Four.

FOUR MORE DAYS! I can't wait to meet this little man. 💙💙💙💙💙💙

Baby Showers!

Last week I had two baby showers: one at school and the other with my mom and a gaggle of her good friends.  I was nervous thinking about going into early labor and missing these two events as I know the hostess had spent a lot of time planning and getting ready for the big day. Fortunately, yes, I'm STILL pregnant...tick tock tick tock.

Several months ago, my incredably creative and artistic teammate asked me what I wanted the theme of my baby shower to be.  I remembered last year the creativity she put into a Star Wars themed school shower and I was at a loss.  I blurted out, "recycling?" and left it at that.  Well, she went above and beyond what a Recycling Shower could be--it was absolutely amazing!

The first thing I noticed was the real silverware and reusable napkins on the food table, not to mention the awesome pies and snacks.  Instead of table cloths, the tables were decorated with newspapers, tissue paper flowers (in plastic bottle vases), toilet paper cars and monsters made from Kleenex boxes.  The ceiling was hung with tons and tons and tons of cardboard bulbs and everyone took the gift bags that I left in the lounge from a previous shower and re-used the bags.  It was so great, so creative and so green!  I hope the pictures do justice...

This shower was followed up a few days later hosted by my mom's good friend Karie.  Invited were many of her good friends that I have known for many years (some from as far back as elementary school).  We snacked on baby sized foods with baby sized utensils and used bibs as napkins.  We talked the whole time about babies, grand-babies, c-sections, labor, baby clothes and any other baby themed conversation you could think of.   Gigi, Mimi, Grandma Gigi, Grandbear, Glamma, Yulahly, Mom even got some help trying to pick her grandma name from the group.  I'm so happy that we had this conversation and am glad to say that Grandbear and Glamma were immediately eliminated from consideration.  I don't know what I would have done had my mother come into the recovery room and announced that she wanted Bubba to call her Grandbear. I might have cried.  Mimi is in the front running and I agree that this name fits her perfectly.  She only has 8 days to do more internet research....there sure are some interesting names out there.  I'm not sure how I would feel calling my grandmother: Nutty Nanna, Bun Bun, or GoGo, but hey, to each their own!

Bronco PJs that Daniel will hate! It makes me love

them even more!!

 

An almost three generation picture!

 

The c-section has officially been booked at 10:30am on December 17th.  Assuming all goes as planned, we'll have a baby in our arms in EIGHT days!!  Woo hoo!

 

 

38 weeks today! Bubba is as big

as a pumpkin!



 

 

  

Let the countdown begin!

We had our ultrasound on Tuesday, found out a little more information about the dreaded c-section and decided that it was in our (and Bubba's) best interest to go ahead and get something in the books.

Here's the skinny...

The large circle on the left is the baby's head, the larger on the right is the fibroid (huge, I know!)

Shifting the picture to the left, you can make out the baby's head on the top left and now see the whole fibroid on the right.  The white line at the 1:00 position of the fibroid is my cervix--you can tell that's it's virtually blocked by the fibroid. This is the reason for the c-section.  But wait, there's more...

Given the placement of the fibroid, a "normal" c-section cut would only reveal the fibroid and not the baby. The doctor suspects that they are going to have to do what's called a classical c-section, where the cut is higher in my abdominal wall.  Because of this we are waiting to talk to a "high risk c-section doctor" about doing the surgery on December 20th.  

We currently have a 10:30 surgery scheduled for December 17th with an amazing doctor who we met yesterday and talked to at length about the procedure, risks, surgeons, post-operation etc.  She answered all our questions and made us feel so much better. We'll keep the surgery with her if the other doctor isn't available.  Until then, it's just waiting time...tick tock!

Awe, how cute is he??!

I'll keep you all posted!

~Mama Jess

So long toes!

Baby Buump!

