Welcome into the world Ethan!

Our son, Ethan, has arrived!!! He is absolutely perfect.  Anyone that has had a newborn knows that these few first weeks can be exhausting.  So I will try to update this blog as much as possible.  Chances are I will not be writing as much until I get into a routine with the little guy.  So here is an update on everything that has happened.

Labor and Delivery:

I started to have contractions Tuesday night.  We had gone out to Chiptole and about 30 minutes later I started having these extremely painful pains.  I honestly wasn’t sure if it was the real thing yet though.  So I called the doctor and she said give it 30 minutes and if they don’t go away to head on in.  Well I lasted about 15 minutes before I was like we need to go.  So Rick got our bags and we went to hail a cab.  Our cabbie’s name was Charles.  He was so excited that he was bringing us to the hospital.  He got us there quickly and we jammed to some 60′s rock on the way there.  When we got to the hospital my contractions were only 3-5 minutes apart and had gotten to the point that I couldn’t take it anymore and wondered how anyone did this without pain medications.  Once I was admitted and got my epidural I felt SOOOOO much better.  The rest of the labor went without a stitch and at 2:25am on Wednesday Ethan was born.  The love for him was instant.  It was a little overwhelming.

It is truly amazing how much love you can have for someone who has only be in your life a matter of hours.  Completely sleep deprived and I was still so incredibly happy.  I knew that I would love him like crazy but it is hard to describe how it takes over your heart.  What did surprise me though was that my love for Rick grew probably ten times as well.  I don’t really know how to describe it but there is this much deeper love that I feel for him.  My heart feels like it is growing out of my chest with all this love.    Here are a couple of my favorite pictures taken by Bella Baby in the hospital.

Ok…Let’s do this

Nursery done….Check

Bag packed…Check

Bikini wax….Check

Mani/Pedi….Check

Haircut….Check

Teeth cleaned….Check

Ok buddy I am completely ready for you.  So feel free to come ANYTIME now. 

 

It is coming to an end

We only have three weeks left till the due date of our little boy!!!  On top of that, I amazingly feel pretty great.  My hip pain is gone after working with the physical therapist and I am not really that uncomfortable.  I thought I would be a lot more uncomfortable this late in the pregnancy.  Now I am just anxious and excited for the big day to get here!  We have everything set and ready for the little guy.  So now it is just waiting.  It is going to make the next few weeks seem like they are dragging I think.  Just have to relax, sleep, enjoy that it is the last time it will be just the two of us.

A little bump progression:

 

March Update

It has been a quick month, and we have barely over a month left till this little guy makes his entrance into the world!  I continue to feel pretty good for the most part.  With this growing baby and belly normal activity is becoming more difficult.  I can still tie my shoes get things off the floor but it just a little more difficult.  I notice it the most at work.  First I think I am not as quick and efficient as I normally am and after a busy 12 hour shift I am physically exhausted.  The people at work have been wonderful and most of the time don’t let me lift or turn the patients.  My doctor never told me not to but just be careful for my back.  My patient’s sometimes even scold me for turning, boosting or are worried about me getting them out of bed because they are going to hurt me.  I am not going to lie it is nice people are considerate and caring about me.  Until recently though I have really felt fine and was not limited a ton in my day-to-day activity.  The last week or so though my right hip is really bothering me when I am on my feet all day.  It feels like sciatic nerve pain and it can get so bad it is hard to walk.  So I went see a physical therapist and she gave me some exercises and told me to watch my posture.  So needless to say I am definitely taking it easy at work now when people offer to do things for me.  I just feel bad but I don’t have that much longer and it will be better for me to come back from maternity leave without back problems. 

Other then the hip pain and occasional nausea if I eat a big meal I feel pretty good.  I just can’t wait to meet him and I really don’t have to wait much longer!!   We are kind of hoping he comes a week or two early if he is ready because Rick’s dad is having surgery in Boston on May 10th and needs to be out there on May 2nd and may not be able to see him for weeks if he comes late.  I am sure it will work out.  The two most important things are that Rick’s dad goes thru surgery with flying colors and that Ethan is born healthy, everything else is just details.

