Happy Memorial Day. I hope everyone takes a moment from their day to say a "thank you" prayer to those who have fallen to keep our country free.
For the first time, last night, I was truly tired of being pregnant. Actually, just tired of trying to shave my legs and lady parts with a belly in the way. I don't even feel like my belly is that big! It was such a pain, and I was totally out of breath by the time I made it out of the tub and onto the bed to cool down. I guess I'm going to have to enlist Michael's help from now on. lol
We are 65 days from our due date now. That's a wild thought. In two months, we will be parents. Isn't that scary? I've decided that I have no idea what I *feel* like we're having anymore. In the long run, I know it doesn't really matter. This child will be the light of our lives, whether it be a boy or girl. :)
I updated the baby website earlier today. I added the shower section and a place to RSVP, just in case. I need to add some pictures, but I may wait until after the shower. I haven't been keeping up like I wanted with the belly bump pictures. Definitely going to make an extra effort starting this week.
I guess that's all for now. Michael is off for the holiday, and has been working around the inside and outside of the house. I know he started on the landscape and planted our Asian pear tree. I can't wait to go home and see it. :)
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Getting anxious (& a little personal)
So, I'm definitely starting to feel a little bit of anxiety. We are under 10 weeks away, and have not done much more with the nursery since the 20 week mark. I realize that is because we've been waiting on showers, but that does not help my feelings of "holy sh!t I hope this baby doesn't make an early appearance!". Plus, I am in the middle of evaluations at work, and that has caused every other maternity leave "project" to sit on the back burner for a few weeks. I still have so much to do to prepare everyone to not freak out when I leave. They got through my vacation week last year, so hopefully they won't have a problem with multiplying that by 12! lol After next week, I should be able to get back to hammering out all of the memos, notes, prep, etc. for when I'm gone. I can't lie, though... I'm terrified!
We had what should be our last ultrasound yesterday. It was the quickest one yet! The tech wasn't rude, but she left something to be desired. She did say that because the baby is so big at this point, it's hard to get really good shots like with the previous visits. We got a few profile and straight-on face shots. I still have a hard time figuring u/s pictures out! Anyway, baby is growing ahead of schedule by almost a week - weighs 3lbs 4oz so far. At this point, baby should be gaining about 1/2 a pound a week!! That would make baby over 8lbs at our due date! I guess that's not too big for some people, but I'd be so grateful for a 7lb baby! lol Regardless, as long as s/he is healthy, mommy will be happy. My mom seems to think that I won't make it to 40 weeks. She had my older brother a week early, and I've had a couple of episodes where I needed to go in to be checked. While part of me wouldn't mind being a week or 2 early, I worry about things like work. My goal is to have everything in place no later than July 1st. This way, I can spend a few weeks watching and helping everyone who will be taking over my duties before I'm really gone.
Another reason I guess I'm feeling anxious is because I recently realized that our Short Term Disability (STD) coverage will only pay for the amount of time the physician writes for you to have medical leave. Of course, I will still have my 12 weeks of protected leave under FMLA, but STD will only cover 6 weeks for vaginal birth or 10 weeks for C-section. Plus, you have a 15 day waiting period, so it's actually less. I have vacation and sick leave that I have been accruing, but it will be tight with this. One good thing is that I am pre-paying for the 12 weeks on all of my benefits before I leave. This way, my benefits are safe and it's a little extra in my check while I'm gone. After my next maternity meeting with my boss, I'm going to sit down and really hammer out the numbers to make sure I have everything set to where I can have my full 12 weeks off without having to worry about my paycheck. Plus, if you've been reading, you know we're saving for my leave. Our goal is to not have to touch the money we've saved unless we absolutely have to - just pretend it does not exist. Of course, it's intended purpose is to make sure we do not run into any financial snags due to me being off of work, but it would be fantastic if we did not have to use it. If we continue as we have been, then we'll have enough to cover 50% of my pay per month for the 3 months I'll be out. With absolutely no other benefits (STD, work from home, etc), I will have enough vacation/sick to cover 5-6 weeks off. Add in the other benefits, and that number will increase. I know everything will be fine, but I will definitely rest much easier after that next meeting. :)
Some of you might think I just got a little too personal. However, I share the above because I think that many women/couples do not realize the financial aspect of maternity leave when it comes to their job. I have worked with a few other employees in the past who had no idea exactly how their benefits worked until it was almost time to deliver. While you definitely want to prepare on the back-end (saving money, buying necessities ahead of time), you also need to be very aware of whether or not you will be getting paid while you're away from work and for how long. Do not be afraid to ask questions. It has broken my heart the couple of times when I've dealt with women who did not think or prepare beforehand, and were having to figure out how in the world they were going to survive and take care of their baby without receiving a full paycheck for the amount of time they needed off.
