Welcome to My Pregnancy Journal! This journal belongs to Sina B
On average, babies weigh 7lbs, 8oz at birth and only 5% of babies are born on their actual due date - the rest come anywhere from two weeks before to two weeks after the due date
So it's been quite a while since I posted a journal entry, but I've been so busy I haven't had the time to sit down and write. Since my last posting I've had two doctor's visits, one of which included an ultrasound. Everything is looking great, Drayton is growing at a perfect rate, and they're estimating him to be around 8 pounds and 4 ounces by the time he arrives!
That just seems so big to me, and it already seems as if he's run out of room in my belly. His kicks are so strong that they frequently hurt, and I'm almost constantly uncomfortable. But I've still got a little more than four weeks to go, so at this rate I'll probably be completely miserable before he gets here. My instincts tell me he'll be here before his due date, but perhaps that's just wishful thinking!
I've been waking up every night with severe heartburn, which is nothing new. Lately, however, it's been so strong that I haven't been able to go back to sleep, and nothing soothes it. Even milk and antacids don't settle the burning that reaches all the way to the back of my throat. All I have to say is Drayton better come out with a headful of hair!
My first baby shower was a couple weekends ago, and we got tons and tons of gifts. Mike's mom also got us our nursery set, so I've been able to put away most of the things, although we're sure to run out of room soon! I think what I love the most about all the gifts is that everything matched! His car seat, swing, stroller, and high chair were all the new Winnie the Pooh pattern, which is done in a beautiful green and blue layout. He also received lots of items that were the Classic Pooh theme, which matches his nursery. He has everything from outfits, bibs, and socks to pacifiers, receiving blankets, and stuffed animals that come from the Classic Pooh collection.
We also got all kinds of other items that will be a huge help once he's arrived. We got two clothes hampers for his room, one will be used for clothes and the other for his toys. We received a baby bath tub that comes with an attached shower head, I'm sure it will make bath time much easier than it could ever be in the kitchen sink! We got lots of little items that will be handy, such as an ear thermometer, baby brush and comb, baby sized nail clippers, and night lights. We even got stocked up on diapers and wipes, which I'm sure we'll go through faster than I could ever imagine.
And Drayton wasn't the only one who received gifts! I also got several sets of very nice pajamas, which will be great for lounging around the house with once he's born, as well as two robes (one of which I'm wearing now) that both beautiful and extremely comfortable. I also received lots of breast feeding supplies, like a breast milk storage system, nursing pads for my bra, and a handy little device that thaws breast milk with warm water but lets you know if you're getting the milk too hot.
All in all, I'd say we did marvelous with the first baby shower! We came home with more supplies for our baby than I could ever imagine, and I'm forever grateful to the family and friends who went out of their way to make sure Drayton and I are truly pampered.
And yet the best part is, I still have another shower to attend! My mom is throwing one for our side of the family this Saturday, and I truly cannot wait! There will be several friends from my hometown there who I haven't seen in ages, and I'm very excited about catching up with them. And of course, getting to see what else we'll be coming home with for baby Drayton!
2008-11-02 (31 weeks)
Beginning My Eighth Month
I just began my 31st week of pregnancy on Friday, so I'm officially in my eighth month! I still feel like the next nine weeks will be my longest yet, but hopefully the holidays will make time pass quickly. I've also got two baby showers planned within the next five weeks, so that should keep me busy as well. Mike's mom is throwing me a baby shower here in louisville, and my mom is throwing another one at her house.
I'm very excited about my baby showers! We're still in need of so many things before Drayton's arrival. We've got a few things covered, like plenty of clothes, a play pen, and his crib bedding set, among other miscellaneous items. But I'm so excited about getting his nursery furniture so that we can get his crib set up and start putting things into place! I love all his tiny clothes, but I'd prefer them in a dresser instead of in various shopping bags. His bedding set is so adorable but it has no crib to go on! I think I'll feel a lot less stressed once I get his room together and ready for his arrival.
Last night Mike and I went out to eat to celebrate his 22nd birthday, which is tomorrow on November 3rd. We had a great time, and me and Drayton ate way too much but I think we both enjoyed every second of it. (I know I did!) I got to take some really cute pregnancy pictures before we headed out. It was the first time in a while that I'd had a reason to dress up (not to mention I was wearing jeans for the first time in months!) and it felt really nice.
Mike is planning to go to a daddy class tomorrow through the hospital where I'll be delivering Drayton. So far we've attended two other maternity classes, and they were both great. We took an anesthesia class, followed by a tour of the labor and delivery floor of the hospital, and we also took a labor and delivery class. Both were really informative and, although I can't speak for Mike, I really enjoyed them and learned a lot in the process.
We attended the two previous classes together, but the class Mike will be taking tomorrow is specifically for Dads only, so I don't get to go with him. The only class available was scheduled on Mike's birthday, but he agreed to go anyways. I felt bad asking him to go to a maternity class all by himself on his birthday, but his birthday fell on a Monday this year and he has to work that night anyways. I think he'll learn a lot from it and I think he may even agree.
I'm also planning to take one other maternity class, this one being all about breastfeeding. I plan to breastfeed Drayton but I'm the first to admit I know nothing about the process. I've done a lot of reading on it and know that it can be quite a struggle to get used to. So I figure if I'm really serious about trying this, I better learn as much as possible. It's really important to me that I can breastfeed him, especially for the first few months but ideally up until his first birthday.