As promised, a few weeks ago we had maternity pictures taken.  Here is the only one that I actually liked of myself with Daniel...far more editing went on on the pictures of just me, I love all of those!  Anyhow, we do have one good picture pre Bubba that I can live with.  Enjoy!

Nesting

Last night was the first night that I officially went into "nesting" mode.  Daniel was finishing up a paper in the back room and I could only sit and play Candy Crush silently for so long before I started to go crazy.  I stood up, looked around my house and that's when it hit me.  If I went into labor tonight, is this what I would want my house to look like when I got home?

And so it began...I was down on my hands and knees scrubbing toilets, doing laundry, finishing up thank you cards, paying bills, re-folding and organizing my napkins and dish towels, cleaning out the fridge, organizing the pantry, cleaning the microwave, putting away clutter, polishing silver, and dusting...it was the craziest feeling.  I know I "officially" have 3 weeks and 6 days left to go (to the 12-23 due date) and I can only imagine the amazing condition of my house if I nest for this long!  It'll be great! Oh! I also packed our bags for the hospital and filled out all the hospital paperwork--we're all ready to go!

The best part about cleaning is that I officially love love love my "new" house!  Construction is over and the house looks so great.  We have a flow that makes sense and I love being in my kitchen and seeing out into the rest of the house.  It's amazing how such a small change can make such a big difference.  There are just a few small things that we need to do in Bubba's room and then the re-model will be 100% complete.

We're waiting for the mattress, sheets, curtains, and 

another few hours of sewing to finish the slip cover). 

Appreciate the exact measuring of the stripes in this picture.

It took Daniel and Uncle Lex HOURS to make sure they

were straight.  Good job boys!

I have three adorable prints coming from Etsy

to frame and put up around this area as well as

the changing pad. 

The tile letters on top of the bookshelf are big scrabble letters

of Bubba's "real" name.  These will be hung above here 

along with a few other framed pictures.  

I sat in his room last night for awhile just rocking and thinking about him.  He has gotten very active in the past few days and I swear he liked the rocking.  He kept rolling around and around and around.  It's crazy to think how soon he'll actually be here.  It's getting very exciting!

36 weeks, Bubba is as big as a honeydew!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
~Mama Jess

The Dreaded C Word

Way back in June, at our 20 week ultrasound appointment, our doctor found a uterine fibroid that was measuring about 8 cm in diameter.  It wasn't cause for alarm, however she wanted us to have it looked at again in 12 weeks to monitor the growth.  Last week we had that 32 week appointment and got some bad news.  It turns out the fibroid had grown quite significantly and was now measuring 12 inches in diameter (about the size of a softball) and lying in the direct path of my cervix.

Uterine fibroids develop from the smooth muscular tissue of the uterus. A single cell divides repeatedly, eventually creating a firm, rubbery mass distinct from nearby tissue. The growth patterns of uterine fibroids vary — they may grow slowly or rapidly, or they may remain the same size. Some fibroids go through growth spurts, and some may shrink on their own. Many fibroids that have been present during pregnancy shrink or disappear after pregnancy, as the uterus goes back to a normal size.

Fibroids range in size from seedlings, undetectable by the human eye, to bulky masses that can distort and enlarge the uterus. They can be single or multiple, in extreme cases expanding the uterus so much that it reaches the rib cage.

As many as 3 out of 4 women have uterine fibroids sometime during their lives, but most are unaware of them because they often cause no symptoms. Your doctor may discover fibroids incidentally during a pelvic exam or prenatal ultrasound.

The bummer of this situation is that because a baby's head at birth isn't bigger than 10 cm and the cervix doesn't open bigger than 10 cm the odds of little Bubba pushing past or around this 12 cm sucker and be delivered vaginally is virtually impossible. I'm bummed. Daniel is bummed. I've shed lots of tears.

