Yesterday was a fun day! Mom, Adam, Brandi, Chris, Michael and I went to our local 3D/4D Ultrasound clinic and received photos, a still image cd, and a video of our little man in utero. What an amazing experience! Our little Tigger has a little bit of hair on his head (it is white right now), and he is a little less than 3 lbs at the moment. His heartbeat is strong and perfect at 147 beats per minute. To see photos of him (cute captions included) just go to our Photos tab of the home page (top left hand corner on this website), then click 29 Week 3D Photos. Click on the first photo to enlarge the photo and start the slideshow. You can click on the arrow on the right to see the next photo in the line-up. You can also access these photos by clicking on the Prenatal Photos section on the home page of the website, if that is easier for you.


Also, we will have an updated Baby Bump photo tonight (yep, it has been 4 weeks since the last one- time is flying!!! Before we know it, he will be here with either Thanksgiving or Christmas bells on). To see my Belly Baby Bump growth, click on the Photos tab on the home page of this website, then click on the Baby Bump tab. You can see how my belly has looked from 9 weeks pregnant to now (29 weeks pregnant) by clicking the arrows to the right of the photos once you enlarge them.

Non-baby news: We have been intently house hunting in the Northwest area lately, and are looking to possibly rent out our current home some time next year. With prices and interest rates being so low, we feel this may be a good time to buy our next family home (but not a good time to sell our current home, of course).

Tomorrow morning, we will be going in for another Prenatal visit to the OBGYN. The doctor will check his growth and heart beat- and my vitals, per usual. I will be seeing the OBGYN every two weeks for a little while. I look forward to the appointments- it makes me feel good to make sure he is on track, even if these visits do seem a bit routine.

My symptoms so far in the third trimester: exhaustion for days on end, followed by days of sleeplessness and "nesting." My heart rate is still pretty darn fast, even when I am not doing much, which makes it more difficult to exercise (which can be really frustrating). Indigestion and heartburn are murderous- every few days or so, I have to lay upright on the couch (yes, still) for at least half the night before I can go to bed in order to calm my squished tummy. The nausea only gets really bad now when I get too hot, or too full after eating. My nails aren't as long and strong as they were for the first 6 months of pregnancy (my fingernails are getting kinda brittle, even), but my hair and skin still look great! I am getting "Mommy face" (my face is becoming fuller due to edema- swelling caused by excess fluid in my tissues). My weight gain is about 17 lbs total so far (I still need to gain between 8-13 more lbs by the end of my pregnancy in order to meet my doctor's goal weight for me). I may have more to report tomorrow after my OBGYN appointment so stay tuned...

Bouncers and Swingers

Nope- not the kind of bouncers and swingers YOU are thinking of...   These bouncers are the cute little bouncy seats that infants bounce around in before they can walk- and the swings in question are the cute little seat swings that babies are rocked to sleep in.  Michael's Mom got us both items from our registry- and they are sooo cute (little jungle monkey-themed contraptions we will probably keep in the living room).  Michael's Granny bought us precious little onesies/ body suits embroidered with little saying like "Daddy's little recruit,"  "I'm Nuts about Grandpa," "Grandma Loves Me," Am I cute or What?," What Santa Doesn't Bring Me, Grandma Will," Mommy Loves Me," and one with monkeys all over it.  Hehehehe.  Our little man is stylin' already.

I had my last Dr appt on Monday, and the OBGYN says everything looks great- he is measuring perfectly, my blood pressure is 122/73, his hb is 142, my weight gain is perfect, and all the questions we had were answered; also, we need to pick a pediatrician soon (any suggestions?), and she strongly suggested to us that all people caring for a pregnant woman or infant (even for a short time) get flu shots, since the new flu strain is circulating already.  Michael and I are planning on getting ours this weekend, and we will probably take my Mom to get hers too while she is here.  Anyone with medical insurance in the U.S. usually has the flu shot covered under their insurance.  My next appointment is in 2 weeks (the start of the third trimester means the OBGYN visits increase from once every 4 weeks to once every 2 weeks; eventually the visits increase to once a week).  I also received my glucose and anemia blood tests while I was at the appointment.  I have yet to hear back from the doctor as to what the results were, but right now I am assuming no news is good news.  If I don't receive a phone call from the dr office by Tuesday, I will call them for the results (I hate not hearing back when tests are done).

