35 WEEKS

COUNTDOWN TO INDUCTION: 17 DAYS!


How far along: 35 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: Still up 40 lbs 
Maternity clothes? OH YES
Sleep: Really good. Another overnight stay at the hospital since my last post so that's never a good night sleep but other than that, its been great!
Best moment this week: Lunch with my hubs today. It was great, just the two of us being able to laugh and joke around together and spend some quality time together 
Movement? Yep. At the last L&D visit a couple of days ago, the doctor even made a point about how she moved so much. She could barely get measurements on the ultrasound because Kenadie was showing off so much :) also, lots of toes in between my ribs...not so comfy 
Food cravings: Ice water still 
Gender prediction: GIRL
Belly button in or out? In
What I miss: Deli meat. I don't think this one will change... 
What I am looking forward to: Kenadie's arrival! 
Milestones: 35 weeks means she doesn't automatically go to the NICU if born today! Anything under 35 weeks has to go to NICU no matter what. What a great milestone! 
Things I've been experiencing this week: Heartburn and carpal tunnel mostly. I have to say...3rd trimester is not at all uncomfortable like I've always heard. Knock on wood. Great, now that I've said that, I will probably be so uncomfy starting tomorrow, haha. 
Showing? Yep, silly question 
Size of baby: Size of a coconut. The ultrasound on Saturday measured her to be approx 5lbs 9oz. The doctor said she has super long legs. She measured them twice. Lol the first time she said "this can't be right." and measured again. Sure enough, they are measuring just over 38 weeks. No wonder I always feel her toes in my ribs! 
What Baby is up to: Hearing is fully developed and responds best to high pitch tones. 





Not too much going on this week in pictures, but here are two (a little boring, sorry) 

Carseat ready!

Belly is a great food holder :) 

We Have a Date!

We had a crazy stay in L&D again (surprise, surprise) but at least this time we got an induction date. We go in August 16th at night to start the induction process! Woohooooo!!! That's in less than 3 weeks! To say we are absolutely ecstatic is an understatement.

About our most recent stay... I went in on Tuesday for my regular NST (non-stress test) and of course my blood pressure was up again. I got sent to L&D triage where they took my blood and an hour later they were telling me my labs are starting to look abnormal. The doctor said I would be admitted and most likely stay until delivery which would probably be in the next few days. Crazy! So I was in the hospital and on strict bedrest overnight until the morning when they came in and drew my labs again. I had also started a 24-hour urine collection during the night. Imagine everyone's surprise when my labs came back normal! My body just can't decide if it wants preeclampsia or not. Anyways so I was able to go home that evening after the 24hour urine collection was over, but before we went the doctor came in and talked to us about setting up a date to induce labor. I will be 38 weeks on August 17th so we are going in on the night of the 16th to start the process. Of course, she could come earlier. If my blood pressure decides to go nuts and I'm admitted again, the doctors said they will talk about inducing me then. For now I am happy we found a new dose of meds to control my BP for the time being. SO happy we actually know the latest day we will meet our little Kenadie. Well, actually the induction process takes a few days so her birthday could be as late as the 18th.... We shall see!

Now, as for Zodiac signs....I'm not sure I really believe in astrology but I do think its really fun! Tony and I certainly match what our signs say about us. I'm a Cancer and he's a Taurus. Kenadie is definitely going to be a Leo!

Not going to lie...the picture slightly terrifies us. Lol. If interested, you can read about our daughter's zodiac sign below. If not, have a good night and check back again in a few days for our 35 week post! 

Leo Strength Keywords:

- Confident
- Ambitious
- Generous
- Loyal
- Encouraging

Leo Weakness Keywords:

- Pretentious
- Domineering
- Melodramatic
- Stubborn
- Vain

Leo and Independence:

Leo is very independent but they need something to control and someone to admire them and appreciate them. They are fully capable of being greatly successful on their own but they are much happier if they have an audience and a following of people who look up to them. They would prefer not be alone.

Leo and Friendship:

People are attracted to Leo's zest for life and their warm spirit. They have the ability to lift up one's spirits and provide encouragement when times are rough. Their enthusiasm attracts people, Leos are social butterflies, not because they want to be but because people always naturally gravitate and surround the Leo. Leos are very difficult people to not like, they are usually fairly balanced, realistic people. They never dwell on the past and they will think you are strange if you do. Some Leos might be too caught up in themselves and be very self-centered but they are never too self-absorbed to help anyone who needs it. They pamper their friends and treat them well. A Leo is the ultimate friend. They do not hold a grudge and they are very forgiving. They have respect and understanding of people's differences.

