24 Weeks!

It feels like a big milestone to reach this point since it's often considered the point of viability, although of course I hope she doesn't come out for another 3 months as I don't want her to spend a long time in NICU if at all possible! She has been moving earlier and earlier in the day. She now starts kicking even when I am just first getting up in the morning so I won't call her a night owl any more, LOL. I'll have Paul take some belly photos in the next few days as I think it's been 4 weeks since the last ones were taken.

I am glad to be going home today as I miss my hubby!!! Plus I can't say eating almost all my meals alone at restaurants is that thrilling of an experience. I ate lunch with three friends from other colleges yesterday, but other than that I've been on my own. One thing I will miss from down here are the temps. On Tuesday when I arrived the difference wasn't that large between PA and GA, but since then the temps have gone down about 10 degrees in PA and up about 20 degrees here in GA so now the difference is about 30 degrees (75 down here and only in the low 40's in PA). Hopefully though the warmer temps will come to PA soon also. I love spring, especially when it's in the 60's and 70's.

Hello from Atlanta

Well I arrived in GA about 5:15pm. The trip was uneventful, thankfully. I am staying at a hotel near the conference hotel but not at that actual hotel as the rates there were so high. I wanted to be able to fly out of a closer (smaller) airport which made the trip down here shorter for me, but the airfare was much more than if I had flown out of BWI. I am staying on the 10th floor which is the floor of this hotel designated for women only. I don't recall ever staying on a "women only" floor before. As we were riding in the shuttle from the airport, the driver pointed out all the windows that were missing from many of the hotels and skyscrapers from the tornados they had here recently. I am speaking twice tomorrow at the conference.

Paul has a big presentation tomorrow at noon. Each of the grad students are supposed to give a sort of practice thesis defense that all the chemistry profs attend as well as a fair amount of grad and undergrad chemistry students (the free pizza probably helps the attendance, lol). Paul's is tomorrow. I know he's nervous; I'm praying it will go well! It cracks me up that he's doing a practice defense before he's even written one paragraph of his thesis (that's next on his to do list as the real defense will be in July).

The house was shown once today; it was scheduled to be shown twice tomorrow but one couple said they need to reschedule. If they do reschedule then they'll be the fifth family to view our home. I'm hoping maybe one of them will want to make an offer. Time will tell.

Next week I have two doctor appts. First I see the hematologist on Monday to discuss my platlet dysfunction in relation to L&D. Then on Wednesday I get to see my daughter again as I'll have an u/s with a pediatric cardiologist and also meet with the high risk OB again. I am hoping the placenta is no longer on my cervix; it would be nice to no longer need to be on "pelvic rest", but of course if I need to stay under the restrictions for 3 more months I will gladly do so.

23 Weeks!

Well as of today I'm 23 weeks pg! I'm hoping soon that her movements will be strong enough to be felt from outside my belly so that Paul can feel her move. If you remember how far along you were when this happened for your dh, feel free to share. :-) Some days I hardly feel her move at all, and other days I feel her many, many times throughout the day. Yesterday was one of those really active days. I should also add that she's starting to move earlier in the day which is a relief to me as I'm not really wanting her to be a night owl, LOL!

My university has traditionally been closed on Good Friday/Easter Monday for what they termed "Spring Weekend" so as to be politically correct. This is the first year we have classes both days because of a move towards a common calendar within all the schools in the state system. Students are allowed to be excused for a variety of "major religious holidays," and Good Friday is on that list of holidays. Well I think I should have just cancelled my classes today as I am guessing I will have less than 50% attendance. We shall see, but I have received a flood of emails from students (just got 20 more emails since I went to bed last night) stating they won't be in class today for religious reasons. Now call me cynical, but I am doubting ALL these students are actually going to church today. If they are sick they have to show a doctor's note in order for the absence to be excused. Maybe they should have to show documentation that they were at church? I'd love to think this many of my students are attending a Good Friday service, but I just don't believe it. I think they see it as an easy way to have a long weekend that won't hurt their course grade. If this happens across the campus, maybe the university will find a way to make this a day off next year.

