Quotes of the Day

"You fed her with that one."

-Aubrey said this while pointing to my left boob after feeding Copper

"Have a glass of wine and go into it with a good sense of humor."

- Our Midwife, Laura

I'll let you guess what she's talking about.

Battle of the Bottle

I thought that babies immediately took to bottles and pacifiers. I've seen those baby shows on TLC. Pacifier in the mouth on the way home...Struggling mom gives baby a bottle on day 4. I have a friend who's daughter took neither and Aubrey and I always wrote that off as parent error. Paybacks are a bitch. We tried the first bottle feeding at about 3 weeks and then read you should wait until after 4 weeks to avoid nipple confusion. Now we think we should have tried sooner. Copper loves boobie and I doubt that she would abandon me. After two very unsuccessful tries at the bottle, we researched a bit and found out that we were doing it all wrong. It made sense to us to try to bottle feed when she was hungry and that I would do it since I always fed her. Wrong. Mommy = boobie, not bottle. So apparently baby expects boobie from mommy and is less likely to take a bottle from her. Waiting till they are hungry is also bad because then they will be fussy. So on the third try, Aubrey gave her the bottle about an hour before boobie time. After about 45 minutes of Copper pleasantly declining she finally latched on. Mission accomplished, right? Wrong again. Aubrey was able to successfully bottle feed her small amounts on 2 other occasions, but she is once again protesting. Grandma Strong was trying to feed her yesterday and Copper was looking at her and talking and smiling. With the bottle in her mouth. No sucking. We've tried 4 different nipples. The only one that she has taken to is the Dr. Brown's bottle, but as mentioned, has since turned it down. I have a haircut and color this Friday and a Ladies Lunch in two weekends. I would like to be able to have more of these outings. Copper Jo Jo just loves her mommy too much. Or is it that she hates me?

*I uploaded the pictures for this post on Dec 22 before heading to Texas. I never got around to doing the post in Texas. I finally got it posted on January 13th. The Dec 22 post would have been about successfully bottle feeding Copper. Good thing I waited.

She stole my pillow!

This morning Copper woke up about 6:30. I changed and fed her and then I spent 2 hours willing her back to sleep. Luckily we went to bed around 11:00 and not the 2am bullshit that she pulled on us a couple nights ago. I wasn't quite as ridiculously tired as usual. One thing that was working to make her fall asleep was setting her up. I did this a few times against my legs, but I can't sleep with my knees in the air. Around 7:45 I finally propped her up against my pillow and she immediately passed out. So I just scooted over and spooned with Aubrey until the alarm went off 20 minutes later.

Aubrey is fake sleeping here. He was awake admiring our little girl moments before I took the picture.

Failed!

Copper had her newborn hearing screen done today and she failed. Don't worry, the kid can hear, it's just that her responses were delayed due to a possible ear infection or fluid behind her ear drums. Being a new mom, I immediately called the pediatrician to see if we should bring her in to have her ears checked out and they said we should. So we brought her in and it turns out that she has a bit of a cold. It wasn't her aptitude that caused her to fail, it was out of her control. She has had some big boogers lately so it made sense that she had a cold. Unfortunately, we have to go back to have a follow-up test done the beginning of January that is 3 hours long. Today's test took about 45 minutes.

The test was done at Children's Hospital and the moment I parked my car and saw parents walking their kids across the parking lot, I knew that the hospital is not a place I wanted to be. Kids and illness are a combination that I do not like to see. While there were probably a few kids in there just getting routine tests done like Copper, most of those kids are in for much more serious conditions. I saw a dad walk out with some kind of padded backboard that looked big enough for about a 2 year old. I've never liked thinking about sick kids, but now that I have my own kid, I like thinking about it even less. While Aubrey and I have high expectations for our little girl, we've both stated on numerous occasions that what we really want is for Copper to be healthy. I can't even imagine what parents go through when their child is ill. I try not to even let my mind go there.

On a brighter side, the crazy cute picture of Copper was taken at the pediatricians office today. I'm sure Copper was thinking, "Holy crap! That baby is CUTE!"

On a side note: Copper now weighs 9 lbs 11 oz! She is now in size 1 diapers. Such a big girl.

Meeting the Great Grandparents

Grandma and Grandpa Strong made a special trip out to Colorado last weekend to see their great granddaughters. They're lucky kids to have such wonderful great grandparents. Copper will get to meet Aubrey's grandparents next week and great grandma and grandpa Meeves early next year.

