- Based off of a inspiration room I saw online about a year ago.
- I'm very drawn to vintage and my husband is drawn to anything that he can build himself. We compromise a lot on colors, coordination, and structure. Clean lines with a bit of whimsy.
Before I went all out and told you all about the birth story of our son and share photos of him and all the juicy details, I thought I give a little punch of color and pizzaz to this part of the blog, since the last few weeks of my pregnancy were more about emotion and wanting to meet my baby than anything else. Now that he's here, we can really have some fun!
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It's been quite the journey... And, now-- it continues. I'm rounding a corner.
In less than 3 hours, I will be officially 40 weeks pregnant, with nothing but an even bigger bump to show for it. I blame my silly hubby for getting my hopes up and having all of these bogus theories about me going into labor at 38 weeks or some such nonsense. He has predicted numerous days to be the day our child greets the world. But, so far, baby Ezra hasn't liked any of those options. My measurements have been the same for the past two weeks. 1 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and the baby's head at -1 station. The doctors seem to think that those numbers are magical and that I could go into labor at any moment. I usually leave their office feeling a bit less optimistic than all of that. The weeks are getting increasingly hard. My energy is depleting more each day and so is my patience. I'm not, what most people would describe as, stressed-- just anxious. Anxious to see what my body can really do as far as labor and delivery, anxious to hold my baby and look at his face for the first time (a face that is, for now, a mystery to me), and have his little tiny fingers wrapped around just one of mine. Not to mention the look on Jon's face when he see's it all happen. Having gone through the whole emergency c-section, terrifying newborn health situation, and then having a 6.5 year old who is basically a grown up compared to changing a poopy, size 1 diaper... It's gonna be a completely new experience. I'm getting tired of people calling me every day to ask if I'm "STILL pregnant" or say, "Haven't you had that baby yet?!" Especially when most of them are family members that would be informed the moment something happened. Most people are also convinced that because DH is so tall (6'2") and weighed 10 lbs, 6oz at birth, that our child is going to be a mammoth. I hear numerous times a week about how humongous our child is going to be. Or how late. Even when I went shopping the other day, the lady checking my items at Victoria's Secret seemed to be an EXPERT in the fact that most 1st babies are late. While it's true that 70% of all babies are born after their due date, I don't need reminded of that every five seconds! What's really funny is, after all of the talking THEY do they say, "Well, don't be too worried or stressed out. The baby will come when it's ready." REALLY? I didn't have a clue. -_- If maybe, just maybe, I could get away from all that talking I would be completely fine with my baby boy waiting this thing out and letting me know whenever he is ready to make his grand entrance. And I'm sure with all the pain I'm in now, a grand entrance it will be! Between all that and DH's mom & dad in town and wanting to come over all the time, and the awkward relationship (or lack thereof) that I already have with his sister-in-law heading into uncharted waters, I'm just a little sleep deprived, tense, and moody. Jon has literally been such a doll and told me to complain as much as I wanted. Poor thing-- I don't think he understood what that meant. Haha. He is basically my life coach right now and I don't know what I'd do without him. So, with my due date tomorrow, I'm just sitting here drinking in the fact that hubs is cleaning the kitchen for me and my whole house smells like french vanilla creamer, and wondering- Where is Baby McConnell? I really don't know what to say...
I'm 38 weeks + 3 days (almost 4) and honestly, I won't lie, I was hoping- maybe even expecting- to be done being pregnant by now. It never occurred to me that I could take this thing to 39 or 40 weeks. It just seemed impossible!
Very long overdue... Even more so than my last couple of library books. Good thing blog readers don't charge late fees, ey?
This new year has started out with a "BANG!" and I can't believe that January is nearly over. Only 3-6 more weeks until we meet out sweet baby boy and lord! I'm anxious! Here we are... This week marks the END of my 2nd trimester! I have been counting down for this for the past month! I'm so excited. When I hit the 30 week mark, it will signify that the end is near. AND, that the bonding with my baby can begin!