A few things I cannot wait for

Now that the pregnancy is coming to an end, I am starting to become anxious and ready to meet this little guy, obviously, but there are some other things that I cannot wait for.

#1: Enjoying a glass of wine:  I haven’t missed staying out late and drinking way too much, at all, and think those days for me are a thing of the past.  I really haven’t even missed my glass of wine with dinner.  That was until Rick and I went to Angelina’s last Friday night.  It is this really good Italian restaurant and with all the wine around me, I just wanted a nice glass of red to go with my dinner.  I know some doctor’s say it is ok to have a glass but I figure why risk it for one and being that I am obviously pregnant I didn’t want to deal with anyone giving me looks or saying anything if I did.  Sigh, only a couple more months. 

#2: Going for a run:  The weather right now is perfect for running and bottom line is I miss it.

#3: Tanning/laying out: I know, I know, but save your breath and time about the cancer beds.  I know it probably isn’t the best thing for me, but I don’t go that often and nothing you can say will stop me from laying out/tanning.   Anyways, I am so pasty right now I feel like I look sick or something.  It is not like I will be going to the tanning bed 3 times a week or anything just enough to get a little color that looks natural. 

#4:  Wear my normal clothes: Maternity dresses with leggings are super comfortable but until recently it has been too cold to wear them.  So I have been wearing maternity jeans and sweaters/blouses.  They are not horribly uncomfortable but the stretchy part of the jeans makes my belly itch, so I really can’t stand wearing them for an entire day.  So I end up just wanting to wear workout pants or my pj’s and I feel like such a scrub.  I know it will probably take all summer, but it will be so nice to get back to my pre-baby size and wear all those clothes that are sitting in boxes on a shelf in my closet. 

As much as I am looking forward to these things nothing even compares to how excited I am to bring home this little guy and start this exciting new chapter of our lives!

I have learned

Coming up on the last couple months I have learned something and that is next time is to exercise.  I cannot believe how out of shape I am.  I know people told me  I had an excuse but I really don’t think pregnancy is.  Unless of course your doctor tells you not to.  My doctor however, did not, he said because I was a runner previously that it was ok, just to make sure to stay hydrated and stop when tired.  I am sure at this point I would probably stop running anyway because I just think it would feel weird with my belly and everything.  I just have a feeling I would have more energy and would be more comfortable had I kept up with some form of regular cardio and doing yoga a few times a week.

As for now, and will be easier now that it is warming up, I will just try to walk everyday and do some of the lighter yoga.

I have been blessed with a relatively easy pregnancy and I think that now that I am starting to become more uncomfortable is why I am looking back and reflecting on what I could have done to make these last couple months “easier.”  I am definitely starting to get uncomfortable and I still have 2 months left.  Hopefully these 2 months go quickly so I can meet this little guy and start feeling “normal” again.  I know my life will never be the same again but at least once he is here we can start our family and get to our new normal.

February Update

Hi all!  I haven’t disappeared, it has just been a busy couple weeks.  So here is an update on how February has gone.

I will start first with just asking for thoughts and prayers for my father-in-law who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma.  He had worked with asbestos.  unfortunately there are not a lot of medical facilities that treat this, he will be going to Boston in a week to get some test done and decide on a course of treatment.  He has been told by the doctors at home that the good thing is he is otherwise healthy, never smoked and he is young.  Please keep him, our family, the doctors, nurses and rest of the medical team working with him in your prayers.

Pregnancy:

The pregnancy continues to go well.  I have noticed I am starting to get tired more easily so I am trying not to over do it.  The ladies I work with have been great and making sure I am not working too hard.

