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Buddysmom
Age: 23
Country: US
Province/region: Virginia
City: Clifton
Partner: Husband-Chip
Children: Yes, 1
Pregnant: Please select
Occupation: housewife/stay at home mom
Online: 12 hours ago.
Last updated: 62 days ago.
Member since: 258 days
| Profile | Photos (29) | Children (1) | Blog (7) | Polls (0)
| Agenda (8) | Comments added (34) | Notepad
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My name is Lauren and I am 23 from northern Va. I have been writing my thoughts on pregnancy below since about week 23. I am on the site almost daily and update my page every few days. It has been a great support system. I have to give some credit to my husband Chip too. I could not have gotten through this without him.

7/29

It has been forever since I have been on here. Life has been crazy. Let me start with the day Buddy was born. We were so nervous on the morning of my c section. I was scared for the health of me and baby Buddy. Chip was a great help. We had a great support group of family in the waiting area. The surgery went well, I actually lost a little extra blood but they gave me some kind of medicine to help. When they started the medicine to numb me I got very nauseous and I was still alone, they hadn't brought Chip back in. They gave me something for nausea and once I was with Chip I felt much better. I tried to focus on his face and words and not think of what was going on behind that sheet. It didn't hurt at all. It was a very weird feeling of pushing like someone was shaking around my abdomen. Chip and I were so in love at that moment, so scared and excited. When I heard the doctor announce the fluid was clear I told Chip that we were getting very close. Buddy came out screaming and peeing. It was the best sound I have ever heard in my life. Just thinking of that moment still brings tears to my eyes. Just that morning I had been talking about how much I was looking forward to hearing him cry. It makes you feel like everything is going to be alright. We had NICU doctors present because it was a c section and because of my health problems. We knew there was a chance he would have to be in the NICU for a day or so. When Chip told me that he got a 9 on the Apgar and he turned the right color I burst into sobs. He was healthy, he could come to my room with me. I wanted him with me so badly. I had been worrying myself to death the last few weeks of pregnancy that this wouldn't happen. He was still checked every few hours but never had any reason to need extra attention. If anything he was an extra healthy baby. I cannot explain the relief I felt. After he was taken out and cleaned up and weighed they brought him up to my face so I could kiss him. He weighed 7lbs2oz and was 20in. Pretty small boy and they were worried he would be big! I even had one hand to touch his soft little face. He was the most beautiful sight. It was such a surreal experience. Chip held him and a nurse took a few family pictures for us in the operating room. I don't think I stopped crying the whole time. I have never felt joy like I did that day. They had to finish my surgery so Chip went with Buddy to a recovery room to wait for me. A few members of our family got to see him while I was still being stitched up. My mother in law actually held him before me!! I came to find out later. We have a picture of when she held him the first time and she is smiling from deep within. It is beautiful and touching. My doctor checked me for endometriosis and found none! More great news. I got sewn up and taken to recovery. I was suprised to see Chip there with Buddy. I was still afraid they would take Buddy to NICU. When I saw them both I broke down again. I stared at my new family with adoring eyes. I finally got the chance to hold my baby. It was such a weird feeling! I don't have much experience with babies either. It felt so good. I never wanted to let go. I was wheeled down into a room where I stayed the next 5 days and it was HUGE. It used to be a double sized room but they only do private rooms for moms at the hospital now. It was awesome. Even with all the family there was room to spare. The next few days are such a blur. We had lots of family and just a few friends come visit. It was overwhelming at times because he was already keeping me up all hours! Breastfeeding was definitely difficult to get going. My breats got really engorged and my nipples were bleeding and scabbed but I was determined. He even lost a little more than 10% his body weight. I never gave him formula (and still haven't) and just kept trying. He is tongue tied a little which makes breastfeeding hard for him but his tongue has stretched out a little already. I now pump some bottles too which helps give me a little break and I am able to be sure he is eating enough. Breastfeeding is the thing that has made me break down more than anything else. That and the first few days and even that first week after the c section was very hard. It was so painful. It was so stressful and overwhelming to be in so much pain and trying to take care of a baby. I am so thankful for Chip. He was the only one who changed diapers the first few days because I could hardly stand. He helped me out of bed and helped me shower. I have fallen even more in love with him after going through all this. I have been feeling much better recently. I am able to get some stuff done around the house on top of caring for the baby. They kept telling me to get up and walk while I was in the hospital in pain. It hurt to be up but I think that is why I have recovered pretty quickly. Not being sure he was getting enough to eat was the hardest. When we first tried to give him a pacifier he stopped taking the breast. That was the longest night I have had so far. He was screaming and wouldn't feed but was frantic trying to. It was scary. I have tried to remain calm. I have broken down a few times. I only got 10 hours of sleep tops combined in the first week. Even at the hospital I would send him to the nursery but if he would cry they would bring him back since I was breastfeeding. I must say that I enjoy nursing him so much. It is our special time. I never knew I would want to so badly. It is so rewarding though. His sleep is just now starting to get a little better. I wasn't getting more than an hour at a time until the last few days. He is sleeping for 3-4 hours at some times. He is sleeping more at night too because that used to be the worst. Chip has gone back to work this week so I am on my own. I love to be doing it all by myself and know that it is my responsibility. That brings stress to because it is all on me. It is the best job I could ever had. And the hardest! He is sleeping next to me now. I am so in love. I love being a mommy. On a side note, my sister in law went into labor 2 days after me (7/13/08) and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Caleb William Watson. The boys look so different. They were about the same size though. We are so glad to be going through this for the first time together. It helps to have someone to talk to that knows EXACTLY what you are going through. I am glad we are becoming closer friends through this. I think we will keep eachother sane in the next few weeks. I love my family. I am so lucky. I love my husband more than I ever have. He has been amazing. I love to see him holding his son and gazing at his face. I chose the right man to have children with. He already is a great dad and I know he will only be better as Buddy grows up. He loves to be a daddy and thats what maters the most. This has opened up a deeper love between us.

7/10

It is the night before my c section. I am suppoed to arrive at the hospital tomorrow at 12:00 for a 1:30 surgery. I am so nervous and excited all at once! I can't believe my son will be here tomorrow. This is my last post as a pregnant woman. I will be a mommy soon! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/8

Because of the pain I am in the c section has been moved to FRIDAY AT 130pm!!!

7/7

Well I thought I would have made a lot of progress after my weekend of walking and sex and pain. NOPE! I found out today he is not even engaged. They did an ultrasound and he is a floating vertex (?) It means the dr could still push his head back and forth with her hands. I had badly inverted hips as a young child and I have a small pelvis. He doesn't even fit in the top part of my pelvis. There is no way he is coming out through my vagina. My pelvis also has a weird pancake shape which adds to the complications. I was concerned with my bad back too that I wouldn't be able to push him out. He just won't fit. So I scheduled a c section with my dr for next Monday, on his due date! My dr will deliver and the anesthesiologist that I have been to will be there to administer the block. He knows my back the best. I am excited to know that it will be over soon. If I happen to go into labor I will have a c section with whatever dr is there at the time. I don't think it will happen since my body hasn't progressed too far but you never know! I was trying to avoid a c section, we had known it was a possibility since I got pregnant. I am glad I won't go through 20hrs of labor, hours of pushing just to get one anyways. My body isn't made for a vaginal delivery. My sister in law is due tomorrow and I think she will ask to be induced at this point. Our little boys are going to be very close in age! I am excited for us both. YAY, and end in sight!

7/5

Well I have been trying to get my little man out but he has different plans. I have been up walking a lot. It has been hurting low in my pelvis with some pressure which I see as a good sign. I used to stop and sit or lay down when I felt this and now I push through it and keep moving. I hope it is helping things progress. I went swimming yesterday. That felt amazing, until I got out of the water. Then all the weight is back with a vengance. I have eaten spicy food too and tried a few other methods recommended as natural inductions. Nothing has worked. I have an appt on Monday so I am curious to see if it has helped me get any closer. I cannot believe how close I am. I am so so so excited! I know life will be hard in a different way but I am looking forward to it so much. I can't wait to see my baby boy. I also can't wait to get him off my spine! OUCH!

