continuous IV fluids and constant fetal monitoring. But, I did it without an epidural, just like I wanted. John was the best labor partner I could have imagined. He put on my Google Music Zac Brown Band station, got me water and Nuun and made sure I actually drank it, and never once mentioned the epidural option.

Side notes: I can't remember exactly when this happened but at some point after Ada was born, the nurse asked if she could cut off my Lesko bra. Are you kidding me?!? I think her intention was for easier skin-to-skin contact but she also mentioned that it would get "dirty." I just hiked it up and reassured her that it was washable. On a related note, multiple nurses suggested wearing pants that could be thrown away during recovery. What?!? Again, can't these things be washed? Maybe other women's postpartum recovery experiences are different than mine but wearing and washing my regular comfy pants worked just fine.

39 weeks

Week 39 started off with a great weekend with Mom, Angie, Kayla and Gwen. Once again, the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K weekend was a success! I walked the 5K with Gwen after Mom and Kayla decided they wanted to run. I did it...but it was definitely a struggle. It was well worth the delicious chocolate at the end though!

Me and Mom at the bean

Hot Chocolate crew

On Wednesday, the Cubs won the World Series! Exciting times in Chicago for sure!! John and I even made it out to the victory parade on Friday before our 39 week appointment.

I also had a Chicago Scholars workshop on Wednesday. It was good to see my scholars again! The room was abuzz with excitement over the Cubs game. Thursday, John and I saw Fun Home, the musical. It was a good show!

Our 39 week appointment on Friday was where the excitement began. I measured smaller than I had at my 38 week appointment so the midwife wanted to get an ultrasound. Baby Girl measured small on the ultrasound too, meeting the criteria for intrauterine growth restriction. At that point, Johnna recommended that I be induced that day so Baby Girl could continue growing on the outside instead of the inside. It was pretty shocking news that had me in tears...but Johnna reassured us that everything was fine for the time being. So, the plan was for us to go get a good lunch, get our hospital bag (nope, hadn't packed that yet), and then go to the hospital to be induced.

We ate lunch at the Panera near the hospital, notified our families and my coworkers that Baby Girl was coming, and then walked home. Johnna had actually said that just John should go home to get our stuff but we figured she didn't realize just how close we lived. We packed in record time (and all I forgot was extra socks) and then walked to the hospital. It's a good thing I wasn't actually in labor because there were absolutely no cabs nearby due to the road closures from the Cubs parade. Everyone laughed at me when I suggested I would walk to the hospital but that's exactly what I did.

What's really funny is that on the way to the hospital we saw my running buddy Natallie's husband. He was so excited to see us on our way to have the baby! Small world.

To be continued...

38 weeks

38 weeks! Only two weeks to go until Baby Girl's due date. Crazy!

Baby Girl is the size of a winter melon this week. She's still positioned head down. I'm measuring on the low end of normal again but bigger than last week so the midwife wasn't too concerned. Baby Girl's heart rate was still in the 140s  which is great. She's moving a lot!

I tried to run/walk the North Harbor Tower Fall Kick Off 5K last night but ended up just walking after two 2:30 run intervals. My left shin hurts a lot when I run but is completely fine when I walk. So, I guess it's time to retire from running until I'm cleared postpartum. Sunday's Hot Chocolate 5K will be at a brisk walk instead of a run. I think my mom is relieved that she won't have to try to keep up with me running...ha!

We finally have pretty much everything ready for Baby Girl! The stroller and car seat arrived this week and John got them all figured out. I finished decorating her space. All the stuff that was being stored in her crib is put away. I'd like to have next weekend to relax yet before she arrives but I think we're ready...

 

 

My coworkers threw me an awesome "baby breakfast" this week. The bib/onesie decorating was definitely a hit!

This weekend Mom, Angie, Gwen, and Kayla are here for our annual Hot Chocolate 15K/5K weekend. Fun fun!

And, the Cubs are playing in the World Series! Go Cubs Go! Fly the W!

37 weeks

37 weeks! We finally went to Buy Buy Baby today to order the car seat and stroller...whew! I was waiting for our registry completion discount but then it was only for in-store and our stroller isn't available to purchase in our local store. When I called customer service they told me I would be getting an online completion discount as well so I was waiting for that but it didn't come. When I contacted customer service again, they told me the online completion discount wouldn't come until 10 days before my due date...yikes! But, they also told me that I could go to the store and use the completion discount to order any items that weren't available in store. So, that's what we did! Now, I have to figure out what we need from our other registries and get that ordered ASAP.

We had a good week. Sunday we did our maternity pictures in Millennium Park. I really like our photographer and can't wait to see the pics!

Monday we did the Expectant Parent Tour at Prentice Women's Hospital, the hospital where Baby Girl will be born. We'll be in three different rooms while we're there: triage, labor and delivery, and recovery.

Wednesday I made it back to yoga after missing the past two weeks. I was a little worried that it would feel really hard because the last class I was at felt pretty tough...but this one felt great!

