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Davis’ Birth Story

Finally…11 days after welcoming our Sweet Davis into the world, I feel like I have a few minutes to spare and get a post out about his special day. It all happened so quickly that I’m afraid if I don’t document it….I’ll forget some parts of it, but I can assure you, there is no way I will forget all of it. It was just too real.

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As I’ve mentioned in previous pregnancy updates, this pregnancy was for the most part….perfect. I hate to say that, but it’s the truth. God has blessed me with 2 very “easy” pregnancies with just a little bit of elevated blood pressure towards the end, at the 38th week to be exact. Luckily, my elevated pressure has never escalated into pre-eclampsia, so I think, that’s just the way my body lets me know that it’s getting ready to do its thing.

In my last post I told you that when I went to the Dr they requested some extra tests due to my higher blood pressure. I was hooked up to a non stress test and everything was fine, I did the 24 hour urine, and it was normal, but my blood pressure was still high so Dan and I headed over to the hospital on Wednesday the 19th so they could get my lab results and monitor me and the baby for a little while. After everything checked out normal, my Dr. came in and checked me for dilation and I was 2-3 cm, and 60% effaced which was exciting for me, but could still mean little, so we scheduled a follow up appointment for me on Christmas Eve, and an induction for the 27th, just in case my blood pressure remained elevated. I was bummed, about the scheduled induction but still hopeful that just maybe our baby would come on his own.  Dan and I were discharged from the hospital and went out for Mexican before picking up our little Man at his Grandmas house, and enjoyed what neither one of us knew would be our last night as a family of 3 before putting G to bed.

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The last photo we have of our family of 3!

My contractions started around 8:30 that evening, but I thought they were just Braxton Hicks at first. That was until they started coming pretty regularly, but still between 9-11 minutes apart. I opened up my contraction timer app on my phone and started keeping track. The contractions continued throughout the night while we were relaxing and watching TV but they were still pretty far apart. Around 10:45 I decided to head to bed but just in case, I made sure all of our hospital bags were packed and ready should I go into labor. My contractions increased in intensity and got closer together so needless to say I didn’t get any sleep and finally at 12:08 am, I woke up Dan and told him I thought we may need to go to the hospital as I was calling my Dr’s office. My water hadn’t broken but my contractions were averaging about 3-4 minutes apart and lasting about a minute and a half each and they told us to come on in. We called my MIL and she came over to stay with G, Dan grabbed our bags and pillows, I kissed my Little Man and told him how much I loved him, tucked him in once more and we were off. Lucky for us the hospital is only 7 minutes away from our house; because my contractions were very intense at this point and I was ready for a little relief.

We got to the hospital at 12:30 and they checked me in, took me to my room, and got me all situated then they checked me for progress and I was 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant, at 3.5cm, with contractions still coming every 2 minutes and still lasting about a minute and a half. They asked me if I wanted an epidural and I said yes, so they brought someone in to get my IV going so I could get a liter of fluid. They require you to have at least a liter before they administer the epidural, and after they blew through the vein on my left hand they went for a vein on my right and started my IV. At this point the on call Dr, who I had seen at the hospital earlier that day (well technically the day before) came in and checked me for progress again to make sure I could stay and I was at 7.5 cm and 90% effaced!! This was probably about a half an hour after they checked me the first time!! Dan and I couldn’t believe how quickly I had progressed and obviously, I was admitted to stay.  My contractions were really really painful and coming very fast, and I overheard the nurse telling Dan that I may be able to have this baby without any epidural. I then heard him say, “don’t let her hear that” and I couldn’t agree more. I was really uncomfortable and in a lot of pain but still hadn’t even come close to getting the entire liter of fluid in me. I continued to labor a little while longer and Dan could tell that I was seriously in a lot of pain and asked the nurse to check me again. After a few minutes she did and my water broke. She also informed us that I was at 9.5 cm and that I wasn’t going to be able to get an epidural because the baby was coming. I was shocked, and a little pissed, and scared to death, but there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. I was going to have to suck it up and have this baby naturally.

They called all of the nurses and Dr to come in and told me to let them know when I felt like I needed to push. It wasn’t long before I was screaming through my contractions and ready to push.  I was that obnoxious pregnant woman yelling because I could feel everything, and it hurt…a lot. My Dr. told me to re-direct my cries to pushing and I don’t know how, but with some deep yoga breathing and a change of focus, I was able to, and our nameless baby boy was born a few minutes later. I distinctly remember saying “Thank God” when I felt the last of his tiny little body come out at 2:08 am. They waited for him to cry, let me see his perfect little pink body and took him to check his lungs for meconium. My Dr. finished up my delivery and checked me out and let me know that I wasn’t going to need any stitches because I was in such control of my body and the instructions he gave me while pushing. Again….I was shocked and happy but couldn’t take my eyes off of my perfect little boy who when the nurse asked Dan what his name was he said, “Davis” which was my first choice 🙂  He weighed in at 7lbs 13oz, and was 20 inches long.  (Garrett was 7lbs 8oz and 20 inches long)

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Healthy Baby Boy!

