35 weeks = 35 days

I found it interesting that my little counter says "I am 35 weeks pregnant. 35 days to go." It's just funny to me that those numbers match. What have I been doing lately besides running around like a crazy woman? I had 2 baby showers the last 2 weekends- 1 in Georgia with my girlfriends and 1 here in Illinois with Dave's sisters, mom and grandma. We got a lot of great things for baby at both showers. I was starting to worry baby wouldn't have enough clothes- I need have no fear! At the GA shower we played a fun game where I was blindfolded and got to taste baby food- it was pretty funny- I even had 2 other friends brave enough to try it- funny that neither of them were my pregnant friends at the shower! Here are a few photos from that shower:

Tiffany- 16 weeks, Me- 33 weeks

I am pretty sure I had just eaten the peas in this picture. GROSS

opening gifts = always fun

Things are looking good in baby's room- all the furniture and accessories have been put together. We have "piles" in the baby's room right now: 1. I have 1 load of clothes left to wash from the stuff we got this past weekend. 2. I have kitchen and eating accessories that need a home in one of our cabinets. 3. I have stuff that needs to be returned (multiples) or exchanged (like for instance how someone registered for the wrong diaper genie refills... i wonder who).

I am ordering our bedding today. God has really blessed us as far as this goes- no one tells you, but baby bedding is EXPENSIVE! It's probably the most expensive item we're having to purchase on our own. Bedding + the accesories to go with it (extra sheets, etc) were totaling out around $300-$400. For starters- I am lucky that I joined this points website about 10 years ago- by simply answering a survey a week, and clicking through on emails I had earned over 30,000 points. Now Dave and I wanted to use those points for gift cards for an HDTV, but then baby came along. We found out that the site that had our baby bedding also was part of the points program, and we were able to cash in my points for $200 in gift cards (to arrive in 2-6 weeks (from last week), but that is another story in itself). Of course, even with that we still had around $175 or so that wasn't going to be covered- and here's where we've been super blessed. We have received money from various people for baby, and we used most of it for painting the room. All that we had left was around $20. Since Saturday, Dave & I have received $160. Put that with the $20, and it is exactly enough to cover the ENTIRE cost of what we were going to have to spend on bedding out of pocket. WHAT A BLESSING!

So we at least will have baby bedding in a few days... with our accessories, it may be a month or so from now. Shh, don't tell baby. Of course, pictures will follow.

Well, it's time for mom to rest- I am working tomorrow, and need as much energy as possible for that. Just over a week left at work... whew! Plus, I know i'll probably wake up a few times during the night before then- not only to use the bathroom, but I have a new affliction- acid reflux. Let's just say it takes about 2 seconds to happen, and in that 2 seconds hurts worse than heartburn. Ugh. I've got to try to stay on my side while i'm sleeping- but my body just wants to be comfortable!

Week 17- Baby Turnip

How your baby's growing: Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

From BabyCenter

Still experience a little nausea, and yes, even vomiting. I've finally found a way to sleep on my side comfortably though! We find out the flavor of baby in just 3 short weeks!

Still having lots of weird dreams which I've read is not unusual. Twice I dreamed that we had a boy- with no name- who looked exactly like the boy I used to nanny. This baby also didn't go anywhere with me.

Predicting Genders: The night before my sister-in-law, Shannon found out the sex of her baby, I dreamt she was having a girl- she is. Then, Sunday night, I dreamed that my friends Joel & Rebecca were having a boy. On Monday they found out they were having a girl- I was wrong! BUT, my friend Lindsay also found out the sex of her baby that day, and she is indeed having a boy. Who knows what any of this means.

Working a long week this week- 27.5 hours- too much standing for me. Trying to rest the best I can at night, but the standing doesn't really help- I prefered the walking around Chicago...

names, insurance, and other nonsense

my sister in law's results were confirmed: it's a girl! the first girl grandchild. although, i was hoping it would be me, I digress...

