Baby Morgan PHOTOS!!!

I look forward to recounting the birthing story in detail, but as you all know my computer time is very limited these days. Here are the much anticipated photos...

Morgan is born!!! 8/13/10 @ 9:02 AM

Getting to know eachother on the outside....most amazing moment of my life!!!!

Daddy with his brand new daughter.

First family photo taken just minutes after delivery!!!

Our AWESOME birthing team: Dr. F, the L&D nurse (Judy) and our amazing doula, Eileen.

7lbs 11ozs, 21 inches long!

First time in her car seat

Finally bringing OUR baby home after all this time...a dream come true!!!!!!

Home at last!!

Taken over my shoulder while toasting her arrival (champagne in background!)

3 days old

Thanks again for all the loving support during this amazing experience!!!! XOX

SHE'S ARRIVED!!!! (After a very LONG labor)

Morgan Perry was born on August 13, 2010 at 9:02 AM after 55 hours of labor. She weighs 7lbs 11ozs and is measuring 21 inches long. Both of us are healthy and very happy together.

I will post pictures and our birth story when things settled down. She is even more wonderful than we could have imagined. Ben and I are just head over heels in love with our new baby!!!!

Thanks for all the bloggie support during my labor updates!!! All of you in this community are so wonderful!! XO

Labor Update #3

It's 6 AM and the sky is lightening and so is my spirit. I feel renewed strength that I CAN do this.

Our doula arrived and she is making things seems much more manageable. Also a hot shower helped.

We are making progress...probably headed to the hospital in an hour or so.

Almost baby time!! :)

Labor Update #2

It's 3:30 AM.

I'm still home, still laboring, and still no doula. It's been 25.5 straight hours of contractions and I'm exhausted. My body is shaking and nauseous from the pain that has gotten close to unbearable.

I'm starting to think that it's time to go to the hospital...so I'm gonna call and wake up our doula to see what she says.

My contractions are still wavering between 5 and 8 minutes apart, but they last more than 60 second and I'm barely able to make it through them...

Questioning my choice for an unmedicated labor....If this weren't taking SO long....good God this is so tough!!!!

Cervical plug passed around midnight so hopeful that I'm making some progress.

This labor is no joke!!!!! I just want to hold my baby....

Due Date & Having Contractions UPDATE #1

My OB determined that I'm STILL only 1cm dilated and 75% effaced. Boo...I was hoping to hear that more had changed now that I've been having contractions for 12 + hours.

He sent us home saying that this early labor could continue for 12-18 hours or things could turn quickly and I could start progressing faster. Only time will tell.

We are to call him if my contractions become more intense (I feel they are already headed in that direction since he checked me...ouch) or if they get closer together. Right now I'm contracting about 60 seconds every 5-9 minutes.

We called our doula on the way to the OB to give her an update (since we had only been texting earlier today) and I learned that she is already at the hospital with another mama who is getting ready to push. We signed off quickly and I told her I would be in touch when we knew anything. I've texted her and have yet to hear back. I'm sure she's in the midst of delivery with her other client. Yikes...I wonder how many hours she's already been awake?? We'll see how this goes as well.

I'm going to try to get some rest now since it appears I have a long night ahead of me. I'll update as things change....

Due Date & Having Contractions

Today is my long awaited due date and I started contracting at about 2 AM!!! It's looking like we might have a very punctual baby!! :)

Nothing too serious yet, but my contractions were strong enough to wake me up throughout the night. We've been timing since about 7 AM and they are lasting 30-60 seconds and coming anywhere from 5-10 minutes apart. Some are mild and others are more intense. I'm still leery about this being "real" early labor and I'm aware that this could go on for many hours (or even days .... heaven forbid!!).

We contacted our doula, Eileen, at about 8:30 AM to let her know what's up. She agreed that this could be a great sign that things are about to get going or it could just be the babe doing some positioning. She told us to call her back when my contractions were lasting 60 seconds and consistently coming every 3-5 minutes. This works for us since I'm coping just fine so far and don't feel like I need her yet. Ben is home and being wonderful to me.

We have our weekly OB appointment this afternoon at 1 PM, so I'm really looking forward to seeing him to hear what he thinks. (Since my water hasn't broken, we haven't bothered to call since I know I'll be seeing him in a few hours anyway.) Hopefully he'll discover that I've begun to dilate and we're on our way to meeting our little Morgan.

Here's to hoping that today is our finally our baby's birthday!!! :)

(I'll continue to update as we learn more.)

1 DAY LEFT

It's so weird and amazing to look at my tickers and see only 1. I remember when I first started those and they read 265 or something. It was a lot of days to go, but now I have reached the last day....according to the tickers...who knows how many more I actually have left???

Breast pump!

A lot of you have suggested using a breast pump to help get things started...but I have one little problem. I don't have one. My plan was to rent one from the hospital and eventually buy one when I knew something about them and could get a better idea of what model I wanted. I guess I need to revise that plan. This is where you come in...

What pump should I buy?

I will be a stay-at-home-mom so I wont need to be mass pumping every day in the long run, but I know I would appreciate efficiency and quality vs. a difficult manual pump. I've heard that Medela are the best brand...is that right?

Please help!! Any and all advice will be much appreciated!!