This afternoon we are driving to MD. First we are headed to Annapolis to have dinner with a former roommate of mine at Cafe Normandie and then we're headed to my parent's house. I can't wait to see all my family (minus one bil) again! When we were all together at Christmas we thought it would be 18-24 months until that happened again; so this is a very pleasant surprise! I have packed pink, purple, green, and orange nail polish so I can paint my nieces' fingernails and toenails (the orange and green are just for them - they aren't colors I personally ever wear!). We won't see Wendy & her 2 kids again until October. I am sure we'll spend time with Yvonne's family at least once more before they go back to Turkey (in early June), but once they leave it will be probably be about a year until we see them again. Wendy is in town not because of my mom's bday or Easter but rather she has a concert tomorrow night. Yvonne and her family are still in the US due to Josh's surgery and follow-up care. We'll be with my family until Sunday afternoon when we'll need to drive back home as we both have school on Monday. Tuesday I'll be flying to Atlanta for a conference as I'm speaking twice on Wednesday.

Back when I had the 20w u/s a student in one of my classes had made two signs (boy/girl) and when I said baby is a girl she handed me the "It's a girl" sign and said I should put it on my office door. I did, but I was a little concerned someone might think I already had the baby as usually that's when a sign like that is posted. Then I thought if anyone has seen me they will know I wasn't looking 9 months pg yet. Some still say I don't look pg at all for Pete's sake (which I find absurd as my belly has never been anywhere near this big before). Well it turns out the sign did confuse at least one person. On Monday a professor saw me in the hallway (whose office is next to mine) and said something like she didn't expect to see me up and about already and Congratulations! I was on my way to class so I didn't have time to clarify that I haven't already had the baby yet (thank goodness as usually viability isn't til 24 weeks and I don't want her coming that early anyhow as I'd rather avoid months in the NICU!). I did however move the sign to somewhere inside my office so hopefully no one else will be confused, LOL.

Well I wish all of you a very Happy Easter!

Worst Baby Names

A friend sent me a link to a site that listed some of the worst baby names such as "Harry Pitts," "Holly Wood," and "Candy Kahne." Some parents give their child a first name which is a profession such as Cook, Governor, Mayor, Editor, Doctor, Lawyer, or Judge; I guess they are hoping their child will end up in that profession? In the 1800's some parents gave their child a name of a disease for a first name like Leper, Cholera, Rubella, Typhus, and Mumps! Oi vey!!! In 1930 there were 463 babies named "Lucky." Well although we haven't picked a name for our daughter yet, I can guarantee she won't be given a name which is a profession or a disease!!!  Every time we hit the 18th of a month I think only x more months til the EDD! So yesterday was the 4 month mark and now it means we are under 4 months (presuming she doesn't come after the EDD that is).

22 Weeks!

Our daughter received her first two pink outfits today! I own a few gender neutral outfits, but these are the first GIRL clothes (aside from the t-shirts from Hawaii from my handbell choir director) I have owned. The three piece outfit on the left is for 3-6 months. The shirt has a cute little pink heart in the center. The pajamas on the right are size 9 months. Aren't they just sooo precious! I love clothing for little girls! I can't wait to see her in them. :-) They were a gift from my friend, Joyce. She used to teach at the school where I was principal. I had a 4 hour mtg in Harrisburg today (where she lives) so I stopped and visited with her and her two kids before heading home.

Finally, I have to share that Paul made a comment a few days ago that ladybugs would make a nice nursery theme. I was shocked that he would give it any thought! He wasn't asking me to switch from butterflies. I thought it was sweet of him to give it thought. I had decorated a nursery in our old house (in 2002 when we started ttc). That nursery (wallpaper border and bedding set) was going to be a teddy bear theme - Boyd's bears in particular. I thought that was a good gender neutral theme, but since that nursery was never used I certainly didn't want to go with teddy bears this time around. Plus I wanted something feminine since we know baby is a girl!
P.S. Speaking of the butterfly theme, if our daughter's first name ends up having any of these letters in it (p, u, i, c, g, f, x, n) then I'd like to order these letters to use as a wall decoration in the nursery. No, we won't take this into consideration when selecting a name. It's already a difficult enough task without hoping that certain letters are in her name, LOL!

