37 Weeks and counting!

So, I am officially 37 weeks!  Since I have been going in to the OB every week now, I have been twice since I last posted.  I was nervous about the transfer but I really like my new doctor and the office!  They are great and he is very personable!  Definitely a good choice for me :)

My first appointment was on January 15th and it went well!  I was 60% effaced and 1 cm dilated and little babycakes was at -2.  Fair spot to be in with a month left!  He ordered an ultrasound for the next week since I was a new patient - fun! 

My second appointment was on January 21st.  My test results came back positive for group B so I will get an antibiotic while I'm in labor.  I'm kinda glad because I would rather get the antibiotic and be safe rather than test false negative and have him get sick or something...  So I am great with those results!

We also did the ultrasound and that was really fun!!  He was so big that all you could see was a hand or a leg at a time, but she was able to take a look and get some pictures.  She confirmed he is a boy, and did some measuring.  She said I was looking to be about four days ahead of schedule, but as due dates are such rough estimates they said the four days didn't really matter, so my due date is unchanged at Feb 14th!  She also estimated his weight and he seems to be about 6.5 lbs currently.  55th percentile - he should be fairly average weight.

So, that is the low-down on the last two appointments and I go in again on the 28th of January.  It is getting more and more exciting as we get closer!  I just can't wait to see Andrew as a dad!  I love seeing his face light up when he feels the baby kicking and during the ultrasound.  He will be amazing!  I think he is feeling a little stressed with the new job and insurance issues and lesson planning and finding a sub and wanting to be there for me 24/7, but we still have a couple weeks so hopefully he is feeling better by then :)

Speaking of prepping and feeling ready, we went to our first prenatal class at the hospital tonight.  It was week 1 of 2 and we were there from 5:30-9:30pm.  I think I will really like this hospital!  We did a tour at the end to get a feel for the facility also.  It has a really amazing NICU and the labor and delivery suites are definitely sweet!!  Ha ha!  And it was great that Andrew was able to be there with me.  It was a fun date night!  I don't even think he minded having to watch a lady pop her baby out on screen - heh heh...

I have been feeling great still though things are getting a little more intense!  Some days I feel like I am in labor, with back pain and cramps and contractions...  Some days I don't even feel pregnant!  And I finally got my pregnancy merit badge as my stretch marks showed up a couple days ago.  And boy did they show up!  Our little baby seems to be doing well too, except I don't think he likes it in there anymore!  He kicks and punches and pushes me without mercy and I think it is amazing my hips and ribs have survived!  But it just makes me love him all the more :)  We have officially unpacked and I have been catching up with friends and prepping for baby.  Andrew, as mentioned, is crazy busy!  Some of his online classes to renew his license have ended, however, so we anticipate less late nights and more of that "idyllic teaching schedule" we hear so much about.  He is a trooper and my number one hero!  He is just such an amazing man!

Anywho, I will post again soon!  Here are some pics of the tummy, the ultrasound (if you aren't an expert at reading these things, little munchkin is looking straight at you with his hand tucked under his chin...hopefully you can make out his eyes and white nose and little fingers), the nursery, and some pics of the house so you can get a feel for where we are living.  Hope this wasn't too long and boring!  More soon!

Mountain of boxes...not even half of them though...

 Nursery pics!  I think I am done tweaking it so this is the final product!

 Some pictures of the house... Kitchen, family room, front room, entryway with hallway down to bedrooms and little office area off the entryway

 Yep, I'm pretty massive now!

 And the ultrasound!  Again, he is laying on his side looking at the camera with his fist under his chin

34 Weeks and counting!

So, this post is a little late... We had our last appointment on the 28th of December but I am getting to this post a week late because of life-craziness that has included not having the internet for a couple days!  For those who haven't heard, we moved to Arizona!!  A short time before Christmas, Andrew had a video chat interview with a school down in Paradise Valley and heard back from them later that day that he got the job!  It took a couple days to be confirmed by the superintendent and HR (we found out last summer that principals don't hire, they submit your name so it is good to not get too excited until you hear from HR).  During this couple of days of anxiously waiting, we did a lot of thinking about where we want to be and what will get us there.  Also, we have been praying for a job opportunity to come along in Andrew's field since he graduated last December (a whole year!!).  When it came down to it, we decided that we needed to jump at this opportunity and not even think about complaining about timing!  It is a great job for Andrew!

So, we had two weeks to enjoy Christmas, pack up the house, solidify a place to live, switch doctors, and move!  We planned on moving Jan 2nd and Andrew's new job starts on Jan 7th.  We had a really really wonderful Christmas and New Years close to Andrew's family, soaking up the love and amazing spirit you can feel around them.  We also spoke in church, and packed!