Knowing this is our potential future, it has given me time to research, read and come to terms with our new plan.  It's also given me time to look into alternative medicine methods and I'll be visiting the same acupressurist next Tuesday who I saw about my back to see if she can work any baby/fibroid shifting magic. Fingers crossed.  We have one last ultrasound on December 3 to check for the last time that the fibroid is still obstructing the path.  If it is, we'll go ahead and schedule the cesarean for around the week of December 18th-ish.  Boo.

On a happier note...we went and had our maternity photo shoot last Wednesday and I cannot wait to see how the pictures turned out.  We did several just the two of us and then ended with some of just me and the ole belly.  I'll be sure to post them when we get them back.

More happy news...Bubba's room is about 85% complete.  Last weekend Papa Poo Poo Head, Uncle Lex and Daddy spent an entire day painting and getting the room ready.  During that time, Gigi, Mimi, Grandma Gigi and I spent the morning at Ikea and came home with a crib, dresser and lots-o-stuff to finally make the room a room.  It looks so great and I'll be sure to post pictures when it's 100% ready. We're awaiting the bedding, crib/changing table mattress and after the crib is put together tomorrow, by Daddy, we can officially have a baby!  The art isn't on the walls just yet, but those small details, surprisingly enough, aren't bothering me and we'll get to them when we get to them.  Last weekend, I did eleven loads of laundry, washing every item of clothing that was loaned to us from girlfriends, as well as blankets, car seat covers, swing covers, burp cloths, new clothes, toys, etc.  It felt great getting that done.  All the clothes have been loaded into his dresser and are ready for this little man!

Below is the inspiration for the nursery and a tiny sneak peek at what the boys painted.  More soon, I promise!

Aside from all this fun, I'm chugging along.  I'm officially not sleeping well in any position and can't seem to sleep past 6:00 am these days.  Daniel, on the other hand, is finally sleeping thanks to the $1.99 earplugs he bought at the grocery store last weekend.  He doesn't hear me snore anymore--glad one of us is sleeping!

We also have had two more baby showers since my last post.  Daniel's good friends threw us one in Houston two weekends ago and our good friends threw us a couples shower last weekend.  Such good times, such good friends, we are so lucky!

~Mama Jess

34 weeks!

Changes...

Well, here we are, the home stretch...7 weeks, 3 days and counting.  Some interesting changes have happened over the course of the last few weeks.  Here they are in no particular order...

1. I am sleeping great. I am comfortable, fall asleep quickly and basically sleep walk to the bathroom 4ish times a night.  The problem? I have become a super snorer and Daniel is about to smother me with his pillow every night.   Here's what "they" say causes snoring:

Swollen nasal passages may be at least partly to blame for your midnight melodies. Higher levels of estrogen during pregnancy contribute to swelling in the mucous membranes lining the nose and can even cause you to make more mucus.

The amount of blood in your body increases when you're pregnant and your blood vessels expand, which can lead to swollen nasal membranes.

Regardless the reason, I am now a walking ad for Breath Right Strips.  Daniel basically insisted that I try them and he thinks that maybe they are working.  Glasses and snore strips, I'm one hot bed time mama!

2. A few weeks ago I started having trouble taking my rings off.  I figured that I'd just suffer though them being a little tight for the next 8 weeks.  It's wasn't until I went to book club last week and someone told me that her friend had to get both her rings cut off because she couldn't get them off anymore, that I changed my mind.  I made Daniel re-propose in Target with this fancy fancy CZ that's one size bigger.  Oooh baby, so romantic. 

3. Ok, I know, I have to gain weight.  It's good for the baby, yadda yadda.  The baby weighs 4 lbs 12 oz today (and is in the 75-90% for size!), the amniotic fluid, blood, boobs etc. all add to weight gain yadda yadda but I now officially weigh more than my husband.  Gross. Me. Out. The. Door. Fortunately, I have the best husband on the planet and he's so supportive of the weight gain.  He reminds me that I'm growing a perfect baby and that I'm beautiful every day.  This is a bit of an over exaggeration, but on a bad day, this is how I feel. Hahaha!