Per Josie's Request

Big Girl Bed

While this picture was taken this morning and Copper is obviously sleeping in our bed, she actually spent her first night in her own bed last night. We made the choice to have Copper sleep in our bed and it has worked out really well. For the most part her and I both sleep really well. I have to have her sleep on my side of the bed since Aubrey complains that he doesn't sleep well when she sleeps in between us. Two nights ago I decided that it was time for Copper to sleep in the pack-n-play. (I was getting a little tired of only being able to sleep on one side. It's just a queen sized bed and I don't have that much room to move around when she's next to me.) She'll stay in our room for a while, but now she'll be in her own bed. It's definitely easier having her sleep in our bed though. Last night we went to bed at our usual 12:00 (Copper's a crabby night owl), she slept 'til about 3:30, changed and fed her, back to sleep 'til about 6:00, changed and fed her, back to sleep "til about 7:00. That was when I put her in bed with me. She'll generally go 3-4 hours in between sleepy time feedings, but it seemed she was a little more agitated this morning. What sucks about her being in the crib is that it's harder to do the little things that make her happy. It's easier to sooth her when she's right next to me and I don't have to get out of bed. Plus I love having her snuggled up next to me. She's just so darned cute!

Somebody's getting big!

Copper will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. Today she weighed 8lbs 10oz. The doctor told us that whatever we're doing to keep doing it because our little girl is doing really well with her weight gain. Our midwife told us at Copper's 10 day appointment that a baby has 2 weeks to get back to their birth weight. Copper started out at 7lbs 5 oz dropped to 6lbs 12oz at 2 days and was already at 7lbs 10oz at 10 days. Pair my magic boobies with Copper's suction cup lips and we make quite the team.

Name issues

We went to Copper's first pediatrician appointment today and the nurse hesitantly called for "Cooper." We corrected her. When the doctor first came into the room, she called Copper "he." We corrected her. I just made an appointment for Copper's newborn hearing test and when the lady called back to verify some insurance information, she called Copper "Cooper" and referred to her as a boy. I corrected her. I know that the name is gender neutral and that there will always be that problem, but when her own mother writes her child's name on a medical form, she most likely spelled it correctly. Sorry Copper, but looks like mom and dad have cursed you with a name that will need constant correcting. I actually just realized that Aubrey's name is that way. Everyone thinks it's a girl name and people reading his name often say "Audrey."

Wait! Don't throw that away.

For the past two weeks I have been consuming my placenta. We first heard about it at the birthing center in one of our classes. We decided to become part of the 25% of birth center mommy's to try it. While some women will actually blend their placenta into a smoothie type concoction, we chose to have mine encapsulated. (I'm not quite that hard core.) Some of the benefits include: increased milk production, reduced risk of postpartum hemorrhage, decreased "baby blues", lower incidence of anemia, and better energy overall. I didn't start taking them until about 4 days after baby (it's a 2-3 day turn around), at which point I hadn't had any mood swings, had not shed any tears, and my milk had come in full force. I have pretty much been able to go all day long without naps and I've been feeling really well physically and emotionally. Not too sure if any of that is because of the pills, but maybe it is. It wasn't that expensive to have done and there aren't any reasons to not consume my placenta (well, other than the obvious, that it's kind of weird). Aubrey thought that I would have placenta burps, but I don't.

Here's the website of the women who did my placenta. http://www.mothersbirthright.com/

Happy 2 Weeks!

Copper Jo is 2 weeks old today! She went to her first restaurant, Hacienda Colorado, and did wonderful.

Biggest Loser's got nothing

I gained about 38-39 pounds over the course of my pregnancy. Not quite the 30lbs I was hoping for, but I really couldn't care less. At our 2 day visit, I had already dropped 16lbs. By the 1 week visit at 10 days, I was down a whopping 24lbs! I'm pretty sure that those last 15 are pretty legit and will take a little more effort to lose. All worth it for my amazing baby girl.

I know that all you want to see at this point is pictures...be patient, there will be more.

Sleeping Beauty

...with a touch of dried milk all over her face.

2 Day Visit

Our 2 day visit was at the birthing center last Sunday. Copper is doing wonderful. She had good color, was within the allocated weight loss (6lbs 12oz), and had a good booby latch. Our 1 week visit in this Monday. Then we have to schedule a 2 week visit with a pediatrician.

I think that this is my all-time favorite picture of Copper and Daddy.

Copper's 2nd car ride. Back to where she was born.

