37 weeks...and 2 days

This week, our baby girl is about 21 inches long and could weigh somewhere between 6.5-7lbs, according to the books.  We are now considered "Full term!"

Any cravings?  For some reason, I really wanted Skittles this week.  I finally ate some today.

Maternity clothes?  Yes.  You can see what happens in non-maternity wear above...short shirt syndrome.

Still running/walking/exercising?  Mostly walking.  You can see my last post for more details on my running status.

Current symptoms?  About the same as last week.  Contractions are getting stronger, but they're all the "false labor" type...irregular and go away in an hour or so.

Baby moving?  Yes, and, in fact, she moved into the head-down position sometime since last week.  We were worried about a c-section after my appointment last week because she was horizontal.  Now, hopefully she'll stay where she is until delivery.

Stretch marks?  Not yet.

Any contractions or signs of labor?  See above symptoms.

What is exciting right now?  Finding out that she has moved into the right position.

Now, as promised, here is a link to more maternity pics:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.530481440301007.141714.226600100689144&type=3

Running on E

These days my runs occur more on a weekly basis than daily.  I think I continue to do it to make sure I still can, although my pelvis complains for at least two days afterward.  The strange thing is how quickly running went from just uncomfortable to nearly impossible.  It was like a switch turned off or the "E" light came on...It's just not what my body wants to do right now.

It makes me sad...

I am thankful, however, that I was able to continue running for as long as I did.  It wasn't until about 34 weeks that the switch flipped. Sure, running while pregnant can be uncomfortable...the constant urge to pee, the cramps, the arched and achy lower back, the 20+ extra pound to drag along, but it's also an amazing thing how you're body adapts as it changes and it's fun to always have a little running partner to tote along.  Plus, running is one of the few things that has made me feel somewhat like myself for the past 9 months.  Even when every other moment of the day, I may be feeling huge, moody, sick, or fatigued, for those 30 minutes (give or take) of running, I feel like a normal person, energized, athletic, and healthy.  Plus, a good sweat session always makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

For now, and for the few remaining weeks of pregnancy, I will continue my weekly wog (walk/jog)...or at least as long as my body allows.  Of course, when little Rylie gets here I'll be cut off from running altogether for at least 4-6 weeks.  But by then, I'll have other things to occupy my time.  I can hardly wait!

Saturday Soup

Let me start by saying:  The picture doesn't do it justice. 

Yesterday, was a cool, dreary fall day...The perfect kind of day for soup.  I got this recipe from a dietitian at work, so it must be healthy right?  We'll just leave it at that. 

I only made half of the original recipe, and we will be eating on it all week.  Not that I'm complaining.  It's really that yummy.  But if you're feeding a large group or want lots of leftovers to freeze, just double it up to make the whole batch.

You need: 
1 whole chicken
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup carrots
1 cup celery
1 can rotel
1 small onion
2 cups minute rice
1 pound Velveeta

Start by boiling the chicken and the bouillon cubes for about 45 minutes or until done.  Remove the chicken to let it cool a bit before deboning.  Keep the broth.

To to the broth, add: carrots, celery, rotel, onion, and rice.  Simmer for about 30 minutes. 

While that simmers, debone your chicken and shred or chop it up.  Just prior to serving add the chicken and Velveeta back to the mixture and continue to cook on low until all the cheese is melted. 

It tastes even better the next day. 

What are your favorite soup recipes for those cool fall days?

Tour of Rylie's Room

Last weekend, we were able to finish the nursery.  My mother-in-law had done some leg work for us and gotten a few things custom-made to match her bedding.  We finally put it all together, and I could not be happier with how it all turned out.  This little girl has a beautiful room waiting for her.

 

 

Starting with the crib in the corner and her custom letters hanging above:

 

 

The glider in the corner has cushions covered in fabric that matches her bedding exactly. 

 

Another view of the glider:

 

Dresser/changing table:

 

A close-up of those amazing custom letters:

 

A ribbon/bow holder made by my MIL (again with matching fabric):

 

I'm so excited with how it all turned out.  Now all we need is a baby girl to put in that crib!

 

 

36 Weeks

(Yes, another fuzzy phone picture...Sorry)

 

This week, our baby girl is approximately 20-21 inches long and 6-6.5 pounds according to the books.  If she was born today, all of her systems would be fully developed, and she should do just fine in life outside of the comforts of my uterus.