While we're talking about changes....the house is FINISHED!!!  It is amazing how cozy and perfect it feels now that it has a flow that works for us.  It looks so wonderful and I love every single part of it.  I'll post pictures after we get home from Houston of the finale.  This huge bag of old house is out on the lawn tonight.  Let the nesting begin!

I also had Baby Shower #1 last weekend hosted by Meg, Audrey and Jules.  It was great to be with good girl friends and come home with some goodies for Bubba.  Next weekend the nursery will be painted, furniture will be bought and we can start putting all his gifts away.  I can't wait!

Welcome to my life...

It has started!  Construction a la Hillman is underway.  So much for nesting for a few more weeks...

Here is the back room that used to have two entrances: one through the baby's room (directly to the left, the framed will be walled in in a few days) and the other through our bedroom (upper left of the picture).  Today, there is only one entrance to this room and it's through a hallway! Woo hoo!  

This is taken from the back room looking into our room.  The right side (of the left picture) is our room that will soon be a wall.  The left side is the new hallway that will lead out into the house. (There used to be a sliding glass door here that we had disguised with curtains for the past two years.) The two will be joined by a pocket door that can shut off the back room when we have guests but will be open 99% of the time. The door at the end of this hall is my closet Yes, my closet will be in the hall but it's worth the payoff of having a door to shut at night and guests who don't have to walk through our room anymore.  I'm a happy girl! PLUS, they are putting a light just over the closet doors so I can actually see my clothes! Woo hoo!

The best part of this picture!? That ugly, disgusting light fixture that some people call a "chandelier" is gone!!  Ok, ok, the wall is down and that's pretty exciting too!  I always felt like I was in a shoe box when in the kitchen.  There was maybe enough room for two people but never a good space for Daniel to hang out with me while I got dinner ready.  Soon, we'll have a bar top with stools where anyone can hang out.  Most importantly, next summer I can see a baby crawling around the dining room and even feed a baby in a highchair while being in the kitchen cooking dinner.  So excited about this! Unfortunately, the pink is still there.  This is a job for the next remodel.  Until then, the pink pink pink has to stay!

And finally, the piece de resistance!

Ug, not this...

This!!!

No more weeds, no more thorns, no more dirt, no more wiping dogs paws, no more embarrassing backyard Bar-B-Ques, no more feeling badly for the neighbors who have to look at our ugly lawn anymore! We also had two trees cut down and are making a dog run along the side of the house--no more dog poop zone in the back of the yard! To top it off, this is the very same sod that was laid at Coors Field this week--so, not only do we have grass, we have baseball grass!  Cannot wait for next summer!

The baby this week is the size of a cucumber.  Yes.  I had the same thought.  How the heck do you hold a cucumber and equate that to a baby? I'm not sure,  but I thought I'd pass the info along anyway!

30 weeks, 3 days

Birthing Classes

Having a natural birth is something that I started thinking seriously about a few years ago.  Being an inquisitive person, especially when it comes to pregnancy/babies, I have never been afraid to ask my friends questions about their pregnancy and birth experiences.  It was in some of these conversations that I decided that when I got pregnant, a natural birth was something that I was going to look into doing.  Fast forward to now, Daniel and I are deep into 12 weeks of natural birth, birthing classes.  There are several different methods that one can chose from to prepare: Lamaze, hypno-birthing, the Bradley method, etc.  We opted for the latter because of their emphasis on the role of the coach (Daniel) and because I had a friend who is a trained doula and was offering a course starting in early September.  We signed up and just finished our 5th class last week.

Daniel was none too thrilled when he learned that we would be spending the next 12 Tuesday evenings learning about birth and all the things associated with it.  However, I have been pleasantly surprised at the level of commitment he has put into his coaching job: he does all his readings, is very active during class and has recently been very concerned that I do all my practice exercises each day.  It's great having him as "into" this a I am.  I think he finally sees his job as something that is necessary in order for us to do this.  I need his support and that's the bottom line.