And finally here is my (hopefully LAST) update...

How far along: 39 weeks, 6 days


Total Weight Gain: 10 million lbs....or something like that. (really only 35.5 but it feels like more..ugh)

Symptoms: Heartburn, braxton hicks, slightly swollen ankles, slight impatience and pure excitement.
Sleep: Fortunately I still sleep very well with almost no pain....its all about the Tempurpedic mattress!! Best investment ever!!!

Most recent Doctor’s Appt: 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Blood pressure was low and baby looked great. All good news.

Best Moment Last Week: Watching my cleaning lady scrub my whole house. She really helped to calm the nesting instincts I have but am too pregnant to act on. :)

Movement: Baby's movements have become more subtle since she is so cramped and her arms and legs are facing in. She gets the hiccups all the time.

Food Cravings: Nothing particular.

What I Miss: Being able to go out in public and not worry that my water could break at any second making it look like I peed my pants.

What am I looking forward to: GIVING BIRTH TO MY BABY GIRL!!!

Milestones: Reaching the last page of our pregnancy journal...now we're in the full term + pages....oh dear!!

How is Daddy? SUPER READY to meet his little girl. He just can't wait!!!!!

Still pregnant...home remedies for inducing labor?

Day left until my due date: 2

Apparently our Morgan is still very cozy in my womb. I'm glad that I've provided such a warm and nice home for her, but come on Baby we want to see you!!!

I walked 4 miles the last two days and spent 3 hours wondering around IKEA yesterday. I was hoping all that time moving around on my feet would do the trick, but alas here I am still as round as a pumpkin feeling no closer to L&D.

People keep giving me the funniest advice..."lift a couch or something really heavy, go play tennis, do jumping jacks, eat some spicy Indian food." I highly doubt these are scientific and three out of the four sound a little dangerous to me. Indian food will most certainly give me the worst heartburn of all time. I'll pass...

Our doula and doctor have both suggested sex.

Making love at 40 weeks pregnant when your parents are staying with you just down the hall is about as unromantic as it can possibly get, but desperate times call for desperate measures.....still, we've had no luck.

Also our doula, my doc, my sister (who's a midwife) and our childbirth educator have all suggested nipple stimulation for 30 minutes a day to help my body produce oxytocin, the labor inducing hormone. In theory it sounds like a great idea, but who wants to sit around for half an hour every day and squeeze their own nipples repeatedly like a monkey? I just can't quite get disciplined enough to follow this one, but give me a few more days of this endless waiting...I might change my mind. :)

I'm telling you, it seems our baby does not want to be coaxed out yet. She is very cozy and content for now, so we just have to continue to be patient.

Oh and some others have suggested castor oil. NO thanks. I would rather wait and be induced medically than experience this self inflicted hell:

"Castor oil almost always causes diarrhea. Its primary use is a stimulant laxative. It has an unpleasant taste and may cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramping. If you do not wish to experience these symptoms, do not try castor oil."

Yeah.

Here's a picture of me from last night. Football preseason has started and my team's jersey is a little tight this year...only one solution for this. GIVE BIRTH!!

No Baby Yet...

5 days left until our due date.

So I never really expected her to come early, but I hoped she might. It seems to be the popular trend these days...most of my bloggie cycle buddies have delivered their babies (early) and so have all my pregnant friends in real life.

I love studying all the baby pictures they've posted on their blogs and facebook accounts. It still just amazes me that those precious little faces came out of those baby bumps I've been admiring for months. Then I look down at my bump and I still have trouble believing that there is a sweet little face in there waiting to greet me one of these days.

It still seems surreal. The longer I wait and the longer the time goes by after receiving news of my friends' deliveries the more I have trouble believing that this is actually going to happen to me too. I feel the way I did when I first got that positive pregnancy test. It was so wonderful that I couldn't seem to wrap my head around the great news.

Yes, I feel her kick constantly, but in a way I've gotten used to pregnancy. It feels normal to me now...even if I am becoming increasing less comfortable.

I know this is a finite process and eventually she will HAVE to come out, but today it feels very far away.

I don't want to seem impatient like I'm trying to will her out since I prayed so hard in beginning for her to implant after our embryo transfer. This wait is just very long and seems to get harder every day and I'm running out of distractions to keep me busy until her arrival. Not to mention my energy is limited so doing all kinds of thing is out of the question. My parents are here waiting for her to arrive...all her clothes have been washed and her car seat is installed. I have my hospital bags packed and I've checked all my lists twice. I AM READY, but apparently SHE ISN'T quite yet...and I respect that. I know eventually she will arrive when she's ready.

I just hope that it's sooner than later. I am prepared to be patient for 5 more days, but I know once I pass my due date it's going to get very difficult!!! 

Come on baby...PLEASE COME OUT SOON!!! WE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU!!!!

39 Weeks - Ultrasound Update

Today Dr. F did an ultrasound at my regular weekly appointment to check baby Morgan to make sure all is still going well. This is what we learned:

My blood pressure is normal at 118/70. I am still only 1 cm dilated and about 50% effaced.


