36 Week Bump Date

How far along? 36 weeks 6 Days (1/22/14)

Total weight gain: I have gained a total of 20-24 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Still rocking the maternity clothes. I'm in pre-pregnancy yoga pants still and squeezing into my pre-pregnancy t-shirts!! 

Stretch marks? Just the same ones on both my thighs; on the left side of my belly; and of course the ladies up top! 

Sleep: It has been really uncomfortable to sleep these past few days. My back hurts on my right side and its so hard for me to stay comfortable on my left side. I wake up and have trouble going right back to sleep. Right when I go back to sleep, I have to get right back up and get ready for work. 

Best moment this week: Getting to see Mr. Caleb on our last BPP at the high risk doctor. Everything was great and he weighed 5 lb. 11 oz. I was also given a baby shower at work on what might be my last day of work. I am so very thankful for all the gifts and sharing this special time with my coworkers. 

These were all the wonderful gifts we received from my co-workers

I just had to include this cutie!! He was sniffing around at everything. 

Miss Anything? Sweets for sure!! Oh yeah and how about a Sonic slush?!?

Movement: Oh Yeah Tons!!!  

Food cravings: Sweets, Sweets, and More Sweets!! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing so far this week. 

Gender: IT'S A BOY!!

Labor Signs:  Starting to feel those contractions and that "Lightning" feeling. It's starting to get very uncomfortable now. 

Symptoms: Just my back hurting still; and those nasty leg cramps. I have noticed my feet and hands have started getting a little swollen when I'm on them too long. 

 Belly Button in or out?  It's officially an outtie

 Engagement Ring on or off?  Both my Aggie Ring and Engagement Ring are still on...but I might add, my ring is starting to get a little tight. :)

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been extremely happy!! 

Looking forward to:

Going into the hospital on Friday morning for our amnio. This will test for lung maturity and if he is ready to go, I will be getting induced that day or Saturday the 25th. 

Thoughts: 

I only have 1 more week hopefully till we meet our baby boy!! I am so excited and anxious to see who he looks like. I'm just ready to introduce him to this world and love on him. Ryan and I have been through so much last year, and we look forward to the wonderful blessing 2014 has to offer. I will be keeping everyone posted about our results!! 

35 Week Bump Date

How far along? 35 weeks 6 Days (1/15/14)

Total weight gain: I have gained a total of 24 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Still rocking the maternity clothes. I'm in pre-pregnancy yoga pants still and squeezing into my pre-pregnancy t-shirts!! 

Stretch marks? Just the same ones on both my thighs; on the left side of my belly; and of course the ladies up top! 

Sleep: Sleep has been going alright. I fall asleep pretty easily, but once I wake up to use the ladies room I have trouble going back to bed. 

Best moment this week: Getting small things here and there for our baby boy. Also, going to the hospital for our BPP/NST has been great. I get to see our sweet baby boy each week and it brings such joy. 

Miss Anything? Sweets for sure!! Oh yeah and how about a Sonic slush?!?

Movement: Oh Yeah Tons!!!  

Food cravings: Sweets, Sweets, and More Sweets!! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing so far this week. 

Gender: IT'S A BOY!!

Labor Signs:  Starting to feel those contractions or should I say Braxton Hicks; I have also been having those "lighting" pains and a ton of pressure. 

Symptoms: Just my back hurting still; and those nasty leg cramps. I have noticed my feet and hands have started getting a little swollen when I'm on them too long. 

 Belly Button in or out?  It's officially an outtie

 Engagement Ring on or off?  Both my Aggie Ring and Engagement Ring are still on...but I might add, my ring is starting to get a little tight. :)

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been extremely happy!! 

Looking forward to:

Looking forward to talking with the MFM and my OB about delivering at 37 weeks. I have discussed my fears with both doctors so the plan might be an amnio before going through with a 37 week delivery. 

Thoughts: 
I am so excited that I might have 2 more weeks to go! I am excited and nervous at the same time. I can't wait to meet this little guy already. We have prayed for him each and everyday and each week I count down is a week closer to meeting him. We have been purchasing items for him and I'm finally happy that everything is coming together. 

