25 Weeks 1 Day!

I feel like I'm so close to the end yet so far away. I keep trying to remind myself to enjoy how slow this time is going because once she's here everything will change and probably fly by.

Other than my back pain I've been feeling great. Sleeping isn't too uncomfortable yet. I've been getting up about 3 times a night to use the bathroom. That's a little annoying but I usually fall right back to sleep. Someone told me my body is trying to get me used to waking up that many times a night because that's how it will be in the beginning. I'm sure it's just a myth but it makes sense. It's also getting a bit more difficult to bend over. I find myself making funny noises a lot when I do bend over, mostly to humor Justin, but also because it just seems necessary. I also thought I was going to be able to give myself pedicures up until the end. Boy was I wrong.

This week has been a little stressful as far as our personal lives go. I've realized that weddings and pregnancy can bring out the worst in people and it can also bring out the worst in you. This is supposed to be a happy time in our lives and if someone is making it miserable then that person should be treated accordingly and ignored. It was kind of a difficult decision to make, but I have to do what makes me happy. I don't want to look back on this time in my life and think man, it would have been better had I just done what ultimately made me happy. So, that's what I intend to do. I only have three months left and I intend to enjoy it as much as possible. I shouldn't be around people that stress me out, that's not good for anybody, especially the baby. It also has been making me a cranky person, and that's not me. I've been fortunate to not have any random mood swings and my hormones haven't thrown me off balance, all in all I've been a happy pregnant person, so why let one person make me unhappy? 

This weekend I'm going camping in Malibu with my dad, Shelley, Danielle, and Trish and I couldn't be more excited. I'm looking forward to a weekend away. Brian has to work this weekend so he's unable to make it and Justin is staying back to finish out his diet competition. He's doing so well and I'm so proud of him. I think it's been a long 12 weeks for him but he's made it to the end. He seriously looks better than I've ever seen him. He was going through old pictures and his old measurements last night and found out that he is smaller now than he was at 24 years old! He's going to be one hot papa :) I admire him for all the hard work he's put in. He never gave up even when things got tough. He's going to be such a good dad and role model.

How our little baby girl is growing:

Head to heels, our baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Back Pain

So far I've been fortunate enough to not have any other symptoms of pregnancy. No nausea, no swelling, no bad acne, etc. However, these last couple weeks my back has been killing me...and it's only getting worse. The odd thing is it only hurts when I'm sitting down and the pain is in the center of my back, not my lower back. I don't know what to do for the pain. The other night it was so bad I thought I was going to cry. Justin came to the rescue with an ice pack and a massage. I feel like I've tried everything I'm allowed to do from laying on the floor to using ice packs, heating pads, and having Justin rub my back (lately on a nightly basis).  I would like to try Pilate's as I've been told it's really good for pregnant woman and maybe the stretching will help. There's a Pilate's studio near my apartment (well, kind of near it) so a friend from work is going to go with me next week to try it out.

Potato Chip Rock!!

We finally got to hike to "Potato Chip Rock" (Mount Woodson). I took Friday off of work and Justin and I hiked to the top of Mount Woodson. After reading the reviews on yelp and talking to a few people I was a tiny bit nervous to do the hike while being 5 1/2 months pregnant. A lot of people claimed it was really tough, steep, etc. Some yelpers claimed it took them 3 hours to get to the top. Let me remind you that this hike is only about 7 miles round trip, if you start at Lake Poway. If you start on the Ramona side I believe it's about 5 miles. Anyway, we made it to the top in 1 hour and 42 minutes. We started the hike at 11:15am, it was about 66 degrees outside. I wouldn't have wanted it any warmer because as we got moving it got hot. Once we got to the rock there were only a few other people up there so we didn't have to wait too long to get our picture on the rock. You do have to make a little jump to get onto the rock, and some assistance getting back over is definitely handy to have. Otherwise, you would just have to slide down the side of the rock. Needless to say, we both got our picture on the rock, got to see a pretty view, and shared a sandwich before heading down. It took us about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get down.

Looking at the photo it's hard to tell how high up the rock is. The greenery on the lower left of the picture is the top of a tree. The rock drops off on the other side. It would be a long way down if you fell. I believe the summit is 2,855 ft. With all that said, it didn't feel dangerous. The rock is definitely very sturdy, even though it looks really thin.

24 Weeks!

Yesterday was our three year wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's already been three years!! Justin and I had dinner at the West Steakhouse in Carlsbad (we had $200 in gift cards so it seemed like the obvious choice). We had such a great time. I felt like we had just started dating (minus the awkwardness of getting to know each other) and I was so giggly the whole night. I truly love him more and more as each year passes (yes, that might sound corny but it's true). After dinner we made a pit stop at Red Robin (Justin's favorite place near our apartment. In other words...the only place that stays open "late"). We then finished up the evening watching youtube videos on the couch at home. Quite romantic ;) Here's the 24 week update!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Baby Gill has been so active everyday! I seriously wonder if she ever sleeps, or if maybe she tosses and turns and kicks and punches while she's sleeping...? Anyway, I love feeling her move, so I'm definitely not complaining.

