Emmett William Gill has arrived!!

Fair warning, this is the complete birth story, no details will be spared, so only read if you want the nitty gritty. Otherwise, here's the edited version: Woke up, went to the hospital a couple hours later, got an epidural and he was born at 6:11pm. Labor lasted about 6 hours total. It was extremely painful (until I got the epidural). The end. Continue reading for the "real" stuff.

Sunday morning, July 7th, I woke up around 10:45am. I felt totally fine. No contractions, no nothing. However, I went to the bathroom and noticed a little bit of blood. After a quick google search seeing bright red blood is not usually a good sign and it's recommended you contact your practitioner. So, I called Mary Birch Triage center. They told me that as long as it was a little bit of blood, and not more than a period things are fine. They said I was probably having mild contractions through the night and it's just my cervix dilating. This could continue for a couple days or they could see me later that day if things progressed. We were still in the unknown. I decided to take a shower and get myself ready in case things picked up. At this point I had been going to the bathroom nonstop. Not pee either, if you catch my drift (actually you didn't want to catch that drift). I thought it was just a repeat from a few days prior when I couldn't stop going to the bathroom for about 5 days. After I got ready my stomach started cramping up really bad. I didn't really have any breaks in between so I didn't think they were contractions. I also wasn't having the "wave" like feeling that the Bradley book described as contractions. My stomach never felt like it tightened at the top, it was just constant cramping in the lower half. I thought maybe they were just really bad gas pains, although they felt like extremely bad period cramps. I went to the bathroom again and noticed A LOT of blood. This was about 1:40pm. I called Justin in to investigate (yes, there is nothing this man doesn't know about me or hasn't seen, so, in he comes). I think the amount of blood even startled him. He called back up to Mary Birch and told them what was happening. They said it was a good idea for me to come in, they wanted to make sure my placenta hadn't ruptured (this would be very bad). We gathered up our stuff and headed to the hospital a little after 2pm.
Things started to get real...
None of this happened how I expected. I thought I would start having mild contractions at home, would watch a movie, time then, relax and after 10 hours of this we'd happily head on up to the hospital. WRONG!
We got up to the hospital at about 2:30. By this point the cramping was so bad and lasting so long I could barely talk and I was crying. I would get about a minute break in between the cramping at which point I would try to tell Justin as quickly as I could how I was feeling before I'd start screaming and crying again. We pulled into the little round about at the hospital, Justin parked the car, jumped out and got me a wheel chair. He left the car in the round about, wheeled me in and they immediately took us upstairs. I think they could clearly see this wasn't a joke and I was in a lot of pain. They got me into a room and had me undress so they could see what was going on. Once I stopped screaming I said I had a labor gown down in the car I planned to wear. The nurse looked at me and said, uh, okay, how about you put this one on for now and you can change into the other one when we move you to the delivery room. I'm sure she was thinking, "really, you're worried about your gown at a time like this". Uh yeah, I bought it specifically for this moment. Anyway, the nurse took a look and even she seemed surprised by all of the blood. She checked my cervix and said I was 4cm dilated and they'd be moving me to the delivery room. They were also monitoring my contractions and said they were coming in really fast and not really giving me a break. They'd come about every 1 to 3 minutes and last a minute. Neither one of us had cell service to call our parents and she told Justin not to leave or move the car until they moved us.
By 3/3:15 we were moved into the delivery room. The nurse came in and said they'd be giving me an IV so we could get the epidural started. The dreaded epidural...as you know from previous blog posts I had been reading the Bradley Method and had absolutely no intentions of getting an epidural. In fact, my birth plan (that never got handed out) said in all capital letters...NO EPIDURAL. Don't even offer one. So, once I was done screaming and crying through the last contraction I told the nurse I didn't want one. Again, she looked at me like I was crazy and why would I want to continue to sit in so much pain. I told her I didn't want it to slow down my labor because I read that's guaranteed to happen. My baby will also have to be removed with forceps or a vacuum because I won't feel the urge to push, and I'll end up with nerve damage. Again, she looked at me like I was nuts and was probably thinking, quit reading crap online. She said, okay, well if you change your mind let us know, and let us know soon. Another contraction came and this one was really awful. I asked her how much longer she thought I'd be in pain like this. She said, there's no telling, it could be an hour, it could be several hours, it all just depends. I asked if I had the epidural if I'd feel any pain at all. She smiled and said no. Well, that decision took about 10 seconds to make. I said, go ahead and send in the anesthesiologist.
He couldn't have come in any sooner. I think I had to wait about 10 minutes for him and it seemed like an eternity. He came in, reassured me everything would be fine and started prepping me for the epidural. I told him I was concerned about the "big ass needle" (yes, my exact words) and the catheter. Long story short he said it would all be fine. As I was waiting for him to get me hooked up I had this to look at...