7/2

Get this baby OUT!!! I had my appointment yesterday and it went pretty well. I am 50% effaced and soft. His head is at -1. I have not dilated at all though. She also wasn't too concerned about him being big. I am measuring behind a little. I think he is average sized and I hide it well because I am tall. But at least he is not freakishly large!! I have had a horrible day today. My back hurts more and more. I can almost not take it. I have broken down a lot over the past 2 days. I am ready to be done. I have everything prepared. We even had a cleaning service come yesterday. 2 women for 4 hours cleaned my 3 bedroom condo. It needed it! It looks great. I am just waiting for Buddy to arrive now. I think he will make it until my due date. Time has never gone so slow!

6/30

Chip and I are officially MARRIED!! I explained the circumstances in my last post. We got married at his parents house which we had discussed doind when we were engaged over a year ago. His parents got married in their parents house. We are big on the family traditions. It was beautiful and awesome. My sister from FL surprised us and flew up for the day to be there. All of our immediate family (parents and siblings) were there. I thought the celebrant did a great job. I started choking up and cried when I read my vows. I was surprised, I thought I would hold it together. Chips eyes got all glossy when I lost it though which was really sweet. I was nervous with anticipation the whole time though. I could feel my lips quivering. It was more than I thought it would be. It was special and memorable. It was truly perfect. We had a wonderful brunch afterward and the families got to hang out for a bit. I am so happy to be married to the love of my life, my best friend. I am so happy.

6/29

I am so uncomfortable but happy as hell. I have called Chip my hubby all along because it was such a long story as to why we weren't married. We have wanted to be for awhile but couldn't for reasons out of our control. I have a lot of health problems and was able to stay on my dads insurance indefinitely because of it. Chip had a great job with the county where we live but didn't get benefits. If we got married I would have been dropped from my dads plan and would not be able to just go get insurance as I am uninsurable. He recently got a better job (still with the county) with better pay.. AND BENEFITS! His insurance through his work is awesome too. Well we didn't know if there would be a waiting period or if it would kick in right away. It ends up that it will kick in as of July 1st. So we are getting married tomorrow. We are having just our immediate family there and the celebrant (person performing ceremony) is coming to Chips parents house. It is more about getting it done legally and getting my name changed. Its a personal choice and I wanted the same last name as my son on his birth certificate. We always knew we would get married too, we have been together 4.5years and were engaged before we decided to have a baby. We had a baby a little sooner than we had initially planned too because of my health problems. It is all working out though. In a year from now we will have a bigger wedding celebration with family and friends. I obviously don't have the energy or need the stress at 38 weeks pregnant! I do want to enjoy the experience of getting married and having a special wedding that is a little more planned out. We will do it on June 30th next year, our one year anniversary. We got beautiful wedding bands this weekend. Mine hardly fits as I got the same size as my engagement ring. I have been willing my baby Buddy to stay in until at least Tuesday so we can get through this!! Just our luck, we could finally get married and then he would decide to come early. I am pretty sure he will stay in until my due date. I am so happy though. Life has finally been working out for me and Chip. Our families have been so supportive all along and are so excited and happy for us.

6/24

I had my weekly dr appointment today. I had her check me since I have been having terrible pain in my cervix. He has indeed engaged. I am happy that the pain has at least been for a reason!! I was a little effaced and soft but not dilated. I was checked a few weeks ago and was still long and hard at that time so I have made some progress. She thought I was pretty much on target for when I am due. I also expressed my concern that he will be a big baby and she did agree. Since I am so tall there is a lot of room for him to hide. She also said having a boy puts you at an increased risk of a c section because they tend to be bigger. I have a small pelvis which I think is weird since I am so tall. There is a good chance I will need a c section. She says she can't believe sometimes what a woman can push out though. We won't schedule a c section or anything because you don't really know. We will see when it comes time to push him out. I go in knowing there is a good chance though. She also said the longer he is in there the greater chance I would need a c section because he is just going to get bigger and bigger. There is nothing I can do about it anyways so there is not much sense in worrying. Well I had been hoping he would come at 38 weeks but I think I can hold out. Chip works for the county and on the 10th of July they are voting on whether they should have paid parental leave. It is supposed to go into affect right away too. It would be the difference of 2 weeks with no pay as opposed to full pay. And he just got a new job and makes a lot more money. We would love him to get paid! So I am crossing my legs until the 10th. I told him I can't make the baby stay in when it is time so we will just see what happens. So close now. I am so excited for my sister in law too. She is at 38 weeks and I can't wait to get the phone call that she is in labor. The family is getting together this weekend. It may be the last time before there are grandchildren involved. Crazy. Exciting though!

6/21

I am so sore!! I am ready to get this baby out of me! I have still had pretty good energy but my body is not keeping up. I have an appt on Tues and I have then weekly on Tuesdays now. I went last week and all was well. They asked if I wanted to be checked but I said no because I had been checked a week and a half earlier and was not dilated or anything. I haven't had any contractions (that I know of) my whole pregnancy. I am going to have them check this next week because I am curious if he has engaged. I have been having lots of pelvic pain. I am recently afraid he is huge. I have been measuring normal but I am a tall girl (5'10") and he is putting pressure on my lungs and pelvis at the same time! He is filling me up completely. I hurt. My back is killing. I cannot wait to lose this weight. It is killing me. Our house is looking good. Chip is working on it a bit this weekend too. We are a great team. I am lucky. I have been a little more emotional (hormonal) recently. I am trying not to take it out on him. Men don't understand though how hard it is.

6/15

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there! My due date is less than a month away! YAY! Hopefully my birth is like 2 weeks away. Wishful thinking. We celebrated fathers day with Chip's family yesterday. It was a really nice time. With me and Chip's sister being pregnant together for the first time it is nice to enjoy these family moments. Especially since life will be changing so much soon. Both pregnancies are almost over. She made a good point. She said she had a dream about inducing herself (trying) But she doesn't want to because it is like trying to rush Christmas. I thought that was a good way to look at it. Even though you are not in so much pain before Christmas! It is the anticipation that makes it even more sweet. I am not doing anything to induce myself. I am just letting nature take its course. As much as I hope it will happen a little early I am not going to intervene. I went out and laid in the sun for a little bit today. It felt really good. Sunlight is some good therapy too. Lifts my mood everytime. Chip is working hard this weekend. He has gotten wallpaper removed in one of our bathrooms which was quite a task. He also painted the door to the nursery and one that needed it in the hallway. Nesting for me has been working on the whole house not just the baby's stuff. I have been on him (a little much at times) to get stuff done around here. He will be starting a new job soon and we have the baby coming. We are trying to get at a good place with the house so we don't have to worry about this stuff. There will always be a project here and there but they add up quickly too. Our house has improved SOO much since I found out I was pregnant. We are so much more organized and clean. It is nice because I am pretty OCD. I can't wait to get the cleaning service in here to deep clean. I can't clean like I want to because of my bad back and huge belly now. They will scrub everywhere that needs it. It is a one time thing too so they do an extra amount. It costs a pretty penny but it is SOO worth it. Our house will be spotless in time for Buddy's arrival. Today Chip is painting the trim in Buddy's nursery. It has needed to be done for awhile. I will feel so much better when it is done because then we will be so close to completely done in there. All thats left is hanging the closet doors and the window valance and shade. The painting is the last big project though because we had to move all the furniture away from the walls and everything. Plus it obviously can't be done when Buddy is here because of the fumes. I am feeling so ready to have this baby. I want a few more weeks to get our house in order. I would feel prepared if he came today though. We have both worked really hard. I am so proud of Chip. He is such a wonderful man and I love him to death. He works so hard for us. He supports me and will be the provider (financially) for the family. His new job starts pretty soon and we are soo excited! It was perfect timing. We were going to be in bad shape financially otherwise. Life is very good for us right now and we cannot wait for the future.