Mommy's Tummy- Belly Casting

As many of you might know, my biggest fear of this pregnancy was reaching 34 weeks. I found out I lost Isabella at 34 weeks and 3 days so I knew that when Sunday approached it was going to be a tough time for me. I wanted to do something to remember my 34 week bump with Caleb. I figured a belly cast would be a very special way to remember him, and would would have this memory forever to cherish. 

I also wrote a special message to our sweet boy. (I will post it below)

Mommy's Tummy

I formed your sister in this belly that you currently call Mommy’s Tummy.

My body has let me down once, and I fear it will let me down again.

Those strong little kicks; that rhythmic pattern I now know are hiccups; and that crazy tummy stretching are signs that my body knows what it is doing and will not let me down this time.

These marks I gained on my body with Isabella that continue to grow; the weight gain that continues each week; and the constant aches and pains are all signs that Mommy’s Tummy is just your temporary home and that you are safe and sound.

Caleb Ryan, you are worth every mark and pound gained throughout this journey. These are all markings that will remind me of how you formed inside this body I once feared. A body that once let me down and showed me what a miracle felt like.

I formed you in your home you currently call Mommy’s Tummy, and we will forever cherish all the memories we made with you while you were growing safe and sound.

Caleb Ryan, we cannot wait to meet you!! Mommy and Daddy are counting down the days till your arrival.

     

                                                                   Love,

                                                                          Mommy

34 Week Bump Date

How far along? 34 weeks 6 Days (1/8/14)

Total weight gain: I have gained a total of 20 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Still rocking the maternity clothes. I'm in pre-pregnancy yoga pants still and squeezing into my pre-pregnancy t-shirts!! 

Stretch marks? Just the same ones on both my thighs; on the left side of my belly; and of course the ladies up top! 

Sleep: It has been a little uncomfortable now to sleep. I have been sleeping great on my left side, but some of these symptoms bother me at night. 

Best moment this week: Starting to see my belly drop and seeing my belly go into all these different shapes. Caleb has been so active, and it just helps to reassure me that he is doing great. Also, passing his BPP/NST with a whopping 8/8!! He has been doing so great with these test and it definitely makes for one happy Mamma!  We also purchased our travel system this week and it's set up and ready to go. 

Miss Anything? I kind of been missing a nice alcoholic beverage these days!! 

Movement: Oh Yeah Tons!!!  

Food cravings: Sweets, Sweets, and More Sweets!! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing so far this week. 

Gender: IT'S A BOY!!

Labor Signs:  Not any real labor signs yet, but my body is preparing for it these days. 

Symptoms: Definitely some Braxton hicks; pelvic pressure; back pain

 Belly Button in or out?  It's officially an outtie

 Engagement Ring on or off?  Both my Aggie Ring and Engagement Ring are still on!! :)

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been extremely happy!! 

Looking forward to:

My 36 Week visit with my MFM doctor. He will determine if Caleb is ready to come at 37 weeks or if he has to stay cooking for another week or two. 

Thoughts: 

We only have 3 More Weeks till we meet Caleb!! I have been so excited and Ryan and I are getting pretty excited. I believe Ryan is getting a little nervous as to how fast the weeks are flying by. My dad and little sister purchased the travel for us. We went to Babies' R Us to pick it up and we also grabbed a few other items. We purchased a diaper bag, Nose Frida, and a Bobby Pillow Cover. We are slowly getting the important things we need. I can't wait to meet our little man. He has so many people praying for him and waiting to meet him. 

33 Week Bump Date

How far along? 33 weeks 6 Days (1/1/14)

Total weight gain: I have gained a total of 18 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Maternity Clothes all the way!! I do use some of my pre-pregnancy t-shirts, but as far as bottoms maternity is all I can get into as of now. 

Stretch marks? Well the ones on both my thighs are getting pretty bad. I also noticed a few on my left side of my tummy (they are pretty low and I had to see these in the mirror), and of course the same ones on the girls. 

