Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Dreamer_D]

RT a fundal measurment just measures the size of your belly, and is inaccurate anyways, not the size of the baby. Wait and see. In my experience, if you fail the GD test they call you right away not wait for an appointment.

 

[taovandel]

RT: Same as Dreamer....when I failed the 1 hour test they called me right away to tell me---they only waited til the appointment to tell me when I passed. So you might be getting some good news.

Modern: I love both of your boy names---I like Preston just a tiny bit more though.

Bella: I love Harper from your girl list! It was on my list also but my husband gave me the big N-O!

Dreamer: Love that you named Hunter after the author! I love him also. My sister is into writing screenplays and the last one she wrote (That was a top 50 finalist with amazon.com) has a character named Harlan...a name we both love.



Sorry for missing so many people!

 

[Blenheim]

RT - Since your previous ultrasounds showed that the baby was measuring correctly for dates (I assume, or they would have said something) and since you haven't gotten a call back about the GD test, it sounds like it's probably something like extra amniotic fluid, the baby's position, or something like that. I wouldn't worry yet!

DD - I like Harlan, but it feels simultaneously very different (stylistically) and very similar (H-sounds) to Hunter to me. With Travis, the first name running into the last name bugs me too, and caused us to rule out a couple of names, but honestly it's not the end of the world. Plus I like Travis. Do you like Trevor? It sounds similar to Travis to me, but the flow might be a bit better.

DCGator - I'd think that the house showings would pick up a bit once it starts to feel a little more like spring again and once people want to start heading outside. It's been so yucky! You look great, by the way! Do you have any boy/girl intuition?

Bella - You have a lot of great names to choose from there!

Basil - I love Elliot and Adrian! Ethan and Ian don't pass the yelling-up-the-stairs test for me (which is, if you were in another part of the house and I were trying to get your attention, would you know for sure I was saying your name versus that of another family member?). Evan and Ian are both forms of John, so you'd kind of get a junior there without all of the confusion.


AFM - I pulled out a pair of maternity jeans this morning as they seemed more comfy, but then I remembered why I hate them and so I was back in regular jeans plus a hair tie by this afternoon. I will try to take another belly picture at some point!

In an effort to do a better job with the weight gain this time and have less to lose post-pregnancy, I have started counting calories for the first time in my life. I am tracking at BabyFit, which is the pregnant woman version of SparkPeople, and it asked me my height, weight, due date, GD status, singleton versus multiples, and I think I am forgetting some things. It offers meal plans that seem to be pretty tailored to what is appropriate to eat, and not all the junk that I want to eat. It's been pretty eye-opening, both in terms of how much little indulgences here and there add up as well as in terms of how hard it is to get enough of certain nutrients. I really hope it helps me!

We have a name short list that changes by the week. As of this evening, Mary Sophia and Charles Joseph are in the lead. Everything is stylistically fairly similar, and I have a feeling that we will go into labor with a couple possibilities and then see which one fits the best.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Oscar is in the running, now. And this morning we thought of Ridley. Any opinions?

 

[Blenheim]

DD - I love Oscar!!! It feels a little bit hip and a little bit literary to me. I'm not crazy about Ridley.


I took a belly picture today! We moved a bunch of furniture today and were in the process of switching dressers when I took this, hence all of the drawers all over the bed and the bad hair. And in retrospect, I think there were smudgy toddler fingerprints on the lens. So... please just ignore all that. But I buttoned my jeans!

I feel like I'm still looking chubby and not obviously pregnant with clothing on. At this point last time I felt like I was showing, but I think right now I am just thinking of how long post-partum my tummy looked like this, and so I don't feel like I am obviously pregnant looking. I think it may be soon though. Oh, and I am 13w3d and am up 4 lbs.

 

[random_thought]

Today's the growth ultrasound! If you ladies could send some good vibes my way I'd reallly appreciate it. I know it is probably nothing serious but anything helps right? I hope all of your mondays go by super fast

 

[modernsparkler]

Dreamer: I LOVE Oscar. It is interesting and has character and would go well with Hunter.

Blen, love the belly shot! You started out so tiny but I see that little baby bump there Soon enough we will all be wishing we were back to 13 week size!