6/12

I am about to go off to the pool for the first time. The heat has been crazy here and I have been just too lazy to go. Chip is going to go with me on his lunch break. I don't need to be out there too long. I hope it feels as good as I think it will. Things are moving along.. slowly now. It used to go by so fast. It is a snails pace now. I am getting more and more uncomfortable. I am about ready to be done. I can hold out a few more weeks but I would love if he came at 38 weeks. If only it were that easy! I have a feeling he loves it in there so much he will stay past 40 weeks. Yikes. His movements have become borderline violent sometimes! I feel him at least a few times an hour. It seems like he gets stage fright when other people want to feel him, or I want other people to feel him. Chip has gotten the chance to feel much more though. Yesterday I finished up my thank you cards from my shower. I did the ones for Chips work shower the week before. There were sooo many cards. My brain was dead from trying to be cute and nice. I do so appreciate that all these people went and spent time and money one me. I am glad to give them a thank you. I am more glad that the task is done! This weekend is Fathers Day. I already gave Chip his gift. It was a joint gift for him and baby Buddy. A twilight turtle. It is a stuffed turtle with a hard shell that is a night light, the shell projects the night sky on the ceiling and even has real constellations. Chip had really wanted it and I ordered it online. I gave it to him early but at least I didn't spoil the surprise. I get so excited I have a hard time keeping secrets! Even when it's gifts. We will be going to his parents this weekend to celebrate. There are two soon to be dads (including Chip) so it will be exciting. I enjoyed my first mothers day recently. I think of the years to come and how it will change. Chip thinks of all the bad ties he will get in the future! Oh this weekend I went to the hospital for the cramping I was having. I was feeling it in my back as well. Even over the phone the dr was pretty sure it wasn't the real deal. I wasn't dilated or contracting. I was glad because it would still be a preterm baby at this point and could face some complications. It was probably intestinal and the baby moving down. When the time did come for us to go to the hospital, it was such a zen moment. You become so at peace with it and calm. I am once again stressed about all to get done. Not as much as I used to be. I want to make sure the nursery is done pretty soon and a few house projects. I am feeling much better if Buddy were to some in the world now though. We would be ready. We are both so excited for the unconditional love.

6/7

I have not had the best weekend ever. I am so glad though because this past week I finished up my chores to prepare for Buddy. Everything is washed and put away in the new furniture. Chip still has some work to do in the nursery and in the house. My job is to rest now and wait for baby. I have been having lots of back pain which is normal. This weekend we had a little scare because one night I started getting pretty bad pain in my pelvis and pressure. Chip was quick to pretty much finish up my hospital bags. I only have to throw in a few things last minute. I am glad we got that done. It all makes me feel more ready to go into labor. I have had this pelvic, hip, back pain and abdominal cramping and pressure all weekend. I have an appt on Tuesday for strep b test and I am going to tell them what has been going on. I hope they will check me. I am hoping Buddy's head is already dropped and engaged. We will see then. I am going to stay in bed more often until I deliver. It is best for me and Buddy. One of the nest gifts I will be receiving is a maid service. My parents are going to pay for them to come and DEEP CLEAN our condo. I am so glad that I don't have to stress about it. I have done a lot of nesting already and just don't have the strength or body to scrub like the house needs. Chip just needs to do a few house projects. He was busy working all weekend and couldn't get any of it done. I have faith in him. He wants to be able to spend as much time with the baby and not have to worry about the house eiether. There is not much to do either, just a few projects here and there. I think my nesting has rubbed off on him a little. HE has seemed a little more motivated to get it done. Phew. First we will finish everything in the nursery and then elsewhere. We would be pretty prepared if Buddy were to arrive tomorrow. I would like another few weeks.. maybe not 5 more (until my due date) I am hanging in there though until the little man decides to make his appearance.

6/1

I will start off with yesterday.. I had my shower!! It was soo amazing. My mother in law and sisters in law did such an incredible job. I couldn;t believe they did so much for me. I felt so special. Quite a few people couldn't show up but I had a pretty good turnout. I was appreciative to everyone who did make it there. I got quite a few gifts off my registry. A lot of people waited until last minute. Some even bought stuff the day of the shower. I got a lot of clothes too but just as much other stuff. That made me happy. Some people included gift receipts too so I will have to look through what I may want to return. I honestly can't imagine returning anything because people were so nice to get anything! I had a lot of clothes before the shower so I am overloaded!! I may exchange them for something else at the store. I don't know. I am still overwhelmed. They filled a room with the gifts after I opened them and it was CRAZY. Soo much stuff. I had someone taking pictures the whole shower so I will post them as soon as I get them. It was the best shower ever. I loved the decorations, food, games, EVERYTHING. I wouldn't have changed a thing. It was PERFECT. My hubby had to help his family last night and today so he couldn't bring all my stuff home yet. I can't wait to play with it all!!! I am so looking forward to finishing up the nursery. Today my mom and I went out and used our coupons. I am just about finished with everything I need. Just a few things here and there. I also got most of the stuff I need for my hospital bag. Bed Bath and Beyond has TONS of travel sized stuff so I recommend going there! I got all of that stuff and some slippers and nursing nightgowns. I listened to other womens advice and didn't spend too much on the lsippers and gowns as they will most likely get ruined. I feel so much better though. I am SO prepared. I am going to throw all my stuff in a bag and write up a list and post it to our bedroom door of what we need to throw in the bag on the way to the hospital. I am so excited. It is feeling like its going to be here so soon. I am on cloud nine recently. Life is soo good for me and Chip. A few days ago after I had posted for the day something amazing happened. He got offered a better job!! It is better pay and benefits. He has been working on interviews for it for about a month. We really went into it not thinking it would work out. It is such a relief though. I have been so stressed about money as we already struggle to support the two of us. I did not know how we would manage with a child. We knew he needed a raise to this amount by the end of the year at the latest. This is so good for our family! Life is so good for us right now. It is so exciting.

5/30

Tomorrow is my baby shower.. YAY!!! I am soo excited. Yesterday Chip set up the changing table and we picked up the armoire at babies r us. We are so close to being done with the room. We have all the furniture for the room at least. I love it all too. It looks even better than I thought it would. He is a spoiled and lucky boy. I am trying to get it all done in the next week after the shower so that I can rest the last few weeks. Anything that isn't bought for the shower I will get with my coupons. My back has been killing me and my drs have said that I need to be on more bedrest. I had no idea that nesting would be such a strong feeling. It's not just trying to decorate a cute nursery. Nesting is the overwhelming urge to clean and organize your entire house and life. Even if you are exhausted and in pain it overrides that. I am trying to listen to my body and not my mind. I have so enjoyed decorating the nursery too but I need to take it easier. I will take pictures this weekend after the shower to show what the nursery looks like. There will be pictures taken at the shower too which I will get up as soon as I can too. I am so incredibly excited for my shower!! I know there has been so much work and thought put into it. I can't wait to see a lot of my friends and some family too. Some of them haven't seen me for awhile and are going to love the big belly!!

5/25

I have been a little lonely this weekend. Chip left for his friends bachelor party in Myrtle beach. I have had lots of emotions about it, good and bad. I am happy for him because he is having such a good time. Yesterday I started washing Buddy's clothes. WOW he has so much. He can't wear the same outfit twice or he will never get a chance to wear it all. I am enjoying prepping the nursery. I love nesting. It is one of the more enjoyable parts of pregnancy. I am definitely getting over being pregnant. More and more back pain. I am hanging in there though. I expect he will make it full term or a little longer. I am so excited for my baby shower next Saturday. Most of my younger girlfriends can make it. It does seem to be a really busy weekend but there's nothing I can do about that. It should be a pretty good turnout. Hardly anything has been bought off my registry though which is a bummer. Hopefully people are holding off until this week or giving gift cards. I don't need any more clothes!! My mother in law and sisters in law have let me in on some of the shower decorations etc. It will be so cute. I will make sure pictures are taken. I had a fun day today. I went over to my parents and hung out at thier house for a bit. My brother gave me my bedding set as a gift! I was so excited. That was the thing I was most looking forward to getting off my registry. It is called jungle babies. I am washing it now so I can put the bed together before Chip gets home. It will really make the nursery look even better. Then me and my mom went out in search of a maternity bathing suit. I was dreading looking for one but can't wait to get in that pool and feel weightless. I feel so heavy nowadays. We went to Target and she bought me some other cute maternity clothes too. I got a cute dress to wear to my shower. Then we went to babies r us and I bought the matching armoire to my crib. We also looked at the changing tables and we went ahead and bought one. I had two 15% coupons to use on one item only so I used both of those. I have been trying to use coupons on what I need. I have 2 more for next week which I can use to get stuff off my registry that isn't bought for shower presents. The changing table looks great with the crib set even though it is a different brand. I am feeling so much more ready with each thing that gets bought for him. Once my shower is over and I finish buying everything I am going to be soo done with being pregnant!! I plan to try and organize his clothes tonight a little bit. I will wait until I have the armoire to do some of it. I have a closet to start filling though. It is all in piles right now. It seems overwhelming because he has so much little stuff. I am trying to pace myself since there is still a lot of time left till he arrives. I can't wait to have my son!!