The time between when I woke up Dan at 12:08 and the time Davis was born at 2:08, was the fastest, most surreal thing I have ever been through. So fast in fact that we didn’t even have our real camera to take pictures after the delivery. It was in the baby’s bag, which Dan had left in the car in his mad rush to get me up to my hospital room. Thank goodness for camera phones

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I was amazed at how alert Davis was after he was born, because I had no medication in my system, he nursed right away for about 40 minutes and was wide awake for about 2 hours after that. I was also much more mobile, and didn’t have nearly as much pain as I did with Garrett and my third degree tear from him. Garrett’s birth story and Davis’ birth story were very different but the end result was exactly the same. We had 2 beautiful, healthy baby boys, and I was once again amazed that we created this perfect little life and that he grew inside me for 9 months.  It truly is such a miraculous thing, and I am once again, so thankful and so incredibly blessed.

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Garrett

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Davis

Let the chaos of raising a newborn and a toddler begin!

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1 Comment
by Jenny on December 31, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family, Life, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on December 31, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/12/31/davis-birth-story/

Weekend re-cap and my 38 week check up!

It’s been a trying couple of days for everyone as we can’t even turn on the news without being reminded of the horrible events that took place in Sandy Hook, CT on Friday. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the victims, families, and the entire community, I can’t even imagine what they must be going through, but my hope is that they can find peace in knowing that their Angels are safe and sound and watching over them from above. I thank God every day for all of the blessings in my life and now more than ever I am reminded to not take a single moment, tear, hug or tantrum for granted. Despite this tragedy, I am amazed at just how much love and support our world is capable of, and I hope that this trend of good can continue to trump the evil that we live with.

To continue on a “good note” Dan and I hosted a Christmas party at our house on Saturday and it was a huge success! We only asked that our guests bring their appetite and an unwrapped gift that we could donate to Toys for Tots and I am so pleased with the amount of gifts we collected. I feel that this is a season for rejoicing in the birth of our Savior, remembering our blessings, and giving to those that have an impact on our lives as well as those that are less fortunate than we are. Dan and I worked hard for the few days leading up to our party. We shopped, I baked, we cleaned, and cooked, and by the time our guests arrived we were as ready as we were going to be. It was great to see everyone happy and enjoying each others’ company despite everything that had transpired, and I loved seeing all of the kids dressed up in their Christmas outfits. We ended up having a little over 30 people, and our house was bustling with holiday cheer which makes my heart smile. I was a little pre-occupied with everything that was going on so I didn’t take a single picture, but my friend Brittany did, so I ever so graciously borrowed one of the pictures she posted on her blog yesterday

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Brittany and her adorable daughter Hailey, me, Christie, and Susan as well as some of the food we had!

It’s hard to believe Christmas is only 1 week away! This month has flown by and even though I won’t be in Ohio with my family for the first time ever this year, I am looking forward to my parents coming into town this weekend to celebrate with us as well as starting our own Christmas traditions with our little family.

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On another note, I had my 38 week check-up today and honestly I feel like I should just refer you back to my 38 week post when I was pregnant with Garrett. This appointment went almost exactly as my 38 week check up went with him, which is unfortunately, not what I was hoping it would be, but it could be much worse. To sum it up, my blood pressure has been great this whole pregnancy, very much normal for me, and I actually even lost a pound at my 37 week check-up, so I had high hopes finishing up this pregnancy. However, when the nurse took my BP today, for the first time, it read high…..perhaps it is just my body’s way of preparing for labor, perhaps I overdid it a little over the past few days, or perhaps it is just a fluke, but either way, it happened, and it’s disheartening to me. I started getting a little bit of swelling over the weekend though nothing nearly as bad as I had it with G, and I worked pretty hard getting ready for the party, and trying to finish everything up for Christmas and our little guy’s arrival so I’m resting a lot today, and I feel fine but I am repeating everything I had to do with Garrett at 38 weeks. I had protein in my urine today (sign of pre-eclampsia) and my pressure was high even though it had lowered the second and third times they took it, but my Dr. decided to hook me up to a monitor for a non stress test (basically it monitors my heartbeat and the baby’s heartbeat and the way he reacts every time he moves or I have a contraction) and everything looked fine for that but I still have to do a 24 hour urine test again, and go back for another check-up tomorrow. If my pressure continues to be elevated or they find more protein in my urine I will most likely have to be induced again, which I really wanted to avoid this time. But again, I feel fine, and baby is healthy, and it could be a lot worse so I’m staying positive, and resting, and drinking lots of water in the mean time.

Here is a modified breakdown of my 38th week!

How far along? 38 weeks 2 days

Total Weight Gain: Around 32 lbs (I blame the beginning of my water retention and too many Christmas cookies)

How I’m feeling: A little uncomfortable and ready to meet this little guy

Sleep: As long as I don’t wake up in the middle of the night I’m ok, but if I get up, I have a hard time falling back to sleep.

Best Moments: Hosting a successful Christmas party, and getting caught up on my wrapping

Movement: Not as much as he was moving but is still definitely shifting

What I am looking forward to: Celebrating Christmas with my parents this weekend

Milestones: He could come any day now!