RT: Good luck today

DCG: Good luck tomorrow!

Better late than never, my 18 week shot. I kind of feel the same way as Blen, there is a bump, but to me it more seems like my belly is just chubby, not definately housing a baby! Oh well, it will come eventually.

 

[Skippy123]

Hi beautiful preggos!!!

DREAMER ~~ I am super picky with names too; good luck! I love Hunters name so I bet you will find a good one! What girls names do you have? i think girl names are super easy!

BASIL ~~ beautiful crib; I love it! Deciding on furniture is tough; I still haven't decided on mattresses. sorry you lost your post, super frustrating!

TUCKINS ~~ how did your appt go? thinking of you and hope everything is okay.

BELLA ~~ I want to see the quilt; aww, little b is going to be so adorable and so loved!!!

RT ~~ best wishes.

MODERN ~~~ aww adorable belly bump!! Hope you feel better soon, no fun having a cold, boo. Yay for baby movement!!! very exciting.

DCGATOR ~~ we don't have names for the twins; I like the name Evan but no names otherwise. Hubby wants to wait to see what they look like before deciding which is kind of annoying but I can understand too. I liked the name Carter for a little bit and then thought no. I had girls names all figured out but boys I think are harder. How about you?? lol about the burger, we did grill some this weekend! hehe Aww, that is wonderful your mom is coming and to be there for finding out the sex!! YAY, can't wait to hear!!!! I bet it was nice to have the weekend w/your momma!

TAOV ~~~ yay for being next to have your baby!!!

BLEN ~~ why do you hate your jeans? that is good you are aware of what you are eating; I need to be more like that!!! Pretty names! cute bump!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AFM ~~~ I took a picture but now I lost my camera, boo, I have no clue where I misplaced it. Oh well. My belly has popped this week. The babies are crazy active!!! I wonder what is the norm of getting super active in the womb?? Both sides of my tummy have something going on, often. It is fun to know they are busy but sometimes at 4 am I want them to sleep. LOL

Oh I am so glad our birthing class instructor is back! She is so awesome and I love that she is an L&D nurse and has 3 kids of her own; she gives us tons of insight and tips! She was telling us she loved Hypnobabies to help with labor; we asked and that is what she said. I might download a free sample to check it out. Anyone try that (2nd time moms)? I do know my odds of vag birth vs c-section are 50%/50% though so I just want to be prepared either way.

Hope everyone has a fabulous week!!! ps I updated the Preggo EDD thread w/the new mommas!!!

 

[taovandel]

OMG! All of your belly's are so tiny! You all look fantastic!

Skippy---Go with Evan!--it's a wonderful name that I'm partial to as it's my sons name.


I can't believe that I'm about to have this baby any day now! At work, every day that I show up I hear---You are still here? ugh! haha.

 

[modernsparkler]

Good luck TAO! Hoping it happens soon!

 

[Blenheim]

It's so funny that all of you think that girl names are the easy ones. We are the opposite! We have a solid list of some boy names that we both like and would be happy with (Edward, Charles, Henry) but DH "can't remember" if he likes a given girl name half the time, and I have problems because I try to imagine what it would be like to live with that name and I have problems seeing myself as most girl names out there, except for Catherine and Anne and maaaaaybe Mary, but then I worry that they are super boring.

Tao - Eeeek! Good luck! Do you want it to be now, or do you feel like you still need a little bit more time?

Skippy - My midwife last time steered me away from Hypnobabies/Hypnobirthing, because it is one method and it takes a ton of time and then if that one method fails, you are kind of screwed. She preferred that women (especially first time moms) learned a variety of pain management techniques, and then could experiment a little bit in labor and figure out which of all the techniques worked best for them. But now that I have already been through the typical birthing class and read up other techniques, I think I am going to go with Hypnobabies this time. Some of the reviews I have read just sound amazing.

I just hate how maternity jeans -- and maternity pants, period -- don't really stay up and I have to hike them up every time I stand up, and how they have that colored band instead of a normal waist band that shows if my shirt creeps up a little bit. I am sure that eventually they will start to sound more attractive than the alternative. Unless, of course, I can convince my boss that pajama bottoms are work appropriate. (Kidding!)