5/22

Today was my shower at Chip's work. It went even better than I had imagined! I was a little nervous walking into a room full of people with our two seats up at the front. It was much more comfortable than I would have thought. Everyone was in a great mood and all the yummy sweets and treats helped. They had decorated the room with balloons and streamers and had a few pics of us around the room. The women that organized it really went all out for a work shower! We got a few gifts, some really cute clothes. Amazingly I haven't gotten any repeat clothes. We also got a diaper genie which was really nice. Most of the employees pitched in together to give us cash.. ALWAYS a great gift! I can't believe how much was done for us, especially when I haven't even met all of the people there! There is so much we still need. I have my shower for friends and family in a week and I am sure that after that I will still have to pick up a few odds and ends. We have a baby fund set aside with money (including a gift card and a check) we have gotten thus far. I am so tired now. Chip leaves tomorrow for his boys weekend. I have been a little stressed about it for financial reasons. Stress seems so overwhelming when you're pregnant. Lately a lot of women on the site have been saying they have been feeling down or depressed or stressed. I worry about a lot when it comes to my baby boy. I want the best for him of course. It's amazing how much you can care about something before you've even ever seen it. I am so in love with my boy. I am glad Chip can get away before the baby is born and we are stuck home every weekend. But I honestly still have some reservations about him going. I am trying to be supportive and happy for him.

5/21

So I had my monthly checkup yesterday. I finally got to see the dr that I have seen for years with endometriosis. (I had been seeing the other delivering drs these past months) She was so happy and excited it always makes me feel so good. She said again that there were many times that she worried I wouldn't be able to get pregnant. I realize more and more how serious my medical problems were and how lucky I am to be 8 months pregnant now. She also said I look better now than I have since she has known me. I agree, and if I could take back pain out of the equation (since I had serious spine issues before getting pregnant) I have had a wonderful pregnancy. I have gotten off of so much medicine I was on and I feel better than I have felt in a long time. It has been the best thing to happen to me. Well, baby Buddy measured to date which is always good to hear. I think he will be a very average sized baby, or at least I hope! He is still head down and everything is going well. I do need to rest more as my back has been hurting more. Chip has been a great help picking up my slack around the house. Poor man has to work all day and then come home and do some work. I appreciate him more than ever since this pregnancy. He has been the most wonderful partner to have and go through this with. I am a lucky girl. We have our baby shower at his work tomorrow afternoon. It is so nice of them to do anything for us! I am excited!! Chip will be out of town this weekend and I plan on working on organizing the nursery a little bit, especially the closet. Between my mom and Chips mom I have a ton of clothes. And my mom has bought a lot of little stuff too. I don't want to worry too much about getting it perfect this weekend because I will be getting a lot at my shower in a week and a half. But I do want to start so I have an idea of where to put everything. I am feeling so much more ready for him to be here!!

5/18

So I had a great and exhausting weekend. We worked for like 15hrs Sat getting our house back together and better than it was since we got the carpet done. We hardly even ate, we were so focused on what we were doing. I am paying the price now because my body is soooo sore. I have been in bed all day today. I overdid it. It was worth it though because our house looks beautiful. Chip put together the glider and the crib. I love my crib soo much! Its perfect. I also am in love with the glider. It is the most comfortable place to sit in my whole house. I put together a swing and a papasan. It was fun preparing for baby.

5/16

So we got our carpet!! Now the hard stuff begins. We have to get everything back to where it was and even work on our organizing a bit. (while everything is out) The carpet got done reallly fast and looks GREAT. I LOVE it!! It doesn't smell as bad as I thought so I will be able to go home soon. Chip is going to bring over the crib from my parents house later and set it up! I can't wait!! We need to move around a few things but then I can start on Buddy's nursery. My glider and crib will be set up this weekend though. I am so excited. I feel like all the house work and improvements I want to get done are obtainable. It felt like we would never get them done before but I really think we will do it. Thats exciting because it makes me feel much more prepared for the baby. Chip has also said recently he wants to home improvements done before baby so he doesn't have to worry about any of that and he can just focus on his son. I had a bad night last night. I was worrying about money since Chip is going away for a bachelor party of a friend who has him in the wedding party. It is going to cost a lot of money. Looking back, he probably should have declined because we don't have the money. Here I have been skimping on what I spend. I haven't even spent much on maternity clothes or baby stuff. I want him to be able to have this fun with the guys, especially before he is a daddy and has a lot more responsibility but the money aspect is killing me. We live on one income so it is already tight. I hate that people do these elaborate wedding parties and it cost you so much. I am just frustrated and stressed by it all. Chip is going to try and pick up some extra hours at work and make up for it as best he can. As long as we can get everything we need for our baby and pay our bills. Hopefully he will start thinking like this more. We are a family now and have a child to look out for. It isn't just about us anymore. It changes your way of thinking a lot, or it should. Then last night my little chihuahua was attacked by my inlaws dogs that are like 3 times her size. This happened just a few weeks ago and she was left all bloody and with a chunk out of her ear. It scared the hell out of me because I fear they will kill her. They could. They used to get along too. When I first got her away from the other dogs she was wimpering a lot. I thought we were going to have to go to the animal hospital. I lost it. I broke down and cried and cried. I was overwhelmed by all the stress I was feeling. Thank goodness I have Chip in my life to make me feel better. Usually he gets upset if I stress about money but he was very compassionate and understanding last night. He let me get it all out and I needed to. The tears kept welling up all night. I haven't had too many instances where I have broken down since being pregnant but I definitely needed that. I still feel kind of stressed by everything. I am trying to think about my beautiful house with new carpet. I want to focus on getting it organized and setting up the nursery. That makes me happy. Nesting makes me happy. I love setting up the house with baby in mind. Hopefully today is a better day.

5/14

New carpet tomorrow!! I am soo excited! Chip is going to put the crib and glider together this weekend. Then I can start organizing the nursery. As uncomfortable as this time is in pregnancy, I have found it the most exciting. I love nesting and getting the house ready for baby. I enjoyed buying the big furniture and painting the nursery. I cannot wait for my baby showers coming up soon. I enjoy my big belly which is finally popping out more and more. I have a feeling once the house is done and ready that I will be itching to have my baby boy with me. The next month is pretty busy so time will go by really fast. I think that last month will be really slow. I will try to enjoy the peace and just rest as much as I can. Great news too.. Chip was called about a job he interviewed for a few weeks ago. We thought it was a long shot. We don't want to get our hopes up too much yet, they called and asked for his references (who LOVE him) It would be a nice pay increase AND he would get benefits. Benefits mean we could finally officially get married!! We were engaged before we started trying to get pregnant. I have health problems and am disabled through insurance so I am able to be on my fathers plan still. If he did get this job we would officially get married (send in the paperwork) right away and then plan on having a wedding in a year or so. I still want to have a wedding. Just because we did things in a backwards manner.. shouldn't take away from it all. We would have loved to be married long ago. We have been together for 4 1/2 years now. He is my love. I am so lucky to have him in my life. He is my best friend, the one person I can totally rely on and trust. Cross your fingers that he will get this job!!