5 Comments
by Jenny on December 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Holidays, Life, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on December 18, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/12/18/weekend-re-cap-and-my-38-week-check-up/

36 Weeks, and a Little G update!

Woohoo!!!!  Less than 4 weeks until we meet our little one!  I’m definitely in the homestretch and I can feel it, mostly in good ways, with only a few not so good ways 🙂  I realize how incredibly fortunate I am to have had such an easy pregnancy so far, but that doesn’t make me any less anxious to hold my new baby.

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36 weeks 2 days

Before I go into detail about how I’m doing, I want to touch base on G….as he won’t be the sole purpose of my Baby posts for too much longer and  you all know how much I love to share pictures of my little man!  I am still doing all that I can to soak up every single minute I have with just Garrett, and even though I’m not able to physically do as much with him as I would like to, I am enjoying his company all the more.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he is at such a FUN age!  I love watching him learn every day.  He is a little over 17 months now and still growing like a weed.  And although he is not yet talking (but babbles with the best of them) he points at everything and makes some semblance of a word, and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a few words that I know he is saying, even though others may not hear them.  He had his first case of pink eye, and a sinus infection a few weeks ago and he had to be on antibiotics for about a week, and even though like any parent, I hate seeing my child sick and feeling helpless, he remained in good spirits for the most part and we were able to find out his weight when he went to the Dr.  He is just over 28lbs, and I’m still guessing at this one but I’d say he’s around 35 or so inches long.  We go in the day after Christmas for his 18 month well check and will have his official stats then, but that is where he is now.  Not to mention, we took him to get new shoes over the weekend and he is in a size 8!!!!  Talk about feeling guilty, I had him in size 6 shoes that he was measured for a few months back, and to find out he is 2 sizes bigger than that!!! Oops…..this child’s feet grow too fast, and I guess that I’ll know better for next time that I should probably be taking him every 6-8 weeks rather than every 12 or so weeks.  I feel like his torso has grown significantly in the last few months, he is in 24 month to 2T clothing, because everything else is too short on him, and the length in 24 month pants is good, but he is still a skinny little guy so unfortunately those pant continue to fall off of him.  His hair is getting longer and thicker every day, and he’s decided that pear juice works just as well as hair gel when you want to get that gently tousled look.

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Who needs hair gel when you have pears!

Like I said, he’s not talking yet, but he will sign for us when he’s all done, hungry, wants his milk, and his comprehension skills are great.  You can ask him to bring you something or put it away and he will do it!  We transitioned him into his “big boy” room last week and didn’t have a single hiccup.  I think he likes his new space as he’s brought books and toys into his room and now that he doesn’t have a bumper on his crib, he can reach through and pull out his blankie or paci when he wants them.  We’ve pretty much got him down to only taking a pace for nap or bedtime, or and for a couple of minutes when he is dropped off if he is upset, but otherwise, he doesn’t really miss it.  He’s got 12 teeth, and is currently working on his canines, which luckily don’t seem to be bothering him too much right now, but I’m sure as they push closer to the surface he’ll be a little uncomfortable.  Otherwise, he is such a happy camper!  He plays very well independently which I think will help us a lot when his brother is born, but he is also starting to play with other kids as well.  Some of his favorite things are to love on Oscar, Thank Goodness he is so tolerant of him, Kuno on the other hand just walks away from Garrett when he sees him coming 🙂

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Hugs for his best buddy!

He has recently begun playing with an old toy once again…though in an entirely different context…..lately one of his favorite activities is to push his activity center all around the lower level of the house….and if he comes to a wall, or another obstacle…he will pick the whole toy up and change it’s direction.

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He will seriously do this for about 15 minutes at a time and by the time he’s finished, he is red in the face and kind of sweaty because it’s such a workout for him.  It’s pretty entertaining to watch.  He also still LOVES his spider-man bike and will ride that thing around in circles for as long as we’ll let him!!

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He brings so much joy to my life every day and I thank God constantly for choosing me to be his Mom…..I can’t wait to see what he is like as a big brother!

Now…onto what is left of this pregnancy!  I still can’t believe I am less than 4 weeks from my due date…..time is going very quickly which is probably why I have been feeling an incredible nesting urge lately.  Like I mentioned before…G is officially in his big boy room, and doing great……our house is decorated for Christmas, complete with outdoor lights courtesy of my amazing hubby,  I have all of G’s Christmas shopping finished and I am diligently working on the rest of it….with hopes of being finished by the end of next week…..then it’s onto the wrapping!

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Since we will not be able to be in Ohio with my family for Christmas this year (first time in my entire life I will not wake up on Christmas morning under my parents roof, and be a part of a Brunner or Palmer family Christmas party, we have decided to host our own Christmas party at our house….2 weeks before my due date :-0  Crazy……possibly, but it means a lot to me to do it, so I’m going to go for it, and I’m really excited!  Just have to start on the cookie baking!

Even though the new baby will not be in his nursery for about a month, I have it almost completely ready for him, other than the name on the wall, which I am happy to say we have narrowed down to 2 possibilities, but probably won’t actually name him until he’s born.  I finally broke down and bought some newborn clothes (which for whatever reason I was having a really hard time doing) but he’s a winter baby, unlike G so weather appropriate newborn clothes are a necessity, and something that we had to buy more of….the infant seat is in the van, and we’ve pulled down from storage all of the “newborn essentials”  So as far as baby goes……I’m pretty close to being ready and that makes me feel good, but I am still happy to have quite a bit to do (thanks to the Holiday) so that I can keep my mind from dwelling only on when this baby will come!  Now on to my monthly update!