RT - How'd it go?

MS - Looking good!! And isn't it kind of crazy? We wish that we were larger so we actually looked pregnant, but then when it comes we get aggrevated that it's hard to shave our legs and roll over in bed and tie our shoes. Just can't win.

 

[random_thought]

Thank you all for the good vibes! It must have worked! I had a nice appt today and even got to see Cayden's face! I don't have GD which is great news and I am measuring big partly because I am so freaking short! There is nowhere for the baby to go but out because of my short torso! The other news is that Cayden weighs 4 lbs right now. They get concerned when he crosses the 90th weight percentile for how hard the birth will be and he is at the 85th percentile right now so they will monitor him over the next 2 months to decide what to do in May So that's it in a nutshell!

 

[charbie]

Hi Preggo Friends!
Dee: could you be holding your littlle girl right now??? Best wishes for a smooth birth! And yes, it took me a bit to get used to the drowning feeling the neti pot gives you, but then the relief is blissful! Cold sores suck, tooo, but I've got lots of ways to get rid of them. People will go to any length to get rid of them!
RT: hope everything is going well, and have fun at the baby showers!
Tuckins: I read in your thread that you're on modified bed rest...yay! Sorry you're on ANY bedrest, but whatever it take to keep that bitty boy baking!
Mrs: I looooooove my sleep. Im thinking the "novelty" of no sleep with a newborn will get old. And im sure chasing your toddler around isn't going to make it easy, but I keep reminding mysellf people have survived like this for years. My crazy mom had 3 girls in 42 months...and claims she never felt better than when pregnant! Gah! You'll be great with two kiddos at once!
Dreamer: im so anxious for what names you do end up coming up with! I like the suggested name Trevor as a Travis alternative. Im sure you'll find the perfect name. and look at you staying under the weight from last pregnancy! It probably helps to chase Hunter around (I still think Chase would be a cute boy name with Hunter l
Blen: cute bump! I've got much more of the elongated belly starting right under my boobs. How fun to be able to spread the news. Most people know now on my end as well. I've done Sparkpeople before, and if I notice im gaining weight quickkly, ill hop right back to it. Im still down from where I started, and don't want to gain more than 15 to 20 lbs total. I tell people that when they tell me I am pregnant and can eat what I want, and get so frustrated when people then say, "Oh well that's impossible, I gained 60 lbs!" Ummm, good for you, I don't want to gain any more weight than necessary, and certainly don't need to. As for the mat pants, im sure ill be tired of them, too. I have been surviving off my clothes I've received from friends. I think since ill have two very different seasons to live through pregnant, ill get to mix up the look a bit. I did buy some more work pants, but they are still too big in the hip area.
Princess: I can't believe you're almost 18 weeks! Dang! Sorry you're getting the conjestion/cold. I hope you find a solution that works for you. Im now a serious neti pot believer and think everyone needs one....haha! Sorry about the shower stress...I have NO idea what we will end up doing for ours.
Modern: isn't it wonderful having no immune system. I always prided myself working in the medical field and never getting sick, and now im sick every freaking week! So excited to find out team blue or pink....I think pink!
Basil: very very cute crib! Love it. And love the name Elliot from that list. You can't go wrong with any of those names, tho for some reason Riley seems like one of those names that is cute when you're a kid, but doesn't "mature"...just my opinion, tho. I know 2 people with Rileys.....a boy and a girl.
DC: tomorrow is the big day....squeeeeeee! Im thinking blue for you....not sure why. Im usually wrong tho. Haha! Friends of ours also just put their home up and had a few bites then nothing. People are just coming out of hibernation from winter...im sure you'll have interest soon. We meet with the builder to sign off on final blueprints on Weds, breaking ground next week. Yay! I feel like once that's out of the way I can concentrate more on the baby. No flutters yet....just lots of random twinges and organs shifting around I think.
Skippy: booooo on losing the camera! I wannna see this popped belly! How fun to feel babies everywhere in the belly....im kinda nervous it'll really freak me out when I start to feel the LO, to be honest. People tell me it is the most amazing thing and just indescribable, but part of me is really worried and anxious!
Tao: almost here! I bet Violet will be just as cute as Evan....she will be a riot if she gets the hair like him! (I've stalked the baby thread).

