gifts: expectant mother

I wanted to put together a little congratulations gift for an expectant mother. Just a small gift filled with some things to make her pregnancy just a little easier. 

1. Ginger Ale for the nausea.

2. Cocoa Butter for the stretch marks.

3. Antacid tablets for the heartburn.

4. Tissues for the tears brought on by the hormones.

5. Preggie Pops for the morning sickness.

I put these five items in a brown paper bag. I never buy any other type of bag. Only these. I get them at Hobby Lobby for 50 cents. I love how simple they are and you can customize the tissue paper and ribbon to the occasion. 

A brown paper bag tied up with string... filled with a few pregnancy things! 

Congratulations to this wonderful new mommy! I hope she enjoys her gift!

Olivia's Birth Story

The day before Olivia was born, 40 weeks 2 days.

On the morning of May 16 (40 weeks and 3 days), I couldn't sleep. I was awake at 3 am. I was so uncomfortable. I started having contractions that were about 10 minutes apart. By 6 am, they were about 5-7 minutes apart. I called the doctor's office after hours line and the nurse recommended that I head to the hospital. My contractions weren't strong or painful, just uncomfortable but the main reason she wanted me to go was because I had group B strep so I would need to get antibiotics into my body before I would be able to deliver. The nurse wanted to be safe since I was 3-4 centimeters dilated the day before.

Josh being silly in our first room before being admitted.

Josh's mom came over to stay with Julianna and we headed to the hospital. I was checked right away. I hadn't made any progress since the day before and the contractions were very sporadic, sometimes 10 minutes apart and sometimes 5 minutes apart. My doctor was already at the hospital and she told me to get breakfast and walk around the hospital for a couple of hours. So we did just that. We walked and we walked and we walked. I even had a delicious pink, strawberry flavored waffle from the hospital cafeteria. After 2 hours had passed, I went back to be checked again, no progress. But the doctor thought I would make progress if my water was broken so she went ahead and admitted me to the hospital. At that point, we knew we were going to leave the hospital with a baby girl!

A cute bench we found on our hospital walk.

I was in my labor and delivery room by 1pm. It felt like it took forever to get there. We had to wait awhile because all of the rooms were either occupied or getting ready to be cleaned. Lots of babies were ready to come into the world that day!

Settled in my room.

So the picture above is when I was all settled into my labor and delivery room. My sweet nurse got me some crackers and jello because I was so hungry.

My doctor and I after she broke my water.

The doctor broke my water about an hour and half later. I started having a few more contractions but nothing really painful (notice my smile in the picture above) and the contractions still weren't helping me make any progress as far as dilation goes. I took a nap and then around 5:30 pm, my doctor decided to give me pitocin. I wasn't happy about getting pitocin- it wasn't in my birth plan but my doctor believed it was the best option so we went ahead with it.

The evil pitocin.

The pitocin was evil but it did the trick. Within 15 minutes of getting it, I was contracting every 2 minutes. Crazy, painful contractions. Every 2 minutes for the most part but occasionally they were coming every minute. I was by myself when this happened. Josh stepped out to get some dinner. I have a pretty good pain tolerance but not when it comes to pitocin. My pain was unbearable and I was in tears. I asked for the epidural about an hour after I got the pitocin. There was no need to suffer. I needed the strength to push later and I wasn't going to have the energy to push if I had to fight this nasty contractions.

My little Olivia with my doctor.

Once I got the epidural (around 7pm) everything progressed REALLY fast. I was 4-5 cm around 7pm but by 8:30 pm, I was fully dialated at 10 cm! I started pushing right away. It was much harder pushing this time compared with Julianna. I thought I was going to pass out so I had to get some oxygen. Josh helped me so much. He counted for me and held my hand. I couldn't have done it without him there beside me. After 30 minutes of pushing, the doctor was concerned because Olivia was stuck. She said we can either do a c-section or I can suction her out. Of course, we went with the suction and on the next push, she was here! The cord was wrapped around her neck and it was preventing her from coming out.

Holding Olivia for the first time.