How far along?  36 weeks 2 days

Total Weight Gain: 28ish lbs from my first appointment, I go back on Thursday as my weekly appointments have begun!

How I’m feeling:  Still pretty good, although with G, and myself being sick over the last 2 weeks, my workouts haven’t been as consistent…now that we’re all healthy again I am looking forward to getting back into my groove…..spinning/strength class on Mondays, Prenatal Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and still trying to spin on Wednesdays as well…..with a few lower milage walks added in here and there…..believe it or not, it’s the walking that seems to take the biggest toll on my body…..my back is really sore by the time I’m finished.

Maternity Clothes:  That’s a given

Cravings:   Still carbs, though veggies have thankfully worked their way back into the mix

Sleep:  I’ve gotten my maternity pillow back out….I didn’t use it for a while because it bothered my neck but now it’s great again, however I have been finding that I’m getting cramps in my calves at night as well as getting really hot if I’m under all of my covers, but my skin is cold to the touch if I am out of my covers.

Best Moments this month:  Crossing off items from my “to do” list, and knowing that in less than a month (hopefully) we will meet our second son

Movement: He’s still a little wild man…..flips and turns, hard spots here and there, and surfing across my belly are all regular occurrences, along with the hiccups every once in a while

Belly Button:  It’s out, but not too much

What I am looking forward to:  Finishing my shopping, wrapping, our Christmas party, The Nutcracker, Christmas, and of course meeting our baby!

Milestones: Baby is considered full term should I go into early labor!

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It’s almost time!

2 Comments
by Jenny on December 4, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family, Holidays, Pregnancy

Posted by Jenny on December 4, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/12/04/36-weeks-and-a-little-g-update/

32 Week Update

32 weeks 4 days….once again I feel like my belly has filled out a bit since last month

Today I am 32.5 weeks which means that I only have 52 more days until Baby’s due date!  I’m sure the next 7.5 weeks are going to fly by so I’ve really started working on getting everything together/in order in case he decides to come early, which I honestly have no idea whether he will or not.  Since I was induced at 39 weeks with Garrett, I don’t know if I’m more prone to going early, later, or right on time.  I know, no one ever really does, but just in case, my goal is to have everything done and ready by December 15th.  I finally got Garrett’s new bedroom furniture ordered, and actually received a call a few days ago that it was in, so now we’re just waiting on a delivery to be set up!  I also got the second camera for our summer infant monitor so that I can have cameras in both boys rooms.  I bought the mattress, changing pad, and some sheets etc. and now I’m just trying to figure out what I’m going to do for curtains in G’s new room.  Unfortunately, his new room is at the front of the house so the sun shines on it most of the day and it gets pretty warm, and also stays pretty light so I’m thinking if I don’t do black out curtains, I’m at least going to have to get some that are heavy and lined.  Once again, I’m so lucky that I have a handy Mother-in-law so if all else fails, and I ask nicely, she can make some for me 😉 Other than the curtains, I just have to pick up a few things for the walls, and perhaps some shelving for books and toys, but I’d like to wait until I have the furniture in his room so that I can match it as closely as possible.  We’re getting closer to having a name picked out though nothing is set in stone yet , but as long as we have a couple of possibilities, I don’t think I will mind waiting until he is born to see which name fits him better.  Oh who am I kidding, I know myself and I’m more than likely going to want need to have it picked out before then.  Either way, we do have the middle name picked out already so that is a start.  I don’t know why boys names are so hard for us!

I had a Dr’s appointment today and this pregnancy continues to be uneventful which I’m very thankful for.  I haven’t had any complications, and I feel good overall, in fact I spend more time in the waiting room than I do with the actual Dr. but again, I’d rather have it uneventful because that just means that Baby and I are healthy.  I do have to admit though, since I haven’t had an ultrasound since my Anatomy Scan at 18 weeks, I’m itching to get another peak at him.  Perhaps I’ll get one later, but if not, I guess that’s a good thing as well!  Just makes me even more excited to see his precious little face when he’s born!  My weight is within the range of where it should be, my blood pressure is still great, and my belly is measuring right at 28 cm which exactly where it should be, so with that being said, maybe he will come right around or on his due date….there’s just no way to tell!

Monthly Update

How far along?  32 weeks 4 days

Total Weight Gain: 24 lbs from my first appointment

How I’m feeling:  Still pretty good.  Continuing to exercise 4-5 times a week.  Same old lower back pressure and round ligament pain, along with some intermittent heart burn, however, it is getting more and more uncomfortable to roll from side to side in bed, and sometimes it feels like my back and lower belly cramp up when I get up from sitting for a while.  But all of this is to be somewhat expected for both the third trimester and a second baby, and it could be much worse, so again, I’m just grateful.

Maternity Clothes:  Of course

What I’m craving:  Not much that is good for me.  Carbs, carbs, and more carbs.  Apples and peanut butter, chocolate and peanut butter, pretty much anything that goes well with peanut butter

Sleep:  Ehhh

Best Moments this month:  Finally feeling like I am crossing off things on my massive “to do” list

Movement: yes, more rolls than jabs but he’s still very active

Belly Button:  Slightly out, I think I have an oddly shaped belly button, and I’m not sure that it will officially “pop” but randomly it will be sore, and feels like I have a bruise all around it.  I’m thinking it may be from my past belly button piercing??

