Lab results are in... good and bad

I just received a letter from my doctor regarding my bloodwork.... Good News! I passed my 1 hour glucose test, my score was 108 (normal range is 100-125). I was the most worried about this test because the lady at the lab seemed to think I would be back for the 3 hour test since I did not fast. Bad News :( I am anemic. Not sure what all that means long term but I have to start an iron supplement pill... 50-65mg of elemental iron two times a day. I see my doctor next week so I should find out more then.

29 Weeks: Butternut Squash

Addison continues to go great! She is getting bigger and moves all the time. She had the hiccups the other night for about 15 minutes, it was cute. I think she was getting frustrated with them because she got very squirmy. I am feeling great and am enjoying being pregnant. It is hard to believe we only have 11 weeks to go!

I know I post this every week, but this weekend we are seriously going to try to setup her crib and rocking chair. The dresser still has not come in, but should be shipped in early May. This weekend I also need to go shopping for a Mother's Day dress. I think I will hit up some of the boutiques because I am kind of over Motherhood Maternity.

From the Baby Center:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Cozumel

Brian and I got home from Cozumel on Saturday... we had the most amazing vacation.

Here are some of the highlights.

• The weather was great! Some days were a bit cloudy, but that was ok.
• We went snorkeling 5 times... 3 times from our resort and two boating trips. We saw numerous sting rays, nurse shark, manta ray, turtles and numerous colorful fish. It was totally amazing!
• We went on a 45 minute walk on the beach every morning and collected a lot of awesome coral. My favorite is a piece that Brian found that is shaped like a cross.
• We saw a full circle rainbow around the sun. I tried to get a picture of it, but could not fit it in one frame.
• We spent countless hours laying out by the beach. We each read three books and took at least 2 naps a day.
• The sunsets were beautiful!
• Brian and I had such a wonderful time together, full of wonderful memories!

Lowlights:

• Vacation went by way too fast, should have stayed 2 weeks.
• Our camera broke, so I was not able to take a gazillion photographs like I normally do. We purchased a disposable underwater camera and used my blackberry on our final days.

Check out some of our photos by clicking the link below.

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=510306007/a=34652780_34652780/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Oh by the way....

You hear the stories about the sex being determined wrong during the sonograms. I am registered on babycenter.com and was amazed at how many "girls" turn out to be boys (I guess the boy parts are mistaken for the umbilical cord). During our sonogram yesterday we had the technician double check and she confirmed our baby is all GIRL! Whew...

28 Week Dr.'s Appointment

My 28 Week Baby Bump

Addison's Profile

Her sweet face (she is smiling)

Yesterday we had our 28 week doctor's appointment. Addison weighs about 2 pounds 11 ounces, fluid levels looks great and the doctor says she is fabulous! Other good news is that my fibroid has shrunk a little bit and the doctor is not worried about it at all. All this news means that our baby girl is healthy and will not require any additional sonograms until she is born (unless something else comes up). So take a good look at her sweet pictures because the next pictures I post will hopefully be when she arrives! So anyways all is well with Addison, she is kicking and moving! The neat thing about our sonogram was we were able to see where she was in my belly. At that time her head was down by my pelvis and she was facing my right side. I took my 1 hour gestational diabetes test yesterday, the orange stuff was not awful... it just was not pleasant. The mean girl at the desk told me she would see next week for my 3 hour test since I ate eggs and bacon in the morning. My doctor told me not to fast and to just stay away from carbs and sweets until after the test is done. I will go with his advice. They also did another round of blood screening. So my prayer request is that I will pass my 1 hour test and that all my bloodwork will come back normal.

28 Weeks: Chinese Cabbage

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

27 Weeks - 3 Months to go!

Oh goodness I am way behind on blogging... I know 27 weeks was almost 2 weeks ago, but I thought I would post her progress anyways...