 

Apparently they had him put a mask on because it was more sterile that way. Not sure what exactly they were concerned about him breathing in...or out for that matter. Anyway, it was enough to keep me entertained.
As the doctor was administering the drugs I felt my feet go completely numb. I asked if that was normal and he said yes, that eventually my legs would feel numb. I immediately started regretting the epidural, but soon enough I couldn't feel the contractions and I wanted to take the whole machine home with me. Once the doctor finished he said "there, the big ass needle has been removed". I loved he threw in a little humor there.
Once I was situated the nurse checked me again and said I was now 6cm dilated and they would break my water if I wanted them to. I asked what the benefits were and they said it just moves things along. I decided I wanted things to move forward so go ahead and burst those bags. Justin ran down and moved the car and brought our stuff in. Within a matter of 10 minutes the doctor came in, broke my water, checked me again and I was already 9 1/2 cm dilated. We started calling the parents. My mom and Steve were already on there way down. I had told her ahead of time that I was going to get checked out at the hospital because I was bleeding so much but to not do anything until she heard back. Well, they took that as, we should go just in case. So when I called them they were only an hour and a half away from San Diego. I called my dad to tell him I was in labor and 9 1/2 cm dilated and his response was "oh shit, really". I laughed and said yes, are you in the middle of something. He said they were at Pets Mart and would head home and be on there way. Now, had I not had the epidural there is no way I would've been able to talk to anybody on the phone. But after the epidural this is how I felt...

Justin called his dad, who immediately started asking 20 questions. They hung up and Justin called his grandma. Literally, 90 seconds after hanging up with his dad and she had already heard the news. I got to talk to her for a quick minute and then had to go because they came in to say I'd be pushing in 15 minutes so I needed to get situated.

This meant I would start pushing at 5pm. I was extremely nervous, scared and excited. I had no idea what to expect and I was numb from the waste down so I was worried I wouldn't feel the urge to push or I wouldn't push hard enough. The nurse came back at 5 and I told her I hadn't felt any type of urge to push. She said she would check back in 15 minutes. Within that 15 minutes I knew what she was talking about, I had felt the urge. But it was more like the urge to go poop (very lady like right?) Anyway, at 5:15 we started pushing. It was one of the most exhausting things I'd ever done. The nurse had me push for 10 second increments three times. I'd take a break and then do it all again when another contraction came, which seemed like it was every minute or so. Thankfully for our viewers, Justin got a picture of me pushing...

After pushing for about 30 minutes my doctor came in. She said I wasn't stretching quick enough and she'd try to stretch things out, but she may need to give me an episiotomy. NO NOT THE DREADED EPISIOTOMY. After 20 minutes or so of her trying to stretch me she said I had torn a little bit on the inside and they'd need to make a small cut on the outside. Once they did this the baby should come right out.
Lucky for me I had the epidural so I didn't feel anything anyway. She made the cut and two pushes later he was wiggling out. I pushed for 56 minutes. They cleaned him off and immediately handed to me so we could have our skin on skin time. If was a very emotional and overwhelming experience and moment. I can't believe how quickly it all flew by. I'm thankful for the epidural because I was able to "enjoy" the experience. Had I not had it I think I would have passed out from pain. This experience just goes to show you that nothing goes "as planned". I never thought I'd be a "speedy" deliverer. I thought I'd have the agonizing 20 hour labor experience.

Emmett William Gill was born on July 7, 2013 (7/7/13 - Justin says these are lucky numbers for him) at 6:11pm. He weighted 6.58 ounces and measured 20 inches long.

We stayed at the hospital for two nights. Those will be a separate blog post, if I ever get the time to write them. Emmett is currently sleeping so I was able to steal a few minutes to write this post.