On our way home from the birth center we stopped at vitamin cottage to pick up a couple items. I stayed in the car while Aubrey asked about nipple cream inside. Copper eventually got a little fussy and I did my first public breastfeeding. Guess this is my new world.

Pics with Family

Here are some shots with Grandma, Cousin Lucy, and Grandpa. Derek and Lisa have both been over also, but I didn't get shots of them. I'm sure there will be other opportunities.

Even though it had only been a week since I'd seen Lucy, she looked so big. It's crazy to think how much baby's change and grow over such a short time. Soon enough Copper will be swearing, talking back, and pooping on a big potty.

Meet your Brother, Melvin

Grandma brought Melvin back home on Sunday to meet his new baby sister. Everything went well. He sniffed her a bit and then went and laid down. He's been really good this past week and has kept his neediness on the down low. For a couple days if he was on the bed with her and she would fuss he would start licking her feet or licking me. Guess his parental instincts were kicking in and he was utilizing doggie soothing techniques.

Meet Copper Jo

Note: Sorry that it's taken me so long to get these blogged. Sitting on a chair and typing at the computer just haven't sounded very appealing the past couple days. I also really want to tell the whole story of Copper's birth and I haven't felt like spending the time to type it. I still don't. This will be the cliff notes version.

I started having contractions at about 4am on Friday morning (11-12-10). I went to a scheduled appointment at 11:10am and was at 5cm, but my contractions were irregular and about 6-9 minutes apart so the midwife sent me home. I went back to the birth center at 5:30pm and was already dilated to 9cm. (I'll explain how I made it that long in the unabridged version.) 3 hours later at 8:33pm, the most beautiful little girl ever was born, Copper Jo. I pushed for about 40 minutes. I was a superstar to say the least. The birth went great and I was able to have the natural birth that Aubrey and I wanted.

This is Copper and mommy about 5 minutes post birth.

She came out perfect. Nice round head, no crazy wrinkles, good color...perfect.

She even started nursing within very short order.

While I was being tortured with uterus "massage" and getting my "1" stitch put in, Daddy got to spend time with his little girl. He actually mastered the art of calming her pretty damn fast.

We spent about 5 hours at the birth center after Copper was born. We even milked it a bit by bullshitting with the nurse and overall taking our time. I felt great and Copper and I were good to go. It was nice being able to go home and be in our own bed and house. Overall we spent 8 hours at the birth center.

7lbs 5.5oz

I am soooo thankful that she was a nice average sized baby. I'm pretty sure that anything over 8lbs would have messed with my head for a natural birth.

Thanks Copper!

Pictures just don't do her justice. She is so beautiful and cute and perfect.

Aubrey and I made a damn good lookin' baby.

We love you Copper Jo!

Damn you averages!

The average first time mom at Mountain Midwifery birthing center gives birth at 41 weeks and 3 days. A non-birthing center midwife told me yesterday that the average first time mom in Colorado gives birth 8 days late. We're 2 days late and counting. I really hope that it's this week so that we don't have to start thinking about all the natural ways to move things along. I believe that it's Colorado law that at 42 weeks I will not be allowed to have the baby at the birth center, that I'll have to go to a hospital. The hospital's ways of inducing are not at all what I have in mind for delivery. I'll be seeing an acupuncturist and chiropractor, having sex, taking hot baths, and walking up flights and flights of stairs before I take that drive to the hospital. The birthing center will put a balloon in my cervix to expand it as a way to induce. Not too thrilled about that either. I know that I still have plenty of time before we hit that dreaded 42 week mark, but it sure would be nice to not even have to think about it. Come on Copper, let's get a move on.

Due Date

Well, today is our estimated due date and Copper has decided to hang out a bit longer. Aubrey and I decided to do the stereotypical thing to speed things up and go out for mexican food. Unfortunately I can't do too spicy, but we'll see. I did get a chimichanga, so maybe the extra grease with do the trick. After I get done blogging we're going to get our birth bag packed. I'm ready for our little girl to come any day. I no longer need more time. She's acting like a crazy woman in my tummy right now. I think she's trying to claw her way out. I had crazy Braxton Hicks contractions all day also. Maybe my next post will be a baby picture.

Did she just drop?

So far I haven't really felt that Copper has dropped yet. I've heard that sometimes it's kind of obvious and other times not obvious at all. The baby could also drop early or wait until labor. I think that maybe Copper dropped today. Aubrey and I went to Derek and Lisa's to pick up Lucy loaner clothes and gear and on the way home I felt a constant pressure low and centered at the bottom of my belly/pelvis. The pressure has remained since then. Maybe she dropped. Cool.