 



Any cravings?  Not particularly...Cereal is still my favorite food group.

Maternity clothes?  Yep.  Just got a pair of maternity jeans over the weekend.  Even though I only have about a month left of being pregnant, I figure a good pair of maternity jeans will come in handy this winter while my body is still not back to its usual size.

Still running/walking/exercising?  Mostly walking...a little jogging here and there.

Current symptoms?  Braxton Hicks contractions, heartburn, nesting (I just cleaned the entire house on a Tuesday night and still have enough energy to blog...this is just not like me lately).

Baby moving?  Yes, she is right now.  She had hiccups when the above picture was taken.

Stretch marks?  No, but at the rate my belly is growing these days, I'm afraid it's just a matter of time.

Any contractions or signs of labor?  Just Braxton Hicks.  In fact, I was having pretty strong ones when the above picture was taken which made my belly look extra pointy.  The above mentioned nesting could be a "sign," but actual labor could still be weeks away.

What is exciting right now?  The finished nursery (pictures and post to come soon).  The Maternity pics we had over the weekend are coming back looking amazing so far (sneak peak below).  Looking forward to hearing what the doctor has to say Thursday and hearing Rylie's heartbeat (it never gets old).

(Sneak Peak of maternity shoot.  This picture makes me smile.)

 

35 weeks

This week our baby girl is approximately 20 inches long and 5.5lbs according to the experts who write books on such things.

Any cravings?  Foods I'm currently loving:  Cereal, broccoli, apples, cereal (sometimes with apples on top), crunchy peanut butter on my apples, Cereal

Maternity clothes?  Um, yes please.  I still have a couple pairs of pre-maternity pants that I can wear with a belly band, but maternity clothes are really the way to go.

Still running/walking/exercising?  After not running at all for a week due to pelvic pain, I finally got a good jog in on the treadmill yesterday- 30 minutes (with 3 walk breaks).  Still walking at the park at least a few days a week too.

Current symptoms?  heartburn, itchy belly

Baby Moving?  Yes, a lot, but she's running out of room, so I'm feeling knees, elbows, arms, and legs pushing and stretching.

Stretch marks?  Not yet.  Now excuse me a moment while I go knock on wood.

Any contractions or other signs of labor?  Braxton Hicks

What is exciting right now?  Looking forward to maternity pictures this weekend, finishing the nursery, and realizing we only have 5 weeks until we meet our baby girl!

I'm baaack....

 

So...It's been a while...

 

Nearly a year to be exact.

 

But I can catch you up fairly quickly.  We are all settled in Jonesboro.  We are really loving it overall.  Ryan is still in school and also working part-time.  I am still working at the hospital and now also in the clinic setting some as well. 

 

We've had some changes occur in our family.  We unexpectedly and very sadly lost our dog, Duke.  We were devastated, and Aspen was (and still is) depressed (he doesn't do well being alone).  So, fast-forward a couple months, and we find ourselves with this little guy.



 



Unfortunately, Aspen doesn't like him.  It may have something to do with his needle-like baby teeth and his insatiable need to bite everything, hoping he will find something or someone to play with him...including Aspen's ankles and belly and ears.  Maybe they'll like each other when we get past this phase.

 



The most life-changing event, however, that has taken place in the past year, has had more to do with the girth of my waistline....

(please excuse the phone-in-the-dirty-mirror picture, but you get the idea)

 

Yep, that's our baby girl in there!  (and yes, that is my slipper getting eaten by Copper...refer back to the whole biting issue above)  She will be here before we know it.  I'm due October 30th...that's only about 5 weeks away if you're counting.  I know I am. 

 

I had really hoped to blog all the way through my pregnancy...sharing weekly belly updates, my adventures with running and eventually wogging (walk/jog) while pregnant, my cravings, and petty little insights into my pregnancy journey, but frustrations came with the amount of time it was taking to add photos to my computer, edit them, and ultimately post them.  So it just hasn't happened.  I am now typing this on a new computer with much more storage space and none of Ryan's school text books or crazy huge Auto CAD files taking up my picture space.  I hope to be able to keep you updated on the remainder of my pregnancy journey and, more importantly, the life we will have with our little girl when she gets here in a few short weeks...

 

So, ready or not, here we go!