There are 2 pieces of advice about becoming parents for the first time that I've taken to be the best. The first: expect the unexpected. The second: be as spontaneous as possible, because planning takes too much time and effort.
Trying to keep my mind open about all the unexpected things possible, I have to admit that I wasn't expecting to get sentenced to moderate bed rest until the baby is born. My boss once asked me, "When do you think you'll begin your leave from work?" My reply was, "When my water breaks."
Needless to say that won't be the case. Having experienced some symptoms of possible early labor last weekend, Robbie and I went to the hospital upon our doctor's advice to make sure everything was okay. Thankfully I wasn't experiencing contractions (and haven't since). But I was a teeny bit dialated. So the attending doctor put me on bed rest all this past week until my next regular doc appointment, which was yesterday.
My hope was that my doctor would give me the green light to at least go back to work. But we found out that I am about 1 centimeter dialated, so she would like me to stay on moderate bed rest until the baby is born. Yuck. We weren't planning on me leaving work at least until the end of November, possibly the first week of December. (but that might have been pushing it!)
So having said all that, I'm really looking at all the positives to outweigh the negatives.
1) I work in a school. Maybe God is protecting me from getting exposed to H1N1.
2) I now have TONS of "me time" before the baby is born. TONS of it.
3) Moderate bed rest doesn't mean I can't leave the bed...I just get to walk to the couch. :)
4) I get to relax. A lot.
5) I can enjoy catching up/starting various activities and projects. See #2.
6) I don't have to wear uncomfortable maternity pants all day. Sweatpants do just fine at home.
7) I have more time to blog.
8) MOST important of all--Maverick is doing wonderful, and if it takes bed rest to keep him that way, then that's what needs to happen, no doubt about it!
I'm trying not to think of it as bed rest anymore. It's a mini-vacation. Minus the travel size shampoo and beach. :)
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Encouragement
Having been ordered by the doctor to take it easy this week, I've had plenty of time on my hands. Isn't it funny how when we're overloaded with our normal schedules, all we beg and plead for is just some time to relax?? I think it's funny because now that I've been forced to do nothing all day, I'm craving to do the littlest things. Robbie doesn't let me get away with much, so I've caught up (and then some) on books to read and unfortunately I'm quite knowledgeable of the reality t.v. circuit. I could tell you who was voted off and why for just about any show. :)
This past weekend my family and friends threw the most wonderful baby shower ever for me. I will never, ever be able to say "thank you" enough to them. One of the many amazing gifts I received was from our pastor and his wife. It is a book called "The Complete Book of Christian Parenting & Child Care".
I have to be honest and show a bit of my inner cynic when I say that I'm not one to run to a book for advice about parenting. Not that I have any clue about parenting, but having a Bachelor's degree in Education and working as an educator has proven one thing to me: no book can ever prepare you for the real life situation! That's why I think all colleges should change their education degree programs to all practicum experience rather than waste everyone's time in a lecture hall. (steps down from soap box)
I just wanted to share an excerpt from the book that really encouraged me, and calmed my fears about becoming a parent:
"You will be a good parent. Many of us start our mothering and fathering careers wondering, "Will I be a good parent?" "How will my child turn out?" "Will I be able to raise a godly child?" At this point, don't immediately think of turning to books, classes, or advisers. Tune into yourself--you will realize it is comforting to know that God would not have given you a child without the built in means to raise that child to love and serve the Lord. This would violate the concept of "Creator." God designed within every mother or father the necessary tools to parent their individual child; for example, God would not have given you a child with a temperament that you cannot handle. The key is to discover these built-in tools and use them to develop your skills according to the plan and design that God has for you and your child [...]"
It's scary to think about the world that Maverick will grow up in, and how we will handle that as parents. But really, hasn't sin always been sin? The world is not any more quickly "going to hell in a hand basket" than it was 50 or 200 years ago. But Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. :)
I had some fun (from my chair!) today capturing some of the things I want to remember about the days right before Mav arrives. Here are some of the cards from his baby shower:
I will save my other photos for later, as I will have more time than usual to blog. :)
This past weekend my family and friends threw the most wonderful baby shower ever for me. I will never, ever be able to say "thank you" enough to them. One of the many amazing gifts I received was from our pastor and his wife. It is a book called "The Complete Book of Christian Parenting & Child Care".