Seeing her for the first time was priceless. Such a beautiful moment. All of the pain, so worth it. She's worth it. Olivia was 7 lbs. 11 oz. (much bigger than we ever would have guessed) and 20.5 inches. She shares a birthday with her uncle Adam, as well as a cute dimple in her chin. Welcome to the world, sweet Olivia Grace!

Our first family photo as a family of 4.

40 weeks 2 days

Wow! I never expected to still be pregnant. I was induced at 37 weeks 4 days with Julianna because she was IUGR (aka tiny baby). I have felt very strongly this entire pregnancy about not being induced. From the beginning I wanted Olivia to come on her own time. I'm still standing by that now- even though I'm uncomfortable and people think I'm crazy. When she's ready, she'll come. I went to the doctor today to check on her. To make sure that it wasperfectly safe for me to continue to carry her and we got great news.

My blood pressure was great. I was dialted to almost 4 centimeters and I'm 50% effaced. Everything is moving in the right direction! I was meauring a little small, which isn't unusual for me. I had an ultrasound to check on her growth and fluids. The results were fantastic. She's about 7 lbs. 9 oz. right now and her fluids were perfect. She's definitely run out of room in there! The doctor said it's perfectly safe for me not to be induced at this point but she will break my water if I don't go into labor on my own before May 25. She had originally said May 20 but since everything came out great today, she's giving me a few extra days and I'll go back to see her on May 21 to make plans.

I really feel like Olivia will be here before I have to make plans for induction on the 21st. I progressed from 2 cm to 4 cm from Friday to Tuesday. My biggest surprise today was her size- I was definitely not expecting her to be that big. Her weight was within the 40th percentile.

Hopefully my next blog update will include pictures of a beautiful baby girl!

39 weeks

How Far Along: 39 weeks
How Big is Baby: Around 6 lbs. or so.
Weight Gain: 30 pounds.
Sleep: Always trying to get comfortable.
Health: My swelling isn't as bad this week. It's actually much better. Blood pressure was 120/80.
Clothes: All maternity except for dresses and tank tops that I've bought a size up in.
Best Moment this Week: My third graders and assistant threw me a baby shower for my last day at work yesterday. It was so sweet!
Food Cravings: Salty soft pretzel with mustard and an Icee!
Movement: Very strong movements but a little less movement. I'm pretty sure she's run out of space.
Gender: She's a girl.
Name: Olivia Grace
Labor Signs: I've had some real contractions, about 15 minutes apart but then they stop completely. At my appointment yesterday, I was 2 cm dilated and my cervix is still very soft. My doctor stripped my membranes to see if that helps get things going. I'll be going back on Tuesday for an ultrasound to check fluids and growth. My doctor will determine our next steps then. I'm trying to avoid pitocin all together so I'm hoping that just breaking my water will be the trick. The doctor isn't going to let me go past 41 weeks, so little Olivia will definitely be here by May 20!
What I Miss: Sleeping through the night.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Meeting Livi!
Milestone: Yesterday was my last day teaching. I'll still have to pop in here and there until the end of the school year but I won't be going back to teach. It was a really bittersweet day knowing that I'm not coming back next year either but I am so very excited about the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom to my two girls! I also can't believe my due date is tomorrow! Happy Mother's Day!

39 weeks

39 weeks 5 days

38 weeks

How Far Along: 38 weeks
How Big is Baby: Around 6 lbs.
Weight Gain: 28 pounds
Sleep: Always trying to get comfortable.
Health: I'm swollen but blood pressure is good- 120/70.
Clothes: All maternity except for dresses and tank tops that I've bought a size up in.
Best Moment this Week: Putting our hospital bags in the car... we're getting closer!
Food Cravings: Sprite and strawberries. Not necessarily together but it doesn't sound too bad.
Movement: Tons of strong movements.
Gender: She's a girl.
Name: Olivia Grace
Labor Signs: Frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions, tons of pressure, and possibly a "real" contraction here and there. I'm dilated to about 1.5 cm and my cervix is very soft, according to my doctor.
What I Miss: Painting my own toenails.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Meeting Livi!
Milestone: I'm 38 weeks and 5 days and still working. I didn't think I'd make it this far!