AFM: spent time with my friend who has a 4.5 mo old this weekend....she needed a break from mommy duty. We picked out a few maternity items for me, and just got out for a bit. Talking with her made me realize while I know im going to love beiing a mother, im so glad I love my career as well and will go back to the regular adult interaction after my leave. I hope that doesn't make me sound crazy or mean...some people are just great at the whole planning out days and doing tons with their kids, but I know already that just isn't me, and I think id go stir crazy. DH on the other hand....probably would make a fantastic SAHD. Too bad we need his income....
Next week we break ground on the new house...yay! I think then thing really will fly by. The house will be done in June, and ill be over 6 months along!

 

[Blenheim]

DC - Fishie wanted me to say "Hi" to you. She asked me if you knew what you were growing yet, and I told her almost! Good luck tomorrow!

RT - Good news!

Charbie - I don't think you sound crazy or selfish or whatever adjectives you used at all. I love G, and am looking forward to this one, but my lord I was happy when he was in bed tonight. I am a lot more sane as a mama when I am out with grown-ups and doing grown-up things. As far as weight, I will both agree and disagree with you... To a certain extent I think it's controllable, but at the same time there's a point at which your body just takes over. Pandora was gaining something crazy like 5lbs per week in the last couple or few weeks, almost all of it water, and it just shed off after birth. Another woman on here was telling me that she really watched what she ate and how she exercised her first pregnancy and gained 45 lbs, and then said screw it for the second and still gained 45 lbs. So while I am hoping to not gain as much this time, at the very least I think this should help me to stay healthier and hopefully the weight will come off more quickly. As far as gaining 15-20 lbs, I assume you've run that by your doctor? The recommended weight gain for women who enter the pregnancy at a healthy weight is 25-35 lbs, and I feel like I remember that you looked like a healthy weight, so you may need to gain a little bit more than that. Or I may be misremembering or something, so feel free to ignore me.

 

[Mara]

re wanting to be a SAHM... i never thought i would be interested in staying home but going back at 4.5mo was pretty hard for me. i felt like i was missing a lot of things since he was pretty small and i was used to staying home with him. but i got back into a groove with work and our routine. now at 1 year, it's hard for me to leave him in the mornings now that he knows i am going, but i know that i will see SOOO many of his developments because he does so many new things all the time so i don't feel like i am missing out and he loves his caregivers, and i think it's a good balance. i worked out a WFH thing 1.5 days a week so i'm happy with the overall balance, just wish i had more TIME, period. never enough time to get it all done.

and charbie i love my sleep too, LOVE it, and still do...! thankfully J is a good sleeper and took to sleep training well but for the first few months, it definitely was tough, but funnily enough your body DOES adapt pretty well when it needs to.

 

[Tuckins1]

Hi all! Just wanted to let everyone know that I have been given the green light to go back to work. I just can't be on my feet for more than 10-15 minutes at a time, and I have to wear a support brace for my pelvic bone issues. Thanks for all the well wishes!

 

[Puppmom]

Tuckins, what a relief! Your great attitude and rolling with the punches has probably helped your cause.

 

[basil]

Tuckins - Yeay! That's great news that everything has stabilized.

Charbie - I am also trying not to feel guilty about wanting to go back to work after the baby. I know it will be hard, but it will be better for me and him in the long run. Like you, I am just not cut out to plan kid things all day, and I think I would get a little nuts and DH would be like "what happened to my wife?" My mother took a year off when she had me and another year when she had my brother, and she said that about 6 months in she was getting all stir crazy both times.

RT - great news! So glad that nothing is wrong!

Blenheim - I think names are hard, period. Boy or girl! I think there were probably a few more that I liked for girls than boys, but not a huge number for each. I like your classic names, but DH didn't want anything that sounded too old and a lot are kind of short for our last name. Cute bump! I agree with the yelling up the stairs test, that Ethan is a little too close. But DH really likes it so we'll see.