Morgan's heart rate was 151 and she is head down, in an anterior position, and at -2 station. Great news!! Perfect position to come on out!!! Her fluid is measuring 10.2...also perfect! He estimated that she's weighing about 7lbs 10ozs. Her legs are measuring long so that might make the weight estimate a little light. He guessed we're going to have an 8lb baby or maybe even 9lb if she waits another week or so before her big debut. Good news is that her head is measuring on the smaller side so hopefully that will make things easier on me. (Ben has a huge head, so I was worried...phew! She's taking after my hat size!!)

All great news!! We're both very healthy!! I feel really blessed!!

I hope this is my last doctor's appointment update before she arrives...if not, our next appointment in on our due date...August 11th.

I am feeling really ready, confident and very excited to welcome our little one into the world. I keep trying to picture what it's going to be like the first moment I get to hold her and look into her eyes and touch her tiny little hands. I know it's going to be magical and I can hardly wait!!!!

Its hard to believe that this special time has really arrived...I, Me, Priscilla is really about to have a baby any day now! I feel like I'm living in a sweet dream!!!

Update

How far along: 38 weeks and 5 days (only 9 days left until my due date).


Total Weight Gain: Who gives a sh*t at this point....last week I was at 30 lbs. I don't want to look at the scale anymore...it depresses me.

Symptoms: Heartburn is only kept manageable by Zantac...I have no room left in my abdomen! Contractions have started to get more painful. Some swelling in my hands, feet and ankles.

Sleep: Some nights are better than others. I have even more trouble rolling over now....I feel stuck sometimes.

Most recent Doctor’s Appt: My BP was 110/62, baby's HB was 145. I was dilated 1 cm and about 50% effaced. Everybody is very healthy! Ultrasound scheduled for this Wednesday to check her size and fluid level.

Best Moment Last Week: Getting an full body massage...from my mama!! She set up her professional massage table in the babies room and it was heavenly!!!!

Movement: My baby is getting really, really strong. She likes to push against my bones now...I hope that means she's getting ready to come out!

Food Cravings: All I want is junk food and I know that's the last thing I should be eating. I dream about cheeseburgers, ice cream, and candy....ugh! Good thing my parents are here and doing lots of healthy cooking otherwise who knows what I'd be feeding myself. I have just lost my motivation in the kitchen.

What I Miss: Having pregnant friends to hang out with in real life...I'm the last one left! Not much longer I hope!!! I can't wait to hold my baby too!!!!!

What am I looking forward to: MEETING MORGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milestones: Getting EVERYTHING done from my list of things to do before baby comes. Now I'm just playing the waiting game....

How is Daddy? He's getting anxious for baby to come. He's trying to be calm and patient, but I can tell that he's getting tired of waiting just like I am.

A LONG Mental Gestation

I'm officially the last of my friends in real life who is still pregnant. My good friend and prenatal yoga buddy just gave birth yesterday...a week and a half early. Our due dates were only 3 days apart. I had two other women who were pregnant with me (they were both about 8 weeks ahead of me) and it was so fun to be around them when we all had our baby bumps. They've all had their babies now (all went early to boot) and I'm the only one left wondering when mine will decide to show up. I still have 13 days until my due date, so I realize I shouldn't hold my breath...Chances are I'll probably go late since they were all so early....

It's just this...I FEEL like I've been pregnant for almost a year now. I know you other IVF mommas out there will get me on this one. When you make the decision to get underway with an IVF cycle you're already in the mindset of being pregnant. Your daily focus is on prenatal vitamins, hormone injections, ovary sonograms, doctors appointments and eating healthy. We are completely aware that our bodies may be on the verge of pregnancy so we mentally have already begun our gestation. The truth is, it could be two months of this before we are actually pregnant. By the time we actually conceived we have been thinking about this pregnancy day in and day out for weeks and weeks or even months.

So my other friends (one excluded because she conceived via IUI so she went through a lot of that mental prep) found out they were pregnant weeks or months after I had already committed to this daily routine of "being pregnant." Two of them have had their babies for 2 months or more and the last friend (who was due right when I was due) already has her baby in her arms too!!! When is it my turn?!?! I know this sounds crazy and impatient, but it's truly where I am right now.

I feel like I have been pregnant forever and I'm having trouble seeing the end. I have the same feelings that I did when everyone else around me was getting BFPs and I was always stuck with a BFN. Now I realize that there is a baby inside me and eventually she will show up, but in the mean time I feel left out from my group of peers especially since their pregnancies seemed to be so much shorter than mine. (In reality two of them were since they delivered at 33 weeks and 37 weeks...I am just starting my 39th week!) I started this IVF cycle October 1st, 2009....so I translate that as being the day I learned I was pregnant if I were like most women who wake up one morning and can just pee on a stick...and surprise! If this were the case, my due date would have been sometime around June 11th. It's now July 29th and I still have two more weeks...and that's assuming that she's not late. Ugh! So here's my point...I have already been mentally pregnant for 10 full months (Oct thru July). I have learned of new pregnancies and since gone to meet their babies....and I'm STILL pregnant!!

Can anyone tell that I'm feeling beyond READY!!! I know I sound like a whiny little bitch, but please spare me the nasty comments. I realize how fortunate I am to even be pregnant. I'm trying chill. I really am....I just wish that I still had a pregnant friend around me........tick tock, tick tock......another month is about to start and I feel like this baby is never going to arrive....

This waiting is making me CRAZY!!

