31 Weeks and 3D/4D Sonogram.

Cuddling with the umbilical cord.

 

Yawning.

 

Ras and I decided to do the 3D/4D sonogram.  We had our OB appointment that morning and the 3D/4D for later on that morning.  Our OB appointment went well.  Little man is measuring at a week behind so 30 weeks instead of 31.  I figure he will be stubborn like daddy and not come out until a week later.  Our due date is 2/18/2013 but we were told he could stay in there until 2/25 and then at that point they would look at inducing.  I already know he will need an eviction notice so I am planning for that.  :)  

Our original 3D/4D appointment was December 19th but when we arrived little man was not cooperating...like I said he will be a stubborn one.  At the actual appointment, Mary, who owns The Prenatal Picture was awesome.  She works with us for about 45 minutes to get him to cooperate.  I drank some cold water, ate a few Starburst, walked around but he was not having it.  We finally decided to come back the following day.

I talked with some others moms and they recommended drinking OJ & caffeine to get him up and active.  I planned my morning with a nice solid breakfast and OJ (I have OJ every morning!!) but knew I needed some caffeine to get him to cooperate since our appointment was for noon.  He is usually not very active around that time.  On our way to the 3D/4D I stopped at Starbucks and ordered a tall iced tea and guzzled it before the pics....let's just say it worked.

He was obsessed with using the umbilical cord as a face cover and pillow.

December 19th Doctor's Appointment.
Baby Boys Stats
Heart Rate:  144
Momma's Weight Gain +16.2 lbs.

Cravings:
Chocolate.
Wine. (I wish!!)
Gelato.
Apples.

30 Weeks Pregnant & Baby Shower.

BABY SHOWER FUN!!

 

My sisters, my Mom and my Nonna.

Baby boy's beautiful aunts.

 

Baby boy, his Nonna and Great Nonna.

 

College friends.

 

Baby boy and I.

 

Posing by the gifts table.

 

Daddy, Mommy and little man.

 

December was a fun month for Ras, Baby Boy and I.  My sisters hosted a shower for our little man on December 8th.  We got some really great gifts-such as baby essentials, a pack n play, height chair, bumbo, clothes, gift cards and money.  It was great to see family and friends to celebrate the first grandbaby on my side of the family.  I took an idea from Pinterest and shared it with my sisters.  
Instead of playing the traditional baby shower games I ordered wooden alphabet letters from ETSY.  We asked each guest to paint a letter to coordinate with the nursery and bedding, then write a message to our little man.  It was a very sweet and personal touch to our little guy’s nursery while allowing our guests to share in a something special for him.

December 5th Doctor's Appointment:

Baby Boy's Stats
Heart Rate: 121

Momma's Weight Gain +16 lbs

Cravings:

OJ (STILL)
Gingerbread lattes.

Kluski Soup.

Canned pineapples.

I Miss...

• a good nights sleep.
• not peeing every single hour.
• not having to wear panty liners daily...yes daily.
• bending over to put on my shoes/socks and not needing help to take them off.
• being able to workout/walk and breathing normally.
• cuddling Ras-my belly can be a cock-block.
• white wine and sangria.
• sleeping on my back.
• not needing tums everynight-indigestion is a bitch.

But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

27 Weeks Pregnant, GD Test, Birthday and Turkey Day all in One.

Well it was officially time for the dreaded GD test.  I was ordered to fast from midnight on which PS totally sucked.  I wake up hungry.  I was allowed water-yay (insert sarcasm here). 

I was cranky non the less and it was officially my birthday so no birthday breakfast or cupcake for me until after the GD test.  Ironicly I really wanted a cupcake the day I was getting tested for Gestational Diabetes but in my defense you only have your birthday once a year.

We arrived at the OB where my weight and blood pressure were checked.  I was then given the option of a lovely orange or lemon lime flavored drink.  I heard orange was the way to go...so that was my poison for the day.  I was super stoked when she opened the fridge and handed me an orange one.  (I hear the drink tastes way better cold.) 

