So much to say, so little time!

Where do I begin? Let's start with my last doctor's appointment. On Thursday, March 22, I had my very last doctor's appointment. Everything went smoothly. Being off of work this past week has helped my swelling tremendously! You can actually see my ankles! Blood pressure was good, I gained a pound (to date, total weight gain is 29lbs), baby's heartbeat was in the 130's, and still no dilation. I was measuring a little small, but my doctor didn't seem worried since I was probably "dropping". Later that day, I went and bought my breast pump at the hospital. So after that, we are fully ready! We now have everything! Bottles have been sterilized, and all the parts have been put together! Come on baby!

Here is the next part...I am not going to go into full detail because I feel as if some things should be kept private. I have a scheduled c-section set for Monday at 9:30am. I am not being induced. I had some hesitation about telling people this...but this is something I wanted to share. Because of certain reasons and my medical history, my doctor, my husband and I have decided this is the best route. We have weighed all the options, I have talked to many friends and family who have had c-sections before, and this is what Joe and I decided was best for us. So whether baby Joseph is ready or not, he will be arriving on Monday! And I can't wait!

As I sit here...it is 12:56am. Our son will be born tomorrow. I think the nerves and anxiety are starting to set in. I am not scared of the surgery, I am not scared of taking care of our son, I am becoming nervous of losing our freedom to come and go as we please. I enjoy my time with just Joe. But I know, once I see Joseph's face, all that will change! This is something that we have wanted and prayed for! It's funny, I was staring at my belly today, and watching Joseph "try" and push for more room...and I started thinking. You carry this miracle for 40 weeks, you watch your belly grow, you go through all the symptoms, all the emotions, you become closer with your partner...and by tomorrow we will get to meet this miracle. I am definitely going to miss being pregnant. Not the lower pressure, swelling, or shooting pains...but all the rest!

Since this is my last pregnancy blog, I feel as if I should thank my mom! She has been a great support system. As well as my family and friends. But nothing compares to the support and love of your mom. She let me complain to her as much as I wanted, she came over to take care of me when I was sick with a high fever, she has bought me countless items, and she has called EVERYDAY the last two weeks to see how I am. =) That is what a good mother does and I can only hope to be a great mother like her. I think she has done a pretty good job in raising me, and I can only hope to raise my own child in the same way. So mom--thank you for being there for me, thank you for being one of my very best friends, thank you for EVERYTHING! You are my world!

Tomorrow (technically today) is the day before we meet our son. So Joe and I are going to spend the whole day together. No friends or family...just us two. We will sleep in (for the last time), go eat breakfast, spend the afternoon lounging around, and eat our "last supper" together. One last night of just him and me. I can't wait to begin this next chapter with him. I ask that you pray for Joe, the baby and myself tomorrow. Pray that all goes well with the surgery, that Joseph is healthy, happy and thriving.

Last but not least, here is my last pregnancy belly pics! 39 weeks and 4 days preggo! I hope you enjoy! Thanks for being such great readers, and my next post will be...AS A MOM! =)

All our love,
Deanna, Joe and Joseph

Playing catch up!

Let's see, where to begin. I have two doctor's appointments to catch you up on. So we will start with my 37 week appointment. Baby's heartbeat was beating in the high 130's. I gained 1.5 lbs. Blood pressure was good, surprisingly! Now, my cankles, that's another story. My feet and lower legs were very swollen. So my doctor decided to put me on partial bed rest. I would work half days in the mornings, and then come home and work the rest of the day from my couch. Which, I have to say was pretty nice! She also checked my cervix, which I had not dilated at all. Which was okay, as long as baby Joseph was okay, that's all that mattered. On March 15th, I had my 38 week appointment. Joseph's heartbeat was beating in the high 140's to low 150's...and as always hearing his heartbeat is music to my ears! I gained a pound. No dilation or effacement. My doctor was amazed at how great my blood pressure was with my swelling. She asked me, "What can we do to limit your activity?" Well, Friday was my last day of work, so I would be home after that. She was very happy with that answer, telling me I needed to be resting alot and not do any nesting. Lucky for her, that's all done. Everything is ready for baby Joseph's arrival! After that appointment, I went and did my last blood work for the big day! We have our official last doctor's appointment this Thursday, and then that Monday we get to meet our sweet baby boy! 9 days and counting!!!!