This photo was taken right before we went home.

This photo was taken on July 8th.

 

 

4th of July Weekend!

For 4th of July Justin and I decided to just spend it with each other. We didn't make any real plans and I shut off my phone.
We slept in kind of late and eventually made our way over to Project Pie, a pizza place in Hillcrest. That's the first time we'd been there and my oh my it was delicious. We came back to our place, hung out by the pool for a bit and then just took it easy. We didn't see any fireworks, but we were both content with that.
Friday, July 5th, Justin had to work. I hung out around the apartment until he was off. I honestly can't remember exactly what we did on this day. I had notes in my phone but they all got deleted :/ Needless to say, it wasn't anything exciting.
Saturday, July 6th we went to Rubicon for lunch. Rubicon is a sandwich place in Pacific Beach. We've been told by several people that we have to try it out, so we finally did. Another delicious place. Saturday night we went to the La Jolla Strip Club (no, it's not an actual strip club, it's a steak house) to watch the UFC fight. Anderson Silva was fighting Chris Weidman. Justin and I both really enjoy watching the UFC fights, and we really wanted to see Anderson Silva lose. He's been undefeated for 7 years I believe, but he's such a cocky and arrogant fighter. Well, we got what we hoped for. As he was taunting Chris Weidman, he got knocked out. After sharing some awful appetizers and watching the fight we headed home. Justin had asked me if he could have a couple beers or if he thought I was going to go into labor. Funny question right, because I can predict when that's going to happen. By this point I was so frustrated with being pregnant and thought he was going to come late that I said, "you could probably drink a whole thing of whiskey until you passed out. I don't think I'm going into labor any time soon and I'm frustrated that I'm still pregnant so I'm going to bed". That was at 3am.
Sunday morning, July 7th...things started happening...this was D Day (delivery day)...

Plugging along...

I've been in full nesting mode. I think Justin's ready to send me away it's getting so bad. I had the carpets cleaned, got touch up paint from our apartment complex and have been a cleaning maniac. The good news is our place practically looks brand new again. It's nice and clean and I feel well organized. Of course I keep finding more things to do. I've had this sudden burst of energy so I've been going and going and going (like the energizer bunny). The only problem is I'm still not sleeping too well. I toss and turn all night long. I feel like I'm going to be pregnant forever. I know that's not possible, but that's how it currently feels.

Yesterday I participated in the second portion of the clinical trials for Sense4Baby (a fetal heart rate monitor). This is the company I did the photoshoot for the commercial product (it has not yet been released). I'm very familiar with this company as the product was originally created where I work. They have since branched off and are working on launching the product for commercial use.
My picture is currently on the quick start guides. During the trial I had six people in the room watching me operate the device. A bit weird, but it went well. I also got to take one of the devices home so I can monitor his heart rate and my contractions any time I want. No harm can be done to the baby using the device. It's perfectly safe. In fact, it's no different than how they would monitor it at the hospital, this device is just easier to use and portable! Pretty awesome right? It's meant for high risk pregnancies, but since it's still in the trial period I get to use it.

Using the Sense4Baby Device

 

It tells me the baby's heart rate, my heart rate and monitors my contractions (if I was having them)

WARNING...the next part is a bit TMI but I'm noting it for myself for future reference. So, if you feel inclined to read it, proceed with caution. You may be grossed out, but I warned you.

Yesterday I lost my mucus plug (such a gross name, but hey that's what they call it). I thought maybe this meant things would get moving, but nope, from what I read it's no indication that labor is going to start any time soon, it just means I'm that much closer. Well duh, my due date is 9 days away, of course I'm closer.

Meanwhile I'm just keeping busy. I went on a walk this morning. For lunch Justin and I went to lunch at a place called Sloppy's. It might be the best burrito type place I've ever been too. Everything is organic, fresh, and their meat is all free range. We've been there twice in the last week.

I also found a pediatrician for the baby today. At my appointment on Monday the doctor said it's hard to find people to perform circumcisions nowadays. Apparently they are costly for the hospital so not everyone does them anymore. She gave me the name of a couple doctors she knows that still do it. Fortunately one of them is taking new patients so once he's born we just have to make the appointment.

