The DREADED glucose test....

Even before I was pregnant, I have heard horror stories about this test. I have heard things like how you can't eat FOR SO LONG before the test and how you have to drink this awful concoction of cough syrup mixed with sweat from the inner thigh of a hairy homeless man with a dash of tiger's blood. I've been told that within the first sip, I might keel over and die and if I don't, I will for sure burp a thousand times and then throw up immediately. I was fully expecting my heart to burst into flames upon finishing and having to be rushed to the ER in a sugar coma. So, when the sweet little nurse brought me my white plastic cup full to the rim of orange, sugary juice and told me I had 2 minutes to drink it, I was scrrrd. So.....I closed my eyes, took a giant gulp and waited for all hell to break loose....UM....NOT EVEN! The stuff was GOOOOD....like put-a-little-ice-and-vodka-in-it-sit-by-the-pool-and-drink-all-day GOOOD! I gulped it down in far less than 2 minutes and never even had so much as a burp come out! I had an hour to wait for all this horror to start and all I got was baby S Lady Gaga-ing it up in my belly for an hour. She is SO going to be a dancer like her mama.

This just goes to show that pregnant women are either crazy drama queens or just like to scare those of us who have yet to experience all these crazy things...

While waiting for my hour to go by, I had my regular dr. appointment and all was good! Blood pressure is normal, baby hearbeat is good, belly measures on target, gained 2lbs this month for a total of 8lbs. Now, just keep your fingers crossed that we passed that glucose test so I can continue to eat shaved ice with extra cream ALL SUMMER LONG.....mmmmmm

25 Weeks Going on 40...

Today I feel like a walrus. No, more like a penguin....or maybe a cross between the two....a walguin. It doesn't help when people make comments that I would never DREAM of saying to a pregnant woman...even if her belly drug the ground when she walked. Things like "that baby is going to be HUGE!" or "it looks like that baby is going to come WAY before October!" or "are you having twins?"....REALLY people??

So, after stressing about it and asking people for their honest opinion, I have decided that since I am VERY short-waisted (thanks mom) I am sticking out more than someone who is taller with a longer torso...makes sense. I still have only gained 6lbs total, so it's not like I am overeating (which I already knew...I can still barely eat) and I work out at least 3 times a week. I hate that I have to justify my huge belly...I am PREGNANT! It happens...I am growing a human in there! Rant over.

Aside from that, I am still having back issues and am going 3 times a week to the chiropractor to get worked on. She has decided that my EXTREMEMLY tight glutes are to blame for my low back pain and my running habit (er lack of streching after a long run habit) is to blame for the tight glutes. She comments every time how she has never seen someone so tight....great. I have been a total of 5 times in 2 weeks already and they torture me every time, BUT I think I am starting to feel better....not 100% or even 50%, but a good 10% better. I have a long way to go and I am ok with it, as long as I am not miserable.

Here I am today, Cori the Walguin.

Something to think about...

The question of the day on thebump.com is:
Do you have plans for family to come visit after the baby is born? Will they come to the hospital? To your house? What sort of "rules" will you set up for visitors?
I was amazed at how many people did not want visitors! Of course I want visitors! I want to show off this amazing creature that I have been growing in my belly for so long!
Now, as far as who will be there while I am in labor, I really thing I just want Chris there. In my head, I am imagining myself listening to my already prepared playlist on my ipod, trying to relax and have the room as quiet/peaceful as possible. This may be a fantasy, but it is my hope for it to be this way.
Rules??? Some people had rules like "If they come to my house, they have to do 1 load of laundry and cook 1 meal"....well, as nice as that would be, I would never demand that any family/friends do this in order to visit us!! RUDE. I won't have rules. Come visit, stay as long as you want, but when it's time for me to sleep, you will have to entertain yourself =).
After I wrote this post, I decided to create my birth plan (yes, I am extremely bored at work). Here is what I have come up with so far, with the help of the bump.com's birth plan checklist:

1. My delivery is planned as vaginal
2. I'd like Chris ONLY present before and/or during labor
3. During labor, I'd like music played (I will provide), the lights dimmed, the room as quiet as possible, as few interuptions as possible, hospital staff to be limited to my own doctor and nurses (no students, residents or interns), Chris to take video and/or pictures, to stay hydrated with water and ice chips.
4. I'd like to spend the first stage of labor walking around (if possible).
5. I'm not interested in an enema, shaving of my pubic area, a catheter, or an IV (unless I am dehydrated).
6. I'd like fetal monitoring to be continuous.
7. I'd like labor augmentation preformed only if baby is in distress.
8. For pain relief, I'd like to use breathing techniques and message before getting a standard epidural (only when pain is too much to handle).
9. For delivery, I would like to use foot petals for support.
10. As the baby is being delivered, I would like to push without time limits (as long as baby and I are not at risk), avoid forceps usage, avoid vaccum extraction, and help catch the baby.
11. I do not want an episiotomy.
12. Immediately after delivery, I would like Chris to cut the umbilical cord and to either bank the cord blood or donate it (we still haven't made a decision about this). I would like to deliver the placenta spontaneously and without assistance.
13. If a C-section is necessary, I would like to make sure ALL other options have been exhausted, to stay concious, for Chris to be with me at all times, and for Chris to be able to hold the baby as soon as possible.
14. I would like to hold the baby immediately after delivery.
15. I would like to breastfeed as soon as possible after delivery.
16. I would like family and friends to have unlimited visiting after delivery (and after I am cleaned up).
17. I'd like the baby's medical exam and procedures given in my presence.
18. Please don't give baby sugar water or formula.
19. I'd like to feed the baby only with breastmilk and with the help of a lactation specialist.
20. I'd like baby's first bath given by me.
21. I'd like baby to stay in my room all of the time.
22. I'd like Chris to have unlimited visiting and to sleep in my room.
23. If we have a boy, circumcision should be performed.
24. As needed post-delivery, please give me extra-stregth acetaminophen.
25. After birth, I would like to stay in the hospital as briefly as possible.
26. If baby is not well, I would like Chris and I to accompany her to the NICU or other facility, to breastfeed or provide pumped breastmilk and to hold her whenever possible.