We started taking our hospital-sanctioned prenatal classes this past week.  Our first class was a Parent CPR/Safety Class- it was informative and we received lots of literature to take home about safety/ first aid/ Heimlich maneuver/ cpr in regards to children and infants.  The instructor recommended anyone who wants to learn more about those things, and who doesn't have the time or money for the classes, to google how to do and train themselves and ask someone who knows how to do it- you never know; it could save a life. 

We broke down and bought independent life insurance this past week.  Michael and I are now insured through Allstate and have to receive a physical.  Yuck.  The lady who tests such things for Allstate will be at our home on Sunday, drawing blood and samples, and checking our vitals and weight (I think it should be illegal to check a pregnant woman's weight...hmmm...I wonder if I can petition to have that stopped?  *sigh*).  Our next step is to write a Trust, in which our Will will reside.  Oh, the fun (i.e. morbid) things you think about when there is a new life on the way....

Our camera broke a few weeks back, so we mailed it into Canon (apparently there was a recalled, defective piece in the camera that needed to be fixed).  The repair was free, of course, but it was inconvenient for us (we only had Michael's camera phone available to us for picture taking- this is why our last Baby Bump pic of my growing belly was so dark).  Speaking of, for those of you who want to see pictures on this website, please click on the Photos tab in the upper left-hand corner, then click on whatever photo tab interests you: family photos, baby bump, new car, or prenatal photos.  Enjoy!  There will be many more photos added soon, since we now have our camera back from the shop.  Yippee!!!

My Mom has been staying with us for the past week in order to help this big ol' pregnant woman with the housework.  My brother Adam and his fiance were cool enough to loan Mom to us (she is staying with them during my pregnancy/the first few weeks of the baby's life- see past blog journals for details).  She has been such a help: cooking, cleaning, landscaping, Halloween decorating, etc.  With my growing belly and sense of balance becoming quite a hindrance, and Michael working full-time, catching up on chores can be a hassle.  I have a list of chores I need to do, but can't, that she has been taking care of.  Very helpful.

Next weekend will bring our 3d/4d Ultrasound!  We are so psyched to see our little man in live action (yes, we will be posting the video clips and pics in our Photos section as soon as they are available).  How exciting!  Pray that he is active and healthy and is a "ham" for the camera- just like his Mommy.  *grin*

In a couple weeks, the "men" will be having a weekend in Vegas...a "Man-cation," if you will.  My brothers and hubby will take a Las Vegas excursion together in early October.  My Dad will be in Arkansas, visiting his mother on her birthday, but the rest of the family guys will take Vegas by storm!  My youngest brother Chris will be graduating from college with his Bachelor's in Computer Science soon, and my hubby and brother Adam are taking him to Sin City for the weekend.  Should be a good time for them- not to mention a stress reliever for us gals while they are away.  Brandi (my brother's fiance), my Mom, and I will spend that Saturday together.  We three girls plan on visiting museums and going for tea at a local Tea House- you know, girly stuff.  The rest of the weekend will be for relaxation- my mom will be staying with me, while Brandi will relish having the house to herself- or spending time with her girlfriends/ family too.  The boys will enjoy shows and gambling and sight-seeing, while we chics will have a blissful, restful weekend.   Can you say "Ahhhhhh....?"

Nesting

My house is pretty darn close to spotless.  Seriously.  Between Michael, my Mom, and (mostly) me, our house looks amazingly clean.  According to the books, "nesting syndrome" (laymen's terms: obsessively preparing one's home for a baby) usually occurs in the latter part of the third trimester.  For me, it seems to have struck a little early.  What I can't do, or don't feel well enough to do, I have had my Mom or Michael do by writing out a list of monthly chores that need to be taken care of.  From painting to attending classes to dusting to cleaning to redecorating/decorating to house hunting to installing shelves- the list goes on and on...AND there is still more to do!  AHHHH!