We had 2 baby showers the past two weeks, one with each family.  They were both so nice and we are so blessed with all the family and friends who care so much for us and our unborn son.  We got almost everything we need between the two showers.  The nursery is almost completely put together but I will wait for the final touches before I post any pictures.  As I look around my apartment and notice the infant swing, stroller and all the other baby things it is definitely starting to get real.  We only have 10 weeks left! He is going to be here before we know it and I can’t wait.

Resolutions:  Month 2

I continue to do well with organizing and decluttering my life.  I have to admit it has been a slow process but it is coming along.  I still have a couple of boxes that need to be unpacked and find their place.  Having the baby showers slowed this down because I had to get all his stuff organized.  I plan on having the apartment unpacked and organized by the time Ethan comes because I know after he is here I will have less time to get things done.

I have done pretty well with the flossing.  I will be honest and admit I have missed a couple of nights when I went back to Michigan for the showers but other than that, it is just part of my routine. 

Let’s just admit it, the whole sweets thing is done…especially now that there are girl scout cookies.  Oh well, three out of four is good to me. 

Cooking:  Week 8

Being gone in Michigan for 4 days this week along with working 3 12-hour shifts I didn’t cook anything new.  Unless of course you count the frozen lasagna I popped into the oven.  I will just have to make up for it this week.

 

Cooking: Week 7

So it has been a busy couple weeks so Rick and I have just make quick and easy dinners, our staples, tacos, hamburgers pasta…if not eating out.  So this week I will have to get back on the trying new meals.  Last week I had made a chicken fried rice with broccoli, but I had cheated.  It was a bag of frozen chicken fried rice, so all I had to do was throw some oil in the wok and heat it up and steam some broccoli.  Super easy and quick.  It gave me an idea this week to make more of a “homemade” stir fry and maybe even add some roti bread.  (this is the same bread that they serve with your stir fry at FlatTop Grill….DELICIOUS)

Rick said the dinner turned out pretty good but it definitely needs some work.  That is why I am doing this cooking challenge though, try new things and figure out what works and what doesn’t.  Hopefully by the time Ethan is old enough to remember my cooking he will enjoy the nights I cook us dinner and not just his father. 

Menu:

Chicken Stir Fry with Roti bread and for dessert  warm chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream

Roti Bread:

I used this recipe I found online.  Next time I will try a different recipe or use white flour because it wasn’t doughy enough like the bread at FlatTop.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 Cups of whole wheat flour

1TB. oil or ghee

1 tsp. salt (optional)

water to knead the dough

More flour for rolling out the dough so it doesn’t stick

Method:

Add the oil and salt to the flour in a mixing bowl (The recipe says to add to a kitchen aid mixer, but I don’t own a mixer, I wonder if I having one would make a difference in how it turns out.) Start adding water till the flour is absorbed and knead till feels like pizza dough.  Let it rest in a covered bowl for 3o minutes.

Take a small amount of dough and roll it into a smooth ball between your palms.  Place the dough on a flat surface dusted with flour and roll out into a thin circle.  I heated up a small frying pan and added about a teaspoon of olive oil.  Then cook the bread for about 30 seconds on each side.

Stir Fry:

Ingredients:

1lb of boneless skinless chicken breast

1 stalk of broccoli

1/2 cup of carrots

half of green pepper

1cup of pineapple chunks

sweet and sour sauce

Minute Brown Rice

Method:

1. cut the chicken into about 1/2 inch cubes.  Add just a little olive oil to wok and cook chicken.  I cooked it long enough that it was white because it would be cooking a little bit again with the vegetables.
2. I just bought Minute Brown Rice and followed the recipe and set that aside covered.  It will be heated up again with the vegetables and chicken
3. Now here is where it got dicey for me.  I had added all the vegetables to the wok with a little bit of water at the same time to steam them a little.  The thing is the vegetables take a different amount of time to cook.  And I had to add the chicken, rice and sweet and sour sauce to the vegetables and to finish cooking the chicken it was cooking longer than the vegetables needed. So the green peppers ended up too soft while the carrots were perfect.  When the chicken was pretty much done I added the pineapple and coated the stir fry with sweet and sour sauce and heat for about a minute.
4. Next time: I will cook the chicken till it is pretty much done, then add the carrots, followed by the broccoli then the green peppers and pineapple and sweet and sour sauce.