I have to be honest and show a bit of my inner cynic when I say that I'm not one to run to a book for advice about parenting. Not that I have any clue about parenting, but having a Bachelor's degree in Education and working as an educator has proven one thing to me: no book can ever prepare you for the real life situation! That's why I think all colleges should change their education degree programs to all practicum experience rather than waste everyone's time in a lecture hall. (steps down from soap box)
I just wanted to share an excerpt from the book that really encouraged me, and calmed my fears about becoming a parent:
"You will be a good parent. Many of us start our mothering and fathering careers wondering, "Will I be a good parent?" "How will my child turn out?" "Will I be able to raise a godly child?" At this point, don't immediately think of turning to books, classes, or advisers. Tune into yourself--you will realize it is comforting to know that God would not have given you a child without the built in means to raise that child to love and serve the Lord. This would violate the concept of "Creator." God designed within every mother or father the necessary tools to parent their individual child; for example, God would not have given you a child with a temperament that you cannot handle. The key is to discover these built-in tools and use them to develop your skills according to the plan and design that God has for you and your child [...]"
It's scary to think about the world that Maverick will grow up in, and how we will handle that as parents. But really, hasn't sin always been sin? The world is not any more quickly "going to hell in a hand basket" than it was 50 or 200 years ago. But Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. :)
I had some fun (from my chair!) today capturing some of the things I want to remember about the days right before Mav arrives. Here are some of the cards from his baby shower:
I will save my other photos for later, as I will have more time than usual to blog. :)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Listening to the awesome
I don't quite like that my posts are mostly about Maverick, but at the same time it is such a huge thing that is so wonderful! We have lots of other things that define our lives and I want to write about those more too...but it's easiest to blog about all the new and exciting stuff happening with the baby, especially as his arrival time quickly approaches. So bear with me as I try to balance things out. :)
Yesterday I went to have my first NST (non-stress test). I knew that the test procedure itself wasn't a huge thing to worry about. I was more concerned about how long it was going to take and how bored I would get. Silly huh?? It turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I'm actually looking forward to having them done every week.
So the nurse brought me back into this dimly lit room and strapped 2 monitors to my belly. One is to measure the baby's heartbeat, and one is to measure contractions (should there be any). I suppose any lady who has had a baby has had this done at least once--maybe the only time being while they were in labor. It was so wonderful because I laid back in this comfortable reclining chair in the dim room and listened to Maverick's heartbeat for 45 minutes. He was so squirmy that he kept bumping the sensor, and the nurse kept having to adjust it. :) There was a tv in there, but I didn't want to watch because it was more enjoyable to listen to the heartbeat. I also took that time to pray for Maverick.
The reason why I have to get these done weekly is because of my gestational diabetes. With GD the placenta can mature too quickly, and the oxygen and nutrient supply to the baby can diminish. So the test monitors the baby's heartbeat and movement, and makes sure that when he moves around his heart rate increases.
Yesterday I also had an ultrasound. It's actually been a couple months since my last one, so I was excited to see how much he had changed. This time the picture was a little more blurry, but that is a good thing! The nurse said as the baby grows, the sound waves have a harder time traveling through denser bones and muscles.
Overall the results were fantastic. It was so exciting that I've kinda blurred all the details that I wanted to remember. But that's probably because I wanted to remember them all! We watched the 4 chambers of his heart move. We watched him play with his feet. We could see his fingers and toes. We saw a clear shot of his eyes, nose, and mouth. The nurse took one look at his legs and said, "Wow! Look at those leg muscles!" So Robbie is very excited about his cycling future. The nurse also showed us that he already has a head full of hair.
I don't know why, but I got so excited about hearing that--that I got light headed. I've been trying to picture what he's gonna look like and I've been hoping that he would be born with a good amount of hair. I don't know why though. It's not like I need to worry about putting bows in his hair or anything.