Leo and Business:

Business dealings are easy and successful for Leo, if they are in command and control. This can cause conflict in the workplace should the Leo not be in a position of superiority, but they usually get there eventually thanks to their powerful drive to succeed, in other words, they are excellent leaders because this is their kingdom they have to control, and they do it well. Leo has an amazing ability to get along with people and they work best in a group as opposed to alone. They can be very diplomatic in a group setting and can delegate people well, however Leo will not take orders. They need to give orders but with their enthusiasm and cheerfulness, other people do not have a problem taking orders from a Leo because they are never condescending and they treat others with respect and equality. Leos are full of drama, flair and extravagance and this reflects in the business world. They make an impact, they make a difference in the workplace and help to keep the parts moving in sync and iron out any problems before they arise. If the business fails, that means that Leo fails and they are extremely determined not to fail. Leo is the most extravagant sender of all astrology signs. They will not over do it but they will surround themselves with luxury as much as possible. They will never settle for second best.

Leo Temperament:

Leo loves the new and extraordinary, they despise dull, regular routines and if this is what they are faced with, they will simply create their own drama and excitement. This makes Leo prone to stir up a situation out of nowhere just for something to keep their vivacious temperament satisfied. Leo has an amazing ability to bounce back from any feelings of despair or unfortunate events. They do not like to be unhappy, it hurts their pride so they will take matters into their own hands and make things right again. Leos could come into conflict with other powerhouse type of people who will not take orders and not give an inch, Leos will not budge their opinion, they will understand and accept opinions of others but they do not take well to people to try to impose their beliefs on them. Leo most often have the temperament of a demanding, spoiled child but this is only shown if someone steps on the boundaries of their kingdom. They react this way because of their territoriality.

Leo Deep Inside:

Leos are extremely sensitive but they hide that very well. Leos love praise and flattery, their egos demand respect and adoration. Leo is all about pride. This can cause them to be self-centered but the warmth of the Leo heart keeps it under control. If Leo's audience (otherwise known as their friends) do not provide the needed appreciation, Leo is too proud to ask for it and they will suffer a hurt ego, but no one will ever know and they will suffer in silence. The secret of the Leo is that they need to be needed.

Leo in a Nutshell:

Leo is the lion, this well suited symbol represents Leo very well. They possess a kingdom which they protest and cherish. The are high esteemed, honorable and very devoted to themselves in particular! The kingdom could be anything from work to home to a partner, whatever it is, you rule it. Leo is always center stage and full of flair, they enjoy basking in the spotlight. A Leo always makes their presence known. Leo are full of energy that acts like a magnet for other people. Others are attracted to Leo's wit, charm, and what they have to say for they speak of things grand and very interesting. Leo will never settle for second best. They want only the best which can cause lavish excessive spending habits as they enjoy their life of luxury, which is all to easily justified by the grand and magnificent Leo! Public image is very important to Leo, with luxurious possessions and ways of life, this keeps the public image in high standing. They will do whatever it takes to protect their own reputation. Leos are very generous, kind and openhearted people. If a Leo is crossed, they will strike back with force but they are not one to hold a grudge, they easily forgive, forget and move on. Leos are always trying to make things right in the world, they have larger then life emotions and they need to feel like they have accomplished something at the end of the day. They react to situations with action instead of sitting back and thinking about it, they are not impulsive however because they look at the future and consider consequences of their actions. 

34 WEEKS

How far along: 34 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: Up 40 lbs...so far
Maternity clothes? Yep
Sleep: Really good except for last night...I couldn't sleep and finally got up at 6am, watched TV until 7, then went back to bed.
Best moment this week: Sonoma with hubs and the Stockmans!
Movement? Lot. Some painful kicks! 
Food cravings: Ice water
Gender prediction: GIRL
Belly button in or out? In and still have my belly ring! The nurses have all been very surprised lol
What I miss: Deli meat
What I am looking forward to: Seeing our maternity pics and our NST tomorrow
Milestones: 34 weeks baby!
Things I've been experiencing this week: Hurting feet when I'm standing/walking around too long. Other than that, not too much to complain about!
Showing? Yes. And GROWING quick
Size of baby: Size of a butternut squash. I'm thinking she's around/over 5 lbs now! Such a  big girl!
What Baby is up to: She's recognizing and reacting to familiar songs now. Also urinating a pint a day!