Sleep: Once I hit the bed, I'm OUT!! I do wake up 2-3 times a night to use the ladies room but fall back to sleep pretty quick. 

Best moment this week: Going to our NST/BPP testing and seeing our sweet boy. It was such an Amazing feeling to watching him on that screen practice his breathing. I think its going to be so neat to see the difference a week can make in his growth. The tech also told us he has some hair, and pointed it out to us so that was pretty exciting as well. 

Miss Anything? As of right now I really miss eating sweets! Due to my gestational diabetes I have to limit everything and I miss being able to splurge. 

Movement: Oh Yeah Tons!!!  

Food cravings: Sweets, Sweets, and More Sweets!! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing so far this week. 

Gender: IT'S A BOY!!

Labor Signs:  Braxton hicks have been hanging around lately. I am also starting to feel some pressure down below. 

Symptoms: Leg cramps in the middle of the night; tons of pressure; my back has been killing me on my right hand side. It is very uncomfortable to sit, stand, and even walk. (I went into L&D on Tuesday 12/31/13 because I was feeling very uncomfortable at work. It was New Years Eve so it was pretty busy, but I left work early because my doctor didn't want them to be contractions. I ended up going to get checked and had some contractions but they would come and go and they were not close together. It turns out I had a UTI and those back pains might be muscle related all due to pregnancy. They hurt so bad I want to cry!! They did tell me to keep an eye on them and if I start running a fever and the pain gets pretty intense to go into the hospital, as these are signs of a kidney infection.) 

 Belly Button in or out?  It's officially an outtie

 Engagement Ring on or off?  Both my Aggie Ring and Engagement Ring are still on!! :)

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been extremely happy!! 

Looking forward to:

Spending the New Year 33 Weeks pregnant. It's so crazy to think that once the New Year is here we will be meeting our little man close to the end of the month. I can not believe how fast time has flown. 

Thoughts: 

4 More Weeks Till we Meet Caleb!! I am so excited that Caleb will be here soon!! I feel the need to nest and don't really have much right now so it is so hard. We still need to purchase quite a bit of items and hopefully we can get them before he arrives. I have been getting really nervous. I turn 34 weeks on 1/2/14, and this is the time I lost Isabella. I have been trying to keep myself busy, but I know that when Sunday morning comes it might all hit me again and I might be pretty scared. I'm so glad to be getting monitored every Monday and it seems that I will have a total of 2 visits each week now. I'm praying that our baby boy arrives safely in our arms and I also pray for the strength to get me through this tough week. It brings back so many memories, that we are trying to make positive out of it all. 

32 Week Bump Date

How far along? 32 weeks 6 Days (12/25/13)

Total weight gain: I have gained a total of 16.4 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Still rocking my yoga pants and maternity everything!! 

Stretch marks? Just the same ol' ones!!

Sleep: I have been sleeping great. I get up to use the ladies room once, and then I usually have trouble falling back to sleep. Once I'm out, I'm OUT!! 

Best moment this week: Feeling Caleb move and kick around! I also have to say spending Christmas Eve with Ryan for our 2nd Christmas and going to Church as one of our new traditions. It was great feeling Caleb move and kick around when they were singing. 

Miss Anything? Not really! 

Movement: Oh Yeah Tons!!!  

Food cravings: Sweets, Sweets, and More Sweets!! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing so far this week. 

Gender: IT'S A BOY!!

Labor Signs:  No actual labor signs, but my body is definitely getting prepared. I have had some Braxton hicks every now and then. 

Symptoms: My back has been killing me! Standing/sitting is just not comfortable anymore. Standing at work or walking has me in pain; especially my lower right hand side where I have that pinched nerve every now and then. 

 Belly Button in or out?  It's officially an outtie

 Engagement Ring on or off?  It's still on!

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been extremely happy!! 

Looking forward to:

Spending Christmas Day with Ryan and his family and of course turning 33 weeks the day after Christmas . It's so exciting starting new traditions with Ryan this year, and being able to continue these traditions we start with Caleb. 