Friday, March 16th, was my last day of work! It is nice to come home and be able to just relax. I will be off for 3 months, and will only be thinking of my new family! I will not be stressed about checking emails, or wondering if they are doing okay at work without me, I am solely concentrating on starting my new family.

People consistently ask me, are you nervous? Are you excited? I am not nervous. And the reason being, is because I have a GREAT partner by my side. Having Joe be there for me, puts my mind at ease. He is my crutch, and no matter what I need, I know he will be there to help me. He helps me every morning put on my socks and shoes, he comes up at midnight to turn on the fan for me that I have forgotten to turn on, he helps me up from the couch, the chair, the car, the floor, whatever I happen to be sitting on, he runs out to get me chocolate frozen yogurt, candy, strawberry banana smoothies from Starbucks, and whatever else I may need. He has been one amazing husband during this whole process and I love him very much. Am I excited? HELL YES I am excited! Honestly, these past 39 weeks have gone by pretty fast! And I only have 9 more days to enjoy touching my belly and watching Joseph push and move around in my belly!

As for how I am feeling... pretty good. I am finally over my cold/flu symptoms! To date, I have gained 28 lbs. My belly button is still an innie...just proves that I have the never ending innie. I have avoided stretch marks, and am hoping to keep avoiding them. I still have shooting pains in my belly and braxton hicks. I am now waking up at least 4 times a night to pee. And turning from side to side while I sleep is getting harder and harder.

I am including the final nursery and bathroom pictures for you, and my 38 week belly pics. Until my next appointment, enjoy!

38 weeks...holy cow!

38 weeks, covered up is better!

Getting close!

Well, last week didn’t go as planned. I got sick! Like very sick. And as much as Joe was doing a great job taking care of me, sometimes you just need your mom. So Wednesday, I left work early to work from home. I started feeling pretty bad, and knew being at work was just not gonna work. That evening, I called my mom around 7pm to come over and make me my favorite “sick” food, and to just lay with me as I tried to sleep. She came over, I ate a little bit, and my fever continued to spike. Reaching almost 102. My mom read in the “What to expect when your expecting” book, and it stated to call your doctor. So I called the doctor that was ‘on call’. She stated that if we weren’t able to bring my fever down, we were going to have to make a trip to Labor & Delivery to do a flu swab and to see if they could get my fever down. I immediately took some Tylenol, and within a few minutes I was sweating! The fever was finally breaking. That night I went to bed, and took the next day off from work. Luckily, I had a doctor’s appointment the next day, and Joe was able to stay home from work and take care of me. At my doctor’s appointment, my blood pressure was good, I gained ½ a pound, the baby’s heartbeat was beating in the high 140’s to low 150’s, and everything with the baby seemed okay. My doctor still wanted to do a sonogram to make sure he was okay. He of course, is now full on breach, and no longer transverse. Although, I think he switches back and forth every now and then. Stubborn already! But Joe and I were able to see him closing and opening his mouth, and watch his chest rise up and down. It was pretty cool! He is weighing in at about 5lbs 10ozs give or take a pound. Even though I feel like crap on the outside, he is still growing and having fun on the inside! Whew, that appointment definitely made me feel better!

Saturday, even though I was still sick, I put on a brave face to attend our couple’s baby shower….hosted by my Uncle Mario & Aunt Robyn, Uncle Martin & Aunt Patty, and Dan & Margaret Jones! Wow—this was by far one of the BEST baby shower’s I have ever attended. Joe and I are pretty lucky to have such great family and friends! My Uncles made sure everyone’s glass was half full, and that shots were evenly distributed out. The food was awesome! We definitely raked it in as far as gifts! Joseph is going to have everything he could possibly need! I was pretty proud of myself, as I stayed up and partied until 12:45am! As for Joe he passed out on the couch about 12:15am, seeing as he never drinks anymore, I think he had too much fun for one night. We all had a great time, and I’m pretty sure I would have more babies just to have another shower just like that one!