with finding out the sex of your baby, (and even when you don't) you must pick names. i just recently bought 100,001 baby names, or as it should be called 99,999 stupid baby names. I guess I shouldn't say stupid just b\c i'm not going to name my baby some Scandanavian name, but I am having a really hard time with names. I used to have all these names picked out that I loved, but now I am older, and some of those names could be catagorized with "Apple Martin" rather than being a good baby name. Anything I seem to pick out, Dave hates. Dave also is dead set that we're having a boy, and therefore has vetoed every girls name I have suggested to him; even going so far as to refer to our child as the boy name that he has picked out. The one I told him was "ok" and that hasn't been set in stone yet... So as the field of names that I like (i'm in "J" in the baby book and have selected maybe 5 names) is getting smaller and smaller, I'm trying to figure out what to do. I have ridiculously made a list of everyone I know who is expecting since we have found out we were expecting. From that list I have tried to list whether they are having a boy or girl, and from there what name they have picked out if they have made it public. My list is at 30 people. THIRTY. So far, 4 have given birth. Also, so far, only 7 are having girls, 1 isn't finding out the sex and 10 aren't far enough along yet to know. Also, in more craziness: only 5 of these people are due after me. This presents my problem. People are so weird about baby names. Some people don't tell (i have considered this), but most people don't want you using their name. This means I've got to wait out 25 people worth of baby names and pray to God above that none of these people use my names. Because I'm telling you now, once I pick out a name that I like, and husband agrees on, nothing is changing my mind. NOTHING.

Of course, we also have 5 weeks to go until we find out the sex, but still...

Today is week 15. Threw up yesterday, hoping that by NEXT WEEK that this is all behind me. Of course, my sister in law is still throwing up at 22 weeks. I'm also waiting on my hair to start growing Rapunzel-style. I had these really long Freddy Krueger-like nails, but they started breaking off one by one, and yesterday I had to trim them all down to a suitable length. Now they just feel weird.

I'm sleeping better at night, thank the Lord. Yesterday at my appointment I asked my Dr. about sleeping on my back. She said eventually I wouldn't be able to because it wouldn't be comfortable, but for now, i'd be fine. She also said that women labor on their backs, and that non-pregnant people sleep on their backs all the time, and none of them are dead yet, so that I would be fine, and that she wishes those books wouldn't have some of the info that they have in them.

The worst thing to come out of this may be with our insurance. We just switched to United Health Care from Blue Cross/Shield of GA with our move. My doctor's office has 2 locations: 1 at Sherman Hospital (which is completing construction on a new state-of-the-art building due to be finished in December), and one at St. Joseph-Provena. I chose Sherman for obvious reasons. My Doctor is awesome. Not only is she young and very friendly, and knows her stuff, but she looks like Uma Thurman. She's great! When I was leaving the office yesterday I saw a sign hanging in the waiting room that I wish I hadn't seen...

"Attention All United Healthcare Patients" (you know this can't be good)

Basically, the sign says that contract negotiations between Sherman and UHC have reached a stand still. On June 15th Sherman sent UHC a letter to cease operations between the 2. The contract expires in October. We will be continuing to try to reach an agreement with UHC.

By this time I will be 6 months pregnant, and will not be wanting to look for a new hospital or doctor. I don't even want to do that now at 3 months. To top this all off, there was an article in the local paper a few weeks ago saying that St. Joe's will no longer be delivering babies and sending all their patients to Sherman.

Should having a baby really be this difficult?! Just be praying for an agreement between United & Sherman b\c starting all over with a new Doctor\hospital would be the pits.

sleepless nights already?

i am a stomach sleeper. i enjoy sleeping on my stomach, it makes me happy, and I have no problem sleeping. sometimes i even sleep on my back. coming up here in the next couple weeks I am going to have to change sleeping positions to where I am sleeping on my side, or as my book puts it, "change sleeping positions NOW!" i have already been "practicing" for these upcoming nights where i can no longer sleep on my tummy, and for when sleeping on my back or even laying on my back will cause severe trauma to my baby. so far, it's not working so well. i either lay there until i finally start to get sleepy, in which at that time I have to go to the bathroom, or i'm starving and I have to get up to eat...

we found a body pillow here at the house, so i've been using that for now, but i've had a few recommendations: 1. All Nighter total body pregnancy pillow (i would paste that link, but blog won't allow, or i'm dumb) and 2. Boppy Body Pillow. Both are about $50- crazy, and the All Nighter has better reviews, so i'll probably go for that if I decide on one. I still don't know if it's going to help me solve my problems. The last few days I've definitely had an easier time sleeping on my side, but I have woken up in extreme pain, and not where I should be in pain...

1. my ear- I have woken up the last couple mornings with my ear screaming in pain, I don't know if i am sleeping too hard or what, but it does NOT feel good.
2. arm/shoulder- i don't know where to put my arm when i sleep on my side- i can't get it out from under me- i've tried above my head, out to the side, nothing helps- i wake up and my whole left arm is asleep, or sore.

So, i'm hoping $50 and a magic pillow will help solve my problems- we'll see, i'll definitely keep you updated!