(Thanks for reading my venting session...I feel much better now. I know she will be here soon....I know, I know...you really don't need to tell me that. It's just that I'm so SO READY to meet my baby after trying to conceive her for 3 years. It's hard to sit back and relax and just wait.....it really is.)

I'll leave you with this picture...I took my 7 year old niece to the zoo a few weeks ago and we came across this pregnant rhino. They have a 16 month gestation period and she was in her 12th month. It was so hot and she was just wallowing in the water with birds climbing on her...I really felt for that old girl!!! I feel like I'm on Rhino-gestation time!!!!! HA!

Full Term and READY!

How far along: 37 Weeks, 1 Day ... 20 days until our due date!!!


Total Weight Gain: 30 lbs

Symptoms: A ton of BRAXTON HICKS CONTRACTIONS!! And the the most relentless heartburn ever! Overall though I still feel quite healthy.

Sleep: I still sleep really well....but when I wake up I'm still tired. I'm sleepy a lot these days....so glad I have my mom and dad here to help with meals and my dogs and my house, etc, etc. They are so good to us!!

Most recent Doctor’s Appt: Great! My BP was 110/60, baby's HB was 145 and my cervix was starting to soften and efface. No dilation yet. Doc thinks labor could start tonight or 4 weeks from now...no way to really know. I'm hoping for sooner than later!!

Best Moment Last Week: Baby Shower #3...two of my best friends (Chris & Cary) hosted a ladies only afternoon shower for me. It was SO FUN having all my girls (well most of them) in one place at one time! Everyone was so generous and I felt so special. One of my mom's friends wrote a song and performed it for the group and one of my wonderful hosts (Cary) made me a special baby shower party hat to wear! Chris brought tons of beautiful pink Hydrangeas from her mother's garden. I even had a couple girls drive in from out of town...as far as 4 hours away!! It was so special!!! I will always cherish the memories!! Here are some pictures...

My super special, one of kind, party hat! :)

SOOO many generous baby gifts!

Amanda performing the lullaby she wrote for my baby!

Chris's beautiful flowers

Cary handmade the decorations!! They were awesome!

Movement: All the time. I can tell she's getting cramped in there!

Food Cravings: Greater's Mocha Chip Ice Cream!!

What I Miss: Nothing! (well, that's not true...I do miss drinking wine and being able to tie my own gym shoes...not much longer!!)

What am I looking forward to: Meeting my baby on her birthday!!!

Milestones: Getting our hospital bags packed, washing Morgan's newborn clothes, blankets, etc and getting her baby gear (swings, bouncer, etc) all set up!! We are totally ready!! We have everything but the baby!!! :)

How is Daddy? He is just as eager as I am to meet our little bundle! We are both SO EXCITED and feeling beyond GRATEFUL that we get to experience this joy as we await her arrival!

Our Maternity Pictures

Getting ready to nurse...

Days left to my due date: 29!!!

My parents have been in town which is wonderful!! I am so loving my time with my mom. It means the world to have her here with me!! Yesterday she went shopping with me for nursing bras, tanks, nighties and tops. I am so glad she was with me because it turned into a wild goose hunt that I may have not handled as well without her.

First we went to Macy's and found a sales consultant and asked her where we could find the nursing section. She sent us downstairs. I waddled all the way down and we ran into another consultant in the lingerie department. When we inquired about the nursing bra section she sweetly told us that they didn't have any in this season. Seriously??

My first thought, "Apparently it's not Vogue to nurse. Perhaps next season it will be back in style." How could this be? She was very nice, but repeated that there just wasn't any nursing clothes available in the entire store and suggested that we try Dilliards. Ugh...on to the next huge department store to waddle through...my back is starting to feel very sore after only 5 minutes of standing these days.

So my mom and I walk into Dilliard's and find the nightie and lingerie department and ask one of their sales people for the nursing section...she just looks at us and plainly says while shaking her head, "we don't carry any of that."

WTF!?!? I didn't realize that it was going to be so hard to find a store that sells this stuff. My biggest concern was finding a bra that fits since I'm way above average in cup size, but this was even more frustrating than that!

As we hit the road to go to yet another store I was thinking, "no wonder so few women really nurse their babies anymore." It makes sense when the two biggest stores at the mall make it seem like nursing is for freaks! I really didn't expect that this part would be so hard!

My goal is to nurse my baby for 9-12 months so finding some nursing bras and tops is pretty important to me! We arrived at Motherhood Maternity and finally they had the right stuff! I purchased their biggest bra in the store....size 44F!! (That F stands for holy F*CK my boobs are big!) And I was able to get 5 shirts that look half decent too!! I also got a nursing nightie that I plan on packing in my hospital bag.

Phew! I did it....thanks to my mom's help and perseverance! Nursing is already proving to be ONLY for those who are seriously committed!!!

Shower # 2 and An Update!

I have been so M.I.A. from blog land!! I haven't posted in days, but I promise I have been keeping up with all my bloggy buddies (even if I've been bad at commenting.)

 Summer is such a busy and fun time! My parent's got into town a week ago so we've been enjoying their company. We also were thrown a second couple's shower that included mostly my family and some close family friends. Our first shower was with Ben's family so it was great to celebrate with everyone on my side too! This baby will definitely be surrounded by two loving families!

