Baby bump: 40 weeks

Baby update: There is a baby.

She's still in my belly.

40 Weeks Picture

I meant to post this picture this past weekend but of course I'm putting it off until now.  Today, as of the 28th, I'm 40 weeks and 3 days.  When I put it in writing, it makes me feel a little better, 3 days past due doesn't seem as bad as it has felt the past few days.  I think with everyone around asking about baby it makes me feel like I'm WAY overdue when, in fact, I'm not.

This whole pregnancy has been pretty easy going, nothing really to complain about.  But finally ... an official complaint.  In the past few weeks (most notably the past week), I've developed quite a lovely (yeah, right!) rash.  A very ITCHY one.  Though I'm going to talk to my midwife about it more at my appointment tomorrow, I've self diagnosed myself with thePUPPPS rash, apparently one of the most common pregnancy rashes. A brief overview:  

"Many women find that the itching part of PUPPPs is what is so difficult. Although, PUPPPs does cause distinguishing red marks on the abdomen, there are specific details a woman should pay attention to before diagnosis to determine whether or not she is suffering from this condition.

• Color appearance changes over time
• Very itchy
• Redness
• Small blisters
• Eczema-like lesions
• Appears on abdomen first
• Is not found on the belly button
• Stretching of the skin, stretch marks are generally the first sign

The appearance of PUPPPs has been described as bumpy, itchy papules that turn to red, scalded skin with welts over time. They begin as though they are stretch marks, then as time passes, the rash begins to become bumpy, red, and bigger. As mentioned above, oddly there is never a rash on the belly button, only around it on the abdomen. From the abdomen, the rash will begin to spread to all parts of the body including the chest, legs, feet, neck, armpits and face of the expectant mother."

Yep, that describes me exactly. Pretty glamorous, right? Thankfully, it has "only" spread (so far) to my hands, arms, and legs. And where it all began on stretch marks of the belly is showing definite signs of improvement today.  The other good news?  They say it all goes away shortly after giving birth.  Therefore, I'm ready!

So, baby, let's get on with this!! 

May my next update be one with a baby picture! A baby that's on the OUTSIDE of my belly, that is. :)

One week until ...

Hello there!

It’s been almost two months now since I’ve checked in to The Purple Carrot so I thought it was high time I do so!  I haven’t really even posted a whole lot on Purple Carrot Kids that much the past few months … time has flown by.  For instance, our little girl is due in SIX (6!) days. 

As I said on Purple Carrot Kids, my last day of work was this past Friday, I figured it would be good for me in the midst of all the chaos to have a week to chill out, do some last minute things and focus on baby.


House Updates

Our house is moving along very well despite the fact that it’s not ready to move into just yet.  Most of our kitchen is installed, we’re just waiting on the appliances and some more cabinets to be put up.  Let me tell you, it’s making me so excited to have my own kitchen once again and to be able to dust the cobwebs off of The Purple Carrot!



Aside from the kitchen likely being completed and appliances being here beginning September, some flooring needs finished along with all the window and floor trim, doors, some more lightening installed, some painting, etc etc … fun “finishing” touches like those.

A few random pictures of the current day status:

    

Now to meet our little girl any day now and finally be able to move in shortly after … we’re getting so close!

Thanks for your patience, blog world, hopefully we will be back very soon …

Baby bump: 39 weeks

Hello there, 39 weeks!

That's right ... come this Sunday, we're just one week away from baby's due date.  It's crazy to think that we'll be officially meeting her in the next few weeks (or days)!

Besides some uncomfortable moments here and there getting around, getting comfortable at bedtime, and finding clothes that still fit decently, things are really going pretty well on the pregnancy front.  This past week (of my last week of work!) my feet started swelling much easier at my desk than normal and I'm getting around slower and slower.  Overall though, I really can't complain, I'm certainly not "miserable" like you hear a lot of people being at this stage of the game and for that, I'm thankful. The only time I come close to "miserable" is when I really need to go to bed and I let my emotions get the best of me, ha. 

No contractions yet or signs of immediate impending labor that I know of but I'm on the lookout.  Baby is doing as wonderfully as always and I'm wondering how much longer she'll find room to stay in there, ha.

Either way, definitely in the "last days" of this stage in life and before we know it, the new one will begin! :) We are blessed!

Nearing completion

Well, I continue to drop the ball with weekly updates once again! Weeks are flying by so fast right now as it gets into “crunch time” with baby’s due date just two weeks away and the house getting SO close to being finished.  Along with that, my emotions have been very up and down imagining how these next few weeks will pan out. 

As the time gets closer and closer, I am very ready for us to have our own place once again.  While I’m so very thankful and appreciative we’ve been able to stay at Erik’s mom’s while the house gets worked on, at times it’s not been easy for me.  I tend to be a “homebody” type of person and emotionally I really like my own space to be able to recalibrate. I’m also not very good at truly being “myself” in a space that isn’t “my own” … gotta love my introverted personality.  Add that to the fact that I’m also not too great at change/transitional periods and these past 9+ months have been very trying sometimes!   Then there’s the fact that pregnancy is a very emotional time and we’ve cooked up quite a recipe of emotional things, haha.

But when I let myself stop for a moment, I realize how silly and selfish it is to dwell on the so-called “negative” things of life right now.  Because there are none! We are so blessed in so many ways!   Before I know it, I’m going to have a completely remodeled beautiful house to live in and a brand new even more beautiful and precious little baby girl in my arms.  We’ve got wonderful family who do things like let us live with them for months and months while we remodel a house, or who take a week off work and drive all the way from Nebraska to tile our  bathrooms and who would do anything for us and our little girl.  My tears of the negativity and the unknown turn into tears of joy and thankfulness to God for bringing us to this point in life.  I think about the past several years and how much loss and sadness there was, Erik caregiving for his dad, his dad passing away, our miscarriage, etc etc.  And I think about how stressful and difficult all ofTHAT was … all the times we prayed “how long, oh, Lord???” as it seemed like nothing joyous or good was happening.

And now here we are.  In a completely different season of life … a season of joy and blessings, a season that just a few years ago we longed to be in!  We are so very blessed!  May I not take all these wonderful blessings for granted and instead focus on and prepare for the greatest gift of all, this precious little human being inside of me that will soon fill our lives with even more joy as we welcome her into the world.

Here we are, at 38 weeks, in our soon-to-be kitchen

I’ll try to be better about taking these last few weeks of photos before she arrives but in the meantime, be sure to check out some wonderful photos that our wonderful doula, Becky, (of Natal Star Doula) took of us the other day!