And as soon as I got home from the baby shower my brain switched, as I knew it would. There's still a lot to organize but the process has begun. It's a little tough because fatigue has returned and there's only so much time I can spend standing-up before I need to sit down. Also, for the last few weeks I've had trouble breathing while standing. Doesn't happen all the time so my guess is it depends on his position and whether he's pushing heavily on my lungs and diaphragm. Just feels like I can't take in enough air unless I sit down for a few minutes.
Remember those goals of mine? Haha, I haven't mentioned them in awhile because I've lost sight of them! I'm glad I established a few goals for myself as I planned to stay occupied while Trevor's away, except this pregnancy has changed everything! A great benefit of pregnancy is it has taught me to listen to my body. Sounds cliché, but really! Before becoming pregnant, I pushed my body to the limits and recovered later. However now out of fear of preterm labor, I err on the side of caution. I rest when my body clearly needs rest and I cut myself some slack.
Well, I finished reading Supernatural Childbirth by Jackie Mize. It's been awhile since I picked up the book so I opted to reread the first half over again, but it was worth it. To summarize, it's a real-life application of biblical promises as it pertains to childbirth. As the story goes, the curse of a painful childbirth stems from Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden; however, because of Christ's death and resurrection, we have been redeemed. It's by the gift of Jesus' sacrifice that, according to this book, we can receive a pain-free, natural childbirth.
Kinda interesting, huh? In all honesty, if this book hadn't been recommended by moms that I trust, I probably wouldn't have read it. As I've mentioned before, I'm not against receiving an epidural--in fact, I plan on requesting one but this book gives me a lot to think and pray about. Thought I would share it with all of you lovely folks as well!
10 October 2017: OB Appt #.... I lost count.
Dr. Friedman thinks baby boy was resting during the Doppler reading as his heart-rate was a little lower than his usual. Typically after the OB prods David with the Doppler wand, I can feel him wiggling around and this appointment was no different. His heart-rate started to rise during the reading so little boy was definitely waking up right then.
From this point on, the appointments will be every two weeks until we shift to meeting once per week. Baby still measures a week ahead and the OB and I discussed the decision to circumcise, vaccinate and assignment to an LA AFB pediatrician--not a civilian doctor. Around 35 or 36 weeks I'll have a cervical exam, group B strep test and another ultrasound to determine baby's position. Dr. Friedman said he would not attempt to flip baby if he's breech as it's only a 50% chance of turning him, which bothers me a bit. Hopefully this won't be an issue and David will be head-down when he needs to be.
14 October 2017: Baby Shower for Baby David! (more pictures to come!)
Saturday was such a blast, guys! And I feel so fortunate to have such support surrounding Trevor, myself and our little boy. It's incredible! YOU GUYS are incredible!
Mom and my maid-of-honor Ashley put on the shower for Trevor and I. We talked over a few dates in October but ultimately settled on the 14th of October to commemorate my Grandmama's (mom's mom) birthday. As many of you know, dates hold special meaning for me and so it was an honor to include the memory of my Grandmama during the celebration.
Mom chose Hometown Buffet in Torrance as the venue and I'll be honest, at first I hated the idea! We debated locations and it caused unnecessary tension in our relationship so I relinquished. Quite honestly, the venue never mattered--I just wanted to have a good time with everyone and do the Indiana-Jones theme justice! And we definitely accomplished that.
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| Chocolatey goodness! |
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| My brother-in-law Dustin donning the Indy hat |
Marilyn, a family friend, made a stunning flower headdress for me to wear that matched my dress! She also created an Indiana-Jones-esk banner to welcome Baby Coles! We had burlap, lace and mason jars everywhere and large gold balloons that spelled "BABY" over the head table. My mom's hilarious friend Cindy entertained us while she MC'd the event and I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time.
Before I knew it I was opening gifts and man, I felt a little misplaced at first. During our Colorado Baby Shower, Trevor and I opened gifts together and we took our time because we had a small gathering of friends surrounding us. This time I sat by myself with 35+ people around and I rushed through it because there were a ton of gifts to open and the evening was ending soon. I'm overwhelmed with all of the sweet, thoughtful gifts we received. It's a joy to have relationships with others who are genuinely excited over Trevor and I becoming parents and my mommy becoming a Grandmama.
After I opened all of the gifts I stood up to thank everyone for coming and celebrating our little boy with us. The crowd of guests clapped as I finished speaking so I reached for my mom's surprise gift and announced I had a little present for the Grandmama as well. She was shocked! She kept repeating "You're not supposed to do this!" but she ought to know by now, I do what I want! ;)
Tears welled up in her eyes as she read the handmade card which caused me to fight back tears of my own. I glued a copy of one of David's first ultrasound pictures to the inside of the card and I tried my best to describe in words how incredibly important and special my mom is to me--and how lucky our son is to have her as his Grandmama.
A friend of hers pointed out that I left her speechless so I'm guessing the words I picked did the trick!
We gifted her a Grandmother's Journal so she can share all about herself, her life and her family heritage. A book like this will surely be a keepsake for our family as my mom has an incredible story to share! Along with the book we gave her a custom-made onesie which reads "Grandmama's Little Cubby" with the Chicago Cubs logo on it--her favorite baseball team. And lastly, I found a onesie commemorating last year's championship win. After the baby wears both onesies she says she wants to frame them, haha.
All-in-all, it was a great day. Thanks to everyone who joined us! It was made even more special because you were there. And Ashley, thank you for ALL of your hard work! From maid-of-honor to auntie-of-honor! ;)
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| Everyone's favorite Trevor joining us during the baby shower! |
Week-in-Review Photos
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| Washed baby's clothes for the VERY first time this week! |
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| Baby Shower Prep: Beth decorating signs |
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| My favorite sign. <3 Thanks to everyone who filled out a card! |
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| Baby Shower Prep: Making a Belly-Progression Board! |
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| After the shower, my girlfriends and I walked around Manhattan Beach and found this Halloween gem. |
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| Found my canvas for handmade ornaments. |
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| Books from daddy! The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Quackers, and a few others! |
Week 32 Updates
1. Size of the baby? Baby measures 16.7" long and weighs 3.8lbs, about the size of a squash!
2. What's developing this week?
4. Movement? Movin' and groovin. Clicking/popping sound still ongoing. Here's an example of what it sounds like although the sound from my belly is not as loud.
5. Sleep? Piriformis pain on and off again. I'll be seeing a new PT this Wednesday.
6. Symptoms?
- Shortness of breath when standing for too long.
- Stress. Stressed about family issues has occasionally caused stress over baby's well-being.
- Peeing frequently.
- Brain fog.
- Occasional fatigue.
- Lower-back pain.
- Clicking/popping sound from belly that I hate.
- Waddling; I can feel myself waddling a bit at times...
7. Cravings and Aversions? Subway sandwiches that I can't have.
8. Best moment this week? Seeing my mom's face as she opened her card at the baby shower.
9. Prayer requests?
- Please pray that God would provide support for me during childbirth through his Holy Spirit and through those surrounding me.
- Also that Trevor would feel involved during the birth; as much as possible, that is.
- Please pray in these last few weeks that my body would continue to stretch and strengthen as I prepare for labor.
Week 32 Photos
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| Feeling big but I still get told I look tiny for how far along I am. |
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