My cousin, Rachael, organized the evening and it was great. It was a 4th of July shower so after a grilled dinner and gifts the whole party was able to watch the downtown fireworks (we have a view of the Cincinnati skyline from our back deck) and that ended the evening on a very festive note. Here are a few pictures...

Me and a pregnant friends sharing an O'Douls.

My sweet hubby, Ben!

Our baby's 1st Piggy Bank (I gave this to him b/c Ben works in finance and always talks about how he's going to teach his little girl how to save and invest....ha!)

Of course the little girls were right in the action!  So Cute!

All the kiddos!! :)

Quick update: We had an ultrasound last Friday just so our doc could make sure everything is still going well. She was measuring 5 lbs 4 ozs which is perfectly average. My fluid was 15 and we were told that everything looks perfect!! Best news ever!!! Can't believe there is only 36 more days until our due date!! She'll be here in no time!!

On to shower # 3 this coming weekend! This group is going to be all my lady friends hosted by two of my best friends. I'm especially looking forward to having all my girlfriends in one place at one time!! What fun!! I don't think I've ever been more happy. We feel so blessed these days.

Our Birth Plan

Below is our typed up one-pager we will be giving our doctor and sending to the hospital for our chart. I also plan on bringing a few copies to hand to the nurse(s) on duty when I actually go into labor. This has become a common practice and was encouraged by our physician, our childbirth class educator and our doula. Having a few bullet points on paper makes it easier for everyone to be one the same page so they can help support us the way we want to be supported. Also, this way, we wont have to continue to repeat our wishes over and over again whenever a new person walks into the room.

(We have already discussed and agreed all of the following with our doctor and he is totally on board to help us achieve our goal! We chose to see this specific doc because of his reputation for encouraging natural, unmedicated births...he rocks!!!!)




Birth Plan for Priscilla & Ben B.
June 25, 2010

We are striving for a natural, unmedicated birth at Bethesda North Hospital. We have taken Unmedicated Childbirth classes and toured the hospital’s OB unit. We have complete faith in the care we will receive at Bethesda North, and we would especially like to be encouraged by the medical staff to follow through with an unmedicated labor and birth.

In labor and delivery, Priscilla would prefer:
• The freedom to move about as much as possible utilizing a birthing ball, shower/tub, squatting bar, etc. to achieve as much physical comfort as possible.
• To have a stationary fetal monitor attached only when medically necessary. A wireless monitor is ok.
• To drink clear fluids and/or suck on ice rather than receiving I.V. fluids; establishing a hep-lock is ok.
• Not to have a vaginal exam unless necessary or desired.
• To be able to dim the lights and listen to music to help achieve relaxation.
• NOT to be given Pitocin, Misoprostol (Cytotec) or any other contraction inducing/enhancing drug unless medically necessary.
• NOT to have her water broken by the staff unless medically necessary.
• To be able to push her baby out in whatever position feels right (lying on her side, squatting on the bed,
   hands and knees on the bed, etc.)
• To deliver without an episiotomy unless medically necessary.
• To deliver without the help of forceps or vacuum extractor unless medically necessary.


Immediately after the birth, Priscilla would prefer:
• To hold the baby on her chest (skin to skin contact) and nurse as soon as possible.
• That the umbilical cord stop pulsating before it is cut.
• For Ben, the father, to cut the cord.
• That the baby not be given any bottles or pacifiers unless medically necessary.
• That the baby never leaves her side unless medically necessary.


We know that complications could arise that would require us to deviate from our desire for a natural, unmedicated birth. We value the support of the hospital staff and our physician in guiding us to deliver a healthy baby in any event.

If a Cesarean becomes necessary, we prefer:
• For Ben to be present.
• For Priscilla to be awake during surgery.
• For Priscilla to be able to touch the baby immediately after the birth.
• For Ben to be able to hold the baby in the operating room.
• That the baby never leaves us unless medically necessary.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.

Priscilla and Ben B.
Due Date: August 11, 2010

1st Birthing Class

Days left until our due date: 48!!

That is SO hard for me to believe! Time has really started to fly! Thank you summer!!

So the other night Ben and I went to our first Unmedicated Childbirth Class. It was fun to be around other couples who want the same thing out of their birth experience as we do. It was a nice break from the many questions we normally get from people like, "why would you want to feel the pain of natural child birth?!?"

I keep telling everyone that I'm not making any promises that might set me up for regret or disappointment, but I would like to go into labor with the intention to go all the way through unmedicated. I just feel that's what's best for me and my baby. To be honest I'm more afraid of an epidural and the slippery slope of complications that can ensue as a result than I am fearful of the pain. Everyone keeps telling me that I'll change my mind. We'll see.

I believe having a doula's support gets me one step closer to my goal. Also having a written out birth plan can't hurt, so I'm gonna work on that today.

I'm still feeling fabulous and staying active. Pregnancy really has been easier for me than I expected. (What a relief after years of infertiltiy!!!) Woo Hoo!! Hope I can keep this attitude  all the way through my labor and delivery!! I'll post my birth plan when I get it written.

And here is a baby bump picture taken today!

Survey Time!

How far along: 32 weeks, 2 days

Total Weight Gain: Last I weighed in, I was up 23.5 lbs.