I have another doctor’s appointment tomorrow, I am weekly now folks! I will have updates as to what’s going on with that appointment. I only have 7 working days left from work, and 19 days until baby Joseph will be here. Oh yea, left that part out—if I don’t go into labor on my own, we have an induction date set for March 26. So whether he is ready or not, he’s coming! And I am ready! Just trying to get myself better before then. Other than that, Joe and I are going to enjoy this weekend with nothing planned! And just try to finish up a few last minute things before the baby gets here. Until then…Happy Hump Day!

It's my party and I will cry if I want to!

Well, I think it's safe to say that the fun is over. I have been very lucky these past 9 months...I have had a very easy pregnancy thus far. No morning sickness, no nausea, my "girls" did not hurt in the first tri-mester, I did not have any unusual cravings...all was great! Until I reached week 35. Minus the braxton hicks that started at week 28, I now have some very painful lower pressure, I have shooting pains across my whole belly and down below, I have the dreaded hemorrhoids. I'm not gonna sugar coat this for you, I am in some pain. If I am on my feet too long, my cankles swell and double in size. The other night, I had to wake up Joe, because the shooting pains were so bad I couldn't get out of bed to pee. So he had to hoist me up, and roll me out of bed. I think him hearing me grunt and breathe heavily is now normal to him. =) I can honestly say, I am ready to meet Baby Joseph! The pains hurt in my belly, and the pressure hurts, so I kind of walk with a limp, so it basically looks like I'm waddling from place to place. I am now accepting the fact, that I do in fact, waddle. But with less than 32 days until the big day, I will have to wait it out, and try to make myself as comfortable as possible.

I do, however, have Joseph's bag packed, his carseat is now ready, and I am slowly but surely packing my bag. I asked my friend, Margaret, if she would carry the baby for me until he was born, but seeing as she has a 4 1/2 month old little girl, she is kind of busy.

This weekend we are celebrating Gregory's 2nd birthday at Chucky Cheese, and I am looking forward to watching him run around like a mad man and eat pizza! Joe is looking forward to being a kid again. Other than that, I don't have any updated pics just yet. I promise I will take some more soon. Or you could google whale, and see a picture of me. =)

Until next time, lots of love from Baby Joseph and I!

DUE DATE!

Hmm, where should I start…?

Well, this past Monday I woke up feeling some lower pressure. As the morning went on, it got worse, I started to feel some back pain as well, a little cramping and some sharp pains every now and then. So I decided to work from home, and call my doctor. The nurse asked if I could stay off my feet, since the back pain had subsided. I told her yes and she said to stay hydrated and that my doctor would be calling me back first thing in the morning.

As I was laying there trying to rest, I started thinking…we are no where near ready for baby Joseph’s arrival! So what do I do instead of resting? I get up and wash all his clothes, pack a bag for him, I unload the dishwasher and load it, because who wants to come home from the hospital with a sink full of dirty dishes? Not me! My friend, Margaret, begged me to pack my bag as well. So this weekend, I am heading out to buy some nursing bra’s and nursing tank tops, and some good ole’ granny panties. Joe and I are also going out to buy (with the help of my parents) our stroller. Why would we buy our stroller, it’s not that big of a deal to buy right now, right? Well, when the car seat comes with the stroller it turns in to a MUST HAVE! After we get all that bought and out of the way, I think I will then be able to rest better knowing we WILL BE READY for the baby’s arrival should he come sooner than later.

That next morning, the doctor called me, and asked to see me that morning in lieu of my original Thursday appointment. Once I get there, she does a cotton swab test to test the lining of my cervix and checked my cervix. All seemed well…and closed! I asked her if she could tell how much the baby might weigh now. She started moving my belly around, and goes, “Well, he is transverse. That gives me enough reason to do a sono; I want to make sure he is okay in there.” Transverse means he is lying horizontally in my belly, instead of head down, which could be the reason I was experiencing the symptoms I was having. So off to the sono tech I went…and everything looked great! I couldn’t see Joseph’s face, his hands and feet were covering his face. But I did get to see his cute, little tiny toes in my ribs! And he is showing that he is weighing in at 5.5lbs already! Holy cow, that’s a big baby! And I am measuring a week and 3 days early. Yikes! But all in all, everything is still good…blood pressure is good, weight is good, and urine was good.