Week 39 Appointment: The Vag Exam

We went in for our 39 week appointment today (which is closer to 39 weeks and 4 days). I had the option to have my cervix checked and for the first time in my life, gladly accepted the exam. When I talked to Kellie yesterday, she said that she was already dilated at 37 weeks. That made me very interested to see where I was at. I had no idea that I could already be dilated. As of about 11:00 this morning I am dilated to 2cm and am 50% effaced. We also decided to have the midwife sweep my membranes. That's where she uses her finger to help detach the amniotic sac from the cervix. This can help speed up the process. Since we're hoping to have a baby by the end of next week, we were on board. I was a bit nervous about the pain of being poked, prodded, and swept, but it wasn't bad at all. Maybe this is a precursor to a pain free natural birth. (Don't worry, I won't get my hopes up.)

Please State Your Full Name

When Aubrey and I went on our last camping trip, he came up with a middle name for Copper; Jo. It's a little bit hick, but we both love the sound of it with Copper. We gave it a few weeks to sink in and we liked it more and more every day. (Although lately it's been making me think of the Adam Sandler song, Sloppy Jo.) Another middle name we were toying with was Jane. My Grandpa Walt always calls me Sarah Jane (which is not my middle name) and I kind of liked it with Copper also. But Jo seemed to win out. So, our little girls name will be "Copper Jo Godwin." If the last name is throwing you off and you're now wondering if Aubrey is the father, don't be alarmed, he is. Godwin is Aubrey's Grand-dad's last name. Aubrey currently has his step-father's name. Aubrey has been talking about changing his last name to Godwin for quite a few years, but he's never gotten around to it. We were hoping to have it changed by the time we got married, but that didn't happen either. Since we can put whatever name we want on Copper's birth certificate, we put Godwin. Aubrey will eventually have that last name and it will save us from changing Copper's last name down the road. For the time being, we will be the Cundall-Strong-Godwin family.

We have a doula!

Aubrey and I interviewed our first doula tonight and hired her. She seems pretty awesome and we both feel really comfortable with her. She's been to 6 births since July and started her doula training in March of this year. She will also be starting her midwife training soon. The first birth that she attended was at the birthing center. On a side note, she just found out that she's pregnant today. She has a little girl who is 22 months. If you'd like to check her out, here's her website: www.birthnurturer. com.

Week 39 - Cankles

There is so much going on in the final week of pregnancy. Hopefully Copper will give us a few extra days to get stuff done. As my post title states, I now have cankles. I have avoided them up until 2 days ago. My feet and hands have been swelling for quite a while now, but my ankles have stayed normal. It started with just my right ankle the past two nights, but all hell broke loose today and they've both ballooned beyond being cute. They are not pretty. I do not like them. Last night I was able to lie on my left side and the swelling went down pretty quickly. I sat more today which explains why both ankles are swollen. Generally if I am up and moving around all day, the swelling is minimal. However, today I sat at work for quite a while. Sitting is my enemy. I may be a rare breed of pregnant lady that prefers to stand and move all the time. Sitting is when I'm uncomfortable. With the basement remodel taking up most of our time, I haven't had much of a choice than to be super active. I may have to stand and do squats while I'm working on the computer tomorrow at work. Go away cankles.

Here's the pics you've all been waiting for! Week 39! Only 1 week to go!

It's getting kind of big. Don't ya think?

The midwife estimated that Copper was at about 7lbs last Friday and predicts a baby in the upper 7lb range. I prefer that Copper stop growing and I have a 7 pound baby about a week late. We'll see.

We were told that at 37 weeks you should have your car seat installed and baby bag packed. We still haven't gotten around to packing the baby bag, but Daddy installed the car seat the beginning of last week. Now Melvin has to share his back seat with an empty car seat. He probably shouldn't complain though, because soon enough there will be a crying baby next to him. Since the middle of the seat is the safest, Melvin has to "think thin" and smash his big body into the side seat. It's not all about you anymore, Melvin, soon you'll be the step child.