When we tell people we're preparing for a natural childbirth, people (usually the ones who have given birth before) look at us like we're moving to another planet.  I get it, I know this is going to be tough, but we'll be prepared and I'm filled with determination and know this is what's best for our family.  The classes have been great at preparing my mind and my body for what will be happening in 10ish or so weeks.  We will be delivering in a hospital so if any complications should arise, we will be prepared.  We have also hired our doula coach and friend Carla to be with us in the birthing room as a support for Daniel and another coach for me.  We are very happy with the decision and are looking forward to welcoming our little bundle of joy, drug free.

On an entirely other note, a miracle happened this week and I have found myself walking, sitting and sleeping pain free once again!  Monday afternoon I was walking in the hallway at school and stopped dead in my tracks when I realized I was walking-walking, not waddling-limping-gimping-walking but really walking! I'm not sure if it was the massage, the chiropractor, the acupressure, the resting, the magnesium vitamins or the pregnancy belt that did it, but I am one happy lady!  My spirits have lifted as well, simply because I am feeling so much better. Oh happy day!

And for more happy news, construction at Casa de Hillman is officially under way!  We currently have workers in our backyard tilling up all the weeds (I won't even try to call what we had grass) and will be laying new pipes for a working sprinkler system, putting in a boarder for flowerbeds, laying a few walkways and putting in mulch around the perimeter of the yard.  I can just picture playing in the grass with Bubba next summer, I am so excited!  Next week work inside the house will officially start with the building of a hallway to our back room (no more walking through the bedrooms!), taking out a half wall and creating a bar top in our kitchen, putting in new windows (no more cold single pane for us!) and walling in one of the two doors in the baby's room.  After that's completed we'll get some paint on the walls, order a crib and it'll officially be time to bring home a baby! Woo hoo!

Third trimester has started with a bang! Bubba is a big as a butternut squash--76 days to go!

~Mama Jess

Pain in the ass...

I know it's been awhile since my last post, but trying to find something other than the knife-like dagger back pain that has left me practically immobile for the past two days, proves impossible.    I actually left school today after a half day because my morning was so miserable. One wrong step and I am left breathless and practically in tears.  In fact, this morning before school started, I was in so much pain that I couldn't stop the waterworks and knew that I needed to see a professional and get professional advice.  I managed to survive my morning with lots of sympathy from my perfect little angels and didn't feel bad ordering them around to get me certain books or fetch my water bottle, so that I could stay seated as much as possible.

Unfortunately, my worst thoughts came true after an afternoon doctor's appointment...there is absolutely nothing that can be done for me.  Posterior Pelvic Pain (in my ass) is something that I'm going to have to live with for the next three-ish months. Basically, your sacrum and your hip bones are a "fixed" joint, meaning for all of you non-pregnant people out there, yours doesn't move.  Because of my hormones and all the stretching and moving and widening and shifting of my body, mine has become un-fixed.  The pain I am feeling is the grinding together of these two bones.  Ouch.

Rest and ice was the doctors advice.  The ice part I can handle, it's the rest part that has me nervous.  I'm itching to vacuum my back room, would like to start a load of laundry and would KILL for a walk around the block with the dogs.  All three are out of the question for this weekend.  The good news, Daniel has seen me cry over this pain enough this week and is doing a great job at keeping me seated and behaves just like a fifth grader when I ask him to grab me this or that. :) Awe, so sweet.

Some pics of how I'm currently feeling...

On the other hand, our little Bubba has been movin' and shakin' a ton in the past few weeks.  It is the strangest/weirdest/craziest feeling that is 100% impossible to describe.  Some of his kicks are so strong that I let out a little yelp when they take me by surprise.  Monday officially marks the start of my third trimester and he is the size of a head of lettuce.  We heard the heartbeat today (130 bpm) and things are "looking good."   Think of me this weekend trying to relax--hopefully Monday morning at school will bring better things. Until then...

~Mama Jess