Last few days of the 2nd Trimester!

Here is a little update on how the pregnancy is going.  Enjoy!

I am nearly two-thirds done! This Sunday I will be 28 weeks and entering the 3rd Trimester!  At times it feels like I have been pregnant forever and I just want to be done and other times I can’t believe I have less than 3 months left.  It is hard to explain how time can move fast and slow at the same time.  I have been so blessed with an “easy” pregnancy thus far.  No morning sickness to speak of, hardly any heartburn and I feel pretty good.  I will admit it is getting harder to do certain things, like bending over and I am getting short of breath a little bit walking up the stairs to my apartment.

The shortness of breath is a little bit the pregnancy but I think most of it is that I am just really out of shape.   Before I found out I was pregnant I was training for the Chicago Marathon and was up to 13 miles.  I had run it pretty easily.  I was looking forward to getting a PR, then, and this is just me making excuses I guess, but I had to put my cat down and for about 3 weeks didn’t feel like running. (wish I would have now, I am sure it would have helped)   Then I found out the wonderful news that I was pregnant and even though the doctor told me since I was a runner, I could continue, but I didn’t because I was scared.  I didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the little life starting to grow in me.  Not to mention I was sooo tired.  I could sleep 12 hours a day, I hadn’t done that since I left 3rd shift.  ANYways, excuses aside, 3 weeks turned into 3 months etc.  Needless to say I have lost it all now.     I still walk but at this point I don’t think I could even run a half mile.  So come May I will be starting over.  :/

I think getting my cardio back and ability to run 13 miles will be my number 1 personal/fitness goal.  It is not even about the number on the scale or the way I look, it is all about how I feel and what my body is capable of doing.  I love being able to take the stairs 2 at time and not get winded or to be able to run 5 miles easily.  Not to mention I have more energy and like Elle Woods says   ”Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.”  Who doesn’t want to be happy?

Today I had my glucose screen.  I was dreading the fasting aspect of it.  Which actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be and after having that drink I didn’t want to eat anything anyway because I was so nauseous.  The first 40 minutes I was distracted by meeting with the doctor, but after that I was trying to read but I couldn’t concentrate.  So after the first blood draw the nurse said I could lay down in an empty room.  So I did, and was able to sleep through the nausea.  I am so thankful she was understanding.  Hopefully the results come back normal.    Everything else at the doctor’s went well though, his heart rate was about 140, I’m measuring on time and weight gain is right on track.

Till next month. 

Maybe not a good idea

So, I think there are probably certain things you should avoid watching while your pregnant. The obvious ones horror pregnancy stories on TLC stuff like that. Who needs watch another woman’s 24 hour labor, or emergency csection. Not this girl, I know stuff like that happens but I don’t need anything stressing this first time mommy out!

Well there is a movie that can be added to this list. It is The Other Woman with Natalie Portman. We got it on Netflix and decided to unwind with a movie tonight. I was thinking, by the title it was going to be some movie about an affair like unfaithful or Chloe…something along those lines. While it is in there, it wasn’t anything like I thought it would be. It was a good movie actually just not the best for me in my current state. I don’t want to ruin the movie for anyone that wants to see it so I will say very little. Let me tell you though watching a movie where the newborn dies in less than a week is enough to make this future mommy sad, stressed, tearful…you name it.

It just got me thinking, I don’t want him to grow up too fast but to get through that scary SIDS stage…but then I thought, and this is common knowledge to moms out there, I will NEVER stop worrying about him and what could happen, even when he has his own family. How do moms do it? Living with that worry, I guess you just don’t think about it and live in the present?