On tap for the week: I get paid tomorrow!  Woopee!  And we have dinner with friends scheduled Saturday night.  And Michael and I start Parent CPR classes this weekend.  And we are having a family dinner on Sunday night.  And my Mom is staying a week with us (to help me out again).  And I have another doctor appointment and blood test on Monday (wish me and the baby luck).  And we have a charity event on Tuesday.  Sprinkle work, nausea, back pain, indigestion, exhaustion, and more nesting to this schedule and you have a recipe for the next week of my life.  I am tired just thinking about it. 

Things to watch for in my pregnancy: 1) Braxton Hicks contractions: (I have been having these since about 20 weeks, but they are getting more and more frequent and a little stronger)  I usually get them a few times a day, but sometimes more.  For those of you unfamiliar with Braxton Hicks contractions: they occur when the uterus tightens and contorts in a practice preparation for labor.  They are very common and can start as early as 17 weeks of pregnancy.  They are usually painless, but can definitely cause some pain here and there when the stomach tightens in a crampy kinda way.  It really sucks when I am standing upright and then immediately roll forward when my tummy clenches in pain.  2) Back Aches & leg cramps: with the belly growing larger and larger, the back takes a beating and begins to hurt- especially the lower back.  Makes it kinda difficult to stand straight sometimes.  3) Navel: still an inny to report.  But a shallow inny.  I mean really shallow.  Could pop out and become an outy any second kinda inny.  4) Balance: whooo!  I turn my head too fast sometimes and then trip on my own two feet.  This did not help my sprained ankle situation (see past blogs).  5) Indigestion: worse than any indigestion one could ever feel.  I can't tell you how awful and nauseating pregnancy indigestion can be.  Sleeping upright becomes a necessity sometimes. 

Things the baby is doing: 1) Growing!  He is growing so much in the next month!  He is 2 lbs right now and almost 15 inches in height!  2) his eyes are wide open when he is awake (he doesn't have pigmentation in the eyes yet, so his little peepers have no color), and he can blink now.  Radical.  3) Sense of hearing is growing more and more acute.  He can recognize Michael and mine's voices (even tho they are muffled to him) and get really agitated when a loud noise startles him.  4) Baby kickboxing.  I swear we will never have to enroll him in martial arts because he already has a black belt in kicking-the-snot-out-of-Mommy's-tummy.  His movements get stronger and stronger each week it seems.  I read that as he gets bigger he may not kick as much as squirm as my due date approaches.  5) Brain development: his little brain is kicking into high gear as his synapses fire and begin to respond to more stimuli.  All so exciting!

99 Bottles of Milk on the Wall...

Sooo... if "Tigger" Martin, Jr. is actually born on his Estimated Due Date (a rarity for babies), he will enter the world in 99 days!!! Hence this blog's title. And the milk is what he'll be drinking. Eventually, he'll drink the milk from a bottle. *wink* I am a clever mother, no?

Within the next 99 days, we have so much planned: endless Dr appointments, a 3d/4d ultrasound scan, tests, infant First Aid/CPR classes, birthing classes, breastfeeding classes, baby care basics classes, baby showers, family visits, friends, nursery decorating, pregnancy/labor/baby book reading...and somewhere in all this Michael and I have to squeeze in work, chores, and romance! Nobody ever said having a baby was easy, huh?

We also are looking at the many housing opportunities out here in Tucson now. With this "buyer's market," we are considering buying more land/house in a few years. Our little 1200sf house is perfect for we 3 right now, but we may need more room in the future, so it is good to keep an open mind to the possibilities out here, right? So much to think about when "we" becomes 3. My head may explode right along with my stomach.