Tao - good luck if it happens soon! I didn't even realize you were so far along!

Skippy - I hope you figure something out re: names. That's funny your DH wants to wait to see them - I would be so stressed that I would panic and name them something I regretted! I like the name Evan and it's on our list too.

Modern - cute belly! I am just starting to feel like I have a real bump now at 20+ weeks...I thought it would be earlier. Even now I think most people could mistake it for being flab and people are still acting surprised when I tell them I am pregnant. Maybe they are faking though. I hope you feel better soon, preggo colds are the WORST!

DC - good luck today on the ultrasound! Yeay for your mom being there! We have had a lot of showings for our condo, but no offers, which is very frustrating. No matter what, it usually takes about 2 hours of my time to get everything packed up and put away (toothbrushes, laundry hamper, other unattractive stuff that we need, etc.) and the basic vacuuming and dusting, get myself and the dog out of the house for 30 min and go somewhere. So it's so annoying when the buyers only stay for 5 min and leave as if they weren't really interested in the first place anyway. I'm not so much worried about the condition of the crib cause I know this friend and her husband really well...the crib was literally used 2 weeks in a grandparent's home and never again. And they are kind of OCD in general so I'm sure that they have all the parts. She still hasn't given me a price though so I don't know if DH will agree since he really just wants to buy a Walmart crib.

Dreamer - I like Oscar too! I'm a big dork, but I think it would be funny to call him "Oscar the Grouch" when he was fussy.

Anyway, I think I figured out why I like the name Elliot so much - because I LOVED this movie - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete's_Dragon I also succumbed and bought a pair of newborn size baby gap overalls at a second-hand store this weekend. My first baby clothing purchase! Otherwise, nothing much new going on here...

 

[charbie]

Mara: I very well could have the baby and realize I never want to go back to work. Which would suck, because we need my income but im hoping as I grow in my career illl have a more flexible job allowing for an occasional WFH option. Basil mentioned her mom went stir crazy at 6 mos....which I think would be a great length for maternity leave. My job never would allow anything remotely like that. I just feel like I've spent so much time and energy in college and not to mention im still paying loans and I refuse to stay at home when paying loans on my education...haha. but I see the other side of things as well. I think my friend has other issues outside of just staying at home which makes it look less and less desirable. She is so stressed out and I swear she never can leave the house for one reason or another-maybe its just part of her own issues but it scares me to think I could end up like that....
Blen: I totally get that there are some instances where gaining weight are inevitable...the water weight, edema, things like that are unavoidable and you just have to roll with the punches. My biggest thing is I feel like people expect me to use pregnancy as an excuse to eat everything in sight and not worry about it at all. I started out slightly overweight (BMI 25 or so) and so my doctor said 15-20 lbs is expected and reasonable. As of right now I haven't gained any, so im not worried yet! I guess the best way to put it is what happens happens, and im going to do my part by eating healthier and not stuffing my face with crap just because im pregnant. I did cave to come cadbury mini eggs yesterday....yummo!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Charbie - I don't think you sound crazy or selfish or whatever adjectives you used at all. I love G, and am looking forward to this one, but my lord I was happy when he was in bed tonight. I am a lot more sane as a mama when I am out with grown-ups and doing grown-up things. As far as weight, I will both agree and disagree with you... To a certain extent I think it's controllable, but at the same time there's a point at which your body just takes over. Pandora was gaining something crazy like 5lbs per week in the last couple or few weeks, almost all of it water, and it just shed off after birth. Another woman on here was telling me that she really watched what she ate and how she exercised her first pregnancy and gained 45 lbs, and then said screw it for the second and still gained 45 lbs. So while I am hoping to not gain as much this time, at the very least I think this should help me to stay healthier and hopefully the weight will come off more quickly. As far as gaining 15-20 lbs, I assume you've run that by your doctor? The recommended weight gain for women who enter the pregnancy at a healthy weight is 25-35 lbs, and I feel like I remember that you looked like a healthy weight, so you may need to gain a little bit more than that. Or I may be misremembering or something, so feel free to ignore me.

I agree with all of this.