Tonight we've started our search for a doula. I remember when Lisa first told me that she was getting a doula and I thought she was nuts. Why would you need a middle man at a birth? That was a couple years ago and I have since done a 180 and completely understand the role a doula will play. Even the midwives at the birthing center have all had doulas attend their births. Aubrey and I are meeting one tomorrow and another on Wednesday night to see if we can find a good fit. It's a bit late in the game to be looking, but not too late. We're getting a doula in training to keep the cost down, but feel confident that it'll be a positive experience. I think that Aubrey likes the idea that coaching will not be entirely on his shoulders. We also really want a doula just in case we get transferred to the hospital. If that happens, then things are not going as planned and we would definitely like to have a middle man around to help with decision making and understanding the medical model for delivery. Something that we found interesting about the birthing center is that if we are the only couple there for a birth, the midwife will be with us about 90% of the time! If there are 2 births going on then the time will be split and if there are 3 births then a second midwife is called in. The birthing center has rooms for 3 births and books only around 20-25 births for a month to avoid overcrowding. While the doula doesn't seem as necessary in the best case scenario (I'm the only birth and everything goes as planned), she will be very nice to have in any other scenario.

Full panel pants

I bought my first pair of full panel maternity jeans at 36 1/2 weeks. Up until then, I had mostly been wearing regular yoga capris and pants. I did buy a pair of no panel maternity pants a little while back, but they're not as comfy as the yoga gear. The full panel pants are not the sexiest things around when the panel is exposed, but they are by far the most comfortable things in the world when you're in that last month of pregnancy. I can't believe I made it this long without them. They don't dig into Copper's head when I sit and my belly isn't exposed when my I try to wear non maternity shirts that inevitably ride up. They do show that tell tale sign of the line across the belly that lets everyone know you're wearing maternity pants, but who gives a shit when you're that comfortable.

Baby Shower

Note: I'm a little behind with my blogging. The damn basement is all consuming.

Anyways, my friend Kellie (with help from Connie, Sheri, and my mom) hosted a wonderful baby shower for Aubrey and I 2 Saturday's ago. It was short and sweet with yummy food, friends, and most importantly, great gifts. Registering for the baby shower was actually way more fun than registering for our wedding. (Again, thanks for the registry help, Kellie!) The wedding felt so selfish, but the baby shower isn't really about us, it's about Copper. And holy crap do baby's need a lot of stuff. Thanks to everyone for coming and all the super needed baby gear. Okay, so we didn't really need a baby hoodie with a skull on it, but it sure is damn cute.

Laundry

I did a load of Copper's laundry today and the lint trap was full of pink lint. It was pretty cute.

3 Weeks To Go

Ahhhhhh! 3 weeks?! Have I mentioned how much stuff we have to get done before baby? I realize that if she does come before everything is in place and her room is set up that we will be fine, but for my mental health I really need things to be a little more organized. I need the piece of mind that our home is in order. It's a possibility that we may be able to get started on her room by this weekend. That would make me feel better. Then there's only 2 weeks left.

Last Friday was, I believe, the first time that I really felt excited for Copper to be on the outside instead of still in my belly. So much of pregnancy is about what is going on while being pregnant and what to expect during labor that it becomes all that you think about, being pregnant. The past few classes that we've taken have been about what to do once she's born and I think that that has us excited to finally meet our little lady. I'm ready to have my mobility back. I'm ready to sleep on my stomach or back. I'm ready to be able to bend over to tie my shoes. I'm ready for my feet to shrink back down to their normal size. I'm ready for my wedding ring to fit again. I'm ready to dress my little girl in all the cute clothes that we've gotten. I'm ready to hold my little girl. I'm ready to be a mommy. Aubrey is ready to be a daddy.

Less than 4 weeks

I started writing this last week...

It really doesn't seem possible that I could be having a baby in less than 4 weeks. We're getting super excited to finally meet our little girl and be with her, but really, less than 4 weeks? There are soooo many things to take care of before she comes. We are devoting this weekend to getting all of the baby necessites taken care of. The baby shower is on Saturday and we'll be shopping on Sunday to get any other "first 2 weeks" items. It was reiterated to us today at our 36 week class/appointment that we need to get our car seat installed and have our labor bag packed. It's no holds barred come 37 weeks. She could be anytime. We're hoping for a 41 weekish baby, but please at least give us 40 weeks. The nursery is still our office. We have a lot to get done in a very short amount of time. I'm just thankful that I feel so well and have quite a bit of energy to get things done. It's been amazing that Aubrey has had this time off to work on the basement and we're really excited that he will not be back at work when Copper comes. At our newborn care class last week, our midwife was really pressing that those first two weeks are spent in bed with mom, baby, and dad. Aubrey is really looking forward to being able to spend so much time with his little girl and not just a few days as once was planned. I'm really looking forward to having him with me for the extra support. I have no idea what to expect in the first couple days, weeks...months...years...