Symptoms: Occasional Braxton Hicks contractions during the day especially when I'm on my feet for a while and heartburn EVERY night.

Sleep:  Still pretty good minus the 3-4 bathroom trips I make every night. The baby woke me up kicking my bladder early this morning. :)

Most recent Doctor’s Appt: Today I saw Dr. F and everything went great. My blood pressure was nice and low at 110/64 and baby's HB was great too (I didn't get the exact beats per minute but whatever.) My weight is right on, but my uterus is measuring about a week ahead at 33 weeks, 2 days. Nothing at all to be concerned about he said. He's guessing she weights about 4.5lbs and we have an ultrasound scheduled for next appointment so he can measure her to get a more accurate estimate and to see about her positioning, etc. Looking forward to that! Yay for a healthy check-up!! Oh and he suggested I take a Zantac at dinner time to help with my late-night heartburn instead of relying on Tums. He told me heartburn is totally normal this late in the game due to my baby putting a lot of pressure on my stomach.

Best Moment Last Week: Dreaming about my baby sucking on my index finger. She was so little and sweet and I was so in love with her. When I woke up I had this warm feeling in my heart and I couldn't stop smiling.

Movement: You bet!! Mostly when I'm lying down. My whole belly changes into funny shapes when she really gets going. It's amazing to watch!

Food Cravings: WATERMELON!! Seriously I ate an entire watermelon all by myself this week.

What I Miss: Being able to bend over to take better care of my flowers and landscaping around the house. I see the weeds starting to grow and the ground cover that needs trimming around the edges and I can't do much about it. Ben's gonna help me get things under control this weekend. Yay!

What am I looking forward to: Welcoming my parents to town for the summer on June 27th!

Milestones: Still being able to walk/hike a couple miles a day (despite having to pee the entire time.) I am trying to keep my fitness and mobility up so that hopefully that will make labor and delivery easier on me.

How is Daddy? BUSY!! He works really long hours (he's a finance executive for a fortune 500 company) and sometimes I feel like I never get to see him. Especially this week!! I know that this is a particular busy time of year for his business so things should calm down shortly. Also he's planning on using a couple weeks of vacation after Morgan arrives so that he can bond with his baby girl right from the start.

Babies make me cry!

Recently whenever I see a baby I feel this emotion rise up inside me and get me by the throat. Especially if they are crying it totally makes me cry. Seriously it happens in grocery stores, parks, malls, even babies on TV...everywhere you see babies I get choked up every time I see one! It's so freakishly weird. I'm not a cryer...especially in public, but whenever I see a little bundle or hear one cry out, tears just start rolling out of my eyes. It's crazy! What is going on?

Have any of you out there ever experienced this?

My guess is it's just my hormones going crazy and it's nature's way of preparing me to be a mama. Oh it's so embarrassing. I'm such a cry baby!! :)

100th Post!!

So in honor of my 100th post and now that my count down ticker is under 60 days I am going to try to pick up my blogging pace. I have been slacking for some months now, posting something only once a week or less. And recently I have had at least 3 or 4 people give me the advice to soak this time up. That these last couple months of pregnancy go by fast, and I will always reflect back on them and miss them once they are over. So moms out there who have given this advice, consider it heard! I plan to write everyday, OK maybe not every day, but as often as I can so I can soak this time up and have this writing to reflect back on! After all, I have not forgotten how difficult this one pregnancy was for us to attain and I am aware that it might be my only, so I definitely want to cherish this time and not be in a hurry for it to be over (even though I can't wait to meet my baby)!

Days left until my due date: 58

Wow! I remember when I first created that ticker on the side of my blog and it was somewhere around 265 days to go. At the time I was a little afraid to post it thinking that it might jinx me or something. It really is hard to believe that we are in our final two month stretch! I am going to have a baby in TWO MONTHS! It still seems surreal to think about despite all the planning, baby kicks and the crib set up in our house. I bet all first time moms feel this way no matter how they conceived. There is this great sense that life as we know it is about to change forever and there is only so much we can really do to be ready. It's hard to picture oneself in a role they have never been in before. Mother. That is a huge responsibility!

There are people in this world who have always gravitated towards towards babies and children. They are just at ease and its totally naturally for them to interact with these youngsters. My only (and older) sister was always like this. I was not. She was a serious baby sitter all through high school, I worked at the mall in a bathing suit boutique. As a teenager I just wasn't drawn to children the way she was. Bottom line, now, I have no experience!

At this point I am completely relying on those "instincts" everyone talk about. "Oh it's different when it's your own baby." "You'll know just what to do." "It'll come naturally to you, don't worry."

I hope so!! Some days I can totally picture myself being completely confident with my infant. Like I've always known how to do this. I can  picture myself calming her cries and changing her diapers. Bath time? No problem. It's all good. My instincts are leading the way and I am doing a fabulous job.

Then there are days when I picture myself trying to breastfeed my baby and I get totally overwhelmed. How am I going to do that? Is it really going to work? Can I really help my baby stop crying? Will I be able to determine what she needs? Am I going to be able to handle not sleeping for days and weeks on end? I feel totally unprepared!

I'm imagine motherhood is exactly a combination of what I have just described. Some days I'll be on top of the world and others I will be crying as pathetically as the baby I'm supposed to be caring for.