Well, that's all I've got for now.

My Day with Danielle

For about a month or more Danielle and I have been planning to get together at the end of June. Well, that day finally came. Danielle took the train down on Saturday to hang out with me for the day. We had such a great time. I can't remember the last time just the two of us got to hang out and get some quality time in. The whole day was very relaxed. It was so nice not having an agenda.
I picked her up at noon from Solana Beach train station. We came back to my place and chit chatted for a bit. We eventually made our way over to Crossroads Deli (the sandwich place by our apartment Justin and I frequent). After we ate we went down to the pool for a couple hours where we chatted some more, sipped on iced tea from Teavana and soaked up the sun. It was so incredibly peaceful.
We ended our day with homemade popcorn and Le Miserables. Danielle had already seen it but said she enjoyed it so much we could watch it again. It was a long movie, but well worth it.
Sadly our day came to a close. Justin and I took her back to the train for a 9:41pm departure. I wish we lived closer, but it's nice that we are just a train ride away.

38 Weeks!

Getting closer!! I haven't been feeling too hot these past couple days. I can't help but wonder if this means I'll be going into labor some time very soon.
Max, Justin's good friend, was in San Diego yesterday. He and Justin played disc golf once Justin got home from work and the three of us went to dinner at Seasons 52. It's been nice having all these visitors lately.

How our baby is growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he is over 19 1/2 inches long (about the size of a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.
Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Visit with mom!

These past few days flew by. Mom came down around noon on Thursday. She met me at the nail salon where I was getting a pedicure (getting ready for D-day). Once I finished up we headed over to Seasons 52 for lunch. We just love the fish tacos there. By the time we were done with lunch it was late afternoon and we were both exhausted so we went back to my apartment and took a little nap. We hung out at my place with Justin the rest of the evening. I made meatloaf for dinner and we just relaxed and watched T.V. We needed a relaxing day to kick off the next few days. Mom left our place around 10 to head to her hotel to check in. Unfortunately we don't have room for overnight guests anymore so she stayed at a hotel in hotel circle, about 10 miles from our place.

Friday morning I met her at her hotel. We had breakfast at Corner Bakery in Mission Valley. She had never been to a Corner Bakery, so it was something new for her. After breakfast we went to Target and Bed Bath and Beyond so I could grab some last minute things and return some things as well. Once we got the errands out of the way we headed over to the Mission Valley mall where we spent a better part of our time inside Macys. We finished up shopping at a decent time and went over to Croutons in UTC for lunch. After lunch we stopped at the grocery store and then headed back to my place to meet Justin so we could go to the beach.
We got to Pacific Beach around 5. Justin went body surfing while I read my "What To Expect When You're Expecting" book and mom worked on her blanket she's been crocheting for our baby boy.

 

 



After the beach we went back to our apartment and Justin made us dinner. That night I went back to the hotel and stayed with my mom. I would've stayed there every night but the bed really bothered my back, so I only made it through one night.

Saturday we had breakfast at her hotel. I had brought stuff to make us oatmeal. We then headed over to Fashion Valley Mall where we spent a better part of the day. It was so nice just to get out and walk around. While at the mall we stopped in at my favorite tea shop, Teavana. They were having a sale so we stocked up on some of our favorite tea so we could make it at home. Genius!! After we finished up at Fashion Valley we headed over to the UTC mall where we had lunch at Tender Greens. After filling up on delicious salads and tomato basil soup, we went over to Babie's R' Us to get some last minute items for the little guy. By this time we were wiped out so we went back to my place for dinner.

Sunday was our last full day together and we wanted it to be relaxing. After all, we did hit three malls in a matter of two days. Mom came over around 10am and we made breakfast. She helped me organize the little nursery area so it's more functional. We eventually made our way out to the pool where we sipped on our tea we got from the day before and read and crocheted (I read, she crocheted).

 

 

After being at the pool for a while Justin was ready to do his bike ride on the silver strand. He starts in downtown San Diego and ends in Coronado. I usually drop him off and then pick him up. So, that's just what we did. We dropped him off in downtown San Diego and my mom and I went over to DSW (the best shoe place) to find some flat shoes. I figure my high heel days may be over for a little bit. After DSW we drove over to Coronado to meet Justin. It was such a lovely day and the weather was wonderful. We decided to grab drinks and sit outside at the Hotel Del to enjoy the view.