37 weeks

How Far Along: 37 weeks
How Big is Baby: Between 5.5 and 6 lbs.
Weight Gain: 27 pounds
Sleep: Still trying to get comfortable all night and I get so stinkin' hot even with the AC cranked up.
Health: My calves, ankles, and feet are swollen but my blood pressure is still good- 114/74. My back and upper abdomen are aching. Yep, I'm just uncomfortable.
Clothes: All maternity except for dresses and tank tops that I've bought a size up in.
Best Moment this Week: Finishing up the nursery.
Food Cravings: Salt and fruit. I visited McDonald's quite a few times this week. I'm so surprised that I only gained 1 pound!
Movement: Tons of strong movements.
Gender: She's a girl.
Name: Olivia Grace
Labor Signs: Frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions and a lot of pressure. I am about 1 cm dilated but the doctor described it as a "loose" 1 cm and I was quite close to 2 cm. I'm between 20 and 50% effaced as well.
What I Miss: Feeling comfortable.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Meeting Livi!
Milestone: Making it past 37 weeks and 4 days- when I was induced and delivered Julianna. I've never been this pregnant before.

36 weeks

How Far Along: 36 weeks
How Big is Baby: She weighed 5.5 lbs at our ultrasound today. She's in the 20th percentile for weight which is small but not too small. Apparently I make small babies.
Weight Gain: 26 pounds
Sleep: still trying to get comfortable all night!
Health: I'm still experiencing the upper abdominal pain and I have some swelling in my feet/ankles but my blood pressure was great.
Clothes: All maternity except for dresses and tank tops that I've bought a size up in.
Best Moment this Week: Seeing Livi on the ultrasound and my school baby shower.
Food Cravings: Lemon candy, lemon desserts, and lemonade.
Movement: Tons of strong movements.
Gender: She's a girl.
Name: Olivia Grace
Labor Signs: Frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions and a lot of pressure. I am 1 cm dilated right now.
What I Miss: Feeling comfortable.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Meeting Livi!

36 weeks

Olivia Grace- 36 weeks 5 days

Diaper wreath from my school shower.

35 weeks

How Far Along: 35 weeks

How Big is Baby: I'm measuring ahead but my belly still looks small in comparison to other moms-to-be. We'll know for sure next Friday! If she's in less than the 10th percentile (like Julianna was), they'll probably induce right away.

Weight Gain: about 25 pounds.

Sleep: still trying to get comfortable all night!

Health: I'm still experiencing the upper abdominal pain and it's getting worse + my back hurts constantly.

Clothes: all maternity except for dresses and tank tops that I've bought a size up in.

Best Moment this Week: Easter with my sweet family.

Food Cravings: I haven't wanted much of anything the past 2 days. I've had my second stomach virus of this pregnancy. No fun.

Movement: tons of strong movements.

Gender: she's a girl.

Name: Olivia Grace

Labor Signs: just Braxton-Hicks contractions on a fairly regular basis.

What I Miss: the good sleep I was experiencing just a few weeks ago.

What I'm Looking Forward To: my next ulratsound.

Milestone: Sunday I was 35 weeks ad 35 days to go.

 

Baby Shower for Olivia

This past Saturday, my family threw me a wonderful baby shower for Miss Olivia. We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives!

34 weeks

How Far Along: 34 weeks

How Big is Baby: not completely sure but I am measuring at 36 cm (36 weeks) as of yesterday. I'm having a growth ultrasound on April 20 to check her size since Julianna was IUGR and I had to be induced due to her size.

Weight Gain: about 25 pounds.

Sleep: not great- I wake up several times a night just trying to get comfortable.

Health: blood pressure was back on track yesterday. I had a spike in blood pressure at my 32 week appointment but it's good now. I'm still experiencing the upper abdominal pain and it's getting worse + my back hurts constantly. It'll all be worth it in the end though.

Clothes: all maternity except for dresses and tank tops that I've bought a size up in.

Best Moment this Week: hearing Livi's heartbeat yesterday- 154.