He currently weighs 4 lb 11 oz. And the funny thing is (funny because I have GD), that's actually a little small for how far along I am. (according to the nurse) So she bumped his due date out to December 10th instead of December 1st. My dad will be happy because he was concerned about Maverick arriving during opening weekend for deer hunting, which is the last week of November. :)
Here is a shot of his face! Tilt your head to the right and you should see his eyes, nose, and mouth. His arm is slightly blocking the view.
Tomorrow is my baby shower, and I'm super excited about seeing everyone! I actually hate being the center of attention to open presents, but I'm sure that feeling will go away with the first "awwwwww!" look at an outfit. Yay!
Yesterday I went to have my first NST (non-stress test). I knew that the test procedure itself wasn't a huge thing to worry about. I was more concerned about how long it was going to take and how bored I would get. Silly huh?? It turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I'm actually looking forward to having them done every week.
So the nurse brought me back into this dimly lit room and strapped 2 monitors to my belly. One is to measure the baby's heartbeat, and one is to measure contractions (should there be any). I suppose any lady who has had a baby has had this done at least once--maybe the only time being while they were in labor. It was so wonderful because I laid back in this comfortable reclining chair in the dim room and listened to Maverick's heartbeat for 45 minutes. He was so squirmy that he kept bumping the sensor, and the nurse kept having to adjust it. :) There was a tv in there, but I didn't want to watch because it was more enjoyable to listen to the heartbeat. I also took that time to pray for Maverick.
The reason why I have to get these done weekly is because of my gestational diabetes. With GD the placenta can mature too quickly, and the oxygen and nutrient supply to the baby can diminish. So the test monitors the baby's heartbeat and movement, and makes sure that when he moves around his heart rate increases.
Yesterday I also had an ultrasound. It's actually been a couple months since my last one, so I was excited to see how much he had changed. This time the picture was a little more blurry, but that is a good thing! The nurse said as the baby grows, the sound waves have a harder time traveling through denser bones and muscles.
Overall the results were fantastic. It was so exciting that I've kinda blurred all the details that I wanted to remember. But that's probably because I wanted to remember them all! We watched the 4 chambers of his heart move. We watched him play with his feet. We could see his fingers and toes. We saw a clear shot of his eyes, nose, and mouth. The nurse took one look at his legs and said, "Wow! Look at those leg muscles!" So Robbie is very excited about his cycling future. The nurse also showed us that he already has a head full of hair.
I don't know why, but I got so excited about hearing that--that I got light headed. I've been trying to picture what he's gonna look like and I've been hoping that he would be born with a good amount of hair. I don't know why though. It's not like I need to worry about putting bows in his hair or anything.
He currently weighs 4 lb 11 oz. And the funny thing is (funny because I have GD), that's actually a little small for how far along I am. (according to the nurse) So she bumped his due date out to December 10th instead of December 1st. My dad will be happy because he was concerned about Maverick arriving during opening weekend for deer hunting, which is the last week of November. :)
Here is a shot of his face! Tilt your head to the right and you should see his eyes, nose, and mouth. His arm is slightly blocking the view.
Tomorrow is my baby shower, and I'm super excited about seeing everyone! I actually hate being the center of attention to open presents, but I'm sure that feeling will go away with the first "awwwwww!" look at an outfit. Yay!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Happy Birthday Robbie!
Agh, so much to catch up on! First and foremost, yesterday was Robbie's birthday!!! Despite the feeling of this being his last year in his "20s" he said he had a wonderful birthday. Unfortunately he had to work (I don't care how old you get, I think you should always take a day off work for your birthday!). But he enjoyed a nice birthday lunch with his co-workers, and I stopped by with a surprise cheesecake and his favorite drink from Starbucks: a venti, non-fat, no water, Chai tea. We were also hoping that the Cardinals would deliver a win for his birthday too...but that is a rather sore subject to bring up today. After the game we watched our favorite show "Project Runway" and enjoyed yummy german chocolate cake that my dad baked for Robbie.