Quote of the Day

"I don't need any parenting books. I just need to get a new belt."

-Aubrey

Kick to the head

A few years ago Derek provided us with a great phrase, "I just want to kick you in the head." Aubrey has adopted that phrase and uses it frequently. Copper must be listening because the other night Aubrey had laid his head on my tummy and was feeling around for her and talking to her. Then suddenly, WHAM, she kicked him right in the head. That's my little girl.

Week 35 Pics

I used to see pregnant women who were all crazy big and ask, "Am I going to get that big?" I would ask that in disbelief that I ever could get "that big." I have now learned that, yes, I will get "that big" and that I am now "that big."

This shot just totally cracks me up.

Are those feet down there?

Week 33 Recap

Immunizations:

Aubrey and I attended an immunization class last Tuesday that was pretty informative. We've decided against a few immunizations, including Hep A, Hep B, Polio, and a couple others. Some of the newer vaccines are such "worst case scenario" type shots that the chances of our kid even getting the illness can be less than .001%. Some of the illnesses are very mild in the US if a kid does manage to contract them. Some things can be can be combated by breastfeeding. There are also blood tests that can be done to see if the child has enough immunity to a disease without having to take the full course of shots. There are so many factors that go into deciding whether or not a baby needs vaccines that not every child needs every shot. Aubrey and I aren't against immunizations because of the whole autism conversation. I'm not even convinced that they're related. We are against them because of all the shit that is being put in our baby's body that in most cases are completely unnecessary.

Circumcision - A Side Note

Along with the class being about immunizations, it also included a bit on circumcision. Even though we're having a girl, we were both pretty interested in what is currently the word on circumcision. Only about 50-60% of boys in Colorado are circumcised. That number drops to 30% on the West coast. It's quite a bit higher on the east coast though. The US and Muslim countries are the only places where circumcision is generally performed. My concern with making a decision to not circumcise kind of always revolved around the idea that my kid would be the only one who was "different." Apparently that is not the case anymore. Now it's more of your little boys penis looking different than daddy's.

Week 32 Appointment (at 33 weeks)

Our little lady is head down! She's already getting into position. We learned all about back labor and how I can't lounge around on the sofa on my back anymore after 36 weeks. It's all about leaning forward as much as possible. I've gained 27 pounds which has put me out of contention for staying within the 30 pound mark that I was aiming for. Our little lady is getting big and fast! I feel like I've ballooned in size from just a few weeks ago. (I'll post a new pic in the next couple days.) Even Aubrey's t-shirts are getting short. Everything else in the appointment went fine as usual.

1st Birthing Class

I love our birthing class. It's taught by a doula who is currently 29 weeks preggo and is also having a natural birth. There are 10 or 11 couples in the class and we are 1 of 2 that are having a natural birth. The other couple is also having their baby at the birthing center. The class has been super informative and I love the fact that Aubrey is getting direct information right along side of me, instead of me just reading a book and relaying some key information to him. I also feel like it's a bit of a bonding time for us too. We're both new at this and neither of us have any idea what we're doing. It's a way for us to learn together without one person having all the answers. Aubrey's going to be my main support before, during, and after labor, and I'm really glad that he'll have the same knowledge that I have and understand the importance of his role.

Sausage Feet

My feet are constantly swollen. I wore a pair of shoes without socks the other day (which I've done many times in the recent past) and came away with monster blisters on both feet in a very short amount of time. Even my slip on sandals are getting tight. My feet used to be slim with nice healthy veins. Now they're all fat and squishy. Sausage feet are dumb.

So much to learn

Aubrey and I are in for a busy 5 weeks. We kick off our baby education with a 2 hour class on Immunizations this Tuesday. (We're not necessarily against immunizing, we just want to be more educated on what our little girl is being injected with (and why) and what our options are.) The next day is the first of 5 weekly, 3 hour classes called Prepared Childbirth. The birthing center highly recommends this type of class for first time natural birth parents. I won't argue. I'd like to have some sort of idea of what I'm in for. It also goes over all the signs of labor, being late, pain, etc. In October we have a 2 hour breastfeeding class and a 2 hour Newborn Care class which are both required by the birthing center. Aubrey could probably use a Daddy Bootcamp class, but I'll try to teach him that on my own. Lucy has prepared me for a lot, but the whole giving birth part, first month of care, and breastfeeding are all going to be new experiences for me. Everything's going to be new for Aubrey, which is why he's going to every single one of the classes along with the rest of my appointments.