Food Cravings: anything sweet- I love cobbler!

Movement: tons of strong movements.

Gender: she's a girl.

Name: Olivia Grace

Labor Signs: just Braxton-Hicks contractions on a fairly regular basis.

What I Miss: the good sleep I was experiencing just a few weeks ago.

What I'm Looking Forward To: my next ulratsound.

Milestone: measuring at 36 cm is a milestone for me. I never measuring more than 35 cm when I was pregnant with Julianna.

33 weeks

32 weeks

31 weeks

30 weeks

How Far Along: 30 weeks

How Big is Baby: Over 16 inches long! I'm measuring right on track so baby girl is growing as expected. The doctor is watching my growth very closely this time around since Julianna was born 3 weeks early due being growth restricted.

Weight Gain: about 15 pounds.

Sleep: Good, I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Health: Blood pressure is great but I did discover the source of my upper abdominal pain. When I was pregnant with Julianna, I had the exact same pain in the exact same place. Two doctors during my last pregnancy could never explain what it was but I did have a small crack in my ribs. Well, my doctor has determined what it is after all. It's a hernia. She said it's due to the way my uterus expands during pregnancy. Like last time, she said it should go away right after delivery. The pain is just awful though. If I sit too long, like while driving in the car, it hurts really bad. I either need to be standing (which hurts my back if I stand too long) or lying on my side (which I can't do during the day- teaching while lying down doesn't exactly work). So Tylenol is my friend and I relax as much as possible when I get home. I try not to carry Julianna around more than necessary. I'm glad to know what it is now and that my little Olivia is not in danger.

Clothes: If it's non-maternity and not a dress, it doesn't fit right now. My belly took off in growth in he past couple of weeks. My dresses are getting short too so leggings are a necessity.

Best Moment this Week: Hearing Julianna tell my belly, "luv you, Livi." Julianna hasn't been sold on this idea of a "little sister" so far. To hear her sweet little voice say that was just priceless.

Food Cravings: I require sweets at the end of each meal.

Movement: Tons of movement!

Gender: She's a girl.

Name: Olivia Grace

Labor Signs: Just tons of Braxton-Hicks contractions. Much more frequent this week.

What I Miss: A glass of wine!

What I'm Looking Forward To: Julianna's 2nd birthday party next weekend. Edit: Painting a masterpiece with my mother-in-law and two of my sister-in-laws tonight!

Milestone: Reaching my 30th week- about 10 weeks to go!

29 weeks

Pregnancy: 29 weeks
Weight Gain: 15 pounds
Sleep: Good, still needing lots of it.
Gender: It's a girl!
Name: Olivia Grace
Feeling: I feel like I've gotten a lot bigger in the past week. Bending over isn't quite as easy anymore.
Health: Good as far as I know. I have my 2-week checkup on Monday afternoon.
Movement: Tons of movement, mostly in the evenings.
Size of Baby: A squash.
Cravings: Sweets and chicken salad.
Belly Button: In but it's getting much more shallow. It stayed in with Julianna but I'm not really sure about this time around.

There isn't a special post this week dedicated to maternity fashion. This week, if I found something that fit, I went with it. I have less and less clothing options as my belly is growing. Like I said last week, I own very few maternity tops. I have been relying on longer shirts and layering a long tank underneath my shirt.

Tomorrow begins my 30th week of pregnancy. This pregnancy has seemed to move so quickly. I can't wait to meet Olivia but my goodness, I have so much to do before she arrives!

becoming a mother of 2

Today marks the beginning of week 29 of my pregnancy. This pregnancy has seemed to go by much faster than when I was pregnant with Julianna. I think I'm just much busier this time around. Keeping up with a nearly 2-year old plus working full-time as well as the taking care of our home. I'm busy.

I am so excited to meet sweet little Olivia. I know she'll be a wonderful addition to our family. At the same, I'm nervous. I'm nervous about becoming a mother of 2. I'm worried about dividing my attention between two little girls and how Julianna will feel when Olivia arrives. I don't want her to feel like I love her any less. I am sure I will find my nitch and balance my love between my 2 girls but for now, I'm nervous! I'm hoping Julianna won't be as jealous of her new sibling as I fear she might be. She hasn't wanted us to talk about the baby. But on a rare occasion, she'll kiss my belly. I'm hoping she'll fall in love with her little sister right away- her instant best friend.