The picture I'm including was taken last night, November 1st, at 31 weeks.
2008-10-31 (30 weeks)
Previous Entries Below are two blogs that I wrote after first finding out I was pregnant. They were both posted on my myspace blog, but I thought I'd transfer them here so that I can have all these things in one place.
May 12th, 2008 Titled: Dear Baby I'm writing this because one day I'll want to look back and know what I was thinking when you first became my sole reason for living. I want to hold these memories close to my heart, because I'll only be a first-time mother once in my life. I'm also writing this so that one day you can know how much you were loved even before you were brought into this world. My thoughts are completely scattered, and I'm already fully aboard the emotional roller coaster that comes along with pregnancy. I can't focus long enough to get a single sentence out, and yet there's so many things I want to tell you. I want you to know that even though this wasn't planned, both your father and I knew it would come about eventually, and we're equally thrilled that it's happened now. I'm already wondering how we're going to wait the whole nine months before we meet you! I have so many hopes and fears for you already. It's a huge world out there and I just pray I have what it takes to prepare you for it. It's amazing for me to think that Mike and myself will be completely in charge of keeping you healthy and happy. For the moment, I have to get some sleep. You've done a number on my internal clock and energy level, and all this is brand new to me. In order to do what's best for you, I have to get the rest that we both need. Goodnight my darling child.
May 20th, 2008 Titled: Sweet Child of Mine So I find it amazing that you only entered my life a few weeks ago, and yet you're already at the very center of everything I do! Not a moment passes when I'm not thinking about what life will be like once you're here. I think about what gender you will be, what you'll look like, and the personality you will have. I already spend hours agonizing over your health and well-being, praying that I'm doing all I can do to help you come into this world as healthy and happy as possible. Everytime I get a pain or a twitch, I wonder if it's affecting you in anyway. I wonder if I'm cramping you by sleeping on my belly, if I'm irritating you by eating spicy food constantly (it's my weakness!), and if all the loud music your father plays gives you a headache like it does me. I wonder if you're the reason I want nothing but greasy foods, or if it's just my rebellious personality yearning for what I shouldn't have. I wonder what more I can do to help in anyway I can, and what lies ahead for the both of us as you continue to grow. I think about how great life has been since we discovered that you're on the way, and how much I look forward to carrying you inside of me for the next seven and a half months. I enjoy it already, but I can hardly wait for the times when I can feel you move around in my belly, and kick against the outside world to show everyone how strong and able you are. I feel honored to be harboring your life inside me, and extremely proud that I will be the person you call mom. Your dad and I both can hardly believe that we'll be graced with your arrival by the beginning of next year, but we're both doing everything we can to prepare for it. It's a learning experience for us, we're both brand new at parenting and yet so ready to embrace every amazing moment of it. You will have many more of these letters to come; with each new day comes new experiences and new wonders, new fears and new hopes, and I want to share each and every one of them with you. You already have so many people who love you and would do anything for you; now we must learn how to patiently await your arrival!
2008-10-31 (30 weeks)
Week 31, First Day of Journal So I definitely should have started this journal a while back, but it's better late than never! I'm beginning this journal because one day I'll want to look back on what it was like being pregnant with my first child. I'll want to remember all the joys and fears that came along with the growing child in my tummy. And what better way to remember these moments than by keeping an online blog where I can update as frequently as I want or need to.
Today, which happens to be Halloween 2008, marks day one of my 31st week of pregnancy. Up to this point, things have been easy and uneventful during my first two trimesters. I'm slowly becoming more miserable, however, as it becomes near impossible to get comfortable.
But so far, so good! I'm very thankful that my pregnancy has been going so well, and thus far without incident. I had not a single day of morning sickness in the earlier months, I only suspected I was pregnant because my breasts had been unusually sore for a week or so. I found out I was pregnant on Saturday, May 10th, 2008, which also happened to be the day before Mother's Day!
The first person I told, of course, was Mike. We were both a little blown away to find out we had a little one on the way, and at that moment it didn't exactly feel real. I called and told Jenna next, who was just as shocked as we were. We waited to tell family, though, until the following Tuesday, when we got an 'official' positive test at the local Planned Parenthood.
As already mentioned, pregnancy has been very good to me. Everything has gone as smoothly as it could have. My doctors visits have been very routine and every test has been normal. My weight gain to this point is 25 lbs, which is perfectly average. The testing I elected to get for chromosomal disorders came back fine, and I went in for my gestational diabetes testing at my last doctors visit. Since no one's called to tell me otherwise, I'm assuming that those tests were fine, too.
It hasn't been a completely boring pregnancy, though! I've had heartburn since the beginning, and it's getting more severe as the weeks pass. Fatigue has been a huge downfall, especially when I was still expected to work just as hard as I was able to before pregnancy. Now I'm only working part time, which has helped, but sleeping has become more difficult, as has getting comfortable. I'm not sure I've been completely comfortable in the past ten weeks. Back pain came on a couple weeks ago too, and pretty much stays with me all day, even when I'm sitting down.
But that's enough complaining, all around the whole experience has been great! I've got nine more weeks until Drayton's due to arrive, and I'll be sure to document those more closely. And then, when I become a new mommy, this will evolve from a pregnancy blog to a parenting blog!
The image I'm including with this post is me on October 19th, 2008, at 29 weeks.
