So sorry!

Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated, my laptop broke before I could post week 24, and by the time I got a new one months later, I'd already had baby and my pregnancy was over! I decided today to at least update everyone, as when I've seen pregnancy blogs randomly stop, I always wonder if baby was okay or if something had happened :(

Baby is fine and thriving! Rook David Steward, born August 1, 2015. He weighed 7lbs 2oz, and was 20.5in long. I was induced at 38 weeks and 6 days due to seizures and high blood pressure. After 36 hours of labor, Rookie's heartrate started to drop, and I was taken for an emergency c-section. He was born at 5:14 am Saturday morning. He had trouble breathing at first. it was a terrifying minute while we waited for him to cry. Hubby was immediately instructed to take his shirt off and do skin-to-skin, hoping to help regulate his breathing, but it wasn't quite enough. He was taken to the NICU, where he stayed for just under a week. Thanks to having a c-section, I stayed most of the week with him, and the final night they had a parent room, where we got an overnight trial with him before going home.



Today, he is a beautiful 9.5 month old. He's doing so well, he's 17lbs and 27in, he's sitting, rolling, crawling, furniture cruising, and standing on his. Breastfeeding didnt work for me, as I was diagnosed with IGT when he was 5 weeks old and 24/7 pumping just wasn't working. We coslept for the first 8 months, but when he was 8 months old, I went to Las Vegas for a friends wedding, and hubby transitioned him to the crib while I was gone, since he knew I'd never be able to bear transitioning if
I were there. We babywear occasionally, but sometimes he rides in the stroller or cart instead. We just go with the flow. You can't be too set in one way or the other (:

(I'll add pictures in a bit! Comment to remind me to update :)

Week 23: 04/09/15 - 04/15/15

Milestones this week:

• 04/09/15: My older sister's Birthday!
• 04/20/15: Went into L&D for high blood pressure, and was officially put on bed rest :(

This week I...

Have been struggling with my blood pressure. I had high blood pressure in my first trimester, and was put on blood pressure medicine for it, but once I hit my second trimester, my blood pressure got dangerously low, so I was taken off the BP medicine. On monday, (04/20) I had severe migraines, and felt "off", so I checked my BP and it was 162/94. After calling my OB, and taking one of my old blood pressure pills at his instruction, I still had high blood pressure 2 hours later. I called Labor and Delivery at the local hospital, and after talking with the charge nurse there, went in to get checked out. They monitered all my stats and checked on Rook, and after talking with the OB on call, and talking with my regular OB, it was decided that I should go on modified bed rest. What does this mean? Basically I can only be up and on my feet for 3-4 hours at a time, and I have to be careful to not over exert myself, as well as avoiding lifting over 20-25 lbs. It's only been a week, and I'm already so incredibly bored, I've decided to attempt a cross stitch. 

Stats this week:

• Weight: week: -0.5; Pregnancy: -7.0
• Symptoms: Back pain, light cramping, reflux
• Cravings: Ice cream, pickles dipped in cream cheese.
• Baby Bean's Size: Eggplant
• Baby's length: 11.38 in
• Baby's weight: 1.10 lb

Tip of the Week:

This week for me, the hormones are back at it. Every little thing makes me tear up and/or want to bite someones head off. There's no "easy" way to control hormones and mood, I've resorted to repeatedly telling someone I'm angry at that I know I'm overreacting and not to take it personally, but people will only put up with you when you're being like that for so long! I'm lucky that I have an amazing husband who does a really good job of being understanding, and a great RN mom who will answer my medical questions I have practically every day so I don't get on my OB's bad side by calling all the time! As lucky as I am that these people put up with my, my tip for the week is make sure everyone knows how much you appreciate them! I think I've had something similar as my tip before, but I can't stress it enough. Make sure your SO, your mom, your siblings, your roommate, whoever know how much you love and appreciate them for everything. Pregnancy is hard for us to go through, but it's also hard for our loved ones to try and help us go through it!

Week 22: 04/02/2015 - 04/08/2015

So sorry! I went to write my 23 weeks update and realised I wrote this, but never published it!

22 Weeks!

Tried to take a picture of the bump and the dog got jealous...