L&D Tour

Well last night Paul & I had our L&D tour. I know it seems a little early for that, but they aren't offering a tour in May or June, and the April tour is also on a Tuesday night when I am usually teaching (but since this is spring break I was free last night). The building entrance to use is VERY familiar to us since it's the entrance right by the RE where we've gone since July 2004. And actually the elevator to L&D is right after the RE clinic. There is a special elevator just for the L&D ward since it's a secured area. If we think I'm in labor, first we go to the triage room which can handle up to two women at once. If they agree that "it's time" then I'll be admitted to a private room. The rooms seemed pretty nice. There is a rocking chair in every room, and there is a chair that converts to a bed (which Paul would use). If a c-section is necessary, they use a separate OR that is right in the L&D area, and if NICU is needed for baby (hope not!) the entrance to NICU is at the end of the L&D unit. There's a bassinet in the room for baby, and there's another unit for baby for the first 4 hours after birth (to keep her warm). I am glad she can stay with me in the room. I wouldn't want her to be in the nursery. They went over the rules of how many visitors at each stage, etc. I am thinking it will just be Paul & I. I am allowed one person to be with me 24 hours a day the whole time (Paul) and up to two more can be there for L&D. Then after birth I think it's 4 guests at the most at one time - none under the age of 12 (they make an exception for siblings but our daughter's siblings are in heaven so that doesn't pertain to us). I believe that our youngest nephew (who lives nearby) just turned 12 so I think all of Paul's family can come visit in the hospital if they want to. The most significant thing I learned on the tour was that 4 of the rooms have jacuzzi tubs in the bathroom, and they can put a monitor on you that can be worn in the tub while in labor. I have read/heard that is a very good thing to do if you are trying to avoid using an epidural. They said when you are being checked in you can request a room with a jacuzzi if there is one available. I hope that is possible, but who knows since most of the rooms don't have one. I haven't decided for sure about the epidural, but I am leaning towards trying to go without. If you have any thoughts on this issue from your experience, I'm all ears. :-)

I felt very old on the tour yesterday. All the other couples seemed to be on average at least 10 years younger than us. One woman exclaimed "Dr. Kennedy" and then introduced me as her former math professor (summer 2005 - I remember that class well as I had the ectopic pgcy while teaching that class). Another woman was amazed as she had attended a conference yesterday at which I was one of the speakers (so much for spring break, lol - I was at school for 7 hours yesterday) so she was surprised to see me again on the same day in a totally different setting. The other women were definitely farther along in their pgcies, but as I explained this was the only tour we could attend unless we waited until a couple of days before the EDD in July which might be too late! I know that most women aren't having their first baby at the age of 36 so I guess I should expect to feel old, but of course I'm not the oldest first time mother either (for example, the nursing prof will be 40 when she has her first baby next month by c-section). She's having an elective c-section to avoid the whole L&D process.

Yesterday was the earliest in the day that I felt my little girl move - 11:15am. I still don't think that qualifies her as a morning person though, LOL. What seems to make her move the most are music (she LOVED one song at handbells on Monday night in particular) and sugar (such as chocolate).

10 Minutes

Well my 3rd prenatal appt was my fastest one. It was the first appt I've gone to w/o Paul since my first u/s (15 weeks ago). He didn't miss much, LOL. From the time I entered the waiting room until the time I exited after making my next appt was only 10 minutes. I was weighed, peed in a cup, had my b/p taken (100/70), and then the OB came in for a quick exam and h/b check. I asked if the pp was partial or complete, and he said it was listed as complete previa which was what I suspected since Dr. Maslow had said the placenta was on the cervix.