This week has been a whirlwind of activity! It was our wonderful friends' last week here so we were very busy and to top it off, we had another visit to the hospital...this time being admitted overnight. It started with high blood pressure of course. I will spare the boring details, but it went a little like this. My BP was high when we got there, went down pretty quickly to normal, but they noticed very low amniotic fluid on the ultrasound and said it could be a sign of the placenta being overworked from the high blood pressure. I had to stay overnight so they could keep a close eye on baby, watch for signs of preeclampsia, and monitor the fluid level. Long story short, the fluid level was back up a little in the morning, my BP was great, baby looked awesome, and my labs were perfect. They still wanted to keep me another night but I talked them into letting me go home that day since I had an NST (non-stress test) the next day, which was Friday. It was too hard for me to get sleep in the hospital plus I had a shared room because they were SO busy on the unit. They said it has been absolutely crazy the past week with deliveries and are expecting a ton of babies in August. Plus we have 2 full moons this August so they are anticipating one crazy month. Anyways, at my NST on Friday my BP was a little high (I had forgotten to take my med. Oops) so they upped my dose of Labetalol (blood pressure med) to 200mg twice a day. Baby girl looked great. I have another one tomorrow morning. It sounds weird but I am always so excited for these. I get to be reassured baby is doing ok, get to talk to my awesome nurse Kathy, and ask all the questions I want. It's a pretty good time for this mama.

In non-pregnancy news, we had to say 2 goodbyes to friends. Shea and Becky are leaving tomorrow morning to road trip back to Florida so we had to say goodbye tonight. So sad to see them go. I can't believe how fast this month has flown by. It's been a blast and I'm so happy they were able to come out to visit this summer.  Also leaving are our friends Jackie and John, who are moving back to Illinois. It's depressing when such great people have to leave too soon! Tony and John did have one last cornhole tournament this last weekend, and it was their best yet! There's a bar here in Danville that has tournaments once a month and Tony and John usually don't get past the first preliminary games. BUT on Saturday they got 2nd place in the whole tournament! YEAH! That's 4 wins in a row. Anyways, I wish all of our friends would just move and stay here. Selfish? Nahhh :-D

Lots of photos to share from this week!

Our day in Sonoma, hospital stay, trying on my mother-in-law's maternity outfit from 1986!, swollen feet, and Kenadie's first Halloween outfit!

33 Weeks/Another L&D Visit

How far along: 33 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: Up 40 lbs! Yowza 

Maternity clothes? YES 

Sleep: Good this week. My naps are wonderful too 

Best moment this week: Spending time with some of our favorite people, Shea and Becky! 

Movement? Yep lots of alien-looking movements in my belly. Hiccups 3 times yesterday! 

Food cravings: Water 

Gender prediction: GIRL

Belly button in or out? In

What I miss: Deli meat, eggs benedict, and a philly roll STILL 

What I am looking forward to: Seeing how our maternity photos turned out :) 

Milestones: Everyday I'm pregnant is a milestone!

Things I've been experiencing this week: Sleepyness, headaches, slightly swollen feet, crazy carpal tunnel in my hands 

Showing? Yes, but I still don't feel like I'm big enough. I see some women who look gigantic and I'm wondering if I will ever look like that. Lol although today I went to the salon for a little eyebrow maintenance and the lady said "You're due any day now?" I said not until the end of next month. She replied "No, this month. Baby already dropped." Haha

Size of baby: Size of a durian (I have NO idea what this is). At the growth ultrasound last week, she was measuring 4lb 9oz. They gain about 1/2 lb a week so maybe she's up to 5 lbs now??? 

What Baby is up to: She's keeping her eyes open while she's awake, coordinating breathing with sucking and swallowing, bones are hardening still, and going through more brain development. 

We had our appointment with the midwife this morning. We saw a different midwife since our regular one is on vacation. This one was awesome too! Tony and I were talking about how amazing the Kaiser midwives are and how we are so grateful they are taking care of our pregnancy. Anyways, she did another quick ultrasound to see if baby was still head down. She is! :) We got to see her taking practice breaths, which are adorable. The midwife said that's a really good sign of a healthy baby! Yay! She said they also wanted us to start regular non-stress tests to make sure baby is doing well (because of my blood pressure issues) so we have the first one tomorrow. It's always nice to hear she is doing exactly what she is supposed to. 