Milestones this week:

• 04/02/15: My mom's Birthday!
• 04/04/15: DH was able to feel a little lump where Rook was pressing his foot into my stomach!

This week I...

Had the opportunity to feel the lump where Rook's little foot was resting from the outside! It was such a cool moment, I was rubbing cocoa butter on my stomach (I've heard this helps with stretch marks... we'll see!) and I noticed there was a weird little lump, I called Brian over to feel, and when he did Rook started moving his foot! It was a really cool experience, and the look on Brian's face was such a look of awe and shock, and excitement. We're both so eager to get to love on and kiss on that baby boy (:

Stats this week:

• Weight: week: +1.5; Pregnancy: -6.5
• Symptoms: Back pain, light cramping
• Cravings: French Fries, Cheetos, Ice cream, 
• Baby Bean's Size: Papaya 
• Baby's length: 10.94 in
• Baby's weight: 12.70 oz
• Baby's Heart rate: 137 BPM

Old Wives Tales Part 2

I've previously made a list of old wives tales, which you can read here,

24. Baby Med gender predictor. Not an old wives tale, I know, but fun none the less!

• Here's my results: "After evaluating all of your answers, BabyMed concludes that there is a 86.7% chance it's going to be a GIRL and a 13.3% chance it's a boy."

25. Hairy legs are an indicator of more testosterone, where as if your legs haven't changed, it's an indicator of a girl.

• This one says Girl for me! My legs really haven't changed much, phew!

Your husband's siblings may come into play when predicting the gender! There are two different versions I've heard, so... 

26a. Your husband's oldest sibling can predict what you're having. If he has an older brother, it points to boy. Older sister, it points to girl. If he's the oldest, it once again points to boy. 

26b. If your husband has more sisters, it can be an indicator of a girl. If your husband has more brothers, or is an only child, it could indicate a boy. The thought behind this is that the gender comes from your husband, so if in his family there are more girls, he's more likely to pass along that X - chromosome, and vise-versa.

• Both of these point to Girl. Hubby has two awesome older sisters who are both super excited to be aunts. 

27. How is your bump shaped? If you're carrying all the extra weight in the front, it's said to be a boy. If the weight is more evenly spaced around your hips and/or bottom, it's supposed to be a girl. 

• Ahh, this one definitely points to Boy. Thank goodness, I need all the help I can get to look actually pregnant and not just extra chubby!

28. If you are craving Fruit, it's likely a girl. (This one goes along with sweet cravings that I posted under my last one, but since ice cream and fruit are completely different cravings, I'll count it again!)

• Girl!! I spent my first trimester craving clementines, and I've been craving pineapple and strawberries like crazy lately!

29. How big has your nose gotten? If it feels like your nose has grown, it's supposedly a boy! (Hahaha, what?!)

• My nose has definitely not grown any... So I guess this points to Girl!

30. If you get a linea nigra and it runs from your pubic area to your belly button only, it's a girl, and if it goes all the way from your pubic area to the bottom-most part of your rib cage, then it's a boy.

• I've only recently gotten my linea nigra, and it stops at my belly button, so this one is claiming Girl.

31. Has your hair become thinner and dull? Or full-bodied and glossy? Thin and dull says girl, but if your hair is gorgeous and glossy, it's a boy!

• I feel like this one is also similar to the skin myth, in that having a girl "steals your beauty"! Lucky for me, my baby Boy is letting me keep mine!

32. Another number one; If you add your age with the number of the month you conceived, and the results are even, it's a girl. If the results are odd, it must be a boy. 

• 19 + 11 = 30, so this one is telling me it's a Girl!

33. When you sleep, is your pillow north or south? If your pillow is north, expect a boy, if your pillow is south, prepare for a girl. 

• Had to pull out my compass for this one! My pillow is southwest, so this one is telling me to pull out the pink for a baby Girl.

34. If you have heartburn, it's a girl, because she's going to have lots of hair. 

• The only time I've had any heartburn, it was after I'd eaten almost an entire jar of super spicy pickles.. I'm going to say that time doesn't count, so it must be a Boy.

35. Try looking at yourself in the mirror for at least a minute. If your pupils dilate, it's a boy; if not, it's a girl. 

• I cheated and looked at myself in my front facing camera, but I figure it counts! My pupils did not dilate, so this one is telling me it's a Girl!