These days I am mix of pure excitement and little nervous anxiety. I want to be a really good mother and I know there is so much I will need to learn in a very short period of time.

So I am turning all my faith over to my instincts because I believe all the knowledge I will need is already inside me. I just have to learn to listen. Here's to hoping anyways!! Thank God my mom and dad, my mother and father-in-law, and my husband will be around in the begining to help me figure it all out!

Only 61 Days to go!!

How far along: 31Weeks, 2 Days


Total Weight Gain: 23.5 lbs

Symptoms: Occasional heartburn at bed time (probably from eating too much too late at night) is my only complaint. Sure I feel heavier and less coordinated, but I love it!

Sleep: Great! I am still sleeping very, very well. (I give all the credit to our Tempurpedic mattress. We've had it for 2.5 years and I still say, "ahhhh" every night when I climb into bed. No pressure points at all, so my hips are doing just fine. I don't even use body pillow.)

Most recent doctor's appt: My blood pressure was 111/52, baby's HB was 165 and everything was measuring just right. No concerns at all. I am grateful for such health.

Best Moment Last Week: Watching Ben put together our new high chair and travel system that were gifted to us at the shower. We have them set up in our formal dining room (a place we rarely go, so they are not in the way) and I smile every time I walk by and see them in there. So amazing that we have those items in our house for OUR baby!!

Movement: ALL the time. She feels really big now and I love keeping my hands on my belly to feel her kicks. She has found her head down position (been there for over a month now...doc says that some babies find their nook early and like to stay put) so I always feel her feet in the same place on the right side of my abdomen. She also gets the hiccups a lot that are funny to feel. Ben can even feel them.

Food Cravings: Black Olives!

What I Miss: Being able to keep up with Ben on our evening walks/jogs. He is training for a 10K. I am obviously not, but I try to walk for 30+ minutes a day. We start out together at the track and then he takes off running and I keep walking. We meet back up after about 25 minutes. I look forward to doing it together once our baby is big enough for a jogging stroller. (I also look forward to not having a heavy baby on my bladder when I'm power walking!)

What am I looking forward to: Our 34 week ultrasound. This will help determine how big she really is and, of course, I always love getting a glimpse of what she's doing in there!

Milestones: Making it to the final 10 week stretch!

How is Daddy? He is amazing. He massages lotion on my feet most evenings when we get into bed since it's hard for me to reach and it feels so good. He is definitely going to be a great and loving father!!

Baby Shower #1

This past weekend my sister-in-law, Betsy, threw me my first baby shower. Betsy is my husband's younger sister, and she is just the sweetest!! The shower included all the women in my husband's family and a few of their local friends. It was so pretty and perfect! I have never felt so showered in love and support. Of course it made me cry. I was so happy to be celebrating the upcoming arrival of their side of the family's first grand baby. Everyone seems so excited for us and that just  makes it so special. 

Most everyone there knew about the challenges Ben and I have been through to get actually get here, so the afternoon felt even more celebratory because our prayers were answered by this miracle pregnancy! His mom got teary-eyed with me as she told me how long and hard she had prayed with her friends at church for this baby to come into our lives. It was a real moment of bonding that I wont ever forget. The day was total perfection!! Almost an out of body experience to be at MY OWN baby shower....it's so amazing!! This is really happening!!!!!

The latest baby bump picture...

The beautifully set table with an "M" in the center for Baby Morgan

Great food spread!

The hostess, Betsy, with my my pup, Bunny...of course she was invited and thoroughly enjoyed herself and all the attention everyone gave her! Look at that smile!!

And the gifts.....WOW!! Everyone was so generous!!

Big Stuffed Kitty Ball!! How cute??

Froggie Bath Center

So many precious little pink outfits and this special hand made baby blanket!

Morgan got her first Cincinnati Bengals Onesie!! Ben and I are major football people and I expect that our little one will be the city's youngest fan!!  She'll be a WHO-DEY baby for sure!! :)

And finally did anyone notice my sparkly earrings? My darling husband recently surprised me with these diamond studs for our 3rd wedding anniversary (which is tomorrow). He gave them to me early so I could wear them to this shower. How sweet is that?? I feel like the luckiest girl in the world these days! We are truly riding one of those peaks in life people talk about. It's feels so good to be finally out of the infertile valley.  Thank God!!!

29 Weeks, 1 Day

How far along: 29 weeks, 1 day
Total Weight Gain: Ugh...who cares. I know it's more than 20lbs now. My doctor has said all is right on track, but at this point I'm avoiding the scale since it's kinda freaks me out.

Symptoms: Heartburn has really eased up. I have it occasionally, but nothing too severe at all. Other than that I feel pretty good most of the time. I'm always hungry too. I feel like a big round-rolly-polly who's movements are compromised, but I still feel really healthy and that's what matters!

Sleep: I'm needing more of it these days and fortunately I still sleep well so that's good.

Best Moment Last Week: Trading in my beloved Mustang Convertible (not baby or car seat friendly at all) for a Cadillac CTS (sporty-mommy car). I absolutely love the new car so that made it easier to say goodbye to my old one.

Movement: All the time. I think I can feel every little thing she does now. I love it, but sometimes at night I wonder if she's ever going to stop squirming so I can fall asleep. Oh and she's gotten the hiccups a few times now which feels really funny.