After leaving the Hotel Del we dropped Justin off at the Mad House Comedy Club so he could watch some of his friends perform. While he was there my mom and I had dinner at Filippis (my favorite Italian restaurant). We had a problem finding someone to take a good picture, so this is what we ended up with. It's hard to see the background details of the place.

After dinner we picked up Justin, drove back to our place, and mom headed back to her hotel.

Monday was our last morning together. I had a doctor's appointment that morning, so I went there first and then met her at her hotel. The doctor's visit was completely uneventful. The doc was in and out of the room in 3 minutes (literally).
Once mom was packed up we went over to Corner Bakery for breakfast. It seemed fitting since that was the place we had breakfast our first morning together.

After finishing up breakfast we went to Fashion Valley so she could pick up some lotion she had on hold at Bath and Body Works. Of course we couldn't just go to Bath and Body Works. We also stopped in at Macys (can you tell we kind of like that place). Mom had to get on the road so we quickly finished up at the mall, I took her back to her hotel so she could get her car and then she followed me to Sharp Mary Birch where I'll be having the baby. She wanted to see where exactly the place was so it will be easier to find when it's show time.

Those four days flew by. I am so grateful I was able to have that time with my mom before everything changes. I am also so blessed to have such a wonderful and caring mom. We always have so much fun and get along so well together. I love you mama.

37 Weeks!

My first week off work has been going by fast. I've been able to rest but I've kept busy as well doing last minute things for our baby boy. My mom is down visiting from Thursday until Monday. We don't have any plans except to get some quality one-on-one time together.

How our baby is growing:

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (about the size of a bunch of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

 

I think we've finally settled on a name, but of course nothing is definite until he pops out. For his middle name we've decided to go with William and I do believe that won't be changing.

A Day With Chas

Chasidy and I had such a splendid day together. Our day started at 8:30 this morning. I picked her up at her hotel and we went and had breakfast at The Mission! It was so nice going on a weekday. Usually when we go (it's been a long time) we go on weekends and end up waiting at least 45 minutes to be seated. Today Chasidy and I walked right in! We shared their delicious french toast and their strawberry granola pancakes.

 

Cinnamon French Toast

Strawberry Granola Pancakes

After breakfast we went for a 2 1/2 mile walk on the beach in Pacific Beach to walk off some of that food. Side note, we did not eat it all. It was way too much food, even for a pregnant gal. It was nice to not have an agenda and be able to just saunter along.

There was a bit of a breeze

 

That belly sure is getting out there!

After our walk on the beach we decided to go peruse Bed, Bath and Beyond and Nordstrom's Rack. Once we had our fill of retail therapy we headed over to the UTC mall to have lunch at Tender Greens. Again, another delicious meal!



After lunch we stopped in to Anthropologie where Chas got her dress for her rehearsal dinner and I got knobs for our boy's dresser. We made a quick stop by my apartment to say hi to Justin, put the knobs on the dresser and just relax for a few. Sadly our day together came to an end and it was time to get her back to her hotel. We did however make time for a quick pit stop by Golden Spoon. It was such a wonderful day. I was wiped out by the end. I ended up coming back home and taking a nap.

Pampering myself

Today was just for me...
I got up this morning and went to the gym. I did 25 minutes on the elliptical and really light weights for bicep curls. After the gym I went home, showered, had breakfast and got myself ready. I dropped my ring off at Jared's Galleria of Jewelry to have it serviced and dipped. It looks brand new again!
While my ring was being serviced I went and got my hair cut. I was a little ambitious and had her cut 5 inches off!!! It feels so short! My hair has been growing so fast so I'm sure it will be fine. It does feel better to have quite a bit chopped off.

Pictures are a little blurry, but you get the idea...

