Kicks, Rolls and Mush Brain

There is nothing better than feeling your baby kicking and rolling inside the womb. Yesterday, was a particularly active day for bub. Normally, he has a very definite wake and sleep pattern. But, some days he deviates from his normal routine and is awake, kicking and rolling for hours and hours at a time. Even though his kicks are getting quite strong, I never grow tired of feeling it. Many times you will find me sitting on the couch staring at my bare belly waiting for it to jump, bounce or roll as baby kicks or changes positions. For me, time just kind of stands still when this happens, and I'm happy to let it. The books say that his most active weeks should be between now and week 28 at which time he should be too big to move around much. So, for the next few weeks, I'll be focused on my growing belly and waiting for those much loved kicks and rolls.

(24th week)

Yesterday, I was reading about the phenomenon known as "Pregnancy Brain". The book said that Doctors aren't sure why this happens. It could be due to hormonal changes, but it could also happen because during pregnancy you're focused internally as you go through such a major life event. Whatever the cause is, I have affectionately started calling it "Mush Brain". I literally forget what I'm saying half way through a sentence and often walk into a room three times before I remember why I'm there. Thankfully, I'm not taking myself too seriously and I'm able to laugh at myself, along with Ryan, when this happens. Let's just say, we've been laughing a lot lately!

Somebody Keeps Kidney Punching Me!

It started about a month ago. I was sitting on the couch when all of a sudden a pain started radiating from my right kidney. It gradually increased until it was almost unbearable. It only lasted for about 15 minutes and then the pain slowly decreased until it was gone. My first instinct was to crawl into a ball and breath through it. It happened one more time that week. So, when we saw our OB the next week, we asked him about it. He assured me that it was most likely bub just pressing himself up against my kidney or the arteries leading to my kidney.

About a month passed before it happened again. But, then it started happening many times a day. The only way to get the pain to pass is to lay on the floor on my left side with a heat wheat draped across my right kidney. This would happen every couple of hours. Sometimes more frequently. Ugh!

After three days straight of this kidney pain, our bub thought he'd add something extra special. He not only pressed himself against my kidney, but also started kicking me in the kidney at the same time.

I finally decided to call the 24 hour midwife desk at Mater Mother's Hospital, where bub will be born. The midwife who answered listened to my symptoms and told me that she thought it would be best for me to come in so that our OB could make sure it's just bub and not something else more serious. Ryan, being the superior daddy that he is, drove me to the hospital and sat with me while I waited for Dr. Bretz to examine me.



After a urinalysis and some other standard tests, Dr. Bretz said that he was pretty sure it was just bub pressing against my kidney. But, in order to rule out kidney stones he ordered a bladder/kidney scan for the next day. Kidney Stones?? Really? Oh man....

Yesterday afternoon, I had the scan. I guess I should have been happy to hear that my bladder and kidneys are normal and that I don't have kidney stones. But, what this means is that for the next few months I just have to deal with the pain of bub making himself cozy up against my kidney. Fortunately, I can feel it slowly coming on, and if I lay on my left side quick enough, the pain passes before it becomes unbearable. What has this looked like today? 45 minutes of standing, sitting or walking....then, 15 minutes of laying on the floor.... repeated all day long! Ugh!

I know that this pain is temporary, and I'm happy to endure it now knowing that, in the end, we'll get a precious little gift.

Pregnancy and Baby Expo

About a month ago, Ryan and I bought some things at the Bub Shop, and we were given two free passes into the Brisbane Pregnancy and Baby Expo for this past weekend. We've been to the Expo Centre twice before. One time was for a Garden Expo and the other was for a Motorcycle Expo. Each Expo was well done and worth the time. So, this past Saturday we took a ferry to South Bank and then walked a few blocks to the Pregnancy & Baby Expo.

It was pretty much what we expected. There were about 75+ vendors selling discounted baby products and/or handing out informational packets or samples. However, there was one thing we weren't prepared for. We weren't prepared for the number of babies, children and strollers or the traffic jams that inevitably come with that many people. You would think we would have known, since it was called the "Pregnancy and Baby" Expo. But, there were easily more babies and kids than Disneyland. It was a bit overwhelming. But, we soldiered on...