I gained a lot in my first pregnancy, about 60lbs, and it took a long time to lose. I did not really try at all and lost 50lbs from BFing in the first 12 months, then took off 20 more lbs using weight watchers prior to getting pregnant. This time I told myself that I was going to watch what I ate more and aim to gain less, closer to 40lbs (I am still a realist ). But in the end it is too hard for me to regulate my food intake when pregnant. I know it is partly mental, but there it is.

I am still hoping to gain less, but realistically I am only about 4-5lbs below where I was last pregnancy in terms of actual gain (another 10lbs down because I started at a lower weight), and that is out of a total of 27lbs at 22.5 weeks. So perhaps now my "accomplishement" does not sound so impressive If I had only gained like 10lbs then the difference would be impressive. But in the end, I have been so surprised at how my gains are almost identical to what they were last pregnancy! I have my records from my midwife with Hunter, and I keep checking it each month and going "Jeez, exactly identical!!"

Anyways, I plan to start weight watchers again at 4-5 months post partum and between that and BFing I at totally confident I can lose it all. So I am not sweating it too much. I had a basically healthy pregnancy and seem to be on the same track this time too. My biggest issue in terms of recovery was the ridiculously stretched perimeum I had, and also being immobile for the last 6 weeks with pubic symphisus issues and pain. Hopefully I can avoid *those* outcomes again, but it is totally out of my control.

 

[Dreamer_D]

charbie From what I have read, doctor's wh otell a mom to gain a certain amount just creat anxiety in the mom, and it does not affect the outcome of the mom's gain at all! haha. The biggest gains happen from weeks 18 - 28, so be prepared. If you want to eat well, then eat well, but don't be crazy about restricting. My midwife this time, and most midwives.doctors in the UK and Australia do not even weigh moms because it is such a useless practice.

re being a SAHM I took 10 months maternity leave last time and yup, 6 months was where the stir crazy set in. This time I will be taking 9-10 months depending on our daycare situation. I am glad to have that time, but would never be a stay at home mom. And I refuse to feel guilty. Men don't feel guilty about working when they have kids (typically). So yhy should I? My son is so happy at daycare, well loved at home, and we both love our jobs. The End.

****

Names.

Ok, our girl name is Willow Mae and we both want a girl so hopefully it goes that way.

I like Oscar at alot but cannot help but think it is a little silly or cartoonish. We adore the name Hunter, of course, and people are constantly saying "What a great name!" blah blah blah so I feel compelled to try and match it in coolness and masculinity I am not set yet on any names we have toyed with. Hopefully one will come. This is how we were last time with girl names, we never settled on one we liked but had a boy name picked early on. Maybe it is a sign

 

[dcgator]

Hello preggo mamas,

Just a quick fly-by post, as I will do the longer responses later, but I wanted to let everyone know what kind of turtle I have been baking in here.....

Drumroll please....

Have you guessed yet...

To all of those who put their money on a female turtle, you WIN! It's TEAM PINK for me and DH! We are super excited and can't wait to meet our little princess Granted DH is still getting over his boy fantasies right now, but I know he will love having a daddy's girl

Talk to you all later!

PS Modern - Didn't you have your scan yesterday, what are you cooking in there

 

[fieryred33143]

Congratulations on team pink dcg!!

 

[modernsparkler]

Congrats DCG!!! Yay for a little girl!!!

Our appointment is on Friday first thing in the morning.... but DH and I decided to have a little celebration with our families for the big reveal. This must sound crazy but it was an idea I read somewhere and thought it would be fun. So, we are going to get the gender in an envelope and bring it to our local bakery on Friday. We are going to ask them to bake a white cake with either red raspberry or blueberry filing for the appropriate gender. Then, we are having both of our parents over on Saturday for a little celebration and cake cutting to find out the gender of our little one. That said, I if I happen to see the gender on Friday, then DH and I will both find out then but we will still do the party so our parents can feel included.

Here's hoping the next few days go by fast! I am now off to babies r us to buy a shower gift for a friend of mine. Looking forward to oogling over all the adorable baby stuff!

 

[basil]

Congrats on team pink, DC!! I guess we are no longer preggo twins...or maybe we are just fraternal preggo twins!