We had what should be our last ultrasound yesterday. It was the quickest one yet! The tech wasn't rude, but she left something to be desired. She did say that because the baby is so big at this point, it's hard to get really good shots like with the previous visits. We got a few profile and straight-on face shots. I still have a hard time figuring u/s pictures out! Anyway, baby is growing ahead of schedule by almost a week - weighs 3lbs 4oz so far. At this point, baby should be gaining about 1/2 a pound a week!! That would make baby over 8lbs at our due date! I guess that's not too big for some people, but I'd be so grateful for a 7lb baby! lol Regardless, as long as s/he is healthy, mommy will be happy. My mom seems to think that I won't make it to 40 weeks. She had my older brother a week early, and I've had a couple of episodes where I needed to go in to be checked. While part of me wouldn't mind being a week or 2 early, I worry about things like work. My goal is to have everything in place no later than July 1st. This way, I can spend a few weeks watching and helping everyone who will be taking over my duties before I'm really gone.
Another reason I guess I'm feeling anxious is because I recently realized that our Short Term Disability (STD) coverage will only pay for the amount of time the physician writes for you to have medical leave. Of course, I will still have my 12 weeks of protected leave under FMLA, but STD will only cover 6 weeks for vaginal birth or 10 weeks for C-section. Plus, you have a 15 day waiting period, so it's actually less. I have vacation and sick leave that I have been accruing, but it will be tight with this. One good thing is that I am pre-paying for the 12 weeks on all of my benefits before I leave. This way, my benefits are safe and it's a little extra in my check while I'm gone. After my next maternity meeting with my boss, I'm going to sit down and really hammer out the numbers to make sure I have everything set to where I can have my full 12 weeks off without having to worry about my paycheck. Plus, if you've been reading, you know we're saving for my leave. Our goal is to not have to touch the money we've saved unless we absolutely have to - just pretend it does not exist. Of course, it's intended purpose is to make sure we do not run into any financial snags due to me being off of work, but it would be fantastic if we did not have to use it. If we continue as we have been, then we'll have enough to cover 50% of my pay per month for the 3 months I'll be out. With absolutely no other benefits (STD, work from home, etc), I will have enough vacation/sick to cover 5-6 weeks off. Add in the other benefits, and that number will increase. I know everything will be fine, but I will definitely rest much easier after that next meeting. :)
Some of you might think I just got a little too personal. However, I share the above because I think that many women/couples do not realize the financial aspect of maternity leave when it comes to their job. I have worked with a few other employees in the past who had no idea exactly how their benefits worked until it was almost time to deliver. While you definitely want to prepare on the back-end (saving money, buying necessities ahead of time), you also need to be very aware of whether or not you will be getting paid while you're away from work and for how long. Do not be afraid to ask questions. It has broken my heart the couple of times when I've dealt with women who did not think or prepare beforehand, and were having to figure out how in the world they were going to survive and take care of their baby without receiving a full paycheck for the amount of time they needed off.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
I feel loved.
And very blessed.
I recently discovered more about a situation with someone I know. You would never think, just by looking at her, what kind of hard life she has lived. It made me sit back and think about the life I have lived. Honestly, I've had a charmed life compared to most. I think everyone can agree that no one is perfect, and neither is their life. However, I have come to appreciate the good and bad even more than ever in just the past day or two. I have an amazing family, wonderful friends, and a husband that adores me. I cannot imagine going through this time in my life without one of those elements. I have more love and support than most, and I treasure that. I feel so fortunate to be able to bring a new life into such a warm and loving place.