Thoughts: 

5 More Weeks Till we Meet Caleb!! I found out I had gestational diabetes last week so on Thursday I will be meeting with a dietician. I will have to start checking my blood sugar as well as monitoring what I eat. I am so excited that he will be here in 5 more weeks. I am also nervous at the same time. It's getting closer to 34 weeks and my fear is starting to take over again. I know that I will be monitored 2 times a week and can easily go to the hospital for some peace of mind. I just hope and pray for Caleb each and everyday that he arrives healthy. I am also very glad my high risk doctor wanted me to take my glucose test for the 3rd time, because if I hadn't I could have put Caleb at risk without knowing my blood sugar what getting high. 

31 Week Bump Date

How far along? 31 weeks 6 Days (12/18/13)

Total weight gain: I have gained a total of 15 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Still rocking my yoga pants and maternity everything!! 

Stretch marks? Just the same ol' ones!!

Sleep: My back is still hurting, but I have been such a light sleeper these days. 

Best moment this week: Seeing how big my tummy has grown in the last few weeks. It is crazy to see the changes each and everyday. 

Miss Anything? Not really! 

Movement: Oh Yeah Tons!!!  

Food cravings:  Nothing this week surprisingly. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nausea has been gone this week and I'm very happy for that. 

Gender: IT'S A BOY!!

Labor Signs:  Braxton Hicks every now and then, but no actual labor signs. 

Symptoms: My back has been killing me! Standing/sitting is just not comfortable anymore. Standing at work or walking has me in pain; especially my lower right hand side where I have that pinched nerve every now and then. 

 Belly Button in or out?  It's officially an outtie

 Engagement Ring on or off?  It's still on!

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been extremely happy!! 

Looking forward to:

Looking forward to getting more things for Caleb as well as getting my hospital bag items ready and all put together. I have all these things on my mind that we still need and I feel like we are not as prepared for Caleb as we should be, but I'm sure everything will fall into place soon. 

Thoughts: 

6 weeks till we meet our baby boy!! It's becoming so surreal that he will be here in 6 weeks. Ryan and I are both so excited and well as our family. We can't wait to hold this little guy in our arms and hear him cry for the first time. He is our little miracle, and we can't wait till he arrives. 

30 Week Bump Date

Excuse this screen shot, we accidentally deleted the pictures before uploading them to the computer so this is all I have :( 

How far along? 30 weeks 6 days (12/11/13)

Total weight gain: I have gained a total of 20 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Still rocking my yoga pants and maternity everything!! 

Stretch marks? Just the same ol' ones!!

Sleep: Having some trouble sleeping. I have been such a light sleeper these days its unreal.  

Best moment this week: Turning 30 Weeks and being in San Antonio to visit my great-grandma and visiting with her and letting her see my baby bump. Caleb was so active and moving around and being home knowing how close he is to arriving just made it that much more special. 

Miss Anything? Not really! 

Movement: Oh Yeah Tons!!!  

Food cravings: Yams and stuffing

Anything making you queasy or sick: I think nausea is coming back!! Oh no!! 

Gender: IT'S A BOY!!

Labor Signs:  No labor signs for a long while

Symptoms: Same lower back pain; I have also had a lot of pressure and apparently this is normal. I seriously feel like something is going to bust. lol

 Belly Button in or out?  It's officially an outtie for sure!! 

 Engagement Ring on or off?  It's still on!

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been extremely happy!! 

Looking forward to:

Shopping some more for Caleb and prepping for his arrival, packing our hospital bag and finding him an outfit to come home in. 

Thoughts: 

 7 weeks till we meet our baby boy!! I have to retake my glucose test tomorrow (Thursday) so we will see how those results turn out. I am getting so excited, and nervous at the same time. I still have my fears, but I am trying to put those behind me and this very positive. 

Biggest Fear

As I am currently typing this, I am 30 weeks 3 days pregnant with our Rainbow baby Caleb. As the weeks get closer and closer to 37, I have a fear that I don't want to relive. It haunts me each and everyday, but I do not let it take over my pregnancy. I have celebrated each and everyday I have Caleb growing inside me and I thank God each and everyday for that. 

