Nursery is complete :) Photos galore!

 1st name on the wall, middle name Eliz.abeth. We love the name and it is very unique.  Other than the actress having the name, it is not a popular name which we both wanted!

 Crib with the shell artwork I found on Am.azon. Had to hang it high so baby won't be able to reach once she is able to stand up in the crib!

 Recliner/rocker, super comfy! New side table for drink, i.pad, bottles, etc.

 In keeping with the beach theme, we put up this palm tree wall decal.  It was a HUGE pain in the ass to apply, glad that is over with! Not a project for an impatient full term pg lady!!!

 Cute side table lamp found at PierOne. Only $20, gotta love that!

 Lots of pink for C. Can you believe that this side of the closet is only 3 mos clothing???

 This is the other side of the closet, much less organized! Have to put all this baby stuff somewhere!!!

 A collection of stuffed animals given to C from her showers.  Don't worry, they will all exit the crib before she ever sleeps in it!  I also bought a breathable bumper that will eventually get installed. It just doesn't look pretty for pictures :)

 A close up of the quilt my mom made C.

 A close up of the crib skirt my mom made C.

Hopefully this artwork will provide a message to baby girl!  It says "calm".

I am so glad to have the nursery completely finished. One more thing to check off the list! I still think I have a million things to do in the next week, but they may or may not happen. I'm just too tired to do too much. I just have to take one task at a time! Tomorrow is my next OB appointment. Hopefully I will have more to share about the game plan after. I hope you all enjoy baby C's nursery and her name :)

37 weeks

 L and T smiling with my 37 week belly

 This is my swelling when it is good! So gross!

I think the yellow makes me very butterball-esque!

I'm actually one day away from 38 weeks, but figured I should update. I made it through last week. My legs still look like the stay-puff-marshmallow-man! I totally rocked jeans & tennis shoes last week at work. I could have cared less over my casual look!

My weekly OB appointment was Wednesday. My BP was still good and no protein in my urine. Yay! The NST was again uneventful. It didn't show any contractions at the time. I'm definitely feeling Braxton Hicks, but usually more late in the day & at night. I had hoped I would've gone into labor this weekend, but no. I definitely feel a lot more pressure on my bladder. If I have to walk any distance, it is super uncomfortable! I definitely have the "waddle" now :)

I have half day of surgery tomorrow & then I am done with the OR. It's pretty funny hearing other surgeons say (in front of my doctor) "I can't believe you are still assisting in surgery!" It makes me feel a little validated. I still have patient clinic Wednesday & half of Thursday. And then, my maternity leave officially begins! I am thankful my OB is willing to induce me a week early, it will give me an extra week with my daughter :)

This weekend my mom's friend threw a "Grandma Shower" that I had to attend. It was nice, but felt weird getting presents from these ladies I've never met. They really did not need to get me presents, but they all did. I was a little grouchy driving over to the shower. I think bottom line, as a 6 year infertile, baby showers are always going to make me feel uncomfortable! My mom enjoyed herself & was happy for me to meet all of her bridge & church group girlfriends. Now I have another stack of thank you cards to write! I better get on that!

J is definitely in house nesting mode. We have been to home.depot 3x this weekend!
He has been great dealing with my cranky ass lately! I'm getting very little sleep at this point. I also have carpal tunnel kicking in from the swelling. I'm dreading having to work at all this week, because I'm getting little sleep. I guess it's just getting me ready for when I go back to work after my maternity leave!

We did the last of the nursery this weekend. I will post those pictures this week with the name reveal :) I like how the nursery came out & hope it will be a soothing environment for baby C!

My next OB appointment is Wednesday. I'm assuming he will do an internal check on that visit. I have to be at least 1cm dilated with everything I am feeling down there, right? My bag is as packed as it's going to be, until go time. This is all feeling surreal & pretend. I am going to meet my baby in less than 8 days! I can't believe it!


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Maternity Photos

 I just love seeing baby shoes in J's hands :)

 The belly in all it's glory

 Me and a doll that we think resembles "Shrekalina"

 One of my faves of J and I

 I like the shadow in the window

 Another one of my favorites, even if my belly isn't that prominent :)

 Wardrobe change :)

 Love our hands together

 Took off my shirt to really see my belly

These trees are all in bloom right now, thought the yellow background was pretty.

I hope you all enjoy the photos. These were taken when I was 33 weeks.  I am pleased with how they turned out.  I know I am going to be so happy that we captured these moments on film.  Looking at the pictures already has me feeling a little emotional (in a good way).  I am so happy to be finally becoming a 

mother.  I also love how happy my DH looks. He has been an amazing supporter over these last 6 years.