I then reached into my purse and got out a straw-at this point both the nurse administering the drink and my husband looked at me like I was crazy.  I had read I had only five minutes to drink the solution and then would have to wait 1 hour to be tested and I knew I could chug that drink way faster with a straw.  Needless to say it took my 45 seconds to drink the entire drink and my husband was quite impressed.  ;)  Due to it being the Wednesday before Thanksgiving I could call in Friday to get my results.

During our wait we went in to see our OB for my monthly appointment.  Everything looks good and baby boy's heartbeat is still nice and strong.  I found out we will also officially go to appointments every two weeks-so crazy and scary then eventually weekly.  I guess this means we are nearing the end.  EEK!!!

Baby Boy's Stats
Heart Rate:  Steady 144

Momma's Weight Gain +13 lbs.

After our doctor's appointment I made hubby take me to IHOP where I devoured some french toast and turkey bacon.  I figured at this point I have been so cautious of what I ate if God was going to give me GD I might as well enjoy all the deliciousness I could. 

I then went home to start prepping for Thanksgiving.  We were going to be hosting this year so Ras & I had a ton of work to do.  I told him we could celebrate my birthday that weekend when all our guests were gone.  The following day we hosted our Thanksgiving and it was a success!  Food was amazing and the company was great.  I popped my apple cider opened while everyone else enjoyed beer and wine.  It was a fun/relaxing day.  Even our lab, Nahla, went into a Turkey Coma!!

23 Weeks Pregnant.

I had my 23 week appointment and it was a short one.  Almost like a serious quicky.  Got weighed, had my blood pressure taken and talked (briefly) with the OB.  I guess during the next few months these appointments will be relatively short.  It took me longer to drive to my appointment then it did to be seen. 

I will be having my glucose and 27 week appointment on my birthday.  Lucky me!  I get to fast (from midnight until 8:20 am) so I am thinking I will be one big ass bitch that morning.  I literally WAKE UP hungry.  I am allowed h20 and that is it.  The kicker is that you go in (hopefully not having to wait too long) and drink a sugary and nasty drink then you wait one hour to have your bloodwork done.  I believe you get the results that day or the next.  If you do not pass you get to come back and do the same test again but it takes about three hours for those tests and bloodwork.

I have been pretty good about watching what I eat and my weight gain.  At my 23 weeks appointment I was up 9 lbs which is really good.  So I am hoping and praying I pass the glucose test.  There is not a history of gestational diabetes in my family so fingers crossed I do not start the pattern!!  There are so many different aspects of being pregnant that you do not realize until you are actually pregnant.  I feel like I can read all the books in the world and I am still learning something new. 

My next step in this process is signing up for some birthing classes for DH and I.  We also really need to look into some pediatricians in the area.  The list is never ending-sometimes overwhelming and stressful.

Cravings:  H20, OJ, Pumpkin & Gingerbread Lattes!!

Baby Boy's Stats.

Heart Rate: 155

Mama's weight gain +9 lbs.

Hospital Tour.

Eek.  So hubby and I went on our hospital tour on 10/20/2012.  It was overwhelming, interesting and exciting all at the same time.  This was our second attempt at touring the hospital (the first one was cancelled).  I was thinking I would have to go by myself.  Ras was supposed to work but luckily he worked his magic and was able to attend.  We started out by going into the hospital and seeing where to check in at.  We will be delivering at the Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, SC.  A South Carolinian baby.  :)  They have an actual Women's Center which is gorgeous. 

http://www.piedmontmedicalcenter.com/en-us/ourservices/medicalservices/pages/maternitycare.aspx

We started the tour and went up to the Labor & Delivery rooms.  We were shown the waiting area as well as cafeteria.  Then we went into a labor room.  It is very a single, private room which is awesome.  Very spacious with a couch which becomes a bed (for daddy) a TV, X-Box or Play Station Connection, free Wi-fi, etc.  The birthing room at first looks like a bed but the it transforms into whatever you need it to be.  You can pull the leg stirrups from underneath and use the stirrups for your feet, your legs or even squat to birth...yes squat.  There are hand rails that can go on your sides, in front or above you.  Really you can give birth any way that feels comfortable.  The botton of the bed pulls out for when the doctor comes and a bucket with a red hazard bag is attached to the bed to catch all the nasty stuff!!  That part was overwhelming.  We were also told you could have up to 4 people in the room with you.  So if anyone other than Ras is in the room it would be my mom.  Also no video cameras (thank god!!!) and no vagina shots except for the birth.  I want to remember my vagina nice and pretty not stretched out and huge.