I had my last Dr's appointment at Valley OBGYN on Dec 28th and it was super quick!  I went in planning on doing the group B test, but they decided that since I was moving and it would have been a little ahead of schedule anyways to have me wait.  I was fine with that!  I was happy to have complete records to transfer down to my new doctor instead of waiting for test results to come back in.  I filled out forms to fax to my new OBGYN (Dr Tamanaha - recommendation courtesy of Lana and Kelsey, whom I am already impressed with because his office was great to work with in switching!) and got a print out of my records for myself.  Those were fun to look through, except the nurse's notes from all my blood draws which say I turned "hostile" and that it took "nurse x2 to restrain patient."  Ok, someone is exaggerating!  I admit it was not one of my proudest moments but I don't remember being hostile and requiring a troop of nurses!  I will deny everything...  Anywho, my next appointment is in a week and a half on Jan 15th.  That was the closest to two weeks they could get it.

And then the big move!  Andrew's family came and helped us move, which was really such a blessing!  After two hours of playing tetras in the moving van, we got everything to fit!  Yay!  There was over a foot of snow outside and none of the boys could feel their noses by the end, but we were done!  Yay!  The girls cleaned and I sat back and watched like a helpless person!  Yay!  I had been having painful braxton-hicks contractions off and on the handful of days before, so I was being serious about taking it easy.   We spent the night at Andrew's parent's home and left the next day.  The trip was incredibly cold!!  I have never seen my car thermometer hit -20* before!  The trip took a little time with the moving truck, so we clocked in around 13 hours later (added 3ish hours) at 8:30 pm.  We unloaded that night and slept soo good!  We were both beat!  Since then, the unpacking wars have commenced and we are settling in!  Pictures of the house will be in the next post, but here is a 33 week picture (was that just last week!?).  Andrew and I are thinking of going to take pictures together before little Whiffenpoof is born...  (yes, our child has the weirdest nicknames...I typed that without even thinking about it, but then thought I aught to explain that it will not be on his birth certificate...).  I also included pics of my cute Andrew in our old house (I will secretly miss the small space and cinderblock walls and all the memories we have there) and the group picture at the Robinson family temple lights trip (see if you can id people with all the hats and scarves!)

So, to sum up, God is giving us all blessings at once and we are settling into our crazy new life!  It was hard and sad to leave Utah, but we are really happy and really feel good about where we are right now.  We feel like Heavenly Father gave us this opportunity for a reason and that is good enough for us! :)

29 Weeks and counting!

Reading my last post, I feel kinda silly.  We are not "so close," we still have 10 weeks to go!!  Ugh...

I went to my doctor's appointment on Thursday and successfully survived the glucose challenge test!  And so did all the nurses...and the doctor...and Andrew.  No one was kicked, scatched, or required stitches.  If you know me, you know I am pretty severely afraid of all things sharp and pointy.  But I really put my mind to it and told myself it would be fine, and it was!  My goal was to not cry (as I was going straight to work) which is a very lofty goal!  And guess what, not one tear.  Andrew said I was brave :)  Now let's just hope I passed...  And actually the drink wasn't so bad.  I probably wouldn't voluntarily pick it out of a line up of beverages, but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. 

After the glucose test they did the normal weight (I've gained almost 20 lbs!), blood pressure (115/74), fundal height, and doppler to hear his heart beat.  The doctor told me all about prenatal classes I need to sign up for and talked about pains I might be feeling as my uterus stretches more over the coming months.  Then the doctor laughed hysterically when I told him I was contemplating going without an epidural on the big day (he lost points in the "Best Doctor" competition).  Hey, doctor, see this sticky tape and cotton ball on my arm?  I'm tough! 

I will say he wasn't kidding about the stretching pains.  The day before my doctor's appointment, I had one really big cramp and kinda felt sore the rest of the day.  And ever since my appointment, I have weird fluttering, stretching sensations in my lower abdomen that kinda feel like kicking/stretching.  Hard to describe, but make it hard to sleep at night.  My leg cramps are getting worse too, probably as a side effect...  But enough moaning, I feel great overall!  Really!!

Andrew and I went down to Mesa AZ for Thanksgiving and it was amazing!  We arrived on Thanksgiving morning in time to help prep and devour the Thanksgiving feast.  Andrew was a zombie at that point so he crashed on the couch while I caught up with family.  The mashed potatoes were completely up to par and the rolls were delectable and my aunt Ruthann made green bean casserole per my request, so all was right in the world.  Even the turkey with my dad's gravy was heavenly, and I am anti-meat right now.  It was a great day! 