What I miss:  A comfortable nights sleep

What I am looking forward to:  Thanksgiving!!  Family coming back into town, and finishing up Garrett’s new room

Milestones: I’m in the home stretch!

Getting so excited to meet you little guy!

If you’d like to read about my second pregnancy so far:

11.5 weeks…The Big Announcement

16 Weeks

What I’d like to do differently this time around

20 Weeks

24 Weeks

28 Weeks

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by Jenny on November 8, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Exercise, Holidays, Pregnancy

Posted by Jenny on November 8, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/11/08/32-week-update/

Third Trimester!

I can’t believe we’re in the final countdown!  This is it….my last trimester before we meet our new sweet baby boy!

28 weeks, 4 days

Less than 12 weeks until Garrett becomes a big brother and we become a family of 4!  Time has started to speed up again, and I’m still feeling pretty good overall, let’s just hope I can keep it up until Baby X decides to join us.  Yes….Baby X is what we are calling him as of right now.  Dan and I are not exactly close to having a name picked out for him yet, and to be honest, we don’t even have a list of “possibilities yet”  Although I’m not too concerned that we don’t know what to call him yet, I still would like to have a name picked out before he is born.  Hopefully in the next few weeks, we can get it together and come up with something that we can agree on.  I’m pretty sure we’ve got the middle name figured out, just need the first!

We had a few rooms in the house painted, one of them is the room that will become Garrett’s Big Boy Room, and I’m really happy with the colors we chose, now we just need to pick out furniture and decorations.  But until we figure out what we want,  it will remain somewhat of a “guest room”  We have family coming into town this weekend, and for Thanksgiving so it’s nice to have the extra space.

I’m having a much harder time deciding how I want to put this new room together.  So far I’ve decided that I don’t want to go with a specific “theme” because like I said this will be Garrett’s “Big Boy Room” for several years to come, but I am not great at putting pieces together without a theme, so this continues to be a struggle for me.  I’m hoping that once I get his furniture figured out, it will become a little bit easier and I guess it’s really about time I start to get serious about this….furniture can take a while to come in if you’re not careful.  Perhaps that will be a task for this weekend when my Mom and Mother in Law are both here!  Helps to have extra sets of eyes!

We’ve decided to keep the nursery as it is, and just make a few minor changes.  It’s the smallest room in the house and it shares a wall with our master, so it’s perfect for a newborn.  Not to mention, it was just redone less than 2 years ago, so I still like it.

Obviously we have to change the name above the crib, but otherwise, we don’t have much to do, which makes it easier on everyone.  I already feel like I’ve got a ton of stuff to do to get ready for the upcoming holidays and new baby so one less thing is much appreciated!

I had a check-up today and everything continues to progress as it should.  I’m still exercising regularly (about 5 days a week) spinning, strength, pre-natal yoga, and walking and although I’ve had some lower back pain, and some pelvic pressure as of late, working out actually makes me feel better so I’m going to continue doing it until I can’t anymore, which hopefully won’t be for another 12 or so weeks!

Monthly Update

How far along?  28 weeks 4 days

Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs (sheesh)from my first appointment

Symptoms:  Still some lower back pain, and heartburn along with some pelvic pressure (most likely because I’m carrying this baby lower than I did G)

Maternity Clothes:  Oh yeah

Food Cravings of the week:  Caramels, apples

Sleep:  Is going alright, but still not great

Best Moment this week:  I’m just enjoying the simple everyday pleasures with my family…specifically, the cooler temps and this little guys’ smile!

Movement: All the time, he doesn’t like when anything is pushing on “his space”

Belly Button:  It’s at the surface

What I miss:  Nothing in particular 

What I am looking forward to:  My parents in town for the weekend, a family visit to the pumpkin patch, watching Garrett enjoy the season

Milestones: Third Trimester!  Less than 12 weeks to go (hopefully)

 

 

2 Comments
by Jenny on October 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on October 11, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/10/11/third-trimester/

24 Week Update

Only about 3.5 more months until we meet our next Little Man!!  In my last pregnancy update I shared how I felt like this pregnancy is going much faster than my first, well, I don’t what it is but now it feels like it’s just creeping along.  I’m sure that will change again once we really get into fall and all of the fun holidays that are coming up, but until then, I’m trying to enjoy every minute.  Really, if I think about it, I’m less than 4 weeks away from my third trimester, and when put that way, it sounds pretty great!

Even though time feels like it has slowed down,  I  think the baby has gone through a growth spurt since my half way point, but I had a Dr.’s appointment today and was assured that everything is measuring right where it should be!

Other than my fatigue returning a little bit over the past few weeks, and the occasional bout of lower back pain, I feel really good!  I’m still exercising about 5 days a week and my energy during the day is great!  It’s just that by 9:00 I’m usually wiped out.  But early bedtimes are sort of a must in this house as Garrett is an early riser, and is typically awake between 5:45 and 6:15.  Luckily he is great at entertaining himself in his crib in the mornings until we are awake and ready to start our day!