Speaking of my stomach: guess what?! Our little boy is now 2 lbs!!! Next time you are at the supermarket, pick up a 2 lb roast or ground beef- just to see what the weight and size is. THAT size baby is what I have in my belly right now. And speaking of belly: guess who has an updated belly Baby Bump picture up on this website!? Me! Go to Photos tab, then Baby Bump tab and look at the progression my tummy has made over the last 6months. Amazing. I now literally look like I have a soccer ball growing out of my lower abdomen. Total weight gain with this pregnancy so far: approximately 15 lbs. I should gain another 10-15 lbs before he is born, to make sure he has all he needs to be strong and healthy at birth. I'll be coming up on 7 months very soon and I am so excited! I am especially excited to hear his heartbeat again in less than 2 weeks at our next OBGYN appointment. That is the best sound ever. And to feel him move again in my tummy. That is the best feeling ever. And to see his cute little face at our next ultrasound. That is the best image ever. I could go on and on and on...

Special thanks goes out: to my Mom for making me embroidered baby onesies and for getting me some fabric ribbon- I am using the ribbon to make the hanging contraption for my "100 Acre Woods" decorative sign I made for the nursery; to Michael's Mom & Dad for going on our "Think Geek" online registry (listed on this website's home page) and snagging many cute baby/maternity items for our future geek-in-training; to Adam and Brandi, for flying my mom out here and volunteering their home as Mom's guest-quarters while Mom helps us every few weeks throughout the remainder of my pregnancy; to our friends Brett and Casie, for all their help keeping us current with baby trends and advice; to Elaine and Leon & our Dinner crew, for providing me with much needed friendly socialization; to my Concord girlfriends who always find time to keep me in the loop and send me jokes and well-wishes; to my Aunt Marty, who helped us purchase our nursery glider/ottoman, nursery decor, & many baby items; to my Dad, who helped us purchase our car seat and changing table; to my friend Belinda, who helped us purchase our crib; and to my girlfriend Meagan, for pampering me once a month during my second and upcoming third trimester. And a thanks to all of you I haven't mentioned who provide love and support for us. We are truly blessed.

New Blog Location

I changed this blog's location, so please update your bookmarks.

Where Did My Feet Go!?!?

I had feet. I've had feet for 30 years. Now, they are no where to be seen. I look down at the scale and I have no feet. My 6 1/2 month soccer ball-sized belly has totally obscured my feetal- view (get it? Feetal view??!! I crack me up). FYI: I weigh myself every morning when I get up, to make sure I am on track- since I started out with a high-risk pregnancy, if I lose weight, the OBGYN will check me for uterine/amniotic fluid loss; if I gain too much weight in a short time, they do a check for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. Fun.

Pre-natal massages and physical therapy have become a must. My back cramps up to where I can barely move sometimes, and the leg cramps/ankle issues are not cool. (See info from last blog regarding ankle: A Sprain By Any Other Name). Oh, how I wish I could have an "awesome" pregnancy! But for those of you who have told me about your pregnancy and labor horror stories, I feel for you. Pregnancy is so individual: some of you have told me about how amazing you felt during pregnancy, while others have told me about scary complications. The same woman can have 2 pregnancies and one is perfect, while the other pregnancy is fraught with complications. Pregnancy is definitely not for the faint of heart.

We attended that Car Seat Safety class I have mentioned in previous blogs and learned a lot about car seats and traveling with babies- and laws regarding travel with babies. Mostly, we learned that you have to read your car's owner's manual AND any car seat instructions- and always bring the car seat to your car before buying it to make sure it fits properly so you don't have to return it later. So far, it seems car seats are very complicated- there are many types and you need to get one to fit your family needs and desires.

I made the 3d/4d ultrasound scan appointment today. Our 3d/4d appointment is set for Saturday, September 26 (my 29th week of pregnancy). If the images come out okay and the baby is cooperative, we will be receiving a DVD with the 25 minute video of our little one, a CD with download-able pictures and images of him, and 2 hard-copy photos for scanning. Not to mention, a brief diagnostic to make sure all his little parts are growing properly. Michael said he will be scanning short splices of the video, as well as some of the better color photos from the pictures and CD onto this website as soon as we receive them. I am so excited! I have to stay very hydrated for 4 days prior to the appointment, and we need to bring our 19 week diagnostic ultrasound picture scan to the 3d place for verification of prenatal care.