Two days later there was a baby shower that my mom put together for me.  The best part was having all my family and friends in one place at one time!  I go to AZ for quick trips frequently, but never get to see everyone!  It was amazing!  All my high school friends were there (sans Lana who was at the hospital, having given birth the night - congratulations), and some friends from college, ward friends, family, and my closest cousins all at once!  I was so happy to see Rebecca, Marianne, and Sarah all together...something that hasn't happened in years!  We went to lunch a few days later to really catch up, which was a blast!  At the shower, I recieved lots of clothes and smaller items, which was perfect as we were able to fit it all in a huge duffle bag and get it back to Utah with us (via airplane).  Thanks everyone who came, it was so much fun!!  And thanks to my mom, who is a master shower planner and decorator!

When we got home from AZ, Andrew and I both called off work and he got a minor surgery on his arm and then we relaxed and put up Christmas and ate breakfast for dinner.  I absolutely love cooking in the kitchen with Andrew - one of my most favorite things!  Andrew's sister Kate came over and it was fun to have the extra company.

So...I think that is all we did!  Pretty boring three weeks, huh?!  Now we really need to finish the nursery.  Our storage shed decided to mutiny and get termites, so all the storage boxes are in the nursery and we can't even get inside the door.  Someday, it will be fit for our coming little babe :)  Until then, enjoy more pictures!  (They are teeny, just click on them for full size...)

Baby shower... and honestly since my little 10 year old sister had the camera, there are NO decent pictures... of anyone!!  So, here are some decorations, a picture I stole off Facebook (thanks Kaylynn!) and a group picture...

And, of course, the tummy...

26 Weeks and counting!

I can't believe we are so close!  The weather is cooling down and February seems just around the corner!  We keep hearing that the last couple months go the slowest though, so we are ready for the drag...  Honestly, I keep feeling that the more time I have to prepare the better!  But I cannot wait to hold my little boy...

At our doctor's appointment earlier this week, the doctor said that everything looks great!  She said he is exactly where he needs to be in growth and the I am "growing him well."  I told her the conscious me has nothing to do with it so I really couldn't take any credit!  Her comment made me pause and marvel at God's wisdom in creating life that could in turn create bodies for more life.  It is a wonderful plan and I am in awe of what my body is doing with only God's direction.  Every time I feel him kick, I know there is something bigger going on that I am only a small part of.  And boy can this little boy kick!  The rest of the appointment was routine and they gave me the dreaded orange syrup for my glucose test next time.  That will be a great opportunity for me to practice some relaxation techniques I have been working on for the big day...which will probably be a very valuable opportunity as I don't really feel all that stressed when I practice laying on my couch... :)

I had another thoughtful and prayerful moment when Andrew's mom invited me to see one of the babies at her work in the NICU at the hospital.  They have a baby in there whose due date is very close to mine so it was interesting to see what our baby looks like.  He was so tiny and all wrapped up in the incubator with lots of monstrous machines keeping him alive...  It made me say a little prayer of thanks that our baby has been really healthy and we have had an uneventful pregnancy!  Wow are we grateful!  It really made me appreciate modern medicine and a close hospital where we will be having a baby!  And I have to say Wendy is amazing for having a heart big enough to bear working in there! 

Halloween was fun this year and I especially had fun decorating!  I really love Halloween!  I think it will get worse with all the holiday's coming around the corner, but I really wished our little boy were already here to dress up with me and enjoy the holiday.  Soon!  We are going down to Mesa for Thanksgiving so we can see my family!  I am especially excited to see all the new babies!  Last I was down a handful of my cousins and friends were pregnant and now they have had their babies!  Can't wait to see them! 

Ok this post is getting out of control!  I write about once a month but so much goes on in a month!  And it is hard for me not to ramble since this blog belongs to us and I can post whatever the heck I want!  Anyways, next time I hope to have finished the nursery and post some pics.  It is coming along really well, it is just hard to find time between working and sleeping (such weirdo dreams I can't even describe!) and dealing with nosebleeds (which I have never had a problem with before) and leg cramps and weird cravings (peaches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?  Yes please!) and frequent potty breaks and headaches (the worst part of my pregnancy) that call me away from getting things done!  Don't worry everyone, I am definitely getting my share of the joys of pregnancy! 

Until next month!  Here are some pics for you...me at week 26 and some of the Halloween decorations we made this year, including our creepy chandelier and our apothecary jars

21 Weeks and counting!

So, most have heard the good news but if you're following this blog and haven't...
IT'S A BOY!!
My intuition was wrong as I totally thought it was a girl, but I kinda wanted it to be a boy!  Andrew was being pretty closed- mouth on his guess (but he was stinkin' excited when we found out it was a boy).  We do love the idea of having a boy first :)
Sabrina came to the appointment with us and it was really great having her there!  The nurse looked at and measured everything, and she said he looked really really healthy.  She pointed out the brain, heart, kidneys, stomach, bladder, umbilical cord, and we got to watch the blood going in and out of the heart when she turned on the color.  It was pretty obvious he was a he when she got to that point, but it made it even more fun that we could tell right away!  I don't think he liked being poked and pushed on because he was moving a lot!  I think the nurse was getting kinda frustrated, but my heart melted...  It was so cool being able to feel and see him moving around in there...  I'm already in love with him! Then there were caramel apples (our after-appointment treat from Kneader's - if you haven't tried these and live in Utah, GO THERE!) and mass texts to family and friends and it started to sink in that we are going to have a baby!  Crazy!