5/11

Happy Mothers Day to you all!! I have had a wonderful Mothers Day. We had brunch at the inlaws which was so delicious. They gave us a Kodak digital photo frame which is so awesome. It'll be great to play baby pictures in no time at all. I have received a few mothers day cards in the last few days. It's so nice of people to think of me. I can't wait to hold my baby. Chip is emptying out our 55 gallon aquarium right now, we sold it on craigslist. It is just too much work. Someone is coming to pick it up soon, thank goodness. Then Chip is running out to pick up a desk we are buying on craigslist. Its weird, we have never used craigslist before and today we are doing 2 things at once. I will post a pic soon of the nursery walls thus far. We still plan on painting some clouds in the sky. I LOVE IT! Chip did an amazing job and we have gotten great response from everybody. We have started moving some stuff around to prepare for carpet. This Thurs!! YAY! I will be out of the house for quite a few days while the carpet is being done and for a few days after. I am going to housesit for my parents. Things are coming along. Two things were bought off my registry so I am going to stop looking at it. I want it to be as much of a surprise as possible. Life is great.

5/5

We had a nice productive weekend. We picked up the crib my parents bought for us last week at Babies R Us this weekend. I also ordered my glider. I am glad I bought it myself because I got my dream glider! It is the most comfortable thing ever. I am so excited to get it. Chip started to paint this past weekend and is even going to do some tonight. He is in finals right now but only has like 2 more classes to go to. ALMOST DONE! Thank goodness. He is only 1 semester from graduating too, 2 classes. Once he is done with school this semester (next week) we can really focus on fixing up the house and getting ready for baby Buddy. The nursery color looks soo good. We are doing a jungle/safari theme. We are going to try and paint a mural on the walls. So we are painting the top half of the walls and the ceiling a light blue and then the bottom half is a green. I will definitely post pics when we are done. Carpet is happening in less than 2 weeks and I absolutely cannot wait. So much good is going on lately. I have been feeling like nesting but have had to wait for help and for us to get carpet. It is almost here and then I can set up the crib and nursery. My invites will be sent out this week for my baby shower and my mother in law is working to make my shower wonderful. My belly has really popped in the last week or so. I signed up for a maternity tour at the hospital I will be delivering at. Everything is happening so fast now and I love it!!

5/1

Oh my back! I am so sore. I have scheduled another epidural to help with the pain in my spine and nerve for next week. The last one helped for a little over 2 months and the pain has come back. I never realize how much they help until they wear off. They don't completely get rid of pain but it does take the edge off. I went to my sister in laws baby shower last weekend. It was such a good time. It was a coed shower and we got to see lots of friends. The weather was beautiful and we had the grill going. I really enjoyed it. I am so happy for her and her husband. I love that we can all share this. It was definitely not planned but it has been wonderful already to have a support system. I am sure we will rely on eachother even more once the baby boys are here. I should be getting the invitations I ordered for my shower anyday now. I am going to go over to my mother in laws and fill them out and send them. I am so excited for my shower, especially after having gone to one. My shower will be women only and I absolutely cannot wait. It stinks because quite a few friends cannot make it but I know they would if they could. I am grateful for anybody coming and showing support. I also have a shower at Chips work on the 22nd. It will be a good time. I have met quite a few of his coworkers and have hung out with a few of them outside of a work setting. It will be a little weird because it is more of a shower for Chip with me as the guest of honor. It is always fun celebrating a new life though. I am very appreciative that so many people want to celebrate baby Buddy. He is the best thing thats ever happened to me (besides meeting his daddy) May is such a busy month. Chip is in finals next week for the semester. We are also getting carpet on the 15th. I am so excited for the new carpet. Ours right now is awful. We got a great estimate on the exact carpet we wanted. It is a berber which will last much longer and is hard to stain or ruin. Much better than what we have now that died quickly with pets and roommates. I cannot believe how close we are getting to the D DAY! We need to get the house ready! Chips painting the nursery this weekend and then we will decorate it after the carpet is in. YAY. Once Chip is out of school we can really crack down and prepare our house. Oh we got the crib last week. My wonderful parents bought it for us. It was exactly the one we wanted and it is beautiful. It will be in the box for the next few weeks. I am looking into furniture which we will purchase ourselves. I can’t wait to have it all and set it up. I am definitely already nesting. I want everything to be perfect for our little boy. I want to be as relaxed as possible once he is here and be able to fully focus on him. I am very happy in my life right now. It isn't always easy and there is some pain involved but it is all more than worth it. I am so grateful for my baby Buddy.

4/21

So I had my birthing class on Friday. It went seemingly well. It was definitely too expensive for the amount of time we were there and what they subjected us too. It was only a 3 hour class or so but the first 45 min was people trying to sell us stuff. A group of therapists wanted us to come to their practice and then the Viacord representatives. I hate that they were all preying on pregnant women because we are very vulnerable at this stage. We were not so happy when we left. It was all a little sketchy. We did get to see a video of a vaginal birth and cesarean section. It was pretty scary, I won't lie!! It was from the 1970's or so and I don't think the woman giving vaginal birth had any drugs!! On Saturday I was able to play with my 9 month old cousin. She is soo cute and sweet. I introduced my chihuahua to her for the first time and my dog was great. I was very relieved. Our dog hasn't been around too many babies or kids. A 9 month old is hard to get along with too because they will pull a dogs hair! She was very submissive and gentle. Not the 9 month old!! We went out to eat with my inlaws on Saturday and had a wonderful meal. We are so lucky to have such support on both sides of our families. I love Chips family so much, they are my family too. I ordered my invitations Saturday for my baby shower on May 31st. They are cute 3d diapers. I am so excited! We also went to an opera on Sunday and it was awesome. However, the seats were soo uncomfortable and it was long. We are trying to get out on dates now though while it is still just us. (basically) I had a busy weekend but I feel good today. Just got back from physical therapy. I am so glad I do therapy because it forces me to exercise a few days a week. I started at 12 weeks pregnant and am so thankful I started then. I just got the gift in the mail for my sister in laws baby shower on Saturday. It is so cute, it makes me so excited for her shower too! Lots going on but feeling good and so happy in life right now. I could not be happier about my life at this moment. There are hard times being pregnant but it is all worth it in the end and I am lucky to have wonderful family and friends.

4/17

I had my rhogam shot today. I was a little worried since a few women on this site have complained about how much it hurt. It was so quick and I hardly felt it. It hurt my butt more to be sitting in the hospital waiting for a few hours! I went out last night with my sister in law and mother in law. It was great to get out of the house and I always enjoy spending time with them. I am so glad that me and my sister in law are both pregnant at the same time with our first children. It makes me feel a little less alone since I don't really know any other women that are pregnant. I am glad this has all brought us even closer together. I am so lucky to have a supportive family on both sides. I have my birthing class tomorrow and am very excited. D Day is getting closer and closer. I am very happy right now. I have felt more energetic lately. I think it helped when I switched my prenatal vitamins. I have definitely felt more achey but it is all worth it. Buddy is kicking me all day and I still love it! I am getting so excited for my baby shower. I am going to order the invites today and Chips work designed an email to send out today too. I am very fortunate to get 2 baby showers! I feel so special!

4/14

I have been having lots of stomach pains since my marathon shopping day on Saturday. I went out with my mom, mother in law, and sister in law. We went to a HUGE outlet mall. I got a bunch of clothes, for me and baby Buddy. Having maternity clothes that fit makes you feel so much better about yourself. Both moms are so excited. On Sunday we had a carpet guy come and measure the house. Our pets over the 4 1/2 years we have been here have ruined the carpet we have. I have read a lot on carpet and its smart to do it a few months before the baby is here because it releases a lot of gasses. I will be out of the house for a little while as to not harm him. We are getting a burber that is shorter and won't fuzz as much. It is a little more rough but easier to keep clean. It's a multi color earth tones so it won't show stains as much either. I have a feeling with having a baby we are in for some stains in the next few years. So here I am today. I was a little down today because my tummy still has been hurting. It is mostly on the sides so I really think it is muscles. I will talk to my doctor next week at my appt. I'm a little frustrated about my weight too because even on days that I watch what I eat and exercise I still gain. I feel like I have no control!