Wednesday morning's pre-sunrise as I was getting ready to run/walk

Yesterday we took the Metra out to the Chicago Botanic Garden for the Night of 1000 Jack O Lanterns. Natalie joined us on the Metra in Evanston and we met Geiner and Marcela there. It was a fun but chilly night! The jack o lanterns were really impressive.

A few of the awesome jack o lanterns

John, me, Natalie, Geiner and Marcela

Baby Girl is doing well. She moves a lot! She demonstrated her stretching skills at our appointment today by moving just when Stephanie started to listen to her heart rate. She's still positioned head down (and hopefully stays that way).

I'm feeling really good still. I was able to run/walk and go to yoga on Wednesday which was great. I've been having more regular swelling in my feet this week but it's not too bad. It's definitely getting harder to put on my shoes and socks...and now it's cool enough that I need them more often too.

We also bought this for Baby Girl today!

36 weeks, 4 days

36 weeks! Only 4 weeks to go! Wow!!! We have weekly appointments with the midwives now. On Friday our midwife talked about the birth. The midwives group has a "Chicago 3-1-2" rule for coming to the hospital. This means contractions should be 3 minutes apart, contractions should be lasting for 1 minute, and the pattern should be established for 2 hours. I like it. She also suggested eating a full meal before coming to the hospital as the anesthesiologists have a rule about only clear liquids during labor. I was hoping I could sneak some Picky Bars in but I guess I'll have to stick with Nuun!

This week wasn't too busy which was good because I caught John's cold. I had dinner with a Chicago Scholars co-mentor and scholar on Monday and then John and I saw Hamilton on Thursday. Neither of us really knew what to expect but we both thoroughly enjoyed it! Best show we've seen in quite a while!

The Spindler Girls came to Chicago for the weekend. Mom and her friends Diane and Mary arrived early Friday afternoon and then Jill, Joy, Jeri, Bev, Joanie and Krystal arrived Friday evening. Erin and Chelsey arrived late Friday night and then Jamie joined us Saturday morning. Quite a crew! They threw me a mini baby shower with awesome gifts, we played Apples to Apples and Bingo, a few of us did a little shopping, a few of us visited a couple sites for Open House Chicago, and we all went out for breakfast at Wildberry and supper at Pizano's.

The view from the Blue Cross Blue Shield building during Open House Chicago

Mom, Diane and Mary brought Baby Girl's dresser, made by Diane's husband. It's beautiful! Now that it has arrived, I have her clothes out of the crib and in to the dresser. Hopefully I'll be able to finish her space this weekend.

I started a new prayer for this last month of pregnancy.

35 weeks, 2 days

35 weeks! Only 35 (well, now, 33) days until Baby Girl's due date!

Week 35 was a busy one. We didn't have any plans last weekend but had lots to do at home. Karen and I treated ourselves to pedicures on Sunday which was amazing and much-needed. Tuesday I had jury duty in Maywood, IL. I ended up only being at the courthouse for about 3 hours but it took me over an hour to get there and get home so it was still a long day. Tuesday evening I had a Chicago Scholars workshop, Wednesday evening we met John's parents and Natalie for dinner, Thursday evening I had a haircut appointment, and Friday we had a baby appointment and then I met the Oiselle Team for dinner. Whew!

Baby Girl is doing great. She moves lots and lots. Her heart rate was once again in the 140s at our appointment on Friday. We now have weekly appointments so we'll be seeing the midwives a lot in the coming weeks.

I'm still feeling good...but starting to get anxious about everything I want to do yet before Baby Girl makes her arrival! I suppose it will all get done eventually...

34 weeks

34 weeks! Woohoo! Baby Girl's movements are becoming slightly less frequent but definitely stronger now. I always know she's there! The butternut squash analogy for size seems right on this week.

We had a good week. Last Saturday we had lunch with Lauren, my best friend from Champaign, who I haven't seen since we moved away. It's crazy that we haven't seen each other in over 5 years...and yet, I felt like we picked up right where we left off. Amazing. I'm so glad we were able to reconnect!

Saturday evening, we had dinner with my cousin Melissa, her husband Pat, and their son Riley. Melissa is due with a baby girl in January. It was so good to see them again!

Otherwise, we had a pretty uneventful week. My phone died last Thursday. John let me use his most of the time but I was without calls or text. My new one arrived on Wednesday. Google customer service is awesome!

We also got a surprise package from Ale with a couple of adorable outfits in it. Gracias, Tía Ale!

33 weeks

Baby Girl is the size of celery (or a pineapple) this week, depending on which baby app is referenced. Her heart rate was in the 140s-150s at our appointment today. The midwife was also able to figure out her position as head down, with her butt on the left side of my stomach and a leg towards the right lower part of my stomach (which I knew because that's where I get kicked). All good! Our appointment was otherwise pretty uneventful though I did get a flu shot (and we got to meet Johnna, one of the midwives, for the first time).

This week was a good one! We celebrated Natallie and Emil's wedding last Saturday which was a lot of fun. Natallie is Puerto Rican and Emil is Armenian. They did a great job of showcasing both cultures during both the ceremony and reception.

On Sunday, John, Keith, and I ran the Bucktown 5K. It was a fun race!