 

 

 

After my hair cut I picked up my ring and went to Target to get supplies to clean the inside of my car. After giving it a quick wipe down I drove it through a car wash. It feels nice to have a clean car.
I then went home, cleaned the inside of the oven and then laid down for about 15 minutes (the nesting has kicked in). Next thing I knew it was time for my massage! I must say, the massages Justin gives me are better than the one I got tonight. They aren't aloud to apply very much pressure because I'm pregnant so it felt more like a light back rub than a back massage. A bit disappointing but I'm glad I went.
After my massage I came back home, made some dinner, and then organized our room so the baby's bassinet fit better. I also showered and restyled my hair. It's been a long day, but I got to do everything I wanted to do. I'm exhausted and my back is pretty sore, but overall it was a good day. I'm looking forward to the rest of this week as well. Tomorrow I get to hang out with Chasidy all day and Thursday my mom is coming down for a few days. I'll be taking it easy these next few days.

36 Weeks 3 Days! and Father's Day Weekend!

Friday I hit 36 weeks (9 months pregnant) and it was my last day of work before going out on disability. On my way to work I was rear ended. Go figure right? The good news is no one was hurt, it was just a fender bender. Still, it was not a good start to the day. Thankfully the rest of the day went along smoothly.
After work Justin and I went to Scripps Beach so Justin could swim in the ocean. I however brought my comfy beach chair, a blanket and a book. I cozied up in my chair and read for about an hour while he played in the waves.

Here's my cutie pie

 

Later that night my dad, Shelley, Jared and Enzo (the dog) came down for the weekend to celebrate father's day. They stayed at an RV park nearby since we no longer have room for overnight guests at our place.
Friday night we hung out at their motorhome. Brian also came down for the weekend, but he didn't get to our place until 6:30 am Saturday (he worked overtime on Friday night). Saturday day we all played disc golf at Balboa Park. None of us had played before except for Jared. I must say it's a lot of fun, if you aren't pregnant and can actually throw a frisbee. The object of the game is to get your frisbee into the "basket". The course we played had 19 baskets. I only made it to 5 baskets before needing to stop because it was too much for me. So Shelley and I went to Target instead. We met up with the guys once they were done with their game and went to Coronado Brewing Company, 57 Degrees Wine Bar, Lucha Libre for dinner and then back to our apartment to hang out. We all passed out pretty early since we didn't get much sleep the night before and the guys had been out in the sun all day.
Sunday we took it easy. We bbq'd by the pool and then had to say goodbye to the family. Overall it was a nice and relaxing weekend.

How our baby is growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce). He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, that will form the contents of his first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)

He's still head down and about ready to come out. I had my doctor's appointment today and the doctor checked my cervix to see how far dilated I was. I'm 1 cm dilated and she was able to poke the baby's head! What the heck?! She said that means he's sitting really low and getting ready to come on out. She predicts he'll be here in 2 weeks (of course it's just a prediction though). I still can't believe she was able to touch his head. No wonder my back and pelvic bones have become more sore.

Kevin and Tista came down to visit today. They took the Amtrak down from LA and got in around noon. We had lunch at Royal India in downtown San Diego and then walked around Balboa Park. It's getting more and more difficult for me to walk around for extended periods of time so we didn't spend too much time there. We took them back to our place for a couple hours until it was time for them to go back to the train station. I hadn't seen them since Christmas so it was really nice to get that one last visit in before the little guy gets here.

35 Weeks 3 Days! and Justin the comedian...

Ladies and gentleman we are nearing the end! This is also my last week of work for a few months. I thought maybe I'd be able to ride it out a little longer with being able to work from home, but my back just makes it miserable. I have a lot of things planned in the next few weeks, as far as getting stuff ready for our little guy. I still need to pack my hospital bag, do his laundry, have Justin install the car seat, schedule a prenatal massage, get a hair cut (who knows when I'll be able to get one again) and the list goes on...most of which includes a lot of reading, so I'll be spending a lot of time relaxing, which is the whole point of taking some time off.

This upcoming weekend is father's day weekend. My dad, Shelley, Brian and Jared will be coming down to San Diego for the weekend and staying at an RV park. Sadly our place no longer has room for overnight guests. My mom and Steve are currently in Israel and won't be able to join us this weekend. My parents (both sets) have been great. They know we are no longer traveling anywhere so they are more than willing to come to us, even if it means paying for a place to stay. I feel awful having them do that but we really don't have any other options.

We have transformed the dining room into the baby area and moved the dining room table and chairs into Justin's office (he's thrilled about that). The good news is the baby stuff doesn't feel so cramped.