36. Try this one at your own - and your partner's - risk! If you're able to eat a lot of garlic and not smell like it, this means you are carrying a girl. If you end up reeking of garlic, it's a boy.

• As mentioned in #34, I ate a ton of spicy pickles, that also happened to be very garlicky, and I sure didn't smell anything. I'm going to (happily! who wants to reek of garlic?) chalk this up to Girl.

37. The ever popular skull theory! To be honest, I still don't entirely get this one, I guess if baby has a slant/slope in the forehead, it's a girl. If the forehead is more rounded, it's a boy. 

• I included a diagram that's supposed to show skull differences, and an u/s picture from around 17 weeks. To me this looks very much like Boy! what do you think?

38. It's said that if you're craving orange juice, it's a girl, if not, expect a boy.

• Blech, as much as I've loved oranges and clementines this pregnancy, I can not stand the thought of OJ! This one points to Boy for sure!

39. If baby is kicking on the right side of your stomach, it's a boy. If baby kicks on the left, prepare for pink!

• My baby is definitely kicking to the left, so this one is claiming Girl for me! (Although this old wives tale is based on the idea that with a boy, your placenta is to the left, so baby kicks to the right, and if it's a girl, your placenta is to the right, so baby kicks to the left. My placenta is anterior, so the placenta idea is inconclusive for me!)

40. Check your wee! Prepare for a boy if your urine is bright, if it's dull, than expect a girl. 

• I'm calling this one Girl, although I feel like it depends more on if you're getting enough water than what sex the baby is!

41. Clumsy? Pull out the blue! But if you're more graceful during this pregnancy, bring on the pink bows!

• I'm normally very clumsy, but this pregnancy have managed to avoid falling down (other than black outs, I don't count those), so I guess I'll consider that graceful. Girl!

Conclusions?

Boy: 5 - 26%

Girl: 14 - 74%

Grand Totals between Parts 1 & 2?

Boy: 12 - 29%

Girl: 29 - 69%

Inconclusive: 1 - 2%

So there you have it! Old wives tales are about 69% incorrect for me. 

Week 21: 03/26/15 - 04/01/15

Time to set this hoodie aside...! 

Milestones this week:

• 03/31/15: First noticed signs of Linea Nigra! Very faint, but it's definitely there. For those who don't know what this is, it is a horizontal line that starts at the top of the belly and goes straight down through the belly button. 

This week I...

Experienced a pregnancy craving miracle! This week I was craving McDonald's frozen strawberry lemonades like you wouldn't believe, I HAD to have them! The only problem? They were discontinued. I was super bummed, with this craving I couldn't satisfy that was driving me bananas. Until Brian and I ran through McDonald's for breakfast (normally I try not to eat there.. Too broke and it's too unhealthy! This particular day, I didn't have time to make breakfast, and if I don't eat every meal I tend to pass out). On a whim, I asked the worker if they had the frozen lemonades, completely expecting a no, but instead got a reply of, "actually, yeah! We just got them back, we haven't even started advertising them yet, but we can go ahead and make you one." OH. MY. GOODNESS. I actually started crying with joy, Brian wouldn't stop laughing at me! What are the chances that within days of me starting to crave this discontinued item, they'd bring it back?!

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: -1.0; Pregnancy - 8.0
• Symptoms: Fatigue, Round ligament pain, Light cramping, Back pain
• Cravings: Ice cream, Cheetos, Smoothies, Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
• Baby Bean's size: Carrot
• Baby's length: 10.51 in
• Baby's weight: 12.70 oz
• Baby's Heart rate: 143 BPM

Tip of the week:

Oh the heat! It's started warming up here this week, and even though it's only in the 70s right now, I feel like it's in the 90s. So I'm starting a list on ways to keep cool. It helps that I worked at an amusement park three summers ago, and I had to stand outside 8-10 hours in record breaking heat! So here's my list of mini-tips of the week;

