26w6d

My Braxton Hicks contractions have officially begun.

It’s my first time pregnant but I immediately knew I was having a contraction. There is no denying the feeling. It starts off as mild cramping in my lower back and abdomen, then my belly gets as hard as a rock. I’ve never had rock-hard abs before so this in and of itself is a foreign sensation lol

I first noticed the contractions the other night after sex (hi mom) and thought it was just a result of the sex itself. But then last night I got it again and was able to confirm that what I felt the other night was definitely a contraction. Apparently sex can bring on Braxton Hicks. So can a really active baby, and she is so active all the time. Other triggers are if someone touches your belly, a full bladder and dehydration.

Anywhoo, they are more uncomfortable than painful and I only got one big one last night and it eased away after less than a minute. The rule of thumb is go to the hospital if you are having more than 4 Braxton Hicks in an hour.

Food wise I am now excessively paranoid over everything I put in my mouth. This morning I ate my Heritage Flakes, skim milk and a banana. Snack is a low moisture cheese stick. Lunch will be a turkey sandwich. I am on a mission to eat healthy. I haven’t been eating badly, but I have indulged in the occasional cookie and ice cream cone that before I got pregnant I wouldn’t have dreamed of eating. That’s it for that. Funny thing is that I am craving sugar. All I want is sweets and I have never in my life been a sweets person. But I am stronger than the cravings!

26w5d

I am super bummed but for some reason I knew this would happen.

My glucose screen came back slightly high (146 – it should have been 140 or lower). Now I have to go for the 3 hour screen. I made an appointment for it for next Friday. My dad said he’d join me so at least I will be in good company. I made my appointment for 8:30AM and I have to be fasting. They draw my blood as soon as I get there, then they give me the nasty junk to drink and I have to have my blood drawn again once every 3 hours thereafter.

Here is what the 3 hour screen results should look like:

Interval - Abnormal reading
Fasting - 95 mg/dl or higher
One hour - 180 mg/dl or higher
Two hours - 155 mg/dl or higher
Three hours - 140 mg/dl or higher

Of course I am paranoid now and so I immediately went and bought a One Touch monitor and so far my readings have been perfect. I took my first reading about 3 hours after breakfast and got 80. I took my second reading about 1 hour after lunch and got 100. I had just eaten a banana and everything. These numbers are great. I don’t get it. Oh well.

The doctor did tell me that the one hour test provides a lot of false positives, especially when I am so close to the cutoff.

Fingers crossed that the results of my 3 hour screen are normal.

26w4d

Time continues to fly by.

Nugget is so active. I’m talking non-stop kicking and punching. The minute I lay down she starts big time and I love it. It’s funny because sometimes it gets so intense that my stomach actually turns and I feel as though I’m on a roller coaster – I actually begin to feel nauseous. It’s hard to explain…it’s not a discomfort per se, just an odd sensation.

I am mailing out baby shower invitations tomorrow. I have been getting calls from people asking me when the shower is due to possible conflicts; I figure why wait any longer?

We picked out the colors for the nursery last Friday. We are going to be cleaning out our bedroom and re-painting it this weekend as well. So much to do still. I am going bonkers.

Just about 13 weeks left until D(elivery)-day and I just cannot believe it. THIRTEEN WEEKS!

We are meeting with a highly recommended pediatrician on April 15. I am also really looking forward to our 3D/4D ultrasound on April 26. Then May is a busy month with all of our Childbirth Preparedness classes and my BABY SHOWER on May 17! My nephew is due in early June and on June 14 our friends from Spain are coming to visit. July will be here in the blink of an eye.

In the meantime, I need to plan that mini-vacation I want to take soon and buy a maternity swimsuit.

26w1d

Norman is officially able to feel Nugget move any time I can, yaaayyyy! Her flutters are now definite kicks all the time. So exciting!

We also got our wooden letters for the nursery yesterday. They are white with a pink ribbon w/brown trim:



Her name is Sienna Sofia

26w0d

Norman and I put together our new Graco SweetPeace swing last night, a gift from my brother and SIL. We love it! It is so adorable. The swing is definitely a pimped out swing. It has a vibrating feature and you can even hook up your ipod to it and play your own music. I'm sure Norman will have Nugget hooked on David Bowie before she can mumble her first words :)

We continued our work around the house yesterday. Norman has been working like a beast these days to try and get everything set for our extended stay with the baby at my parent’s house. I already officially cannot sit on the floor because I get bad lower back pain if I do. I also am getting some minor swelling in my legs again, especially my left one. Yesterday it became painful and I had to go lay down on my left side until the pain subsided.

I start my 3rd trimester in 2 weeks!

25w6d

I just got back from my glucose screen. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be but it wasn’t delightful either. The liquid they gave me to drink resembled a watered down orange syrup that tasted like overly sweet medicine. Yucky. The worst part wasn’t drinking the stuff; it was having to wait an hour for them to take my blood. I wasn’t prepared with a book or magazine or anything so I was bored out of my mind. I think I get the results tomorrow, I’m not sure.

I unpacked Nugget’s changing table last night and I LOVE IT!!! It is beautiful! So mod and chic. My baby girl is already a diva.

Here’s a picture of it:



It’s a side view but you get the idea. We also have the matching crib.

The Salvation Army is picking up all the old furniture in the soon-to-be-nursery tomorrow. We already called the contractor and he should be coming by sometime before the end of next week to start tearing down the panels and installing the dry wall. Norman and I need to go to Sherwin Williams to pick out the paint. It’s going to be another very long weekend filled with tons of work and exhaustion.

I am planning short beach vacation in May. By then we should have the laundry list of things that need to be done completed. I need a vacation.

25w5d

Karla, I could kill you for your April fool’s prank. You almost gave me a heart attack! But I still love you :)

Today is April 1, 2008. I can’t even believe it. I feel like I just turned 26 a few days ago. My birthday is July 5 and I’ll be 27 this year. Will I be 26 or 27 when I give birth? Maybe I’ll give birth on my birthday, who knows?

Life is still stressful but I am doing well. We rented a pickup truck last night and picked up Nugget’s crib, mattress and changing table. Thankfully my dad has been able to help Norman with all the heavy lifting he’s been doing these days. I feel completely useless. I get tired very quickly and am trying not to exert myself too much. We’re keeping the furniture in their boxes until the nursery is completed. I’ll be sure to take some before pictures of the room we are renovating. It’s going to be quite the transformation.

I just finished buying a bunch of things for Nugget and me from babiesrus.com. I purchased anything on my registry that was under $10, along with a bunch of other miscellaneous items I’m sure I won’t be receiving at my Baby Shower…most folks don’t buy breast pads, nipple salve or breast milk storage bags as baby shower gifts lol

I’ll be sure to update after my glucose screen tomorrow.