My fear of approaching 34 weeks and going through another loss kills me as we draw near to 34 weeks. I went into the hospital when I was pregnant with Isabella at 34 weeks 3 days and I'm terrified of 34 weeks. It brings anxiety, worry, and this terrible fear that I do not want to replay again. I bring it up each and every time to my OBGYN, and she is always reassuring me that we will be taken care of and monitored each week. She always tells me I can go to the hospital if I have any concerns, but that does not seem to me enough for me mentally sometimes. I'm terrified to death and I just want to get past the 34 week mark, but of course anything could happen after that as well. I just want to embrace and celebrate each and everyday left of my pregnancy without fear, but after loosing Isabella it is hard to have that mindset sometimes. 

I am very thankful that I have a very wonderful, supportive fiancé. Ryan has been my rock through this whole pregnancy. We have had some pregnancy scares with Caleb and I try to stay calm and when I hear worry in his voice it brings my heart to my knees knowing that he feels the same fears but does not share them with me. I have to hear his fears through his voice or his facial expressions. We are both scared,but he doesn't show it. He tries to stay strong for me.  Ryan has helped me through my darkest days and he continues to each and everyday. I am so blessed and thankful for him each and everyday. 

I know we can not let this fear take over us. After experiencing a loss, you tend to take every precaution and worry about each and every little thing in your pregnancy. It is not a bad thing to do, but any parent that has experienced a loss tends to think this way as well. We tend to let the fear take over us at times but have to remind ourself that everything will be fine and trust in your body.

29 Week Bump Date

Sorry this is just going up, it's been a very VERY busy week. Read below for details. 

How far along? 29 weeks 4 Days

Total weight gain: I have gained a total of 17 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Still rocking my yoga pants and maternity everything!! 

Stretch marks? Just the same ol' ones!!

Sleep: My back is starting to hurt again, so lately the left side has been the most comfortable position. I wake up in the middle of the night to use the ladies room 1-2 times a night and have been having some trouble falling back to sleep this week. 

Best moment this week: I turned 29 weeks on Thanksgiving Day! It was so amazing to share Caleb moving and kicking around with Ryan's family. Of course when they went to feel Caleb he stopped moving but him just growing and seeing my tummy grow has been the best moment this week. 

Miss Anything? Not really! 

Movement: Oh Yeah Tons!!!  

Food cravings: Hamburgers; red beans and rice with biscuits from Popeye's 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I think nausea is coming back!! Oh no!! 

Gender: IT'S A BOY!!

Labor Signs:  No labor signs for a long while

Symptoms: My back has been killing me! Standing/sitting is just not comfortable anymore. Standing at work or walking has me in pain; especially my lower right hand side where I have that pinched nerve every now and then. 

 Belly Button in or out?  It's officially an outtie

 Engagement Ring on or off?  It's still on!

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been extremely happy!! 

Looking forward to:

Buying everything we need for Caleb's arrival as well as my hospital bag soon. We haven't had a baby shower, so we will be purchasing the main things we need to bring him home for the first few weeks and then we will purchase more as we go.  I'm also looking forward to seeing him again when we go back to the doctors at 32 weeks with MFM doctor.

Thoughts: 

 8 weeks till we meet our baby boy!! I'm counting down the days till we meet our baby boy.I have to retake my glucose test this week when I turn 30 weeks since our last visit to the MFM he noticed my amniotic fluid was "normal but on the high side". I have been so worried and praying for the best. I hope we get some good results on our 32 week appointment with the MFM. These next couple of weeks are going to be busy with doctors appointments. 

In Other News:

It has been a crazy week! We drove up to San Antonio when I was 29 weeks 6 days to go pick up our new addition to the family. Ryan wanted to get a boxer puppy, so we drove up there for the night and came back Thursday so when I turned 30 weeks we were suppose to record but a puppy sure is prepping us for Caleb. We have been up every night taking turns with him and we didn't record our 29 week Bump Date. I will do a 29/30 week bump date though.