• Dress in layers, so as you start to heat up you can start removing layers to help you cool down.
• Take control of that AC! Make your poor sweet hubby/SO layer up with a sweater or blanket, you not overheating is important. 
• If you're going to be in the sun for a long time, wear a hat! I didn't believe it before my job at the amusement park, but it really does make a HUGE difference. 
• If you don't have AC and it's just too miserably hot, spend some time at a local library, museum, or friends house. You'll get some culture/socialization, and you'll keep cool. 
• Swimming is obviously always a great way to cool down. Swimming is also a great way to low impact exercise through the summer without burning up. Target, JcPenneys, Old Navy, and Amazon all have cute, decent priced maternity swim suits! If you want to show off that bump, you can always get a cute bikini top, although I've heard most women who wear a bikini while pregnant prefer shorts or a swim skirt to bikini bottoms. 
• Speaking of exercise, yes it's important to keep that exercise up, but maybe forgo the long walk/jog in the heat in exchange for something indoors; prenatal yoga, walking on a treadmill or just around the house, even just stretching can be better than a walk causing you to overheat.
• Most of you know I'm a huge fan of those icy treats! There have been a few times those icy treats have been life savers this past week! It's amazing how well an icee, smoothie, ice cream, or frozen lemonade can cool you down, or if you're trying to keep those calories down, even just a large cup of ice water. 
• Try to avoid being outside too incredibly long. This one is obvious, but avoid those harsh rays of the sun!

Week 20: 03/19/15 - 03/25/15

My Cute Little Alien

Milestones this week:

• 03/22 Husband was able to feel Rook's kicks for the first time!

This week I...

Was able to feel my sweetie from the outside of my tummy. His kicks are finally getting big and strong enough that you can feel my tummy moving when you place your hand on it at the right time! This was such a fun, but weird, moment for me and Brian. It was one thing to feel his little flutters from the inside, but feeling those bumps and pushes from the outside was so cool, in a kind of weird way! There is actually a tiny life inside of me, moving and pushing and growing. How cool is that?

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: +1.0; Pregnancy - 7.0
• Symptoms: Fatigue, Round ligament pain, Light cramping
• Cravings: Ice cream, Cheetos, Salad
• Baby Bean's size: Artichoke
• Baby's length: 6.46 in
• Baby's weight: 10.58 oz

Tip of the week:

Week 20, yay! 20 weeks is a super exciting week to hit, at 20 weeks I am officially half-way through my pregnancy! This is such a relieving week to hit too, after 20 weeks, if something goes wrong, there is a lot more that can be done to keep baby healthy and happy, not to mention in less than a month at 24 weeks, your baby would have a chance at life if, heaven forbid, you were to have a micro preemie. My tip for this week is celebrate! You're halfway! (:

Week 19: 03/12/15 - 03/18/15

His sweet little fingertips

Milestones this week:

• 03/13 My 20th Birthday
• 03/18 20 week U/S

This week I...

Got to see my sweet little Rook at my 20 week anatomy scan. He was very energetic, he kept raising his little arms above his head and kicking his legs. It was hard to get good pictures, but I got a few cute ones! He's still a boy, not gonna lie, I was a little worried that my 17 week scan was wrong! I loved getting to see my baby boy today, I could have spent all day staring at his sweet face and cute little feet and hands. (:

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: +0.6; Pregnancy - 8.0
• Symptoms: fatigue, heartburn, mood swings
• Cravings: Cheeseburgers, Ice cream
• Baby Bean's size: Mango
• Baby's length: 6.02 in
• Baby's weight: 8.47 oz

Tip of the week:

Ahhh hormones. Hormones can really get the best of us during pregnancy, it's almost scary how fast we can go from happy, to crying in a huddled mess, to screaming at our SO over nothing. There's not really an easy way to handle them, other than to step back and breath. Try to remember that you're hormonal, it can make things much easier when you just acknowledge that you're being a little crazy! For example, I got into a huge fight with my husband over plans changing that he had absolutely NO control over. For whatever reason, my crazy hormonal brain needed to blame someone, and as my other half, my husband is usually the poor victim in these moments. I finally had to step back and realise how ridiculous I was being. Now we can laugh at it, but at the time, it was practically World War III. My advice, for the sake of your marriage/relationship, and for the sake of your precious baby, try to keep the crazy in check, and when that's just not possible, make sure you make it up to your SO like crazy later! You definitely need him on your side ;D