Now, let’s get to my due date. It gets kind of complicated, so I will try and explain well. When I first became pregnant, the sonographer did a sonogram and measured the baby and said my due date was March 27^th. My doctor used one of those wheely things, and went by my last period and said my due date was April 2^nd. Ummm, that’s a 6 day difference. So I chose a date in the middle, my due date would be March 30^th. =) Now, what have I been measuring my weeks by? The sonographer’s date. So from her date, as of yesterday, I was measuring at 34 weeks. So technically I am only measuring ahead by 3 days. Now my doctor’s date, she has me measuring (as of yesterday) at 33 weeks and 2 days, which means by the sonogram I am measuring ahead by 1 week and 3 days. I think I will take my original date of March 27^th; it seems to be more accurate. And I really don’t want to be measuring ahead that much with a 5.5lb baby at 33 weeks! Yikes!

So I think that’s it for now. We finally got our 2^nd living area aka the playroom all set up. And other than feeling those symptoms on Monday, I seem to be feeling better. My next appointment is set for March 1. And I have my work baby shower this Friday, which I am super excited about!!!!

I will post more pics soon! =) Happy Wednesday!

Time is a flyin'!

Time is a flyin’!

So last Thursday I had my 32 week appointment, and all went well. Baby’s heartbeat was beating at 137bpm. Blood pressure was good, urine check was good, and weight was good. I gained two pounds in 2 weeks, which is right on track! As of today, sitting at 33 weeks and 3 days, I have now gained a total of 23lbs. The doctor was a little concerned with the amount of Braxton Hicks contractions I have been having. She asked if I was able to take ½ days from work. Definitely not capable of doing that right now, unless I had a note from her. She said she would give me to my next appointment to see how my BH are doing, and would go from there. Depending on that outcome, she would then check my cervix to make sure everything is still closed. I have been hydrating more during the day, emptying my bladder as recommended, and trying to rest at home.

On February 4, Joe and I had our 2^nd Baby Shower! It was hosted my Joe’s, Aunt Janel and his mom, Debi. It was great! We got some great things, and again we feel as if we are blessed with such great friends and family. That evening Joe’s family and us went to eat at Babe’s Chicken. YUM!! And as you know, when you eat at Babe’s Chicken, you eat A LOT! So of course, we stuffed our self’s silly! When we got home, I told Joe, we don’t have to unpack all the gifts, but I really want to put the Pack N Play out. He complained and griped, saying how full he was. So what do I do? I put the Pack N Play together MYSELF! And I did a pretty good job if you ask me! I was just too excited to wait, and since I already deal with carrying 23 extra pounds in my belly, eating at Babe’s was a walk in the park! The next day we did put everything out and together. So the baby’s room is almost complete. I will take pics of the updated nursery this weekend for all to see. It’s pretty cute! Wait—we are having a boy, it’s a very handsome room!

As for how I’m feeling…still dealing with those annoying BH. I am dealing with a cold or allergies, so I am trying to get over that. Other than that, I still feel pretty good. Joe has been sweet enough to go out one evening and bring me some chocolate yogurt, which definitely makes feeling sick a little better! Baby Joseph is still moving around like crazy! And I love every part of it! My next appointment is February 16...so until then I leave my belly bump pics!

32 Weeks and 3 days....wowza!

32 Weeks 3 days

We are blessed!

So this weekend can be summed up in one word...blessed! Alot of people use the saying, "I am blessed." This weekend, I came to find out that my family and close family friends truly have blessed Joe and I. We were given alot of great gifts, and I know that Baby Joseph is already one lucky little boy! On Saturday, my mom, Bettina Lang and Nancy Killough hosted a baby shower for me. These three ladies have seen me grow up, get married, and are finally going to see me have a baby! There was yummy food to snack on, a couple of fun games, and lots of presents to be opened! After the shower, I was exhausted! But I was so excited to put away our gifts and set everything out...so I cleaned and put everything away! This weekend can only be explained by pictures, of course, the other shower pictures are on my mom's camera. But I have a couple from the shower, a picture of Joseph's nursery--not yet completed, and finally the long awaited maternity pictures!!! I hope you enjoy them as much as me!

My bestie!

MY FAVORITE!!!