Modern - your idea for the reveal sounds really cute! How fun to share it with everyone! And yummy cake on top of it.

I thought of a few more questions for BTDT moms...specific on travel, since we need to make plans sort of far ahead of time in order to get time off.

My grandmother's 90th birthday party is at the end of May...I'll be 29-30 weeks. Will I be ok to travel? It's about a 8-10 hour drive, but we can break it up into 2 days.

We also wanted to plan a trip to the above location in the fall to introduce the baby to extended family. Can I take a two month old on a 10 hour drive, split into 2 days? Or would a 1.5 hour plane trip be better? We usually prefer to drive so we can take our dog.

And then finally, we wanted to plan a ski trip with extended family in March. Thinking of either the Rockies or Europe. I'm guessing that would involve at least 8 hours of plane travel, if not more. Doable with an 8 month old?

 

[Kunzite]

dc - congrats on team pink!!!

basil - I adore Elliot, it was in our top 3 I think I liked it because I'm a big Elliott Smith fan.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

****

Names.

Ok, our girl name is Willow Mae and we both want a girl so hopefully it goes that way.

I like Oscar at alot but cannot help but think it is a little silly or cartoonish. We adore the name Hunter, of course, and people are constantly saying "What a great name!" blah blah blah so I feel compelled to try and match it in coolness and masculinity I am not set yet on any names we have toyed with. Hopefully one will come. This is how we were last time with girl names, we never settled on one we liked but had a boy name picked early on. Maybe it is a sign

Dreamer, I wanted to say to you before when you were finding it hard to pick out boys names that it could be a sign. When I was pregnant I couldn't for the life of me pick out one single boy name that I liked. I didn't dare look at girl names because I wanted a girl so much, but was convinced I was having a boy.
Well, I had a girl and named her on the spot. I honestly think I wasn't supposed to come up with a boy name because it just wasn't meant to be, so I hope it is the same positive sign for you too.


Delight! I'm guessing that you are holding your precious little girl right now! Can't wait to meet her.

 

[Mrs]

hey mamas!

Basil, You should be fine to travel at 30 weeks. I can't imagine why it would be problematic unless you're on bed-rest and can't be sitting up / putting pressure on your cervix. The drive is also doable with a 2 month old though you'll likely need to stop very regularly to feed him. You may prefer to take the flight though since it's hard to know how he will do in the car. My DD did relatively well in the car but there were certainly times when she hated it and listening to her cry was no fun. Re: plane travel with an 8 month old, we took a 6 hour flight with DD when she was 7 months old and she was fine. I was a nervous wreck but she slept in her car seat the whole way on the redeye there (we were lucky and got a seat for her since the flight wasn't full) and she slept a fair amount on the return flight as well. Keep in mind though that travel with a baby that young isn't always fun since you'll have to bring/buy baby food for the duration and you may be in the hotel room a fair amount for naps/early bedtime... We did a cruise with our family when our DD was 10 mos old and it was a bummer since I felt like DH and I spent so much time in the room and not with the rest of the family. I tend not to be very flexible about sleep though since my daughter gets to be a nightmare without it. You may be more flexible with sleep with your son in which case, travel may be easier/more fun.

Modern, I LOVE the big reveal celebration you have planned! What a great idea! I hope it goes great and that your scan goes well on Friday!

dcg, yay for girls!!! I'm so excited for you! Looking forward to hearing more about your scan when you've the time to post.

Dreamer Willow Mae is a beautiful name! I hope you do indeed have a little girl baking in there. I like the boy names you're considering too though. Hopefully the fact that you are having such trouble with boy names is indeed a sign!

Charbie, I think it's great that you're trying to be so healthy in terms of eating. I have no willpower and find myself indulging more than I should... I'm not looking forward to stepping on the scale at my appointment tomorrow! re: staying at home vs: working - as others have said, it's such a personal thing. Some women LOVE being at home and others are happier working outside the home. I really wasn't sure which camp I'd be in. After DD was born, I really struggled to go back to work when she was 3 mos old and felt a huge sense of relief when I lost my job after only a month back. I suspect that I would prefer to be working outside the home IF I had a career I loved. As it is, I never loved my work. I was good at it and made a lot of $ but it never moved me. So for the time being I'm enjoying being home (and I feel very lucky that we can afford for me to do so for now) but I sincerely hope to find a job that does move me when I do go back to work... we'll see. Anyway, don't feel guilty and try not to worry about it. Whatever you decide to do will be just fine!