I'm taking the day off of work tomorrow and Justin and I are going to hike Mount Woodson. Finally! I'm very excited and looking forward to it. It's 7.5 miles round trip and the summit sits at 2,855 feet. There is a 2,300 ft. elevation gain. Hopefully it won't be too tough and it will be worth the picture on Potato Chip Rock!!

24 Weeks 3 days!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Justin and I were going to hike Mount Woodson today (Potato Chip rock), I've been dying to do this since I've heard about it. Anyway, we woke up this morning and Justin was extremely exhausted from his work out yesterday (we went to the gym twice!) so we decided to take it easy and we'll hike Mount Woodson next Sunday.
We were going to walk along the beach in Coronado but it turned into a mini photo shoot with the weekly sign. By the time we were done we were both cranky and hungy. We had lunch on Coronado Island at Which Which (sandwich shop). When we got home we took a two hour nap and are now getting ready to go to Natives (our favorite vegan restaurant) for dinner. Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Quick update

I JUST SAW MY STOMACH MOVE!!! No, like literally. I was sitting at my desk working away (still am) and I noticed baby Gill was moving around quite a bit, but they were big movements. I looked down and saw these thump like movements coming from within! Really cool and really weird all at the same time. When I really take time to think about it I find it hard to fathom that there's a human being growing inside of me! Seeing the movements on the outside was a whole new experience. I wish Justin was here to see it.

23 Weeks!

Things are moving right along. I was told by a couple people that once I hit the halfway point and found out the gender the pregnancy would fly by. Let me be the first to tell you that it's not "flying" by. It doesn't help either that I don't have any patience. I mean we were engaged for 14 months before getting married and it seemed to take forever to get to the actual wedding day (when I get really excited things seem prolonged). Looking back we've been married three years next Wednesday and I can't believe how quickly the three years have gone by! Maybe in a few months I'll agree that this time has "flown" by. For now, come on baby, I'm ready to meet you! Then again, it is nice to have a few more months to save money and figure out exactly what our next steps are (living situation, car, etc.)

How your baby's growing:
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance (this is great news! Now I can play rock band and have an "audience". Although, she may not like mama's singing) And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango) you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes (haven't seen this happen yet). Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

As for me, I'm still feeling great. I try and work out if not every day then every other day. I've recently started swimming at the gym. That's been a nice experience. Fortunately the updates I get on how "my body is changing" haven't happened, at least not yet anyway. The most recent update I got was my feet are probably starting to swell, sluggish circulation in my legs, and just overall swelling. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that these things don't happen, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they do. I can see that my face is starting to fill out...and I still have 17 weeks to go!

4D Ultrasound

I have scheduled my 4D ultrasound! Justin thinks it's a waste of money (apologies now to our little girl who will some day read this), but I have friends who keep telling me to do it and that it's really worth it. The place sounds really nice. They offer comfortable seating for 10 adults (although they've accommodated up to 25!) in San Diego's largest theater viewing rooms. They have a deluxe scan room, top of the line GE Voluson 730 Expert Technology (I have no idea what this means, I pulled it from the site), we can hear the baby's heartbeat upon request, have the gender confirmed, and most importantly, we'll get to see our little girl's facial features! We'll also get a dvd of the video they take along with color photos (I did have to laugh at that part. Is Sepia really considered "colored"?) This place was recommended by a friend, so I'm not worried about it being dodgy. I'm very much looking forward to this appointment especially because we haven't received any decent pictures from good old Kaiser. As far as pictures go I just want one side profile of the baby.

 

22 Weeks 4 Days!

I feel our baby girl move more and more each day!

 

Justin felt baby Gill kick!!

All day yesterday our little girl was quite active. I went to the gym after work and she must have not used as much energy as I did because she was full of energy when I got home. We were sitting on the couch and I felt her moving around much more than normal. I had Justin just hold his hand on my stomach for a bit to see if she'd kick (or punch). Usually she stops as soon as he puts his hand on there. Well, last night she was putting on a show! I'm not sure if she was kick boxing or practicing her dancing skills. Either way, Justin finally felt it. He thought it was pretty cool. The kicks are still fairly weak, so I'm sure they'll be easier for him to detect later on.

22 Weeks!

22 Weeks! Although technically, I'm a day early. My doctor (mid wife) looked at my due date again yesteray and it's now July 11th. I guess the ultra sound tech had rounded up by saying I was 20 weeks at the appointment. In the system it showed 19 wks 5 dys. I'm still betting on July 9th. Anyway, they said they hardly ever change it in the system, but if I'm sure about when my last period was then they'd change it. So, here we are...July 11th is now the final date. Apparently they won't be changing it again.