No one said anything about the weight gain so I guess I shouldn't be upset, but according to today's measurement I gained 5 pounds in the last 4 weeks. :-( The more alarming thing is that if there isn't any discrepancy between the two scales - I gained 3 lbs in the last week! EEK! (Comparing what my weight was at the other hospital last Tuesday to what it was today) I have no idea how that could have happened. I don't feel like I changed my caloric intake in the last week. Well according to their scale, I've gained 10 lbs in the last 8 weeks. So I guess I'm not too far off what they say is the ideal of gaining 1 lb a week. The most important thing is that baby is healthy. Although it's more special to see her on the u/s, it was still nice to hear that beautiful sound of her h/b. Today was the first time they had NO trouble finding it. A med student found her h/b immediately whereas the previous 2 times it took some time to find it.

The appt with the realtor went well yesterday although it lasted almost two hours which I wasn't expecting. There were only a couple of things she thought we should do to prepare the house for being shown. Paul will be busy again this weekend working on the house. I keep reminding him that the sooner we sell the house then the sooner his commute becomes shorter (and mine becomes longer). The realtor suggested a listing price much higher than what we were thinking so that was a pleasant surprise. She showed me comparable properties that had sold recently in our area, and I then agreed with her assessment. So that was good news! I will be very happy if the house sells for the asking price or even 5% less than that. So we shall see how long it takes to sell it. Hopefully not too long as I don't like always needing to keep everything "just so" as you never know when strangers will be traipsing through for a tour. I am looking forward to touring 5 houses with Paul on Thursday. Maybe one of them will be "the" one that will be our next home.

Spring Cleaning!

Well this weekend and again this morning Paul and I were doing spring cleaning. Paul completed a few small projects in light of the realtor coming this afternoon to give us any idea as to what price to list our house. For example, he painted the ceiling in one bathroom. I have to say he's a great painter. He actually painted for a living for a brief period of time when he lived in New Mexico, but I think it's more about the fact he's a perfectionist. He did most of the work this weekend with vacumming and cleaning a couple of windows and such. What a great hubby! He doesn't want me to overdo it for our daughter's sake. Hopefully we'll get good news today from the realtor as far as a reasonable asking price. We haven't decided yet whether to try to sell it on our own for a few weeks or just list it with a realtor right away. It would be great to avoid the 6% commission but there are other factors to take into consideration like we'd really like to move prior to our daughter's arrival if possible. So we're praying our house is under contract by the end of April if possible.

This Thursday we are looking at 6 houses in the area where we are thinking of moving. They range in price from about $30K less than what we paid for our current house (4 years ago) to $55K more than that same amount. So there's a pretty big gap between the cheapest and most expensive house that we are looking at. It's times like these when I am glad we live in a rural area as I know these homes would go for FAR more in other locations. The first home I bought (in January 2001) cost about $72K or something like that. In the area where my parents live there is NO way to buy a 3 bedroom ranch with a basement and one car attached garage for that price! One of the homes we are going to look at has a photo tour online if anyone wants to check it out. I think it might be my favorite. Naturally it's the most expensive one, LOL. We don't need a separate detached garage since there's already a 2 car attached garage but I wouldn't avoid buying the house just bc it had too much garage space, LOL. I also think it's nuts that the playhouse has running water, electricity, and cable, but the playhouse DOES look really cool! We shall see what we think of the 6 houses after we tour them on Thursday.

Tomorrow is my 3rd prenatal OB appt. I haven't been counting down the days like I was for the first two OB appts in light of the u/s appt last week. It doesn't seem like as big a deal to hear the h/b after getting to watch her move around. Also, now that I feel her move many times a day every day, I am not needing the reassurance like I wanted before from the h/b check. I have no desire to rent a fetal doppler now that I feel her move every day. Paul gets a kick out of the fact that she's a night owl like him. :-) She doesn't seem to wake up until after about 12pm. Tomorrow at 6pm we have our tour of the L&D areas at the hospital where I'll give birth (the same one where the RE is not where my OB is). It's the first of three "classes" that I signed up for. This one and the infant CPR one are both free. The only one I'll have to pay for is the b/fing one.