4/10

We have all been talking about our registries online and it really reminds me how close we are getting. I am so glad we have this website as a support system. I had to do some stuff around the house. I feel such pressure to get it all done, that I am not going to have enough time. My tummy started getting pains from bending over so much and lifting a few things. (nothing too heavy but still it adds up) I got a good amount of stuff done. Tomorrow we have friends coming over. They are trying to get pregnant now so I am excited to build our friendship. It will help that we will all be parents. We don't have many friends now that are parents. I looked online the other day at Gymboree. I will be a stay at home mom so I think that I will sign up for some classes with me and baby. It helps with development of all different ages of babies and children. I also think it will be a good way for me to meet some local mommies. I need some mom friends!

4/9

I got the results to my glucose and anemia tests.. NEGATIVE!! YAY!! I was so worried since I have been tired and gained a lot of weight that I would have both. Also my mom and her mom had GD so I was at a little higher risk. I am so relieved I don't have to do the 3 hr glucose test! I am also not as tired this week as I was the past few weeks. I think I have just hit the point in pregnancy that you do get a little more tired. I have listened to my body more and am feeling good. Buddy is moving around like crazy. He is so low most of the time kicking/pinching my bladder and groin, OUCH! I am so excited and so relieved about my tests. Had a hair appt today and love my hair. If you are having a down day I recommend going to get your hair done.. It makes you feel so much better!

4/8

I am actually feeling pretty good today. The usual aches and pains and a little tired but not as much as I was a week or so ago. I have physical therapy today to help with the fact that I have herniated discs. I took a week off of therapy because I needed a break and was getting more and more fatigued. I think it was the right move. I am looking forward to going in because she will massage the muscles that get tight in my lower back. I feel good about this past weekend, we have been working little by little every weekend to get stuff done around the house. The nursery is almost cleared out (we had to move the guest bedroom out of the nursery to a diff room) so we can paint pretty soon! I can't wait to paint!! We are doing a safari/jungle theme and are going to paint a mural on the wall. I will take pics when we are done. I should have gotten the results of my glucose and anemia test by now so I will have to call the doctor today. It is frustrating because they are supposed to call me and it is pretty important to know. I am a little frustrated at my weight gain. I have gianed 40pounds. I am trying to eat a little better but it never matters. I just gain and gain. My diet is not much different than my pre-pregnancy diet but I pack on the pounds since I have been pregnant. I am trying to focus on being healthy more than anything else.

4/5

I had a moment of worry when I didn't feel my baby boy move all morning. I know it's normal not to feel him all the time. I was so glad to have a doppler so I could hear his heartbeat and know he's ok. I also drank a can of soda and by the last sips he was moving around. I never understood really why other moms were worrying about this until today. You so badly want everything to be ok with your child throughout pregnancy and there is so much worrying involved. It's amazing how much you love and care for your child right when you find out you're pregnant. I'm in love with my baby boy and I have never even seen him or held him in my arms. This is the beauty in pregnancy.

4/4

I cannot WAIT to decorate my nursery!!! We have to move stuff out of that room still. We were going to get started on that this weekend. Once it is emptied out we can paint! I am so excited. I want to organize all the clothes and stuff I have and decorate it. I also am so excited to start planning my baby shower. It is being thrown by my hubbys sister and mom. I am going to let them make most of the decisions. I just can't wait until it's here. I am not having it until May 31st so I have a ways to go. These are some of the joys of pregnancy though. I can't wait for my baby boy to be here. BUT, I still do need a little time to get ready for him! :)

4/3

I had my 1 hour glucose test today. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I would recommend scheduling it for the morning so you don't have to fast for too long. Also, ask your doctor for the drink on an appointment before the actual test. I didn't have to wait an hour in the doctors office. I drank it and timed it out so I got to the doctors 15 min early in case the lab was backed up. The drink wasn't gross either. It is definitel manageable. I am looking forward to getting my results in the next few days to this test and my anemia test. As I am typing my baby Buddy is jiggling my belly around like CRAZY!

4/1

I went back to doctor today because I was still concerned about how fatigued I have been. I was just there a week ago and the doctor (not my normal one) told me to wait a month to test for anemia. Well the doctor today tested for anemia and I am doing my glucose testing on thursday. I am glad to get it all done and fix any problems there may be. Both my mom and her mom had gestational diabetes so I am a little worried. I hope I'm ok. If not though I will do anything to keep my baby boy healthy. The doctor said I may also be tired because the baby is in a BIG growth period right now and that may be zapping from my energy. I just want piece of mind either way. Plus if I am anemic of have gestational diabetes I want to treat them right away. Otherwise all is going great. I measured to date. I think it's so neat that you can measure any given woman and it will correspond to how many weeks pregnant she is. I have taken it easy this week because we did so much to our house over the weekend. I overdid it a little. A lot. All I have to focus on this week is my doctor appointments, myself and my baby Buddy. I also need to go sometime soon to have the Rhogam screen and possibly shot. I am negative so there's a great chance I will need it. There is so much that goes along with pregnancy that I never knew about. Chip finally felt Buddy move a few nights ago. He said, "Wow, that was a BIG one!" I was like, you're telling me?!? He has been able to see the baby move for the past few weeks. Oddly, even though my placenta was in front at my 20 week ultrasound I have been able to see his movements since about 21 weeks. I used to see it once a day. I now see him jiggling my belly every few hrs at the least. The strangest thing is that he doesn't kick as much if a hand is on my belly, even my hand. I have seen more kicks than I have felt with my hand. I still love feeling him kick, it has only been uncomfortable a few times. It is so amazing to feel your baby inside you. I wish dad's could get this joy. Even though there are rough parts to it, I still love being pregnant.

3/29

I wonder if anyone else is feeling rushed to get house improvements done? I would do it all in a day if I could.. but of course it's not possible. I am so sore from moving some of our stuff from our closets upstairs to our new downstairs closet. I am glad at how much I got done though. My parents came over today and helped Chip move our HUGE bed (2 twins=1 king AND its an adjustable, VERY HEAVY) nightstands and dresser downstairs. Our new room looks great. Chip even painted it this weekend. I have been putting him to work. I feel so bad. I am a tough boss sometimes but I think thats because I can't help as much as I'd like but I am stressed to get it all done. I keep reminding myself that there's still lots of time left. We have a few months to get stuff done, we don't need to do it all in one weekend. We have made great progress though. I am very happy. I feel like we are getting our new life in order. We have been taking lots of trips dropping off stuff to donation center. We are cleaning out our life. It feels great though, you should try it.

3/27

It's like my belly grew a foot overnight! It is HUGE today!! I went in to Chip's work today so all his coworkers could see my pregnant belly. They will be throwing me a work baby shower in May so I wanted to make my face a little more well known. I have noticed that people look at my belly first then my face!! Even in public! It is finally very obvious to the world that I am pregnant. Still feeling a little tired. I'm going to try to get more iron in my diet until they test me for anemia in a month. There is so much to do around the house before baby Buddy is here. It feels like pregnancy is going by so fast now too. We have a 3 bedroom condo and are moving our bedroom downstairs to be next to the room which will be the nursery. We haven't started on the nursery yet either. We are also painting a lot of rooms still and getting new carpet in next month or so. (Don't worry, I will be out of the house for a good week or 2 while carpet airs out) It seems like a lot and I want the house to be in a good place when Buddy arrives. I don't want to worry about house projects instead I want us both to be able to fully focus on him. A coworker of Chip even said he wished he had done more around house the last few months of his wife's pregnancy instead of just hanging out because that stuff still hasn't gotten done. His daughter is now 2!! I hate that I can't help as much with these projects (like painting and moving stuff) and have to delegate instead.