Week 30-ish Pics

I'm a little over 30 weeks in these shots and am currently at 31 weeks. Aubrey says that I look bigger with my shirt down and accused me of sucking it in. When I suck it in and push my belly out as far as I can, there's not much difference. All of the graphic tees that I've been living in are now too short and I recently raided Aubrey's t-shirt supply for a new wardrobe. I would be walking around and then feel my stomach or get a glimpse in a mirror and see the lower couple inches of my belly sticking out. Not cool.

Aubrey and I both love seeing and feeling Copper move around. Aubrey likes trying to find her in my belly. It's always this super obvious hard spot. It makes me wonder how it feels to her to have us always poking around and pressing down on her. I was thinking tonight that I'm really going to miss being pregnant. I never thought that I would feel this way. I was always pretty adamant that I never wanted to be pregnant nor was I much interested in having a baby around. Those feelings are not that old either. But now that I'm pregnant and very close to having a baby around, I can't really imagine being anything other than grateful that we're able to have this experience. I can't pull that long list of sacrifices to the front of my brain anymore. They all seem so trivial now. I'm sure once she's born, there will be times when that list becomes quite obvious, but for now I'm drawing a blank.

Quote of the Day

"I sorry Hopper." - Lucy

We haven't really talked with Lucy about the idea that there is a baby in my belly. Today offered a good opportunity to have a little lesson. Lucy ran over to me while I was sitting at the kitchen table and slapped me in the side of my stomach. It wasn't painful, but Grandma made her apologize to Copper. Lucy sulked over to me and we quickly told her that there is a baby in my belly. She just kind of looked at my stomach and told "Hopper" she was sorry. Not too sure it registered who she was apologizing too. Soon enough she'll be hitting the real deal.

On a different occasion, my mom's good friend and our accountant was over and asked Lucy if she was excited to have a cousin. Lucy responded, "No cousin! No cousin!"

Shout Out to Copper's Grandma

Copper would like to send a little shout out to Grandma Strong for getting her the most kick ass (reasonably priced) modern crib in town. Our kid is going to be sleeping in style. Thanks Grandma!!

Week 28 Appointment

I had my 28 week appointment on Friday and Aubrey got to come with for the first time. Nothing too exciting going on yet. All is still normal. I did have blood drawn to test for gestational diabetes. My blood pressure is pretty low (it was like 90/60), but I've always had low bp and I was told that during pregnancy it gets lower, which it has. So far I haven't had any dizzy spells or headaches. Hopefully my crazy low bp prevents me from having high bp issues closer to delivery. I've been doing my baby heartbeat impersonations a lot for Aubrey lately and he finally got to hear the real deal. Copper even kept still for once. The midwife pressed around on my stomach (which Aubrey didn't think was fair since I always make him stop when he's poking around for our kid) and let us feel Copper's orientation. Didn't know the feet from the head, but they were one or the other and we got to feel her back. This past week she's been making very large movements that make my belly look like a wave. My mom got to feel her move for the first time last week too. I love just watching the movements now. I can feel harder areas on my stomach when she's positioned differently too. My next appointment isn't for another 4 weeks and then they get closer together. We need to look into getting scheduled for a birthing class very soon since we have no idea what is in store for us. Aubrey can't wait to go to class.

Week 27 Pics

So long second trimester! Hello third trimester! Isn't this the time where I just sit on my ass and eat everything in site? It's going to end up being my busiest trimester yet. A trip to Yellowstone in September, baby shower, painting an entire basement, tiling a bathroom, creating a nursery, moving most of the furniture in the house to different rooms, fall yard clean up...and so much more. This baby better not come early. I've got a lot to do in the next 13 weeks.

The second trimester went by wonderfully. I feel great, I love my belly, we had an ultrasound, I have energy, and for the most part Aubrey quit surprise slapping me in my stomach all the time. I could stay like this forever. Actually, I have had a few pregnant lady side effects lately. My calves are tighter than tight and cramp up every time I involuntarily stretch them in my sleep, I walk funny, and I have lower back pain during fast walks and after I do anything that forces me to bend over repeatedly. Feeling our little girl doing somersaults all the time and the excitement of being so close to having her makes the discomfort bearable though.