Monthly Update

How far along?  24 weeks, 3 days

Total Weight Gain: 15lbs from my first appointment

Symptoms:  Some lower back pain

Maternity Clothes:  Yes, and desperately looking for a new dress to wear to a wedding next weekend

Food Cravings of the week:  Oatmeal, apples and peanut butter and ice cream

Sleep:  Not the best.  I’m having a hard time picking pillows to use, and unfortunately my snoogle pillow that I used during my first pregnancy makes my neck hurt.  However I do notice that I sleep more soundly on Tuesdays and Thursdays after my pre-natal yoga class

Best Moment this week:  Watching Garrett walk around laughing outside while playing with the dogs (this is a big deal because since he’s started walking he’s hated to do it anywhere but inside)

Movement: Rolls, kicks and punches are in full effect and Dan has felt him move too!

Belly Button:  Innie but quickly approaching the surface

What I miss:  Being able to lean forward during a tough sprint sequence on the stationary bike in spinning classes

What I am looking forward to:  Fall, our good friends wedding in St Louis next weekend, my visit to Ohio the following weekend to see some of my best friends and to meet their new daughters!

Milestones: Creeping into the third trimester with only 16 weeks to go!

1 Comment
by Jenny on September 12, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on September 12, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/09/12/24-week-update/

Boy oh Boy…

…Am I going to be outnumbered!  Not that I’m not outnumbered as it is already.  I grew up in a home with 3 brothers, and I live with my Hubby, my sweet Little G, and our 2 lovable Boxers, and now we’re going to be adding another BOY to the mix!!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely thrilled that we have another HEALTHY baby boy coming and I know God has a plan all worked out for me, I just think that before he gives me my sweet little princess he wants to test me 😉

Honestly, the more I think about it…the more excited I get!  I mean how cool is it going to be to have 2 little boys that are 18 months apart!  They’ll only be one grade apart in school, and I just have this feeling that they are going to be Best Friends, and probably worst enemies at times too but one thing is for sure, and that is that they will have one another.  To play with, to look up to, to look out for, and to beat up on for the rest of their lives.  Regardless of what they go through, they will always have each other, and that just makes me so happy!  Not to say there isn’t a chance that they will be polar opposites, but it doesn’t matter, they will still have one another.  And to me that is just the neatest thing.  Not to mention, they can share toys, and clothes, and I get to dress them in matching outfits for Holidays!!!  I don’t know about you but I always think it’s so adorable when I’m at Church on Sunday and I see 2 little boys, dressed up in similar outfits.  I just love it, and you better believe that’s going to be me, and my boys 🙂

I have no idea who these boys are, but seriously…how cute are they!!!

Now that we know what we are having, we get to go through the whole picking the perfect name process again which was a little difficult with Garrett because Dan and I couldn’t agree on anything, fingers crossed it’s a bit easier this time around.  I also get to start picking out color schemes for the new bedroom!  We have yet to decide if we’re going to keep G in the room he’s in so as not to throw too much change to him at once (plus he is soooooo comfortable in his room I hate to take him from it) but the new room that we will be making a baby room is a bit bigger and farther from our bedroom, and eventually we would like to have Garrett and his little brother in the bigger room together so what do we do???  Do we switch G to the new room now and perhaps just try to keep it as much of the same as possible or do we put the new baby in the new room and let G stay where he is?  In a perfect world we would move G, and he would do great! just hope for the best, but again, I’m worried that all this change will throw him for a loop, and that’s not fair to him. I just want to do what’s best for my sweet boy.

So we’ve got some decisions to make but we’re very excited to be making them, and to add a new chapter to our life story!  I go back to the Dr’s in a week and a half for my 20 week check-up, so I’ll post a baby and a bump update then!  I can’t believe I’m almost half way through my pregnancy!  That means that fall is just around the corner and I am definitely looking forward to cooler weather for our morning walks!

Any advice on the second bedroom dilemma??

1 Comment
by Jenny on August 2, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family, Life, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on August 2, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/08/02/boy-oh-boy/

16 Weeks…Baby #2

16 weeks with Baby #2

I am just over 16 weeks pregnant with Baby #2!  Hard to believe that in 2 short weeks we will find out whether G will have a Baby Brother or a Baby Sister!  I cannot wait!

Dan still thinks we’ll have a girl (I think he’s sort of hoping for a girl because that way he thinks he may be able to talk me into being done 🙂  But I still really don’t have a strong feeling either way.  I’ve always said that I want 3-4 kids, and I’ve made it pretty clear that I will not stop until I have at least one girl, so we shall see.

So far, this pregnancy has been pretty similar to my first, but some of my symptoms seem to be a little more exaggerated than they were before.  I’ve felt more nauseous this time, though thankfully I haven’t been sick at all, and I’m super tired, however, now that I’m into my second trimester, the fatigue has started to subside a bit.  I’ve had quite a few headaches as well, but I had them with Garrett too.  Other than showing much more at 16 weeks this time around than with my first pregnancy, I’m feeling pretty good!