For my sister =)

Caity wanted a bare-belly pic, so here it is....WARNING, it's not pretty =(


Remeber this pic from week 13?? The belly has certainly grown! But at the least the shorts still fit!










My rug and curtains arrived yesterday, so this morning I put everything together to make sure it all matched and Lola decided that the rug was for her. Sweet baby!!

Viability Day!

I am 24 weeks pregnant today! This is the day considered "viability day" meaning that if baby S was born today, chances are that she would survive! Whoa! If you watch 20 kids and counting, this is the week that Michelle Duggar had baby Josie! Let's just pray that S stays in for a few more months though =).

Last week I made an official decision to use cloth diapers. Yes, CLOTH diapers...haha...that is what I always have to say after I tell people that. Cloth diapers have come a LONG way over the years and the ones I picked aren't much different than a disposable diaper, other than the fact that I will have a little more laundry to do. Here are my reasons for going the cloth route:

• Less diaper rashes
• Cheaper than disposables (I will need about 10-12 cloth diapers as opposed to 7,000 disposable diapers over a 2 year period)
• Eco-friendly
• Babies who use cloth diapers tend to potty train earlier becuase they don't absorb as much as disposables
• Disposables are made out of all kinds or harsh chemicals that, honestly, I don't want rubbing on my baby's crotch for 2 years. Cloth diapers are made from organic cotton.

Unfortunatly, Babies R Us doesn't carry they brand that I have chosen, but Amazon does! So, I added them to my Amazon registry!!
Here is a little survey I've seen on other pregnancy blogs...just for fun =)
How far along? 24 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 6lbs
Maternity clothes? Abosultely! I've been wearing them since week 12 =/
Stretch marks? None yet, keep your fingers crossed!
Sleep: It's been better the past couple of days since I've been getting my back worked on.
Best moment this week: Chris getting to feel her kick!
Movement: She is a wild child, and is now migrating up past my belly button!
Gender: Girl!!
Labor Signs: Um, let's not have any of these for a while!
Belly Button in or out? It's almost flat, will for sure pop out soon!
What I miss: Wine & oysters....mmmmm
What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery put together!!

Here I am today!

Spending Spree!

The spending has begun! Having a girl is going to break me, but I don't care, there is just too much CUTE stuff out there! Yesterday, I ordered the rug and curtains for S's room and I am so excited! hehe. Here's what I ordered.



Sue said that she CAN make me a valance out of the sheets from her bedding and that made me very excited =). I have also picked out the baby book that I am going to order today.

Surprisingly, Chris is pretty excited about all of these purchases and has yet to ask how much I am spending...I think he is scared...haha. Next on my list of things to buy is a lamp and side table for the glider!

Our wood has arrived and is taking residence in our dining room until Chris finds a time to install it. It might be a few weeks though =/. I really can't wait to see the room all put together!! EEEEK!

22 Weeks!

According to my weekly Bump email, Baby S is the size of a papaya this week! That seems so big! I guess that is why my belly looks so freakin huge....and I still have a long way to go...yikes!

My dr. appointment this week went well. I gained 1lb this month (6lbs total) and they measured my belly for the first time (with a tape measure) and it measures right on track. Thank God, I thought for sure I was bigger than I should be. Baby S's heartbeat was a perfect 152 bpm and she has been a crazy woman inside my belly. She kicks me all of the time, I wonder if she ever sleeps. She is supposed to be settling into a sleep pattern this week and sleeping between 12-14 hours a day. Maybe she kicks in her sleep like her mommy =).

Chris still hasn't been able to feel her kick....she stops as soon as his hand touches my belly. I think he pushes too hard, but who really knows.

This weekend we (well, mainly Chris) painted her room! I haven't taken a pic yet, but I will soon. It looks so cute already. The floors are supposed to be in this week and then Chris will start installing them ASAP! Both my glider and my crib arrived on Friday, so all of her furniture is here! Yay!

My obsession of the week has been trying to find the best breast pump and everything that I need to go with it. I did tons of research and picked the one that I want. Those things are expensive!! I added it to my Amazon registry, but I am positive no one will buy a breast pump. I am fully expecting to get nothing but PINK PINK and more PINK clothes, bows, shoes, hats, etc. hehe. I shouldn't need the breast pump for a while anyway, so I am not too worried about it. At least I know which one to get when the time comes. I have also been thinking that we might need a seperate freezer in the garage for milk. =/ We have one of those double door fridges with the freezer drawer now and there isn't much room in the freezer. I guess we will wait and see how much room we really need.

Here is my 22 week picture: (I forgot to take it at home, so this was taken in the bathroom at work...hehe)