3/26

Thank goodness for grandmas!! My mom had helped so much with getting stuff for baby Buddy. I am so grateful. There is so much you need to get for a new baby. She is the bargain/deal hunter and very good at it. You can find great clothes and products at a discounted price if you look. I'm talking about brand new stuff too. It is my parents anniversary today, Happy Anniversary! Yet she brought me a whole bunch of gifts. I am very lucky. I signed up for a birthing class with my sister in law and her husband. I am glad we can share all of this together (she is due 1 week before me)

3/25

I had a gyno appointment today. I hate having to see all the different doctors in the practice. They are all very nice but I miss my normal doctor, I haven't seen her in months! And she has treated me for years for endometriosis. She helped me get pregnant! I understand why I have to see them all though. I will just deal with it, 1 more new doctor and then I can see my normal doc again. I had a great appointment today except that I asked about the anemia and was told they test for that next time.. IN A MONTH! I don't know why they didn't just do a test today, I explained I've been extra tired the last few weeks. I will just hang in there until then. I need to get my Rhogam shot done at hospital soon, the dr office doesn't do it. I also have Glucose test next time. I am a little nervous because both my mom and her mom got gestational diabetes. I don't know if it's genetic? The reason my appointment today was so good was because I heard the results from my 20 week ultrasound. Everything looks good! PHEW, I am always so nervous. She went through all that looked normal and put my mind at ease.

3/24

I had a great Easter yesterday! My mother in law cooked a HUGE yummy breakfast. On a side note, my sister in law is pregnant and due a week ahead of me. We were excited thinking about Easter in a few years to come. We are lucky to be going through our first pregnancies together and are both expecting boys. Today I feel tired again. I have a gyno appointment tomorrow so I am definitely going to have them check for anemia.

3/22

I hit a complete wall last night. I had done my physical therapy yesterday where I have increased my exercise over the past 2 months and then went to a friends house. I got home and was so mentally and physically drained. My muscles all over my body were hurting, even in my belly. It hurt to stand up or do anything that flexed my muscles. I also had a terrible headache. I think I am just tired from being active lately because it's not like I did that much yesterday alone. I am definitely resting today. I don't want to do anything to hurt me or my baby. I hope I bounce back tomorrow (Easter) because I will go see family reguardless.

3/21

Had a great birthday! I think I got more presents for baby Buddy than myself! But I wouldn't have it any other way. My back is so sore constantly. I had 3 herniated discs before getting pregnant and it's one thing pregnancy really doesn't help! All the weight I have put on kills me. On a lighter note, I feel baby Buddy moving all the time. A few hours doesn't go by where I don't get some reminder from him that he is still in there. At about 21 weeks I was able to start "seeing" him move in my belly. If I lay back a little and rub or lightly jiggle my belly he will react. I can actually see him punching or kicking because my belly jumps out in certain spots. It has even been uncomfortable at times. I LOVE it though! It lets me know that he is alright.

Hey all!

I am 23 weeks pregnant and just signed up to be a member on this site. I have been browsing it for the past couple weeks. It's helpful knowing other women are dealing with some of the same issues. I am having a baby boy, his name will be Charles Ashton Galloway the 5th. His nickname is Buddy after his grand





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amandag7 - Wednesday, 23 April
Thanks! I usually am pretty up-to-date and aware of every ache and medical thing, so when I didn't know about the Rhogam shot I was alarmed! Yeah, I'm feeling much more relieved now. I will definitley keep you updated! Please do the same!!


licah - Tuesday, 22 April
Thanks for the advise on the bananas. I bought some today so I'm hoping I won't get another bad-ass cramp again! My legs are still sore!! Your belly pics are cute!
Blessings


amandag7 - Monday, 21 April
I got worried and did research! Thankfully I'm positive and Chris is negative! I'm always paranoid about these things. Thanks for letting me know what it was. Haha, I can only imagine an older video being cheesy and frightening without the medication. I'm glad everything is going well. Congrats on ordering the invitations! I sent mine out today. It made it feel real strangely enough. Everything else is going fine. We bought our living room set Saturday and now we have all the big things we'll need for our apartment! It's a relief knowing we have everything. I had my glucose done on Saturday also so I'm hoping to hear back from that. I also had my monthly (and last monthly) on Friday and I guess I had signs of a urinary track infection last month so they're going to call me with the results this month and see if I need antibiotics or not. Let's hope not! I didn't know that an infection could also cause pre-mature labor. Apparently everything can! Haha. Other than that everything is going great! I'm feeling more and more sleepy though!


amandag7 - Saturday, 19 April
We're doing great thank you for asking. Sorry i haven't written back!! School's been busy. I have no clue what a rhogam is which drives me nuts because I usually know everything going on... haha. But I'm glad everything went well!! :P Yeah, no one thinks about labor pains now. I try to compare all the little pains now to it, and it makes me feel a little better. That is pricey. I know with my insurance I get it free, but for the ones to pay I have heard for about $50 a session. At least you're doing it with family though, that's always nice. We already got our invites done! I just haven't sent them out yet. I know we did it early since my shower isn't until the beginning of June, but we have some family out of state that need to get informed now if they want to come out. What sort of designs are you thinking of? It's always fun to look and find some you like!!! Careful though, they can get so pricey! My parents bought our crib for us thankfully. There's always something you'll need you know?! But I'm sure you'll be fine!! We still have a few months to worry. How is everything else?


Collinsmom - Thursday, 17 April
How did the Rhogam shot go?

JJ (ie. Collin's Mom)


amandag7 - Wednesday, 16 April
It's great that you have someone pregnant with you! Since she's 7 10 yrs. older I'm sure it's a little harder to be close though. Yeah, one of my best friend had a baby in December and I was very excited to share being a mom with her. I figured she would become more responsible and caring. Instead, she is out doing things I personally do not think a mom should be doing. She's become different, more careless and acting like a kid more NOW than she did before the baby. It's weird to be. We're not that close anymore either. I love gymboree classes! My cousin did them when she was very little and I think they're great. They are expensive though. Since I'm still at school I'm not able to look at the different classes offered at the moment but once we move back home I'm going to start. I also haven't booked our birthing class yet but I'm going to this Friday at my monthly check up. They offer them through the hospital and there are some at the end of May I want to do. It's great that you get a tour of the hospital. I've been to mine a few times already with relatives birth's, so I've seen it. One thing I LOVE about it is that when the baby is born they put a sort of "detector" on him and if someone bring him to an elevator or stair well before It's time for me to check out, the alarms sound and the elevators shut off. I think that's the greatest. Especially now with these crazy women stealing babies!!!


amandag7 - Wednesday, 16 April
I know. In a way I think he was better off without a dad though, it made him a better person because of it. See, I was thin like a stick up until I hit puberty, then my "thunder thighs" kicked in. I was always comfortable though. But now, even though I'm pregnant, I feel like a whale. I agree with you completely. Once everything is in order we'll be much more calm and collected. I love this site too. I'm on everyday. It does make you feel like you're not alone. Plus, I love the week to week updates that keep me on track. I just wish I had someone to physically go through it with you know? Yes I have my fiance and he's great about it, and I have our families. But since I'm young my friends are out partying and living life while I'm reading baby books and thinking about how much water intake I had for the day! Haha. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but I just wish there was someone I could talk and relate to in person you know? I'm looking forward to our birthing classes, they might open me up to meeting other pregnant couples. Speaking of classes, are you planning on taking any birthing or parenting classes?


amandag7 - Wednesday, 16 April
It is very irritating to not be able to get anything done! Thank goodness I'm not alone. I also have a list going for things that need to be done and everytime I look at it I have to calm myself down. I had the EXACT same fear. I'm so scared that he's going to come when we least expect him and nothing will be ready yet. My fiance was 3 weeks early and apprarently it runs in the family with the men, so that doesn't put my mind at ease. I'm sure we're just freaking ourselves out though. We'll end up doing everything so fast and so much, that we'll be left with like a month to do nothing but lay around and eat ice cream in the heat! Haha. As much as I love my man, they do not know what it's like. It's not like I'm asking him to do it, I know it's not his choice. But I feel sometimes like they take for granted what we're doing. It is extremley stressful both physically and emotionally. He gets aggrivated when I'm grumpy or snappy, but they have to remember that we have the right to be grouchy, it's not like we feel happy and "sunshiny" everyday. I'm taking the warm weather hard too because of all the tiny girls in their shorts and tank tops already. It makes me want to hit them and cry lol. I've never been "thin." I have big hips and I'm short, so now being pregnant and looking somewhat like a balloon doesn't help. He gets mad when I'm in these moods too!! Ugh. Men. Haha. Overall they're great though. I feel bad for the women that are abandoned during their pregnancy. My fiance never knew his father because he left my mother in law when she was 8 months pregnant. Men like that disgust me. I always look at it as a great thing that I foudn someone who will stick by me no matter what.