Ok now, the story of our latest L&D trip...on Saturday morning we were getting ready for our breastfeeding class when I took my morning blood pressure. It was a little high 149/87, which is borderline but not at the point where I need to call. But while I was in the shower I had a little bit of flashing light on the right side of my vision so I took my BP again and it was 131/97. My parameters to call are over 150/90 so I called and the nurse said to rest for 15 minutes then do a repeat check and call back. Well 15 min later it was 141/98 so they wanted me to come in (and miss our class!) boooo. The first check they did was 168/106 and they set it to check every 10 minutes. They started an IV and drew some blood. We had a really awesome nurse who got a good vein the first stick. YEAH! But still...an IV in the wrist kind of sucks. It feels like its sticking into your bone. Anyways, my BP  slowly went down over the next hour until it was back in normal range. It was normal for about another hour then the doctor wanted to try an experiment to see if it went back up super high with activity. I took a walk literally to the nurse's chair and back, a total of 20 seconds maybe, and when I got back to bed it was 176/95. So that's when they decided to start me on oral Labetalol which is a very common blood pressure med. They wanted me to take the first dose at the hospital to see how my body reacted. I did fine and my BP returned to normal. So now I have to take it twice daily at home and rest as much as possible. I'm not on official bedrest, thank goodness, but they said no doing dishes or grocery shopping, stay off my feet as much as possible etc. That's about the whole story! It's now just a wait and see, but so far so good. 

Some pictures from the week...

Tony relaxing in the pool. He is the best. :-D 

Free slurpees on 7/11! 

Zoey and Oakley with their best friends Phoebe and Juno, who are visiting from Florida. Aren't they adorable together?? 

Ok...I know you must be wondering what the heck I'm doing here. I'm putting my hands in ice water because of the carpal tunnel! Believe it or not, it feels so good to do this! I forget what we were laughing at in the first picture... :) 

L&D

Tony's family had a dinner on Friday to celebrate some birthdays and baby girl on the way. We are holding up his aunt's famous "kitchen cordials." She makes a bunch of homemade liquor and this was the apple flavored one. I'm not sure why I'm holding it..it was Tony's drink I promise! :) 

From today's photo shoot. Love those Stockmans! 

We went to our favorite candy store in San Francisco which sells all of this amazing taffy! I hate to admit it but Tony and I spend over $15 just on taffy. Do we have a small addiction? Maybe. 

Tony took this on his phone in SF. Love it!

Zoey cuddling her blanket after a long day 

Oakley LOVES laying on the cool tile after he runs around outside 

Growth Ultrasound

Hello all! We had our ultrasound this morning to make sure baby girl is growing on track because they need to watch out for growth restriction with a two-vessel cord baby. We are happy to report she is right on track! Two days ahead actually and weighing in around 4lbs 9oz! I just fall in love with her more and more every time we get to see her. She has the funniest and cutest personality already. (Not that I'm biased being her mom or anything :) She is still head down and had her little foot up by her head and was trying to grab it. It was quite adorable, even the tech said so. Her head has some peach fuzz on the front and back. She was being a little mischievous though when the tech was trying to get a good video of her heart, moving around too much so it took the lady about 6 tries before she got it. Fluid level looked good. Cervix still long with Kenadie's head pressed against it. We didn't get very many pictures but here is the best one. It's a profile view with her arm up in front of her face. See her cute little nose and lips?

Tony took this video of my belly when while we were waiting for the ultrasound tech to come back in. Kenadie was going a little crazy!

32 Weeks!

How far along: 32 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: Up 36 lbs. Eeek. I have officially surpassed the MAX they want you to gain during pregnancy...with 8 weeks still left! 

Maternity clothes? Definitely 

Sleep: I've been waking up the past few nights and unable to go back to sleep. Last night I had to get up, go downstairs, watch tv and eat at 4:00am. Oh well, I guess I should be getting used to being up in the middle of the night anyways! 

Best moment this week: My awesome baby shower yesterday! 

Movement? Yes, hiccups almost everyday and lots of stretches (it feels like she is doing yoga in there) 

Food cravings: Ice water still 

Gender prediction: GIRL

Belly button in or out? In

What I miss: Deli meat, eggs benedict, and a philly roll 

What I am looking forward to: Our growth ultrasound tomorrow morning 

Milestones: Made it to 32 weeks! Which apparently is a huge developmental milestone...I didn't know 

Things I've been experiencing this week: Swelling feet, low energy, heartburn at night, and carpal tunnel. All very mild. What's not mild? My snoring, apparently! Tony recorded me two nights ago...what a meanie! But I do see his point. I sounded like a huge truckdriver :( 

Showing? Yep, no denying it now 

Size of baby: Size of a squash. We will find out some measurements at the ultrasound tomorrow 

What Baby is up to: She is starting to shed her lanugo (fine layer of hair which has been protecting her body), growing more hair on her head (I hope!), and her bones are hardening more and more 

We've been having a very busy week! Here are some pictures from the week: 

Danville's 4th of July Parade. It was SO fun having Shea and Becky and Phoebe and Juno (their dogs) here for the parade! Our good friends Ashley and Mike and Jackie and John came too! SO FUN. 

