Baby Wilson

My 28-week checkup was yesterday, even though I'm nearly 30 weeks thanks to postponement due to vacation and then a holiday! I have gained up to 22 lbs., and I measure (well, Rainey measures) exactly on target. My blood pressure is still pleasingly low (110/68), and for that, I'm thankful. If it can remain that low with the amount of stress I've been feeling lately, I doubt I have to worry about it at all. I entered this visit with a barrage of questions about a VBAC. Dr. Hearn patiently listened and discussed them with us for at least 30 minutes....how valiant! Especially when I didn't make a separate appointment for this consultation of sorts. All in all, it all comes down to the fact that it's a decision that I (with Ken) am going to have to make. Starting at 34-35 weeks, Dr. Hearn will start to assess the physical probability of whether a VBAC will work (i.e., how big the baby is forecasted to be), and then I can make a more informed decision. Lots to th...

I've had to set aside some of my maternity pants this week....right on schedule, my 1st-2nd trimester pants as well as some of my smaller-sized below-the-belly pants have had to resort to shelf-sitting for the duration of the pregnancy. It seems as if overnight my hips have widened. Maybe Rainey's getting into position....or maybe all of that back pain and hip pain has done its job.....expanded me enough. I can also tell that my body is hoarding the fat that it has stored. I just got on the scales a minute ago, and I have evidently gained about 19 lbs. so far (yikes! That seems like a lot.) It seems like I'm eating less (though I'm probably not) due to less room in my tummy...yet my legs and hips are getting more "curvy" than they used to be. I remember this with my first pregnancy, and I didn't like it one bit. I try to think about the fact that my body needs to do this in order to store up for a long haul of breastfeeding (at least 6 months is my ...

I had my glucola screen done this morning, and I passed with flying colors. Well, by that, I mean I didn't pass out cold this time. We'll see whether I passed the glucose test later next week. Ken went with me and helped me pass the time (you have to wait an hour after drinking a sugary drink). After a reward trip to the Corner Bagel Shop afterwards, I am feeling great....much better than my last experience with the lab. Experiencing some real hip flexor/ligament pain today. My hips aching is what woke me up early this morning. I guess these second trimester jeans will shortly be on the closet shelf, once my hips expand like they did the first time around. This is one of the things I forgot about.....

I just finished forcing myself to swallow down the rest of my Ensure Healthy Mom chocolate-chocolate-chip snack bar . At first bite: "Mm. Chocolatey." At second bite: "Mm. Kinda crunchy." At third bite: "Hm. Tastes a little stale." At fourth bite: "I'm not so much liking this anymore." At fifth bite: "OK. I've had enough of this. When will it be gone?" At sixth bite: "There's no way I'd pay for a box of these babies, not even with a coupon." At seventh bite: "This is not just like an energy bar....this is ten times WORSE than even the WORST energy bar." At eighth and last bite: "Whew. I did it. Now....if I can just use this milk here to help me swallow it down before I gag...." Aftertaste (presently experiencing): It tastes like I put two non-chewable prenatal vitamins in my mouth along with cheap Easter chocolate candy and swished it all around for a while. Good idea on pape...

I can't believe it. Here are some facts about Rainey this week! - She now weighs about 1-3/4 lbs. - She's about 14 inches long - She's practicing learning to breathe - Her hearing is becoming sharper Way to go, little one!

I can tell that my stomach's food capacity is shrinking....fast. It is becoming necessary to snack throughout the day instead of keep at my 3 meal a day regimen (like the rest of America). I will be starving, only to sit down at a meal and only be able to eat a third of what's in front of me. It baffles me. My belly (on the outside) is not getting smaller, however. Oh, no. It is big, round, and very much like a basketball. It is itchy, tight, and still (thank the Lord!) free of stretch marks. How, I will never know. I feel like a balloon about to pop...and that's not good, considering I still have three more months to go! Rainey is very talented at knowing just where to hit me from within....right jabs into my full bladder (which really isn't full...only half-full, like my stomach....same scenario as described above). She loves to kick late at night, as well as wake me up promptly at 6 a.m. with even more acrobatics. I can't wait to get on the phone and cal...

After much, much, much, MUCH consideration, we've come up with Baby Girl Wilson's name at last. Ken and I found the girl's name decision twice as difficult as when we chose a boy's name, and we can't quite figure out why! (Perhaps because there are more choices out there?) We have chosen RAINEY ELIZABETH . Rainey because, well, we just love it. It's cute and feminine. Elizabeth holds special significance....she will be the fourth female to hold that as her middle name, starting with my mom's mother. I am so relieved to have agreed upon a name. I am fortunate enough to have a husband who actually cares enough to want equal say in the baby's naming....some men wouldn't care, I'm sure. Ken was even more opinionated than I, and though that made the process more grueling, I am pleased with the fact that he loves this name as much as I do, and genuinely means it. I'm so excited that we can call her by name now! Oh, and monogram shop, here w...