There is no way I could have persevered through infertility without him.

Ok, enough of the emotional babble! I just hope that my story gives someone still in the trenches hope.  It took a long time to get here, but we are so happy and thankful.  I can't wait to show you pictures of baby girl from the outside! Less than 3 weeks to go! I'm almost done with everything we need to get. I'm trying to just sit back and relax before baby "C" comes our way. I have one more thing coming to put up in the nursery, and then I will post pics of the final product.  J put up the letters spelling her name this week, so you will get the name reveal then! I hope everyone has a good rest of the weekend!

36 weeks

Yesterday started my 36th week of this pregnancy. One more week until full term! It is hard to believe I have made it this far. I am thankful baby girl is continuing to do well in utero. I had a NST last Thursday & today and she continues to look good.

Me, on the other hand, I've felt better! My swelling continues to worsen on a daily basis. This week was another killer week at work, leaving very little time to get my feet up. I'll spare you the details, but my doctor continues with his tantrums regarding me going out on leave soon. It's been hard to deal with, but at this point, I'm just too tired to care!

I was anxious after last OB appointment because there was trace protein in my urine. Thankfully today there was no protein. My BP continues to be low & that is a good thing. My OB isn't worried at all about all of my crazy swelling, he said it's normal, particularly in an "older" 1st time pregnant woman. Gee, thanks! He still thinks I am at high risk of pre eclampsia & will continue to see me weekly. He didn't feel that I should stop working, but did suggest reducing my hours. Blah!

Next week, I am reducing my time in the OR, hopefully that will help somewhat. To be honest, clinic is just as miserable at this point. I officially cannot fit into any of my shoes & had to wear sandals with Velcro the last couple of days! I can't sit for long because of the baby crammed under my ribs feels like a knife. I'm sorry to complain so much, but I am soooo ready to not work full time!

I asked my OB again about induction at 39 weeks & he is all for it. If he does that, then that would put me less than 3 weeks away from meeting my baby :) J and I are so ready to meet her! J hung the letters spelling her name yesterday in the nursery. It looks great & makes it more real seeing her name on the wall! I promise I'll post a picture of that when the nursery is done, which it is very close to being done.

On Tuesday, I got the CD of the maternity photo shoot we did a couple of weeks ago. I'm very happy with how they turned out! I will post some of my favorite pictures in a separate post. It requires using my desktop & my feet down, so I'll do that sometime this weekend! Looking at the pictures just makes me love my husband more. He looks so sweet in the pictures & I am so appreciative that he was willing to try DEIVF. He will love this child even though it's not my DNA. In my book, that makes him a pretty incredible guy. Never mind all the stuff he has had to do for me & around the house lately. I am very blessed.

I see the OB again next Wednesday. Thankfully, I don't have a ton to do this weekend, so I plan to keep my legs up as much as possible! I have to finish packing my hospital bag. I also have a few childbirth & sleep training DVD's to watch. Time to study for the final exam :)


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35 weeks

Today marks 35 weeks! I'm only 2 weeks away from full term. It still doesn't seem real! I have some stuff to catch you up on :) A week and a half ago, J and I did a maternity photo shoot. We did it outside at this cute "old West" section of town. I'm hoping we got some good shots. We were there for 1.5 hours, I was burned out n smiling by then! I'm anxiously waiting for the proofs to come my way!

I had my first non stress test last Tuesday. It was uneventful. Basically you are just hooked up to the monitor & the strip measures baby's heart rate & your contractions. I saw the OB first, so I didn't get to ask him any questions about it. All I got was a "everything is ok" from the medical assistant. Tomorrow I go in at 8am to have another NST. I'm curious to hear about the contraction situation. I am definitely feeling them throughout the day.

I washed some baby things this past weekend, but am scared to wash too much. It feels like I'm jinxing things by doing so. Infertility will always mess with my mind :( I still need to pack my bag. I did start putting things aside for my hospital bag & washed an outfit for baby girl to come home in. I did buy a few nursing bras & some granny panties for after baby. I also got a cheapie nightgown to wear afterwards that will be comfortable & easy to whip out my boob.ies.

Last Tuesday night, I went to a breast feeding class. I did not drag J to that! There were many husbands there though. I had to laugh, the husband sitting next to me was streaming a baseball game on his cell phone the entire time! The class was helpful. The lactation consultant that led the class was a little hippy dippy for my taste, but did give a lot of helpful information. My boo.bs seem like they are getting ready for the big day. No major leakage yet though, thank God! I have breast pads at the ready if I do!