How baby Gill's growing:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.
If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Yesterday I had my monthly check up with my doctor. Justin normally goes to every appointment, but was unable to attend this one. While I was disappointed at first I had to remind myself that he's been to all the others and not every husband is able to go to every single appointment. However, I am extremely grateful for the times he can go. These monthly check ups are usually pretty quick. They check my blood pressure, weight, baby's heart beat and a couple of other things. My appointment yesterday went great! The mid wife said I was very healthy and things were moving along smoothly (that's always a relief to hear).
I don't know if I've mentioned it in previous blogs but we are trying to figure out which hospital I should deliver at. Let me break it down. We have full coverage on Justin's insurance through Kaiser (this is where I've currently been going). If I deliver at Kaiser we won't pay a dime, not even a co-pay. Nice, right? Well, the other hospital, Sharp Mary Birch specializes in women and newborns, more specifically, deliveries. In fact, all they do is deliveries. They don't see other patients except for expecting mamas. I am able to use my insurance through work to go there, however, we will end up having to pay out of pocket for some of the expenses. At most it sounds like we would pay $2,000. It probably doesn't sound like much when comparing the two hospitals (especially considering Kaiser is one of them), but $2,000 is $2,000 and we have a ton of other stuff coming up that we'll have to pay for. So in the meantime I'm trying to find every positive aspect about Kaiser, but even Justin thinks Mary Birch is the way to go, it's just the financial part. I'm still looking into other ways we could cut the cost on that (ex: will Kaiser help cover the bill?) One last note on the two places. At Mary Birch I'm guaranteed to have my own room for recovery. At Kaiser there's a chance I could end up in a shared room (depending on how busy they are). From what Kaiser tells me July is very busy!

Back to the appointment:
In trying to find more positive things about Kaiser I decided to ask the midwife some questions that have been on our minds.

1) C-sections - are you quick to jump to doing a c-section.
MW (midwife) Response: "Oh no, not unless it's absolutely necessary. Why do you want one".
My response: I'd prefer not to.

2) Epidurals - are you big on epidurals?
MW Response: "Only if you want one. We will not force you to have one".

3) Episiotomy - Is this guaranteed?
MW Response: "Absolutely not. We rarely ever do episiotomy's."
My response: "What about tearing? Don't you heal better if you're cut, not that I'm encouraging it".
MW Response: "You are really healthy and won't be having a 9 lb. baby. I don't think it will be necessary for you to have an episiotomy. I also don't think that you'll tear because you're healthy and you exercise. If you do tear it would be very small."
My thoughts - my tear would be small? I don't want to tear at all. Crying on the inside.

4) Prenatals and Iron - My prenatals don't have any iron in them. Should I be taking a supplement?
MW Response: "What?! I'm glad you mentioned this. You need to switch your prenatals. You would have been anemic by next month!"
My Response: Wow, I thought I was taking good prenatals. I've had friends recommend them and I see them in magazines (could I have sounded any more incompetent?)
MW Response: Blank stare. "Buy the ones in the pharmacy downstairs. Stop taking the other ones".
My thoughts: Poop, I really liked the other ones. They are gummy and taste like candy. Just goes to show you that things that taste too good to be true probably are. :/

Overall I do feel better about the questions I asked. At least I know what to expect. I didn't want someone who was going to be pro c-section right off the bat and trying to rush home for dinner.

Speaking of dinner, last night I got to have dinner with grandma Sharon, grandpa Bob, grandma Jackie, and uncle Joe! I haven't seen grandma Jackie in a couple of years, and I haven't seen uncle Joe in probably two decades! We had such a wonderful time. They are going to be in San Diego for a couple days, so I drove down to Coronado where they are staying and we had Mexican food for dinner. Again, it was such a great evening.

Cowels Mountain - 21 Weeks 4 days

Last weekend I hiked Cowels Mountain with some friends. I told Justin I'd like to go again this weekend so just he and I went on Saturday. The hike is about 2.7 miles round trip (I actually mapped it this time). We took our time getting up and down. I think Justin enjoyed it as well. It was really easy for him. I decided to take the weekly board with us so there'd be a change of scenery for the background.

Here's my weekly picture: 21 Weeks 4 Days

Today we drove to a hilly area near us and Justin rode him mountain bike and I hiked around. I also ordered some maternity clothes online from Target. Wish me luck! I've had a heck of a time finding maternity clothes that I like, that fit, and that are in my price range. I talked to Nicole for quite a while today and she's going to let me borrow her maternity clothes. What a life saver. I hate the though of spending any more money on clothes that I'll wear for such a short time! I hope everyone is having a great and relaxing weekend.