These are the things that I try to remember when life gets stressful.
I recently discovered more about a situation with someone I know. You would never think, just by looking at her, what kind of hard life she has lived. It made me sit back and think about the life I have lived. Honestly, I've had a charmed life compared to most. I think everyone can agree that no one is perfect, and neither is their life. However, I have come to appreciate the good and bad even more than ever in just the past day or two. I have an amazing family, wonderful friends, and a husband that adores me. I cannot imagine going through this time in my life without one of those elements. I have more love and support than most, and I treasure that. I feel so fortunate to be able to bring a new life into such a warm and loving place.
These are the things that I try to remember when life gets stressful.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Welcome to the 3rd Trimester!
Holy crap. We're in the final stretch! Only 12 weeks to go! I've had it pretty easy-peasy so far, and now I'm sure I'll be paying dearly for it. Goodbye "comfortably happy" pregnant, hello "spitting cherry pits moon bat crazy" pregnant!
So, I had some blood work done last week to double check my blood type. I thought that I had O+, but turns out I have O- . If Michael was a positive blood, then I would need a rhogam shot to make sure that my body does not treat this pregnancy or subsequent ones as a foreign body. However, since we are both negative blood types, all is well. No shot! :) However, it did show that I am still on the anemic side. I've been taking an iron supplement with my prenatal, but looks like I still need more. :-/ Guess that would explain part of the reason that I feel like I could sleep through the rest of this pregnancy with no problems!
I had a little "trouble" (nothing major, but worth calling about) yesterday, so they told me to come on in to be checked. I ended up getting an ultrasound, too. Long story short, everything is just fine and the baby is doing well. S/he weighs in at 2lbs 11oz, which sounded high to me (compared to the charts on my pregnancy apps), but Perch said that is at the 54th percentile range - which is good. I'm really starting to wonder if this baby will hold out until August 3rd!
I have updated the website with a few more pictures. I can't wait to update the pictures of the nursery after the shower. Very excite! :) I'll leave you with this 3d shot of Baby Hathcox from yesterday:
So, I had some blood work done last week to double check my blood type. I thought that I had O+, but turns out I have O- . If Michael was a positive blood, then I would need a rhogam shot to make sure that my body does not treat this pregnancy or subsequent ones as a foreign body. However, since we are both negative blood types, all is well. No shot! :) However, it did show that I am still on the anemic side. I've been taking an iron supplement with my prenatal, but looks like I still need more. :-/ Guess that would explain part of the reason that I feel like I could sleep through the rest of this pregnancy with no problems!
I had a little "trouble" (nothing major, but worth calling about) yesterday, so they told me to come on in to be checked. I ended up getting an ultrasound, too. Long story short, everything is just fine and the baby is doing well. S/he weighs in at 2lbs 11oz, which sounded high to me (compared to the charts on my pregnancy apps), but Perch said that is at the 54th percentile range - which is good. I'm really starting to wonder if this baby will hold out until August 3rd!
I have updated the website with a few more pictures. I can't wait to update the pictures of the nursery after the shower. Very excite! :) I'll leave you with this 3d shot of Baby Hathcox from yesterday:
 |
| 28 weeks |
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I want a Babymoon!
But, I have to save my vacation hours for maternity leave... *sigh*
Really though, I just want to get away. I feel like every day that I walk into work, I'm taking another step closer to biting someone's head clean off. And, it's not always necessarily anything that they or someone else may have done. I just feel like my weekends are too short, and I need a breath of fresh air - beach air. Haha! Maybe we can do something before I return from maternity leave. Doubtful, though!
I guess I'm just a little envious of some of the women on TheBump pregnancy boards and all of their talk about their Babymoons and whatnot. :-P
Really though, I just want to get away. I feel like every day that I walk into work, I'm taking another step closer to biting someone's head clean off. And, it's not always necessarily anything that they or someone else may have done. I just feel like my weekends are too short, and I need a breath of fresh air - beach air. Haha! Maybe we can do something before I return from maternity leave. Doubtful, though!