Food Cravings: Skyline Chili (It's a Cincinnati thing.)

What I Miss: My mom and dad. I haven't seen my dad since November and I last saw my mom in March, but only for a couple days. They are coming to town this summer for 6 weeks over my due date ensuring that they'll be here for Morgan's birth so that will be wonderful to have their support and company!!

What am I looking forward to: This weekend is my first baby shower!!!  It's hosted by my sister-in-law up in Dayton, Ohio where my husband's family lives. I am looking forward to seeing everyone on his side of the family!!

Milestones: Visiting the hospital for their maternity tour. It was really nice to be able to see where everything will take place so we can picture it. Certainly makes it real now!

How is Daddy? Great! He's taking tomorrow off so we have a 4 day weekend together!! Rare that he has that much free time with his busy work schedule. Looking forward to pool time at his parent's house!! :)

We finally got PICTURES!!!

Third time was the charm!! Here is my baby's sweet little face. I am sooo in love!!

In this photo she's making Daddy's grouchy face.

Doc appt. & 3D/4D Imaging Take Two

We had our last monthly appointment with our OB on Wednesday (from now on we go every two weeks until the last month when we'll go every week) and every thing looked great!! My blood pressure was low (111/62) and Baby's HB was 160. My belly is measuring just right and my weight is right on target. I also had my glucose challenge and hemoglobin blood tests. Hopefully they come back just fine (they are supposed to call me with the results today). If they do come back normal, I will have an excellent bill of health. Something I definitely will not take for granted in this 28th week. Health is such a blessing, especially during pregnancy! I have tried to stay as healthy as possible throughout...yoga class, walking daily, lots of veggies, lean protein, and water. No caffeine and plenty of rest. Most days I really couldn't feel better!

Last night we went back to the Becoming Mom Spa to try again to see our baby's face. Last time she was sound asleep and totally curled up with all her limbs in front of her face and she didn't budge during the whole 30 minute session. This time I tried something new to get her moving...Dr. Pepper! I drank the whole soda with dinner just before our appointment hoping that she would be very active. Not so much! She was STILL in the same position and the caffeine had no effect on her, but it sure did on me since I haven't had it in so long! 

We spent another 30 minutes looking at her as she occasionally would shift a leg or an arm just a bit, but not enough to uncover her whole face at once. We got a glimpse of her nose and eyes as she sucked on her wrist, then she'd move her hand up covering the upper part of her face and we could see her mouth still moving as she tried to find her arm again. It was so sweet!! My heart almost melted!! We got to admirer each little digit of one foot and her hands and we saw her tiny little knee bent up against her chest. It was incredible and I enjoyed every moment of it. Since this place has a guarantee that they can get a whole face shot they sent us home again with another appointment (free of charge) scheduled for next week. 

As Ben and I walked to the car we felt like we were getting the best deal ever. We only paid for a 20-30 minute session last week, but since our little munchkin loves having her hands and feet in her face so much we have already had an hour of their time to just watch our baby on the big screen and we get another 30 minute session next Thursday! (This must be unusual otherwise I have no idea how this place makes any money!!) I know their objective is to photograph her face so they keep apologizing for making us come back, but to us, every inch of her body is beautiful so all these extra 3D/4D sessions are absolutely fine with us!! I'm just thinking, "Sure! I'll come back again and again to spend 30 minutes looking at my child!!" It's almost like my wish of turning my belly into a fish bowl, so I can watch her all the time until she's born, is almost coming true!! (For those of you wondering...YES!! THESE ULTRASOUNDS SESSIONS ARE COMPLETELY SAFE FOR THE BABY!!)

And finally, here's my most recent belly pic...

UPDATE: Doctor called and my GTT was normal!! Yay! I can still eat chocolate!!

I am the proud Mama of a Pretzel Baby!!

For my first Mother's Day Ben's gift was to take me to Becoming Mom Spa to have a 30 minute 3D/4D session with out our little bun in the oven. (3D because the pictures are taken in 3D and 4D because we can view her movements live on the TV screen...That's for Sonja who asked and anyone else who was wondering.)

So we go there and of course we were both VERY excited to see what her face looks like. The tech put the wand on my belly and instead of seeing her face we saw everything but! Not only were her hands covering her face, but her FEET were too! She couldn't have done a better job hiding herself. The tech was even a little surprised by how curled up she was. We tried moving me from side to side and I even got up to dance around a bit to see if we could get her to move, but she was sound asleep and not budging.

It reminded me of how our dog Libby sleeps:

The good news is that everything looked perfectly healthy. Her heartbeat was 148, the fluid was in good supply, and all her limbs looked great...and long! We even got a few moments when a hand moved just slightly so we could see her mouth moving as it inhaled and exhaled amniotic fluid practicing for when she'll be breathing air. With her feet clear up to her forehead we got a excellent view of, well.... it's definitely a GIRL! There was no mistaking that!

Thankfully this Spa guarantees a full face shot so we were able to reschedule another 30 minute session free of charge. We go back this Thursday evening, and maybe then she'll be ready to show us her sweet little face!!

I know...I'm so impatient!! I just can't wait 'til August to get her first picture taken!! :)