Then the nurse started talking about the baby and how they do the skin to skin method (aka the Kangaroo Method).  I have heard a lot of positive things about this method so I am excited they practice it.  The other awesome thing is that the baby gets cleaned, weighed, etc right there in the room with you.  Each room has a small area where baby can get the extra TLC he or she needs after birth.  The nurse even stated they have a nursery but now a days no one uses it.  The baby stays in the room with mom and dad the entire time...unless you need a break and want to send them to the nursery. 

The hospital also has lowjacks for any child under 10 years of age.  She stated that if baby gets anywhere close to a doorway the entire hospital locks down until baby is located.  I absolutely loved hearing this.  A few months ago I had read an article on a women in Cali attempting to steal a newborn from the hospital.  They had lowjacks and were able to stop her and retrieve the baby (whom she had placed in a duffle bag).  People are crazy so that extra piece of mind made my day.




http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/jack_newman2.html

She also went over with us some classes they offer for free to mommas and daddies to be who are planning on giving birth at the Women's Center.  I plan on taking advantage of these classes and the lactation specialists on call to help. 

http://www.piedmontmedicalcenter.com/en-us/cwsapps/findanevent.aspx

The last part of the tour was the nursery.  I was really hoping to see some babies but it was empty.  See previous paragraph.  But all in all the tour was amazing.  I feel better knowing and seeing where Baby Patel will be born.  Now I just need to mentally get ready for him to come out of my vagina....

What's in a name??

Hmm.

Interesting question to ask.  Ras and I have been debating about what to name our little guy.  I will say choosing a baby name is no easy task especially in the Indian culture.  Apparantly based on the birth (date, time, etc) and astrology decifers how the baby name is chosen.  This process is called Raashis.  There is also a ceremony known as Namkaran which is held at home or in the temple where the baby's name is shared.  I find this process of deciding a name to be interesting however it is not necessarily my first option.  I like the idea of the two of us being active participants throughout the pregnancy in choosing a name we both love-not a name based on when the baby is born.  It seems more stressful to me to have someone tell us what the name should sound like or start with and choose a name on the spot.   



To be quite honest I already have a name I love for our little guy so while I can respect my husband's culture I also want to have a name picked out.  After doing some research I found the name Ari (which is Indian) and a name I love.  I wanted to incorporate my Nonna's middle name into the baby's name (no matter the sex) so I really like Ari Domenico. 

Hubby has said he likes Ari as well.  We have also discussed the names Deven and Dhru (Drew).  The more this little guy moves around and beomes active the more I want to give him a name. 

Small rant:
Some people (family and friends) have an opinion on everything.  I like that name, I don't like it, it's ugly, it doesn't sound Indian or Italian enough.  UGH.  How annoying.  PS it is not your kid and not coming out of your vagina so thanks but no thanks on your opinions!  Name your kid whatever you want but this is our son. 



Rant over.

We were thinking if we find a name we love-we will just keep it a secret until he arrives and then announce his name. 

Juliet:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Babymoon...Day Two.

Day two of our babymoon was all about being touristy.  We started the morning with eating at Paula Dean's restaurant.  I would like to say Paula I love you dearly but the reservations and long wait was not worth it!  Lady and Sons was a nice little venue but you paid $17 for a buffett.  I was thinking you got to order whatever you wanted.  Um no.  The buffett had your typical southern fixin'-chicken, mashed potatoes, collard greens, mac 'n cheese, sweet potatoes, etc.  Definitely southern but not worth it.  I had more fun at the little shop attached to the restaurant where I bought some cute knick knacks.



True story.



Those sweet potatoes were delicious!



After Paula's we went back to downtown Savannah and took a tour bus around town.  We paid $27/per person and go to get off and on as much as we wanted to.  We were able to see some pretty awesome places along the way.