Collinsmom - Tuesday, 15 April
I have had a total of 3 RhoGam shots, two with my son, and one so far with this pregnancy when I had some bleeding early on. I'll have one more soon and then again at the birth. They're not bad at all. You can get it in the hip/butt area or the arm (at least at my Dr.'s office.) I didn't notice any side effects, so I wouldn't worry! Good luck.


megan23 - Tuesday, 15 April
Hey! I had my rhogam shot this morning. No big deal at all. I was so scared cause everyone said how painful it is and it burns so bad. It was seriously not a big deal...


emarie08 - Tuesday, 15 April
MORNING! Yes, my hubby tries to be handy .. it's okay though... he makes sure someone does it if he can't LOL!! Let's keep each other up to date on the nursery status! I want to start taking before & after pics.


kk1982 - Tuesday, 15 April
hi, i just had my shot and it was ok, just the same as a normal injection which was a relief. they do it in your hip. good luck for when you have yours.


shiehaam - Tuesday, 15 April
I also have an appointment on the 22nd hope all goes well with both of us, my placenta lying a bit low so hope it shifted since last appointment.


shiehaam - Tuesday, 15 April


hi BuddysMom we due on the same day..............


amandag7 - Tuesday, 15 April
oh my goodness we sound so alike! haha. I'm a total control freak and knowing that when we move in I'm not going to be able to put stuff where I want it drives me insane! I'm always doing things I shouldn't do like climbing on counters and stuff! Haha. I know it's crazy but I HATE asking for help!! I can't imagine having to get carpet and move everything again. That must be such a hassle. Yeah, I would consider 27 weeks the third trimester. There is so much to do and so little time!! I don't know about you but for me I feel like this pregnancy has gone by SO fast and I haven't done much, and now that it's so close to the end I feel like I'm not prepared. I like everything to be done in a timely fashion, so procrastinating all of our move in stuff (not by choice on top of it all) is so difficult. Ugh, my fiance frustrates me! Haha. I love him to death, but he has no patience sometimes. I tell him that he has to have patience with me because I know I'm being a pain. It makes me feel bad too but the way I look at it is if I'm carrying your child for 9 months, the least you can do is agree with me even when I'm wrong! haha.


amandag7 - Monday, 14 April
He is a keeper! I'm so lucky to have found someone at such a young that loves me and treats me so wonderfully (most of the time!!) He's 21 so he's a little more prepared than I was to get started on being a family. They can still be pains still though!! How fun!! A jungle theme was something we were considering!! It would be so cool if you could do trees and animals in them! Although it's probably unrealistic to expect you to do it by hand. That's a great idea though. We were fortunte enough to get all the big stuff already, but I still feel like there's a lot to do and get!! I think once we're in and I can see all of the stuff in the room I'll be much more at ease. I'm getting tired also! You just started your third trimester right? I'm a week behind you.


amandag7 - Monday, 14 April
That definitley helped. We already discussed the financial aspects of daycare and how me working would only be enough to pay for it anyways. I can only imagine how difficult it must be with medical issues on top of it all. I think my main issue right now is I want to show him that I can be a great wife, a great mother, take care of the house, and still take care of him after a long day of work and school. But being here at school still, I feel as though he has nothing to go off of. That being said, he's so supportive and he knows that I'm going to try my hardest, and he tells me all the time that being a mom IS a full time job. Thank goodness we have great men!! Haha. I'm sure once we're settled and we see how we live with his income, everything will fall in to place. Thank you so much. It's comforting to know I'm not alone. How exciting! What color are you painting the room? We're doing a baby green half way up, a winnie the pooh border and then white from the border up. (pooh is our theme) Have you gotten all the nessesities for the room yet? We were lucky enough to have my parents get us the crib with the changing table and our entire family is spoiling this baby already with everything!! Even things I really don't think are nessesities!


amandag7 - Monday, 14 April
That's the way I keep looking at it too. oth ultrasounds have come out great and he's actually a few oz. more than average so I'm glad he's healthy. Plus feeling him move all the time is just a reminder that he's already active. I'm having my shower June 8th. It's so exciting and I can't wait!! We're moving in to our apartments May 10th (I'm still in my dorm until the end of the semester) and I wish we were there now! They're so nice and we can paint the baby's room and everything, so I'm looking forward to it. I feel like I'm missing out on the whole "nesting period" that women need to go through. Haha, I told my fiance that this morning and he said "well regardless, make sure you keep him in there until he's nice and chubby!" I also had a question. I was reading that you're going to be a stay at home mom. I am going to be staying at home for the first year and going to school online (so I don't fall behind.) What I'm worried about is having to rely on my fiance to pay everything. Although we have already calculated our buget and know we're going to be fine financially, it's difficult for me to give up my sort of independence that I have. I'm very independent and have never had to rely on someone to pay my bills or anything. Since we started dating we've always split the cost of everything! Even dates! Haha. I feel guilty when he buys me stuff and even though he tells me my money is your money, I don't feel it will be. Does that make sense? I just wanted to know if maybe you felt somewhat the same. I know it's going to take some adjusting to and I'm sure a lot of women would tell me I'm lucky I don't have to work, but I'm not used to it!


amandag7 - Monday, 14 April
Haha, how cute. They way you described it pretty much sums up what I've been feeling. Mine kicks lower every other day though. They're so low it feels like he's kicking my pelvic bones! But I know it's normal. I was really paranoid around the beginning because I didn't know I was pregnant until 9 weeks and even though I never drank, smoke or did anything harmful to the baby, I was very active and when babysitting I would run and jump with the kids. I was also on birth control those two months I didn't know, so even though everything seems to be fine with him, I'm always expecting something bad, you know? I don't know if it's me being paranoid (it is I'm sure) or something but it makes me so eager to see him and make sure he's ok! So do you know when you're having your shower?


emarie08 - Monday, 14 April
My goal is to have the room finished before the shower on May 18th! We are not crafty at all soo all we are doing is picking color and having someone come in to do it, lol. He is quick too then we can put the furniture together... it is sitting in boxes!! Don't worry we are in the same boat for sure... ha!


emarie08 - Monday, 14 April
Thank you! I really enjoyed reading your blog! I had my glucose test on Thursday but no results yet. And we just cleared out my step-daughters room... moved her down the hall so baby will be closer to us. I haven't picked paint yet so all I have done is work on the closet. I'm blessed with HUGE closets and I had an extra shelf put in on Saturday for stuff... I'm incorporating some jungle stuff in my son's room too... although the main bedding is Wendy Bellissimo Camo! I hope it comes out good.


emarie08 - Monday, 14 April
You were soo right, too many choices!! It took me almost 2 hours at babiesRus!! LOL!! I'm SUPER excited now.


licah - Monday, 14 April
I'm sorry your getting them also. Does it also get hard, just like a regular cramps do? I have an appt. in a couple of days and I'll ask the Dr and let you know.


amandag7 - Monday, 14 April
Haha, who ever thought women would think shopping was tiring! It's only when you're pregnant, with sore feet, a painful back, and VERY hot in stores that you realize it's not as fun as it once was! I'm actually hanging low myself. I don't believe in the whole "hanging low you're having a boy thing" but I am really low and having a boy. It sometimes feels like my skin is being stretched down by weights because my tummy is so heavy! Question about kicking: I'm not sure how much your little boy is kicking but mine is VERY active. Today for the first time he moved so much and so big, that my skin literally stretched to the left and I felt his entire body move. It was so strange that it took my breath away and I was in shock. Has that happened to you yet? Obviously it just means he's getting bigger but It was really shocking!


amandag7 - Saturday, 12 April
That's great. I seriously doubt while being pregnant we can really "control" our weight you know? I also just try to eat healthy and stay active, but it's hard now since I've been feeling tired again. I'm sure it's normal, it's getting close to the third trimester!! But it's good that the doctors are ok with your weight. If you were doing something wrong they would have told you by now. It's inevitable! I'm 5'2 so you can see any little weight I put on :P


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