Our week: I got a hair cut and eyebrow wax yesterday, which was very nice. We looked at some property yesterday to see what our options could be if we decided to buy land and build a home in the future (if our family expands, that may be a necessity, huh?). I worked on a cute little project in the nursery (I am making a "100 Acre Woods" wall hanging sign all on my little ol' lonesome- I love crafts and it is nice to have the time and health to do them). Michael and I are attending a friend's 40-something birthday party this weekend. It is a Rock Legends-themed Costume Birthday Party and I am attending as "Mama" Cass Elliot (from the Mamas and the Papas 60's Rock Group- ironic, no?), and Michael will be Billy Idol. We will take pics of the attendees and post them in the Family Photos section of this website this weekend. Also up for posting this weekend is our next belly Baby Bump picture! Yay! I will be 25 weeks along this weekend (4 weeks from our last belly Baby Bump photo). We take the Baby Bump photo every 4 weeks to see my belly in progression. It is always a shock to watch it grow and grow!!!

A Sprain By Any Other Name

Yesterday, I sprained my ankle and damaged the soft tissue around my knee. I swear I wasn't doing anything strenuous: I was just getting up off the couch to go into the kitchen, and apparently my left leg went numb. I crumpled straight down to the floor (I did not hit my head, or hurt my hands, or land on my belly), and landed directly on my knee, then twisted my ankle a little. The ankle feels much better today (a little tender in the back), but my knee- not so much good feelings there right now. Michael immediately took me to the doctor (I am sure Michael will be posting the hilarious pic of my "I hurt myself" look as we were in the doctor's waiting room). My GP says I damaged the soft tissue all around my left ankle and my left knee, but she felt no bone fragments floating in there, which was a blessing. Her opinion of what happened: this is a phenomenon that sometimes occurs in pregnant women and overweight people where the weight of the belly area (in my case, the uterus and baby) cuts off the major blood vessels leading to the leg and the leg goes numb for an instant. Never happened to me before and I had no warning. She said from now on when I have to get up (from bed, from a seat, from the floor, etc), I have to scoot to the edge of the seat and test my legs first to make sure they are functioning before I rise. A little of a pain in the butt, but I'll get used to doing it, I am sure. Her prescription: 72 hours of staying off the leg as much as possible, Tylenol (can't take anti-inflammatory meds at this point b/c they are bad for the baby) and ice for the swelling. If after 72 hours, there is still persistent pain and swelling, I will need to go back to the doc for "reevaluation." The baby seems fine and wasn't fazed by it: he was just a kickin' away as Michael fussed and got ice packs and helped me up from the floor as we called my GP. The doctor says I was soooo lucky I didn't hit my head when I fell (I landed right next to the coffee table). Sadly, this means I will not be able to get my scheduled haircut today (I would have no one to drive me, as Michael is in the office today so I rescheduled the haircut for next week), and I will be unable to go hang out with my Mom and brother Chris while Michael has his Poker Party at our house this weekend. Maybe I'll play poker- haven't done that in a while. Hmmm...

We are planning on going to the local 3d/4d Ultrasound Business at the end of September and getting some fun prenatal photos of our baby boy. We are sooo psyched! We will post the pics on this website when they come in, of course. Our OBGYN already "ok'ed" it and we are excited to see the progress our little man has made. Right now (24 weeks gestation), he is almost 1 1/2 pounds, 12 inches long from head to toe, and his lungs are starting to mature. By the time we see him in the 3d/4d ultrasound (at app. 29 weeks gestation), he should be well over 2 1/2 lbs and be over 15 inches long from head to toe! How cool is that!!?? Michael and I continue to marvel at our little Tigger every day and we adore watching my belly move as he performs various acrobatics for our viewing pleasure. For more info on what both my body and the baby's body is doing week-by-week, you can click on any of the "Favorite Baby Sites" pregnancy links we provided on the home page of this website.

Next week, Michael and I are scheduled to go to a free Car Seat Safety Workshop. We look forward to learning more about what car seat is best for our vehicle and needs. I am still confused on whether to buy a convertible car seat (one that converts from an infant car seat to a toddler booster seat) or to get an infant car seat that does not convert, but has a strap base that we could use to move the infant carrier in and out of the car easier. Ohhh, the plethora of things to consider when having a baby! Any suggestions?