Parade 

And be proud everyone. We walked to the parade and it wasn't that bad! But my swollen feet were the price I paid.

Saw this cake on allrecipes.com and just had to make it for Tony's parents BBQ 

Then we had a great time watching fireworks with great friends! The boys played cornhole and the girls chatted about babies, teaching, and food :) 

Daddy and Zoey tummy time with baby girl 

Relaxing night snuggling 

Tony took this picture of Zoey and it may be one of my favorite pics of her ever! 

Trying to take a family photo...the end result not so good but had fun trying!

Ok I know...dog picture overload, but they are too cute! 

Got a mani for my shower! 

 YES! I realize the banner looks like it says "ho" behind me, but it really does say Baby Shower! I promise! Too funny though...  

Tony took this before the shower

Annnnd one last one of me and my awesome hubs

I can't wait to post shower pictures! We had SO MUCH FUN! It was beautiful. My mom, my sister Alie, and great friend Ashley did an amazing job! And we have tons of pictures thanks to our amazingly talented Becky.

Coming up...growth ultrasound tomorrow, breastfeeding class Saturday, and maternity pictures which will also be taken by Becky (I am so excited to have her as our photographer. She does an incredible job and will be here until July 24th if anyone is interested in having her do a photo session! She does weddings, engagements, family, and maternity. Check her out at www.comcapphoto.com) 

31 Weeks and Another Trip to L&D!

How far along: 31 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: Up 32 lbs as of my 29 week appointment

Maternity clothes? OH YES. So comfy
Sleep: Good except my left hip bone and both hands always hurt when I wake up
Best moment this week: Just realizing we STILL get to sleep in because its SUMMMMMEERRRR!
Movement? Yep. And she had hiccups two nights in a row this week 
Food cravings: Ice water
Gender prediction: GIRL
Belly button in or out? In
What I miss: Deli meat 
What I am looking forward to: Fourth of July and my birthday! (the 5th) 

Milestones: Officially past 30 weeks! 
Things I've been experiencing this week: Swelling feet and hands, fatigue, and heartburn. Tums have become my best friend lately. 
Showing? Yes and growing!
Size of baby: Size of a pineapple. We got a surprise ultrasound on thursday night (I'll explain below) and baby is measuring about 3lbs 7oz! 

What Baby is up to: Her irises now react to light. All 5 of her senses are in working order. 

So we had a crazy night Thursday! Around 10:30, I was feeling weird...I dont even know how to explain it. Just jittery, racing heart, and an all around nervous feeling. I took my blood pressure and it was elevated just a little outside of my doctor-set parameters to call. It was 136/94. I called the prenatal on-call nurse and she told me to lie down in a dark quiet room on my left side for 30 minutes, then check it again and call back. I did and it was 145/90. She called the doctor and the doctor was actually ok with this blood pressure but wanted me to come in because of the way I was feeling. So Tony and I headed to L&D around 11:30pm. When we got there I was hooked up to all the monitors and my BP was 176/98. Too high. They set it to go off every 15 minutes and we kept getting BP's similar to this. Because I was in triage, it was a shared room with curtains to block our view from other patients. At one point, this woman came in and she did NOT sound happy. We only had a curtain and about 5 feet to separate us so I could hear everything. She sounded like she was so uncomfortable and they checked her cervix and it was 7-8 cm! They wheeled her immediately to her delivery room, but for that few minutes it was definitely our entertainment of the night! Lol. Ok I shouldn't be laughing...that will be me in a few weeks. Anyways, baby girl did great on the monitors and of course she was kicking them like crazy. We even got to see her on the ultrasound where they said she is measuring around 30 weeks (no big deal) and weighs about 3lbs 7oz. My BP eventually went down to normal and we were sent home with an appointment with the doctor on Monday (tomorrow). So that was that! 

Pictures taken today of the 31 weeks belly 

Yes my face is really this chunky now. 

Here are is my hand with my wedding ring, which hasn't fit for a good month now. My new size is a 9! Wedding ring is a 6.25. Can you say holy Shrek hands???

Annnnd my new haircut! Yes..I'm rockin the mom haircut now..!! Before and after.