Today the baby is sitting very low in my uterus and isn't very active. I'm sure it's because I feel crappy and have been quite the slug today myself. I didn't intend to be, for what it's worth. I woke up with motivation to clean my entire house from top to bottom, since it has needed desperately done for over a week now. However, halfway through my "to do" list, I became very clammy feeling and 'heavy'. Hubby took my temperature at 100 degrees and ordered me to lie down for the rest of the day. (He wasn't too happy when he found me scrubbing toilets about 30 minutes later.) I'm terrible at relaxing, with a capital T. Noah has been coughing, sniffling, and blowing his nose on and off since last Thursday. Today, his mom dropped him off here (missing school) and he also has a fever of 100. I'm pretty sure that something is just going around. Unfortunately, it may be the flu. Many of our friends have had or currently have it. It's like the germs are saying, "Welcome! We've been waiting for you..." Noah and I both got our flu shots early last month. He has been sick once since then, only for a few days, and I haven't been at all. I was literally terrified by one of the doctors I saw [in the practice where I am treated] into getting the flu shot. I was completely against the entire idea, especially since I never ever get sick. But, apparently, after listening to doctors, friends, and doing my own research, fatalities are higher among pregnant women who get influenza than among non-pregnant. I didn't want to even risk losing my baby mid-pregnancy. I am still waiting for Jon to get his flu & t-dap shots in the near future but, until then, I at least know the the internal safety of my little one is greatly improved by my taking precautions. I do hope that my fever doesn't go above 100, though, because then I'll have to go to the emergency room and be hooked up to an IV of fluids so that I don't get dehydrated. I think that when it comes to babies, doctors are more concerned with you being dehydrated than they are about you doing things that might seem even more drastic, like not eating. I am making myself drink water because I don't feel thirsty in the least. I think that between forcing liquid down my throat and being confined to the couch... I probably feel a bit like Noah did about 15 minutes ago when I told him I wanted him to take a half hour nap. He instead, pretended to fall out of his bed and somehow managed to have his bath stool on top of his head by the time I walked in there. *sigh* Boys will be boys. Hopefully, this groggy gross feeling goes away quickly and doesn't complicate anything... We are supposed to be going to Charlotte (Carolina Panthers) this weekend for a football game; in the cold and the rain, which is exactly what I don't want to be out in if I'm sick. P.S. I passed my glucose test and don't have gestational diabetes! WHOOP WHOOP! BrittanyG Photography of Highlands, Utah first grabbed my attention when it came to photos of giving birth. If you'd have asked me a few years ago if I would even attempt to give birth I would've said no, let alone the idea of someone photographing me doing it. And even now that I'm pregnant, sometimes when I think about it makes me a little jumpy; I might end up punching the poor photographer in the face. Plus, being a photographer myself, I know just how much the pressure would be on. When I first started thinking about having a baby, I was always looking at maternity, newborn, and quirky post-natal items I thought where cool. (Click here to see my 'bump starter' pinterest board) In the process, I came across these amazing pictures of baby Wil's birth story. None of the photos were invasive, graphic, or offensive and it made me look at the delivery process in an entirely new light. Now that the birth of our little booger is getting nearer I keep thinking more and more about how much I would like documentation of that day. Nothing distasteful or gross...
I think the entire idea is becoming a bit more trendy and accepted, as I've seen a number of photographers in my area and all over the country offering sessions like this. I would love to offer a session like this!! Especially after I give birth to my own child and know the ins and outs of the progression. Hubby is a bit weirded out by the entire thought of having someone in the room and would rather just set up a camcorder in the corner. I don't like that idea because at least when you review your photos it's SILENT and you don't have to hear all of the pain you went through to get your little miracle. There are so many tender moments that a family shares in welcoming their new addition into the world; how sentimental it would be to look back on those prized possessions years later! A friend of mine told me to remember it on the little camcorder in my head, haha. But, I'm such a sucker and driven by emotion... I can't imagine how tear-jerking and nostalgic those pictures would be... Still-frames will always be my favorite way to capture a moment. No black & white memory could ever do the moment you meet your new son/daughter justice. Or the small instant when your first child realizes they are a brother/sister and hold their new sibling for the first time. Ahhh! I don't really think you guys understand the crazy adrenaline running through me as I write this! Regardless, of whether I can talk Jon into doing it or not, or how much it costs... I will ALWAYS think this is a good idea. I've watched quite a number of birth videos, and read experiences, and heard true life stories from family/friends; I feel like this is a personal choice like everything is. Just like having a midwife or a doula, or having your baby at home vs a birthing center vs a hospital. But, it's definitely a once in a lifetime adventure. <3 |