I ordered the cutest wooden letters that spell out baby girl's name for the nursery. They came today. I can't wait to hang them! I am still organizing the nursery, but making progress. We also ordered a little table for next to the recliner that J assembled. I've got to have a table to put my drink & IPad on, right? I still need to get a breast pump. I know I could rent one from the hospital, but it's $80 a month & a $40 deposit. I think I'm just going to buy one. I also still need a diaper bag & baby monitor. I can always order these things online, but feel like I would like to have it all done before baby is here. I guess I am nesting a bit, huh?

Work is getting downright unbearable :( I had a 12 hour surgery day yesterday & 10 hr day today. My ankle swelling is out of control! Not only is the swelling bad, but it's really uncomfortable. Thankfully my sciatica is much better. I still have crazy left rib pain. Baby girl's butt is up there & pushing the rib out, not fun! My belly has grown quite a bit. I have to keep telling myself that I only have a little over a month left. I'm sorry to whine, but my body aches & work is killing me.

I think tomorrow I am going to ask my OB to pull me from surgery. I think I can tough clinic days out through the end of the month. At 38 weeks though, I am done! I would like a week or two before delivery to relax & get ready for baby. We will see what actually happens though! My surgeon is going to FREAK out if I stop surgery now. Send me strength ladies, his tantrums are so hard & I hate dealing with all of the guilt trips! Bah, why do I have to be a people pleaser?!?

I think that is about it. I take a bath every night now with Epsom salts to try to make my swelling better. I pee like 5 times a night. I feel a lot more pelvic pressure & bladder pressure over the last week. I'm sure it's because baby is around 5 lbs now, but hoping it means my cervix is starting to shorten. I have no idea when I'll get my first cervical check. Probably not for another couple of weeks I would guess.

I'll try to update after tomorrow's appointment. It's getting close! I can't wait to meet my little girl who is hiccuping as I type :)




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Shower #2

These are pics from my local shower a week and a half ago :)

 Handmade fruit kabobs, pain in the butt, but very cute!

 Prosecco with raspberries &strawberry lemonade

 A picture mat everybody signed for baby girl

 Me and BFF

 We had catered Mexican food, it was good and easy!

 I made these favors with pink nail polish & a pink manicure set. Seemed very girly :)

Gotta love my $20 Old*Navy dress that isn't maternity! 

 My coworker thought this looked like a Shrekalina!

 Baby girl got a ton of super cute outfits & shoes

 The quilt my mom made for the nursery, love it!

 Sprin.kles cupcakes, ridiculously good!

 Looking bigger!

2 of my 3 bridesmaid's/besties...love them

This shower was a lot of fun.  A lot more work on my part, but it turned out great!  Was so happy to have my 2 besties fly in just for the occasion.  I wish I had had more time with everyone :(  It's so funny to see all of the pink, because I am not a super big pink fan.  But when it is a baby girl, it just has to be done!  Right???

I hope you all enjoy the photos.  Baby girl, now has an official name.  I will probably reveal it at some point. We revealed the name at both showers and it was well received.  I am so glad we could come to an agreement!  Both my mother and MIL liked the name, they were both relieved that her name was not going to be Shrekalina!  

I got a few things as gifts for her with her actual name on it.  It felt very final to have something personalized! Is that weird?  I guess I still live in the world that isn't quite believing a baby will be here in 6 weeks. I'm sure when labor starts, it will feel quite real! I still have things to do in the nursery, so no pictures yet of the final product.  I'm still in the process of putting away everything!  I'm starting to feel the urgency of getting things  done.  I'm 34 weeks today and if I get induced at 39 weeks, that only gives me 5 weeks to get all my nesting in order! Ack!

Shower #1

 The cake

 The diaper cake decorations

 Drinks including booze :)

 Part of the food spread

 Me and the cake

 Drinking water, lots of water

 A cute dress my mom made for baby girl

Baby girl's 1st bikini..so freakin cute!

I swear there were people at this shower..ha ha.  I am just never that comfortable putting other peoples faces on my blog.  I took a lot of photos before the guests came while all the food still looked pretty :) I don't know if it is pinterest worthy, but we tried!  I was 31.5 weeks at this shower, and now looking at the

photo, I still looked small! Not anymore my friends!

My SIL did a very nice job putting together the shower.  Her friend had just thrown one for her daughter and loaned all of the diaper cake centerpieces.  They were really cute. It was pretty stressful at the SIL's while we were all helping her get ready, but we got through it!  My ankles were crazy swollen at the end of that day!  I received a lot of nice gifts which barely fit in the back of our SUV!  My DH had to get creative!

I just finished all of the many thank you cards this week! Next post will be shower #2.