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

26 Weeks: English Hothouse Cucumber

Only two more weeks and we will be in the 3rd trimester, 98 days left in the pregnancy! Things are going well, right now we are just getting ready for our babymoon to Cozumel. We leave on the 18th and return on the 25th. There has been some expressed concern about us going to Mexico with all the drug cartel violence... Brian and I researched the issue thoroughly and deem Mexico safe for travel. Don't worry, we will be careful (we always are). We have the trip protection so if something does go wrong, we will just come home.

From the baby center:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

Hospital Tour

Yesterday we had our maternity hospital tour at Seton Northwest (183 & Braker). I really did not know what to expect going into the tour, I figured they would show us the delivery room, nursery, etc. and then send us on our way. WRONG

Being a first time mom I know very little about the actual birthing process. I have heard stories, suggestions, etc. from others but never really pictured me doing it or considered the entire process. Today at the tour Ed, our guide who has been a labor and delivery nurse for 30 years gave us a detailed explanation of the entire birthing process and different options available. It almost brought me to tears thinking I will be doing this in 3 months or so.

The birthing room is really nice and big with wood floors, couch, flat screen tv, dvd player and a jacuzzi bathtub. There is a smaller room that is connected to the L&D room where they will weigh and clean the baby. After 2-3 hours they will move me to the 3rd floor where I will stay for the next 2-3 days. Brian and I both really like the hospital and agree with their policies and theories, etc. on the birthing process. We have a lot of freedom to birth this baby how we want, which is a blessing. And for all those who are wondering... yes, I will be getting an epidural. :)

I was happy that there were no screaming women in L&D unit during our tour, I might have had a panic attack. Right now I am just feeling a bit in shock and maybe a little overwhelmed about the birthing process. We are taking a 12 hour birthing class June 13-14th, so hopefully I will be more comfortable after I learn a bit more.

Overall the experience was good, it just gave me a HUGE reality check on what is going to happen. There is no going back now and I would not take it back if I could. This child is a huge blessing and will do what I have to do so she gets here safe and sound.

You can tour the maternity section of our hospital at http://www.seton.net/medical_services_and_programs/womens_and_infant_services/having_your_baby_at_seton/snw_maternity_virtual_tour

Brian's Diaper Bag

Brian has been feeling very left out lately. I am sure this is something a lot of men experience, but it has made me sad. Everything has been about the baby and the baby bump. My sweet husband is after all the man behind the bump, so I am working on something special for him.

When we were in Albuquerque Brian's mom brought HIM a present for the baby! It was a UT diaper bag with BB (for Baby Betzen) embroidered on the front. Look at his sweet smile!

Brian really is going to be the most incredible father. I love him so much and know he will be such a blessing to Addison's life. Brian may not be able to experience all the physical aspects of pregnancy, but one thing is for sure, I have Daddy's little girl in my belly and I cannot wait until the moment when they can finally meet. She already has him wrapped around his finger!

If anyone has any ideas on something special I can do for Brian, please post a comment or send me an e-mail.

25 Weeks: Rutabaga?

25 Weeks! Only 108 to go! I cannot believe we are about to enter into double digit's for the days remaining in this pregnancy. I remember looking at the countdown ticker when we first found out, it said we had about 252 days remaining... that seemed like forever and it turns out that things are passing by rather quickly. I imagine the last month will be the longest month of all.

Pregnancy wise everything is still going great. The bump is definitely growing! Some days I love it and other days I have issues with it. I know pregnancy is the biggest blessing, but what it does to your body amazes me. Today I was feeling pretty good about myself and had Brian take a 25 week photo. I am working out 5-6 times a week doing a mixture of cardio, prenatal yoga and Wii Fit.

There is still a lot of work to do nursery wise. We will probably assemble the crib this weekend. We have been blessed with baby girl clothing, shoes, accessories, etc by Leanne and Anna, so I can hardly wait for the dresser to come in so I can start organizing all the cute stuff. The crib mattress, dresser hutch and glider will all be delivered next week. The dresser and recliner for the living room will be delivered later this month. The good thing is that we have time to work on everything and will help make the time fly by as things slow down for us.

I am not sure what a Rutabaga is, but that is the size of our baby.

From the Baby Center:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.