I know that Robbie doesn't like all the mushy stuff, but I really do want everyone to know how thankful I am for Robbie. He is the best husband and the most best friend ever, ever, ever. Ever. It's not enough to say that God blessed me with him! (okay Robbie, the mush is over)
Let's see, what else...I've been in super nesting mode. I spent many hours this past weekend cleaning out closets, re-filing our filing system, and throwing out anything we haven't touched in a year. This craziness started when I was reading one of my many books/websites on pregnancy and they all advised that by 32 weeks you should have everything ready because the baby could come sooner than you may think. Maverick's room is just filled with his stuff in piles right now, but not organized into an actual nursery. This weekend's goal is to build the crib. (yaaaaaay!!) I think seeing the crib put together will be so awesome and wonderful. The reality will hit that a baby will be sleeping in there soon!
By the way, here are my 32 week photos:
I went to the doctor today for a routine visit. I'm going every week now, which is a little earlier than usual to start doing that, but they want to monitor Maverick's heartbeat and growth rate because of my gestational diabetes. I get a non stress test and ultrasound every week, starting next week. The interesting thing is that I've actually lost weight for the 3rd week in a row. We're only talking 3 pounds total, but when you're supposed to be gaining a 1/2 pound every week by now on top of being diabetic (in which the greatest danger is having a large baby), I find it all rather peculiar. With that said, he had an awesome heartbeat today and his size measured good too.
Okay, so the last topic of the day is about the upcoming holidays. Every year at this time I get bitten by the holiday bug!! I just want to skip over Halloween (which is a fun holiday) but Thanksgiving and Christmas are tied for number one in my book of the most wonderful things in life. I start listening to Christmas music this time of year and don't stop still it's here. Now that it's getting dark earlier (and a lot colder--frost advisory tonight!!!), it always brings back the warm fuzzy feeling of Christmas Eve church service. It's always dark out by the 5:30pm service, and I love looking at all the Christmas lights on the way to church. After service our tradition is that we get to open 1 gift and eat lots of goodies. :)
As if the holiday season couldn't ever get better, it will this year knowing that Maverick will be here by then. He will be so tiny and oblivious to it all, but we can't wait to share it with him!
I know that Robbie doesn't like all the mushy stuff, but I really do want everyone to know how thankful I am for Robbie. He is the best husband and the most best friend ever, ever, ever. Ever. It's not enough to say that God blessed me with him! (okay Robbie, the mush is over)
Let's see, what else...I've been in super nesting mode. I spent many hours this past weekend cleaning out closets, re-filing our filing system, and throwing out anything we haven't touched in a year. This craziness started when I was reading one of my many books/websites on pregnancy and they all advised that by 32 weeks you should have everything ready because the baby could come sooner than you may think. Maverick's room is just filled with his stuff in piles right now, but not organized into an actual nursery. This weekend's goal is to build the crib. (yaaaaaay!!) I think seeing the crib put together will be so awesome and wonderful. The reality will hit that a baby will be sleeping in there soon!
By the way, here are my 32 week photos:
I went to the doctor today for a routine visit. I'm going every week now, which is a little earlier than usual to start doing that, but they want to monitor Maverick's heartbeat and growth rate because of my gestational diabetes. I get a non stress test and ultrasound every week, starting next week. The interesting thing is that I've actually lost weight for the 3rd week in a row. We're only talking 3 pounds total, but when you're supposed to be gaining a 1/2 pound every week by now on top of being diabetic (in which the greatest danger is having a large baby), I find it all rather peculiar. With that said, he had an awesome heartbeat today and his size measured good too.
Okay, so the last topic of the day is about the upcoming holidays. Every year at this time I get bitten by the holiday bug!! I just want to skip over Halloween (which is a fun holiday) but Thanksgiving and Christmas are tied for number one in my book of the most wonderful things in life. I start listening to Christmas music this time of year and don't stop still it's here. Now that it's getting dark earlier (and a lot colder--frost advisory tonight!!!), it always brings back the warm fuzzy feeling of Christmas Eve church service. It's always dark out by the 5:30pm service, and I love looking at all the Christmas lights on the way to church. After service our tradition is that we get to open 1 gift and eat lots of goodies. :)
As if the holiday season couldn't ever get better, it will this year knowing that Maverick will be here by then. He will be so tiny and oblivious to it all, but we can't wait to share it with him!
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