16 weeks with Baby #1

I’m still trying to walk every morning for a little over an hour and I’ve finally, after a few weeks of family in town, and a gym hiatus gotten back to working out.  My goal is to walk 5-6 days a week for an hour each time and to take at least 3 spinning/strength classes a week at my gym.  I bought an unlimited month pass at a yoga studio for half price and I’m really looking forward to using that for some prenatal classes, although I’m still trying to figure out which month I will get the most use out of it.  I go back to the Dr. on Friday for my 16 week check up, but it’s just a listen to the heartbeat and weight/blood pressure check so nothing too exciting.  Happily, I’ve been able to pick up the baby’s heartbeat on the doppler device I have at home and it is consistently higher than G’s was.  It continues to be in the upper 160’s to low 170’s so if the wives tales are correct, than maybe we will have a little girl!  Only 2 more weeks til we will know for sure!

I probably won’t post as much with this pregnancy, because I have a 1 year old who likes to have my undivided attention 🙂 though I am enjoying comparing the two, and I do like to keep my out of town family informed, so look for a Baby #2 update every few weeks, unless I have some  exciting news to share!

Until then…

How far along?  16 weeks 2 days

Total Weight Gain: 7 lbs from first appointment

Symptoms:  Pretty frequent headaches, a little fatigue, and starting to get lower belly pains after working out specifically

Maternity Clothes:  Mostly, yes….have been since about 13 weeks, but still wear some shirts, and can wear 1 pair of pre-pregnancy shorts with my bella band

Food Cravings of the week:  Nothing too crazy…peanut butter, fresh fruit specifically watermelon, still have an aversion to ground beef, loving these  granola energy balls, and have already made 2 batches!!

Sleep:  Not so great….had to break out my pregnancy pillow again…hubby hates it!

Best Moment this week:  Garrett finally took his first unassisted steps!!!!!

Movement: Flutters and bubbles are becoming more obvious

Belly Button:  Innie, but it’s more stretched from last time

What I miss:  Sleeping on my stomach and abdominal exercises

What I am looking forward to:  Anatomy Scan in 2 weeks!

Milestones: 16 weeks, happy and healthy!

4 Comments
by Jenny on July 17, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Exercise, Family, Life, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on July 17, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/07/17/16-weeks-baby-2/

Here we go Again!!

So our little man is just a mere 5 days away from his first birthday!  I seriously cannot believe that just about a year ago I was at the Dr being told that they were going to induce me and we were finally going to be able to meet the sweet little guy who had been rolling around and hiccuping in my belly for what felt like so long!  Now almost a year has gone by and I just want time to slow down he’s getting so big so fast!

And he doesn’t seem to be the only one of us getting bigger 😉

Yep,  he’s definitely not the only one getting bigger, but he is going to be the Big Brother!!!!!!!!

Hard to believe that I am only about 11.5 weeks  pregnant in this picture.  I am living proof that you show much earlier with the second one.  I was probably about 18 or 19 weeks before I looked like this with G, although, my uterus didn’t even get a full year to shrink back to it’s normal size after having Garrett, so I guess it is to be expected.

So yes, we are expecting another little one due to arrive on December 30th 2012!!  I think it will be a New Years Baby, but we shall see!  Our newest addition and G will be almost exactly 18 months apart!  Some may think that is pretty close, and it is, but it’s also pretty common.  One of my brothers and myself are 17 months apart, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!  We have a great relationship and I know that the proximity in our age has a lot to do with that.  My hopes are that Garrett and his little brother or sister will grow up to be best buds, and the farther along I get the more excited I become to add another little addition to our family!

You’re probably wondering if we were “trying” and I can’t say that we were planning it down to the due date but Dan and I have always known that we wanted to have at least 2 that were close in age, so we took on the whatever happens happens approach and I am extremely fortunate that I seem to be a fertile Myrtle, but I’m pretty sure that runs in my family 🙂 so when we found out we were kind of like “well alright…here we go again!”  I’ve been excited about this pregnancy since we found out, but I’ve had other emotions as well.  Some days I would be super pumped and feel like I could take on the world, and others I would find myself saying what the hell am I doing?  I’m still trying to figure out how to be a good Mother to my one child, how am I going to do 2??? But I’ve been reassured that these feelings are all normal, and I’m lucky enough to have the best husband in the world to figure it all out with.  Of course I’ve had my moments of anxiety, specifically before each of my Dr’s appointments, but I’ve had 3 ultrasounds all of which showed a strong heartbeat, and I had my 12 week appointment today where again, I was able to hear the heartbeat through the doppler device.  Not to mention my girlfriend is letting me borrow her handheld doppler so I can listen whenever I feel the need.