I guess I'm just a little envious of some of the women on TheBump pregnancy boards and all of their talk about their Babymoons and whatnot. :-P
Monday, May 9, 2011
Starting to feel "big"
I read somewhere that between 27 and 28 weeks you'll have a spike in weight gain. I'll be 28 weeks on Wednesday, and I don't necessarily feel like I've had a spike. I just feel bigger. At my appointment last week, I was up 13lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. I can still fit into my prepregnancy jeans (with a rubber band instead of buttoning them), but I think the time has come to buy a few key maternity pieces. *sigh* I made it to the third trimester without needing maternity clothes (minus the bras)! I think I'm going to check a few consignment shops first. I am not spending a fortune on clothes that I will only be able to wear for 12 weeks. I realize that I'll still be "puffy" after the baby is born, but I think I might be back in some of my pre-pregnancy clothes fairly soon. Everyone has said that you still look 5-6 months pregnant after the baby. Well, my 5-6 months were still in my normal clothes! lol
I hope all of the mothers and mothers-to-be had a great Mother's Day yesterday!
I hope all of the mothers and mothers-to-be had a great Mother's Day yesterday!
Monday, May 2, 2011
I feel broke.
Today, I realized that I feel broke. I am not broke, but being in the strict mindset of saving for a baby makes me feel that way. That's a good thing, right? I've gotten into the habit of "paying the baby" like I do a bill. When I got paid last week, I set all of my bills through the 15th to come out today. And, I pay extra on important things, like my car. "Paying for the baby" includes money into savings, plus diapers. Maybe it's just the stress of thinking about/planning our money, but I can't help but feel broke! lol!
We went to Baby Grand on Saturday, and that was interesting. I wish they would have held more than one of each class, though. It was hard to hit all of the booths (to make sure your door prize form was complete), attend the classes you wanted, and then try to make one of the hospital tour sessions. We were there no later than 9:15a (started at 9a), and only made it to 3 classes (2 for me, 1 for him) out of the 5 we were hoping for, and the last tour session. Then, everyone who won a door prize acted like you just kicked their new puppy. Guess free stuff for your baby isn't exciting for everyone! ;) We did get some great info and good samples. I haven't made it through all of the "stuff" in the registration bag, but hopefully there are some coupons! (I started clipping newspaper coupons last night - PIA!)
Today, I went to buy a baby shower gift for a co-worker, and picked out/up our baby book. I had a coupon, plus I figured it would be needed for the shower. I haven't bought anything in quite a while! LOL Then, another co-worker got onto me for buying this. I can't win. ;) I'll just call this my early Mother's Day gift from and to myself. Haha!
I'm gearing up for a busy month ahead! We have birthdays, a wedding, baby showers, baby classes, the church fair....Whew! Plus I have plenty to do at work with the upcoming evaluations and continuing to get everything in order for my maternity leave. Only 13 weeks left!! Eek!
We went to Baby Grand on Saturday, and that was interesting. I wish they would have held more than one of each class, though. It was hard to hit all of the booths (to make sure your door prize form was complete), attend the classes you wanted, and then try to make one of the hospital tour sessions. We were there no later than 9:15a (started at 9a), and only made it to 3 classes (2 for me, 1 for him) out of the 5 we were hoping for, and the last tour session. Then, everyone who won a door prize acted like you just kicked their new puppy. Guess free stuff for your baby isn't exciting for everyone! ;) We did get some great info and good samples. I haven't made it through all of the "stuff" in the registration bag, but hopefully there are some coupons! (I started clipping newspaper coupons last night - PIA!)
Today, I went to buy a baby shower gift for a co-worker, and picked out/up our baby book. I had a coupon, plus I figured it would be needed for the shower. I haven't bought anything in quite a while! LOL Then, another co-worker got onto me for buying this. I can't win. ;) I'll just call this my early Mother's Day gift from and to myself. Haha!I'm gearing up for a busy month ahead! We have birthdays, a wedding, baby showers, baby classes, the church fair....Whew! Plus I have plenty to do at work with the upcoming evaluations and continuing to get everything in order for my maternity leave. Only 13 weeks left!! Eek!
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