So far I've gained about 20 pounds. Which would seem to put me on track to gain 30 during my pregnancy. My midwife said I should gain between 25 and 35 pounds. 30 seems reasonable. We'll see what happens. I did gain about 7 pounds since Aubrey's birthday (July 25th), but I think that some of that had to do with Melvin hurting his toe and not being able to go out on long walks. His fitness affects mine. I feel like I eat the same as before I was pregnant. You're supposed to increase your calorie intake during pregnancy, but since I've always eaten more than I should, I didn't increase my calories. What did happen though was a decrease in my exercise. I just bought a punch card for pre-natal pilates classes and I'm looking forward to starting those next week. Melvin's toe is healing up and he can do long walks again, so that will also resume. I really don't want to blow up. I'm having a baby in November and that's not the best timing for taking long strolls outside with the baby. Hopefully it's a dry winter.

We went out with Kellie, Jay, and Evelyn tonight for dinner and after I got to the point of putting my fingers in my ears because the parents behind us were seemingly unwilling to shut the F up their fake-crying baby, Kellie said that we need to start making a list of all the things that we say we will never do when the baby comes. I like this idea and will start working on it. I'll keep you posted. Aubrey and I definitely have some pretty strong opinions on child rearing and it'll be interesting to see just how much of it goes to shit.

Too cute

Here's one of the crazy cute fabrics that I'm going to use in Copper's room. I've wanted to do some kind of graphic painting for her room and my mom suggested that I use this fabric as inspiration and paint a retro camping trailer to hang on her wall. I'm super stoked about getting it painted and I think that I'll add a big black dog sitting outside of the trailer. She'll have sweat dreams of camping every night.

My new rack

My boobs have grown exponentially since I got pregnant. I've mostly been living in sports bras because they still fit. Since sports bras aren't always appropriate, I finally broke down and bought new bras last week. My little A cups only covered about 25% of my boobs so I had to upsize to a B. It's possible that I could even fit in a C cup right now. I have a hard time imagining them getting any bigger, but I know that they will. I have learned that I am not the type of person who could get a boob job. I like my A's.

Here's an example of how big my rack has become. Tonight while eating a freshly baked lemon sugar cookie, a chunk broke off on the way to my mouth and landed on my boobs...and stayed there. That is a very new experience for me.

I'm getting excited

I came home today and decided to hop on the computer and look at some baby stuff. At just over 3 months away, I'm feeling it's crunch time to get some things done. We HAVE to finish the basement before Copper is born. There is no way to move any furniture to make room for her furniture without having the basement finished. There is no second bedroom for Aubrey or I to sleep in while she is sleeping in our room. (Derek took advantage of their guest room on more than one occasion to get some shut eye on those long nights of constant feeding.) There is no room in our current bedroom for a bassinet next to the bed. We HAVE to finish the basement. Jumping ahead a bit in the remodel plans, I started thinking more about Copper's room. I have a pretty clear idea of the style of the room (modern with bright orange accents) and I found a great crib at Babies R Us. While I was on the web site I decided to go ahead and start our baby registry. While I only put a couple items on it, mostly as bookmarks for things I need a second opinion on, it got me really excited about our little girl coming. Copper was feeding off my happiness and moved around like a mad woman while I was online browsing. I started looking for crib bedding and found some absolutely ridiculously priced bedding that I loved. I then googled "How to make a crib bumper" and quickly came to conclusion that I'm going to make my own bumper. I love being able to pick out my own fabric for projects. I also talked to my mom about refinishing an old dresser of Aubrey's and mom had a great idea for it. I'm really looking forward to getting started on that project too. I love organizing and decorating and I have the ultimate project ahead of me. Decorating the entire basement, moving furniture from our bedroom, the office, the living room, and guest room furniture that's been stored, and creating a crazy cute nursery. If you know me well enough, you know that creating and decorating is my crack. Our house/rooms are so little right now, that it's near impossible to rearrange furniture. At least this time around I don't have to do any heavy lifting with the whole pregnancy immunity thing going for me. I kind of wonder if I'm more excited about Copper coming or more excited about decorating? Probably decorating.

September, October, November

I posted this shot on my other blog, but it fits pretty well in my pregnancy blog too. We're all due about 4 weeks apart. Erin in September, Shelly in October, and me in November. Shelly's having a girl too. Erin's one of those crazy people that choose to be surprised. We make quite the trio when out together.

Week 24 Profile Pic