There are many big changes coming soon for our family. I am praying for guidance and courage during all of these changes. They are very exciting changes and changes that definitely take a leap of faith. The biggest of all of the changes is adjusting from being a family of 3 to a family of 4.

The greatest gift I have ever been given, is the gift of being able to be a mother. The moment little Julianna was placed on my chest, was the moment I was changed forever. Forever for the better.

Love multiples when it is divided.

The big sister to be.

maternity fashion: week 28

Wow... here we are are. Week 28! This pregnancy seems to be flying by. I'm already in my 3rd trimester! Here are 2 of my third trimester outfits from this week. Getting dressed is becoming a little more challenging as the belly grows. I own very few maternity tops so dresses are becoming my go-to at the moment.

Dress: Non-Maternity, Ann Taylor Loft, thrifted

Sweater: Non-Maternity, American Eagle, thrifted

Belt: Down East Basics

Leggings: Non-Maternity, Wal-Mart

Boots: Belk

Dress: Non-Maternity, Ann Taylor Loft, thrifted

Sweater: Non-Maternity, American Eagle, thrifted

Leggings: Non-Maternity, Wal-Mart

Flats: American Eagle

27/28 weeks + maternity fashion

Pregnancy: 28 weeks
Weight Gain: 14 pounds
Sleep: good, still needing lots of it.
Gender: it's a girl!
Name: Olivia Grace
Feeling: bigger! it's harder to get up off the floor now when I'm playing with Julianna or giving her a bath.
Health: I passed my 1 hour glucose test today. Blood count and iron level was good too. Blood pressure was 120/70.
Movement: tons of movement!
Size of Baby: eggplant... measuring right on track.
Cravings: fruit, juice, crunchy ice, and sweets!
Belly Button: in but it's getting much more shallow.

I missed posting on Saturday so that's why we have a mixture of posts today. Josh and I went out of town for our "babymoon" to the mountains. Josh's mom kept Julianna for us so we could getaway, just the two of us. It was so nice to relax together like old times. We did a lot of shopping and eating. We caught a movie together. We even got to stop by Ikea for more shopping adventures on our way home. We finished up buying the furniture we need for Olivia's room.

It was great spending the weekend with my husband. In less than 3 months, we'll have another little sweetie to take care of!

 

 Gray Sweater: Non-Maternity, Target

Red Sweater: Non-Maternity, New Directions, thrifted

Jeggings: Non-Maternity, Wal-Mart

Scarf: New York & Company

Boots: Charming Charlie

maternity fashion: week 26

Well, week 25 was a week with just about zero pictures. I just didn't feel great. I ended up discovering the 'cause by Friday afternoon... a stomach virus. So this week, I have been on the mend and I'm feeling 100% again. I actually dressed in 5 nice outfits this week but unfortunately, I only took pictures one day. This one particular day, I think I look more pregnant than in any of my other outfits and none of my outfit is maternity clothing.

The other unfortunate thing is that I never use my real camera to take pictures. Josh bought me a nice Nikon camera for Christmas. I guess I went so long just using my cell phone that I forget that I have an actual camera to use.

Top: Non-Maternity, Thrifted, H&M
Sweater: Non-Maternity, New York & Company
Skirt: Non-Maternity, Belk
Boots: Charming Charlie

26 weeks

Pregnancy: 26 weeks
Weight Gain: 14 pounds
Sleep: good right now... I'm almost always in bed by 9pm!
Gender: it's a girl!
Name: Olivia Grace
Feeling: much better now than I'm over the stomach virus.
Health: good, blood pressure was 110/70 today. Baby's heart rate was 142.
Movement: tons of movement!
Size of Baby: eggplant. I measured one week ahead at my appointment today.
Cravings: sweets... I'm loving cake and ice cream!
Belly Button: in