 

 

View from front door

 



 

View from living room

 

Dining room area - AKA baby's pad

 

It's not ideal, but it could be worse. We only have to do this for a few months and it least it feels like there's some organization to it.

 

How our baby is growing:

 

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the size of a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

 

I really wonder how much bigger my stomach can get. I feel like it can't stretch anymore. I think Justin wonders too. He's been quite the comedian these past couple weeks. He's taken up calling me "tubs" which I find hilarous (fortunately). I now grunt and make all kinds of noises when getting up from sitting down, getting out of bed, getting out the car, etc. He always helps me up but it's usually preceded by, "come on tubs, let's get you up". Some might find it sad, I find it hilarious, and you have to be able to laugh at yourself. Some times he makes me laugh so hard I feel like I'm going to fall over...or pee.  

Last night for example, we were sitting on the couch and he was talking about stuff he wants to get for his Mount Whitney hike (he's planning to hike it in August but will be training for it before then). He said, hey, do you still have money left on Amazon (he's referring to the money for baby stuff, you know, gift cards that people got us specifically for the baby!).

I said yes, but I still have more items I need to order before the baby gets here and it will be used for that.

His reply, "I've only gotten one thing from this whole baby thing...mangria" (Mangria is an alcoholic beverage that his friend brought to the shower for him). "...and you've gotten a lot of things".

I looked at him confused and said, "huh".

He said, "yeah, you got new clothes (maternity), lotions, creams, jammies..." at this point I was laughing so hard I didn't even know how to respond. Finally I said, "I hope you are joking. Really, you're jealous that I got maternity clothes because my a** is getting bigger, lotions to prevent stretch marks, and pjs because mine no longer fit". He just looked at me. Can you tell he's an only child?!

Yes, this is the man I married, the man I love and adore, and the father of our future son. Some of the things he says makes me scratch my head, but mostly they just make me laugh.

 

34 Weeks!

How Our Baby Is Growing:
Our baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (about the size of a cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling his out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well.

How I'm feeling:
Tired and ready for the little guy to join us in the real world. Getting up every two hours to pee is getting more than annoying and uncomfortable. Getting out of bed is just not the same as it once was. I did get some new jammies, totally off topic, but I'm pretty excited about it. I've been wearing Justin's t-shirts around and there is nothing attractive about that. I actually feel like a girl now. :)

 

WHAT?! 23 Pounds!!

 

My friend Nicole says this is all completely normal and it's probably mostly water weight. I'm thinking it could also be pizza and cake :/ No, but really, I haven't been doing anything different than I was before, except exercising less. My back has been giving me too much pain to feel like getting out and getting exercise. I do still watch what I eat (as it goes into my mouth - kidding). But for some reason the scale is going up more than one pound a week. My doctor made a comment about that the last time I saw her. I felt like saying, well, at the last appointment you told me to gain weight and now you're telling me to slow down. I'm not sure what to do except to not worry about it. I keep track of everything I eat and try not to exceed a certain amount of calories a day. This is nothing new from what I've been doing throughout this whole pregnancy. I'd like to think maybe it's just our little guy packing on the pounds ;)



 

 

We got to stay home this weekend! Saturday we ran errands and did stuff around our apartment. It was so nice to not have anywhere to be.
Sunday Justin ran the Camp Pendleton 10K Mud Run. We left the apartment at 6:30AM!, parked on base, then took a bus with the rest of the runners to the site. Justin's wave started at 9:17am. Needless to say, we had plenty of time to kill. I saw Justin off at the starting area and then took a nap on the grass for about 30 minutes (It was really weird to be at a race and not participate). I was up just in time to get over to the mud pits and have the camera set up to take pictures of him crawling through. I also captured photos of him at the finish line. I was so so proud of him. He ran the race in 1 hour and 20 minutes. The furthest he's been running lately is 3 miles and this was a 6.1 mile race. Needless to say, he really outdid himself :)