So, we scanned in some of our ultrasound pictures for those who are following from afar...  Enjoy!
This first one is the profile (obviously) and is my favorite because he actually looks like a baby!  The nurse tried to get a straight-on picture of his face but he was wiggling around too much.  But I don't care, this is too cute!

 

This second one is of his arms and hands... So little!

 The last one is of his feet...  Kinda blurry because he was kicking so much.  His ankles were crossed in this picture, so the bottom foot is his left and you get a slanted look at the right.  SO IN LOVE! 

And for those of you who have been asking for pictures of the belly...  Here is one for ya!  Not the best pictures and my camera was dying so I only got a couple but I will put more up later, no worries.  I look like I am pushing my tummy out but I promise I was standing as naturally as I could!  Yay for finally showing!  :)

17 Weeks and counting!

So, in the competition to see which Dr is most liked by Erica Robinson (everyone wants to be first in that competition, trust me), Dr Wolsey has the most points so far.  He was fabulous at our last appointment and I think I am liking him the best :)  Both my other appointments were with other Drs and the Drs acted pretty rushed.  Just because I look really out of place in that office and am hardly even showing yet doesn't mean I am not full of questions!  Sheesh!  Anywho, little rant over.
The Dr talked to me about blood lab results and answered lots and lots of my questions.  Then we did the Doppler again (so fun!) and he measured my fundal height (all these new words I am adding to my vocab!) 
Also fun was the fact that I discovered there is another Erica Robinson going to that office who had an appointment at the exact same time as me (different doctor) and is around the same time in her pregnancy as me!  It was weird...  She is my little doppelganger and I can see so many things going wrong because of this!  What if they get our paperwork mixed up?  What if we are at the hospital at the same time and they treat me for her medical problems?  What if our babies get switched!?!  I know none of that will happen, it was just weird thinking about it...
Also fun...we set up our "anatomy ultrasound" for the 1st of October!  We will be almost 21 weeks, but that was the soonest they could fit us in!  I am so excited!   Andrew thinks we should try out all the old wives' methods for determining gender first (pee in draino, hold a ring on a string and see how it swings...etc) to see how accurate they are.  Well, we'll see...

Other news... we finished remodeling our bathroom!  Yay!  We put in a new light fixture, new medicine cabinet, new vanity/sink combo, and new flooring.  A couple weekends and lots of Andrew-sweat later, it looked stinkin' amazing.  Such a big difference!!  I wish we had some before pictures so you could appreciate the after but oh well! 

14 Weeks and counting!

Our second doctor's appointment was on August 3rd and was super quick!  They told me it was normal but we were in and out in 5 minutes!  We got to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler and that was really really cool!  Sometimes I forget that I'm eating weird things and getting up four times to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and randomly cranky for a reason.  It was a good reminder that there is a reason for this madness! 

Andrew and I celebrated our 2nd Anniversary on August 6th.  We spent the whole day together, running errands and we saw the new Batman movie and we went to Provo Beach Resort to play croquet and then we got Thai food (finally!!) at Thai Drift...  It was a wonderful day!  And, Andrew surprised me with a baby crib and changing table!  He set it up in the spare-room-that-will-eventually-probably-go-by-a-new-name and whereas I would usually probably not like that kind of surprise, Andrew knows me so well that he picked out exactly what I wanted! (Andrew got a new waffle maker cause he makes waffles all the time and has already worn ours out that we got as a wedding gift :)

We also have this running joke from way back when we registered for our wedding.  It involved a mysterious culprit, a registry scanner gun, and a yellow newborn onesie...  Let me tell you, it was quite embarrassing to go back and look at our registry online after the big day of registering and see a yellow onesie on the list!  We removed it real fast.  But now the joke is that we need to buy a yellow onesie, so we are on the hunt for the perfect one!  We'll let you know when we find it... :)

And congratulations to my cousin Becca and her husband Mike!  Their baby was born on our Anniversary (August 6) and is so stinkin' cute!  It made me so excited for ours to come and to be a mom too!  Seeing the picture of him in the little hospital crib kinda helped it sink in that the 9 months will eventually be over and we will be bringing home our baby and starting a new chapter of our lives!  If only the months would go faster... I feel great but time is trickling by so slowly...