I had my first appointment with a new dentist on Tuesday (John went last week) which went well except that I might have a cavity. I'm going to wait until after Baby Girl is born to go back for the x-rays to find out for sure.

Wednesday we had dinner with Lori. It's always so good to see her! I love that she lets us know whenever she's in town. Today I had lunch with another friend. She gave me the sweetest gifts for Baby Girl! After lunch, I stopped at Michaels in Lakeview for some crafting supplies. It was amazing how I could find exactly what I wanted there after looking without much luck at Blick, Target, and online!

In not-so-great news, my phone decided it was done functioning last night. It turned off and won't turn back on. I talked to Google customer support for quite a while this morning. Their tricks didn't work either so they're sending a new phone. In the meantime, I'm unable to text or make calls. Good thing this is happening now and not closer to Baby Girl's due date!

Oh, and I finally got a video of Baby Girl's movements! I also started tracking her kicks with an app John found for me. It's fun to see how much she moves. On Monday through Thursday I tracked how long it took her to kick 10 times. Now I guess I'll have to wait for my new phone to arrive before I do it again...

32 weeks

32 weeks! Only 8 weeks to go (give or take)!

We had a pretty uneventful week this week. We're done traveling for the time being so we'll be in Chicago until after Baby Girl is born. This weekend will be a busy one with Natallie and Emil's wedding tomorrow (well, later today, really) and the Bucktown 5k on Sunday. Busy but fun!

Baby Girl continues to move a lot. I tried to take a video of her visible movements on my belly last night but then she got shy and stopped moving. One of these days I'll get a video.

John finished reading The Birth Partner this week and made me download a kick counting app. I haven't used it yet but have been informally paying attention to her movements. I started reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and really like it! I got both books from the library and they were supposed to go back on Wednesday but Tuesday night I was able to renew the Ina May one. This weekend my job is to read HypnoBirthing which has to go back to the library on Monday. Then, we need to find some YouTube videos to watch together...

Ron sent me a picture of Baby Girl's dresser this week. It's perfect!

And Ben made me these thank you notes for last weekend's shower. He's so good!

A new prayer for Month 8!

31 weeks, 4 days

Last week was a short one because of the holiday but a busy one! Natalie moved in to her new apartment in Evanston on Wednesday so John helped with that while I was at work. We had our 31 week appointment on Friday and then headed up to Oshkosh for the weekend.

Baby Girl was doing well at the appointment. Her heartbeat sounded good. I got my Tdap vaccine so hopefully she'll get the pertussis antibodies she needs from me. She is moving so much now. If she gets into a position that's uncomfortable for me, she'll usually move if I rub that area.

I'm still feeling pretty good. I get uncomfortable if I'm in certain positions for long periods (like sitting on the couch, in a chair, or in the car). Sleeping is also getting uncomfortable. This morning I woke up before my alarm because I couldn't stand to be lying on my side anymore. But, I really can't complain!

The Aunt Squad, Annie and Natalie, threw us an awesome baby shower/pregger kegger this weekend. It was a storybook theme. They found so many cute ideas and executed them perfectly! It was so good to see everyone who came and we got a lot of really great gifts. The three of us are so lucky to have such amazing family and friends.

The book cake/tower and a few of the food labels

Baby's First Library crate and our crowns

A Wild Thing is on the way!

John and I had the same "A Magical Make Believe Monster!" hoodies as kids.

Super cute diaper baby from Megan Bunke

30 weeks, 3 days

30 weeks! Holy moly! This was a fun week. We went out to brunch with Keith and Allyson on Sunday and then walked through Taste of Greektown. I worked Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday so that I could take off Thursday without using PTO (thanks, Donna) and we could head down to South Carolina for our "babymoon."

We flew in to Charleston early Thursday morning and then visited Magnolia Plantation. It was beautiful but also a little eerie (especially the house).

 

 

 

 

Then, we headed to Hilton Head Island, where we were staying for the weekend. Our resort was beautiful! Thursday evening we went down to check out the beach and then sat by the pool for awhile. We had dinner at a local Mexican place.

 

 

Tropical Storm Hermine hit on Friday so we treated ourselves to the breakfast buffet at the hotel and spent the majority of the day in the lobby. We ventured out toward the beach just long enough to get our Week 30 photo. By that time, the storm had pretty much passed. We went to dinner at Hickory Tavern, a new-to-us sports bar/restaurant chain. There were lots of branches and a few trees down from the storm but that seemed to be pretty much all the damage in the area.

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day! After breakfast at Starbucks, we rented chairs and an umbrella and spent the whole day on the beach. It was perfect!

 

Sunday we packed up and headed back to Charleston. We had planned to have lunch downtown but the downtown area was packed (and we got a little later start than we had originally planned). So we just drove through downtown and instead picked up lunch to go from McAlister's Deli. Of course, I couldn't get my favorite McAlister's Club but the Veggie Club was pretty delicious...and the sweet tea was just as good as I remembered!

Then it was back to the airport and home to Chicago. I'm so glad we went on this little trip. It was the perfect little getaway!