Gorgeous fountain.





I see dead people.



Call me-maybe??



I want to suck your blood.



Walk the plank.

Babymoon...Day One.

Ras and I decided to take a babymoon. 

Babymoon Definition:  The period before the baby is born-can be compared to a honeymoon.  After the baby is born the mother and father will not get to do the same things due to the responsibility of having a baby.

One last hoorah-I guess you could say.  So back to the babymoon.  We decided to go to Savannah.  Ras has been there in the past.  I heard it is beautiful there (comparable to Charleston, SC-which I loved).  We left for our babymoon early Saturday morning and spent the weekend and most of Monday in Savannah. 

Savannah is quite gorgeous.  There is a lot of history there.  The buildings are stunning and the food is pretty awesome.  My husband is very touristy by nature so he had some ideas planned on places to go and things to do.  On Friday we went to a lighthouse on Typee Island.  The Island was fun and low key.  We got some beautiful pictures while there.  We did walk the entire lighthouse....all 178 steps.  I guess I missed the memo that it is not recommended for pregnant women to walk the lighthouse.  21 weeks pregnant and I was totally out of breathe but I made it!  The view was worth it.  Once we left there we ended our night at the beach.

http://www.tybeelighthouse.org/index.php




Hubby and I.  (Baby boy as well!)



Lighthouse.



Beautiful.



21 weeks preggers.



We made it to the top!

Let's move on to the candy store:



Making taffy.



Yes it really flew at you!



Mama needs some gelato after that workout.

Things no one tells you about being pregnant.

So I am slowly learning all these new things as my body changes.  First of all I have always been a person who pees a lot.  Well hello holy crap I am peeing like every 45 minutes.  This makes for an interesting car ride back north to my mom's.  8.5 hours of driving equals a crap ton of peeing.  This has got to be the best sign ever on the drive!!



Speaking of liquids not only do you pee a lot but you secrete a lot of liquids in your chach...stock up on panty liners.  You will need them daily literally.  I wish I would of known this sooner!!!  With that extra liquid comes extra yeast...yes yeast and yeast infections.  FML. 

PS your boobs really do get sore and hurt so damn much!!!!!!!!!  Oh and they start to get dry and almost crusty.  Vomit.  I know this is all part of being pregnant but really no one lets you know about these things.  I have literally 'googled' these things to make sure I am normal.  Oh and definitely join pregnancy blogspots like thebump.com.  Those ladies will talk about and share anything with you.

In closing apparently during labor you can TEAR your vagina like seriously tear it and it hurts.  I have read about getting sewed back up and having to wear an ice pack in a diaper to ease the pain.  On top of all that you need to take stool softeners to make your poop softer so you do not have to push as hard for a bowel movement and your vagina does not hurt (as much) while healing.  WTF???  I asked my obgyn is it is at all possible to be put under anesthesia during birth and he laughed.  I guess he thought I was JOKING!!!

Gender Reveal (20 Weeks Pregnant).

September 30th, 2012:
Well keeping secrets is definitely not my thing but I was able to keep Baby Patel's gender a secret (well almost a secret.)  We opted to tell my mom over the phone together on Saturday since using the computer is not her thing. 

We did a gender reveal on Ras's day off.  I had to keep the secret for a good four days and it was rough!!  I ordered some baby blue balloons from the party store and made a cute sign with baby blue and pale pink polka dots that said 'It's A...'.  I also made a few signs to use in the reveal.  Daddy's Girl for Ras, Mama's Boy for me and a sign for our dog which said  'I'm getting a little brother'. 

All in all the idea, theme and pictures came out cute.  Our neighbor came over to help us to take the pics-thanks again Christy!  I will say balloons coming out of a box is not an easy thing to take pictures of.  Next time I will use the string of the ballon and put it through the bottom of the box then tie a knot.  Once that box opened and those balloons took off it was hard to actually capture that moment! I could of faked the moment again and again until it was picture perfect if I had tied those balloons down.  ;)  We put the pics together as a collage and emailed/facebooked it to family and friends.