Blowdryer

Well I brought two unusual items to church this morning - a brush and blowdryer. I got there at 7:30am and promptly went to the bathroom to dry my hair. Our power went out at 9:30 last night and didn't come on until 10:30am (which considering we lost 1 hour last night = 12 hours).  It was hard to get up this morning since we had lost an hour of sleep and I hadn't slept well as I was worried about oversleeping without a clock. I had a flashlight by my watch, and that was how I checked the time. At 6:00am I was trying to decide whether to take a shower here at home, call someone from the handbell choir and see if I could take a shower at their house, or just go to church w/o washing my hair. In the end I opted for a super quick shower at home (thankfully I did get hot water). It was interesting doing my makeup by candlelight, LOL. The bedroom was fine temperature wise, but the main floor of our house was FREEZING - there was frost on the kitchen floor! I usually curl my hair with a curling iron, but I decided to go with straight hair this morning rather than also bring a curling iron to church. The handbells played at 8:00 and 10:45; one of the two songs we played was a flute solo for me along with the bells. I really struggled to stay awake during the first service, but I ate a couple of chocolate chip cookies during the "coffee hour" in between the first service and Sunday School, and the sugar woke me up thankfully. I know I'll sleep well tonight though as I got less than 7 hours of sleep last night and I've been averaging 9-10 hours lately.

Yesterday at the shower I was again grateful that we opted to learn baby's gender at the u/s. Noreen wants to be surprised; so there were lots of yellow and green receiving blankets, outfits, etc. yesterday. I think gender specific clothing is MUCH cuter than most gender neutral stuff. I didn't know many of the people at her shower so in that sense it wasn't the most fun party I was ever at, but it was the first time in a very, very long time that a baby shower didn't bother me At All emotionally. It also helped knowing she is 40 years old and ttc for 8 years for this baby. The only downer at the shower was that one woman told me I didn't look pg at all. :-( Why tell a pg woman that especially as she knew I was 21 weeks pg??? I was wearing my 1 pair of maternity pants with a maternity shirt. Well trust me I won't be wearing that outfit again any time soon, LOL. There were 3 guests (including myself) who were pg, and ironically we are all due in July. One is due the week before me, and the other is due the week after me. One of the door prizes was for the woman with an EDD closest to Noreen's. I was given the prize (some kitchen towels) since the woman due 7-11 helped make the door prizes. It's true that the other 2 looked FAR more pg than I did, but in neither case is it their first baby and women seem to pop out faster with 2nd and subsequent pgcies. Plus one of the women is "fluffier" than me to begin with so I think that was part of it. Thankfully a few people today at church commented on my pg belly. My belly shows a lot more in maternity skirts. :-)

I am curious to see in what ways our daughter will take after me and in which ways she'll take after Paul. For example, I hope she has her Daddy's teeth as he's never had a cavity, never needed braces, etc. Well I have found one way that (so far) she takes after Daddy and not me. She's a night owl! She rarely kicks me in the morning; I feel her move the most in the afternoon and evening -even during the night. I am by NO means a night owl. I think 9pm is a lovely time to go to bed and staying up until midnight can only be described as painful, LOL. I can't wait to meet her and learn about her personality and talents and interests as time goes by.

Butterflies!!!

Well I have picked a theme for the nursery - butterflies! At the shower today you could tell the theme of Noreen's nursery is bunny rabbits. If we don't move prior to her arrival, I will turn the purple bedroom into the nursery (light purple walls and darker purple carpet). I will switch dressers as the dresser in the yellow/blue bedroom is the height that will work well as a changing table whereas the dresser that is currently in the purple bedroom is very tall. I wanted to pick something feminine, but I also wanted to pick something that is not SO "babyish;" I think that butterflies will work well for several years although if we live in that house longer than expected (4 years) I might need to redecorate once she feels she's to an age that she's outgrown or is tired of butterflies. Shopping for girls is sooooo much fun! I added some butterfly items to both registries. I tried to keep the expensive items to a minimum, and I think I did well with that as there is only one thing over $40 on the Babies R Us registry, and only two things over $40 on the Walmart one (activity mat, crib mattress, and high chair). I tried to include many items that were $10 or less. I get frustrated when I am shopping with a bridal or baby registry and all the items are really expensive. I guess the one nice thing about putting say $200 items on your registry (which I didn't - everything is under $100) is that several people can go in together to get it.