Tuckins, I'm so glad everything is okay! Take good care of yourself!

RT - love the pic! Cayden (ps: I lOVE that name!) is adorable. That's great that your appointment went so well!

Blen, you look great! and I like all the names you're considering. re: maternity jeans - have you tried "Lilac" brand? They sold them at costco a while back and I got some on babysteals.com and they are GREAT! I hated wearing my maternity jeans last time for the same reason you do (pulling them up non stop and the dark tummy top) but these have belt loops AND an internal waist adjustment thing. They're great. Also, this time around I've started wearing belts with my maternity pants/shorts even if they don't have loops. I just pull the tummy part down around my hips (over the belt) and that helps a bit.

Taov, I hope you're well! Thinking of you a lot these days!

skippy, I'm glad your birthing instructor is back! And yay for popping can't wait to see a pic. re: names, I would be a little annoyed as well if DH didn't want to talk about them until the babies are here but it's also kind of nice that you can put the stress of naming off for now.

princess, how are you doing?? How was the u/s?

hi to everyone else!

AFM: I'm LOVING the time change! Its been wonderful eating dinner outside every night. DD turns 2 tomorrow and it boggles my mind! I also have our scan tomorrow - hopefully that goes well. DH's parents get here on Thursday and we're hoping for nice weather for the BBQ birthday party this weekend. Been feeling okay though my sciatic nerve has been acting up. I'm hoping it's temporary pain but I expect it to be a problem for a while... oh well. Even if it is something I'll deal with to the end, I know the next 4 months will fly by.

hugs,
Mrs

 

[Blenheim]

DC - Congrats on team pink! How exciting!

Tuckins - that is fabulous about being cleared to go back to work! What a relief.

Going back to work - I went back to work at 6.5 weeks and it killed me. I ended up quitting at 6 months, and then was getting really twitchy to go back to work by around 10 months. I actually returned to work the week before his first birthday. So maybe it's about 6 months of total time at home that does it.

Dreamer - Well, because you would only tell us your name choices if you wanted to hear everything that we want to say about them... I really love Willow Mae. How adorable!

Basil - Trip #1. You would be cleared to travel that distance at 30ish weeks, unless problems arose. They did for me last time, but I think that most people would be fine at that stage. I just wouldn't get a non-refundable ticket, and family should understand if you can't make the drive. I feel like the horrible tail bone pain started later than that, so I think I would have been ok with a car trip then. Perhaps someone who has gone through this more recently or who is now going through that can chime in. Trip #2. We did a 12 hour car trip when he was 5 weeks old. It took longer than it should have with diaper changes and nursing and the like, but going there went really smoothly. Coming back was a little bit rougher, but we got through it and it wasn't so bad that I'd say no! Don't do it! I don't think that 5 weeks versus 12 weeks would be substantially different, so I would vote on this one being fine as well. Trip #3. Errr. At that point, the only way that he would sleep through the first part of the night (7 or 8 until we went to bed) was by being in a separate room from us, that was completely dark and quiet, and so you'd want to be able to swing that somehow with your sleeping arrangements. Plus at any given time, someone would have to not be skiing to watch him. G had pretty bad separation anxiety then and so it would have been hard for me to want to subject other family members to cranky pants while I went off and had fun. We also had problems with even 3 hour car trips around that stage, although he did okay a few months earlier with an 8 hour car trip that started at 6 pm and went into the wee hours, as he just conked out early on and stayed conked out. I know that people DO trips like you are talking about, I just don't know if it would be enjoyable or not, YKWIM?

Charbie - Ok, I should have known that you were on top of things and being realistic. And those Cadbury eggs sound delish!

Mrs - I hadn't heard of them! I am googling those jeans right now!!

 

[puffy]

DC, congrats on a girl!! how exciting!

modern, your cake idea sounds so fun! good luck friday.