                                       BEFORE                                                                 AFTER

After the run we went home, changed and headed off to the Cinepolis in Del Mar to see...Star Trek! If your aren't familiar with Cinepolis theaters you should seek one out and go. They are pretty swanky and especially comfy for pregnant women. Each person gets their own reserved reclining leather chair and service button. Yep, that's right. There's a waiter who will come to your seat at the touch of a button to get you popcorn, drinks, entrees, and whatever else it is your little heart desires. You select and reserve your seats ahead of time so there's no rushed feeling to hurry up and find a place to sit. The other nice thing is there's only about 50 or so chairs per theater, so you definitely get your own space. Each person also has their own little table to put their goodies on. As if all that isn't enough they also have 21+ theaters where you can buy alcohol. What this also means is there aren't any screaming kids in the theater. We had a wonderful time. Later that night we ordered pizza from round table and hung out in Justin's office just chatting and sharing "remember when" stories. It was a great day! Monday will start a new chapter for Justin. It's back to healthy eating, no drinking, and preparing for summiting Mount Whitney in August of this year. I'm bummed I won't be able to do the hike with him, but I'm looking forward to the home cooked meals and everything else that I'll get to participate in during his preparation.

Our Luau Baby Shower - May 18, 2013

My birthday was Friday, May 17th. I'm now 28 years old!! Everyone kept asking what I wanted to do for my birthday and in reality my birthday was the furthest thing from my mind. I knew that the following day was going to be our shower and that was going to be a big party in itself. So, for my birthday we drove to Palmdale. Saturday was the big day.

We had about 90 people come to our shower! Talk about feeling overwhelmed with love, joy, and support. We had such a great turn out. I can't believe all the work that went into the shower. My mom and Shelley had been planning it for a few months and Friday my mom had quite the team over at the house to put everything together. I can't say enough great things about the shower. There were a lot of pictures taken but I only pulled a few. The rest can be found on facebook.

The decorations were outstanding. Everywhere I looked it was set up for a luau. Shelley made the banner below...

 

 

The food was absolutely delicious. Several people helped contribute into preparing the dishes and setting up. My mom had pulled pork cooking in the crock pot for 16 hours ahead of time!

 

Citrus punch, tea, and mai tai's, oh my!



 

 

The beautiful cake made by Carrie Bell and Christen Winn. It wasn't only beautiful it was delicious!

Me and my mama

Steve and mom. Yes, that is a tattoo on his face. Not to worry, it's a fake ;)

My dad and Shelley had got me a fresh flower lei. It was made out of a ton of orchids. It was just beautiful.

So many people traveled from all over for the shower. We had family and friends come from Vegas, Orange County, Hacienda Heights, Upland, Los Angeles, and many other places.

Shelley, me, and Danielle

Justin with his Uncle Don and Grandma Betty.

Justin's cousin April, Uncle Bill, Aunt Paula, and April's husband Bryan

Steve and Jessica

Kim, Chasidy, Shawna and baby Brooklyn (Kim's baby girl)

 

John, Justin and Max

 Nicole and me

 

Me and my goddaughter Leilani (Nicole's little girl)

We got so many wonderful gifts for our baby boy. There were so many gifts that we decided to wait until later that night to open them so we could spend as much time as possible visiting with our guests. We started opening gifts around 7pm and didn't get finished until 10pm! Granted we took a couple breaks to get food and drinks. I've included a few pictures below.

My mom went to town making things for him including blankets, burp cloths, bibs and the play mat in the picture below. That bear might be one of the softest things I've ever felt!

 Shelley also made quite a few things for our baby boy. The blanket below was originally crocheted in pinks (when we thought we were having a girl). She was able to make a new one for our boy just in time for the shower. Talk about dedication.

Brian surprised us and got us the jogging stroller AND the car seat! I did so much research on both items. I was thrilled to get them both for baby Gill.

This picture doesn't do it justice, but Danielle got me this beautiful diaper bag. You can't even tell it's a diaper bag. It looks just like a purse! I love it :)

 
  It's hard to tell in the picture, but there's a high chair in there from my dad and Shelley! My dad took the time to put it together for us.

Another fun gift we got was the "tool belt". It was loaded with things to change a diaper. It had everything from a face mask, to clothespins for your nose, to rubber gloves, to butt paste, wipes, diapers, and the list goes on.

I had about 60 thank you notes to write from this shower alone. I'm happy to say we got them done and they've been put in the mail! Thanks again to everyone who attended and helped out with the shower. We are so appreciative.