My symptoms have been pretty similar to those I had with Garrett, although my first telltale sign that I was pregnant came when I was using my favorite bath and body works lotion (that I’ve been using for years) and it smelled much different than it normally does.  I almost didn’t want to use it again because it smelled so musty to me!  My sense of smell is crazy, I like spicy foods, others seem bland, I’ve been a little more nauseous, but haven’t been sick, ground meat repulses me, and fruits and veggies are my go to snack; also… I am absolutely exhausted, but my Husband swears (even though I think he’s nuts,) that I was this tired with G too. I try to lay down and nap or just relax when G takes his afternoon nap and I’m usually in bed before 10 pm.  But other than that, I’m feeling good!  Really the only other difference with this one is that the heart rate has been consistently higher than Garrett’s was.  G’s was always between 150-155 and this one is usually in the upper 160’s or 170’s.  Dan is convinced that this one is a girl…I think it may be too, but I’m not 100% sure yet, only 6 more weeks until we can find out! My belly started popping out a few weeks ago, and it just gets more and more obvious every day.  I’m just about not able to fit into my pre-pregnancy shorts/pants, so it’s back to the maternity drawers I go!  Luckily I have plenty of summer maternity clothes from last year that I’ll be able to wear, but since I wasn’t very pregnant in the winter with G I’ll have to invest in some winter clothes.  Although, if our fall/winter this year is as mild as it was last year, I may be in pretty good shape!

Alright…this post has gone on long enough….thanks for sticking with me through it.  I’ll continue to do updates on Baby #2 whenever something neat happens along with my other posts!

Now to lay down for a few minutes before G wakes up from his nap 🙂

Have a Great Tuesday!

4 Comments
by Jenny on June 19, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family, Life, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on June 19, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/06/19/here-we-go-again/

Last Post Before Baby!!!!!!!!

Coming Soon…
Yep, it’s true, this will be my very last post before we welcome our Baby Boy (and the star of my blog) into the world!!  I can’t believe it’s actually happening!  It feels like we’ve been waiting forever, and now that I know it’s actually coming…tomorrow…it feels so surreal!  I’m sure it won’t really hit me until we walk into the hospital, but I am over the moon either way!
Are we ready you ask???  Well…can you ever really be ready for a baby?? I’m not so sure, but what I do know  is that our lives will be forever changed, (for the better of course) and we are super excited to embark on this journey together as a family.  I could not ask for a better husband and partner to share this incredible experience with and I know Dan will be an amazing father.  Anyone who has ever been around our dogs can attest to this : ) 
So again…are we ready??  Who knows, but are we prepared?  Absolutely!  I have been off of work now for several weeks and  I’m pretty sure there isn’t a single thing left on any to do list I haven’t already tackled.  I cleaned out and organized our entire pantry and spice cabinet for goodness sake!!!  Unnecessary, probably, but they both look fantastic if I do say so myself!  And if it helps me to relax and feel more prepared, than no one will argue with that.  Otherwise, our bags are packed, the car seat is in the car, and I’m just finishing up the last few mundane tasks around the house and whatever else I can do to keep myself busy before heading to the hospital tomorrow!
So…how did this whole induction thing come up??  Well my last few Dr.’s appointments I’ve shown a little progress, but nothing substantial and my blood pressure has been slightly elevated for the past few weeks although nothing points to preeclampsia (which is a good thing) so aside from the swelling in my hands and feet which is somewhat expected in the last trimester of a pregnancy, I feel good!  That being said, my Dr. diagnosed me with Gestational Pre-Hypertension, which basically means that I have slightly elevated blood pressure during pregnancy, and the only way to stabilize my blood pressure is to deliver the baby.  My readings right now aren’t so high that they are too harmful for the baby, but they aren’t ideal either, and rather than risking the numbers elevating even more or my situation progressing to preeclampsia the Dr. decided that it would be best to induce my labor so we can bypass the risk of any complications that could happen, should we wait for labor to start naturally.  Also, at my ultrasound last week he was already measuring close to 8lbs, and at 39 weeks, baby’s lungs are fully developed, and he can safely be brought into the world so the benefits of an induction outweigh the risks. 
Was I surprised that the Dr. wants to induce me??  Not really, we had talked about it before, and when my BP read high again yesterday, I figured she would probably want to get me scheduled.  Am I bummed that my labor won’t start naturally?  Yes and no.  I think every new Mother-to-be wants things to progress as naturally as possible, but at this point, all I care about is that I deliver a healthy baby so I am OK with it.  And who knows, Baby Garrett could be more like his Mommy and Daddy than we think and decide to come on his own tonight because he doesn’t want to take any medication that isn’t completely necessary.  We will see : )  Regardless, I know that we will meet our son sometime this week and that is the best thing I could ask for!!
So, what is the process for this scheduled induction??  Well, we will be admitted to the hospital tomorrow evening and the Dr.’s will check me for signs of progression.  If my cervix still has not dilated or thinned out much they will administer a medication called a prostaglandin which is supposed to help “ripen” the cervix and if you’re lucky jump start your labor.  They will monitor me for 12 hours, and then decide whether or not they need to give me a synthetic form of oxytocin (pitocin) which is the hormone your body naturally produces during spontaneous labor and it is supposed to help start or increase your contractions.  If they do end up giving me the pitocin, they will give it to me through my IV on Thursday morning, and with any luck, we will have our baby sometime Thursday afternoon/evening!!! 
There are so many emotions that are going through me right now that I can’t even begin to describe them all, but I will say that excitement definitely tops the list!  As crazy as it sounds I am looking forward to going through the process (labor and all) that will bring our son into this world as I’m sure it will be unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before… 
…and I am so looking forward to becoming what I truly feel I was meant to be in my life…
…this baby’s mother : )

2 Comments
by Jenny on June 21, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Life, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

Posted by Jenny on June 21, 2011

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2011/06/21/last-post-before-baby/

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