There were a few unique items that we are now wanting to buy. Ok...maybe I'm hoping to buy them more than Ryan. But, they are super cute. I'm sure you'll agree.

My favorite had to be the Smallprint finger print Pendant. As soon as I saw this booth, I bee lined straight over to check it out. They take a mold of your baby's finger and then make a pendant or key chain with his individual print. You can also have his name and/or birth date engraved. I'm pretty sure Santa will be kind and bring me this creative gift. Hint, hint!!



Another one of my favorite booths had Mylight light boxes displayed. It's sort of a unique twist on the wood letters that can be purchased to spell out your child's name. Thankfully, if we end up buying our little guy this personalized light, we can switch the light from 220v to 110v when we move back to the States.




As we continued walking around the Expo, we came across the Precious Previews booth. The booth associate, Michelle, approached us and asked if we would be interested in a 4D scan. We informed her that we had already booked an appointment for mid August and were just wanting to check out their booth. She showed us some before and after photos: 4D ultrasound photos and then newborn photos of the same baby after he/she had been born. It was amazing how little the babies changed from their 4D scan til birth, and it made us even more excited for our 29 week 4D scan. Michelle, who is also pregnant with a boy, was both personable and funny. We decided to contact Precious Previews and request that she be our scan technician in August. We invited Howard and Marg to the scan with us, and we should all have a fantastic time.

In the end, the only thing we ended up buying was two boxes of Avent Bottles.



We got a great "Expo" deal. Only $5 for two bottles. SCORE! We are planning on breast feeding. But, since Daddy wants to help with the feedings, we have stocked up on small milk storage bottles so that Ryan can bond with the baby during feeding time, too.

All in all, it was a fun day. We not only saw a few unique booths, but also stocked up on some useful information.

❤ Loving Every Minute ❤

Dear Baby,

Yesterday marked the beginning of our 23rd week. Your daddy and I are excited to watch my belly grow and know that you're safely growing and developing inside of me. Over the past month, your kicks have gotten stronger and more frequent, and we LOVE it. You are most active in the afternoon and evenings. Sometimes, your daddy plays with you by pushing on the side of my belly that is twitching and rolling, and you respond by immediately kicking back. It's fun to watch and feel as your Daddy pushes, you kick, daddy pushes again, you kick again...and so on.

I used to notice how pregnant women frequently held onto or rubbed their bellies. I assumed they were doing it to help support the weight of their baby. That's part of it. But, now I realize there's more to it than that, and I've turned into one of those pregnant ladies that I used to notice. I find myself constantly holding, touching or rubbing my belly. It not only makes me feel closer to you, but also I don't want to miss any of your movements. Even as I write this, you are kicking away ~ What a GREAT feeling that it. Thankfully, you're a good baby and seem to sleep when I want to sleep. So, I haven't been kept awake by your kicks.

Yesterday, your daddy took a bunch of pictures. He really cracks me up. That is something you should know about him. He is really funny, and makes me laugh every day. He took about 25 pictures, and I am laughing uncontrollably in more than half of them. Here are a few of us in front of your changing table.


I love you already!

Love,
Mommy

Grandma, Knitting and Elf Hats

The other day, I was searching Etsy for newborn knit elf caps. I knew I wanted to get one for the baby to wear when we take some newborn pictures of him. There are so many cute ones to choose from. How do we decide??

The baby will be about 2 months old for his 1st Christmas. How perfect is this for his first Christmas photo?



Later that day, I was IMing Ryan's mom and sending her the links for the different caps I liked. That's when she informed me that SHE KNOWS HOW TO KNIT!! Grandma started searching the web for patterns to make her baby grandson a cap, and in addition to the Santa Cap above, here's what she's making...



She's going to substitute the pink for baby blue. Isn't it so damn cute? Thanks Grandma!!

Daddys Can Nest, too!

The other day somebody implied that because she didn't get the nesting instinct until late in pregnancy that what I'm feeling can't possibly be nesting since it doesn't follow her idea of the pregnancy time line. As you can imagine, I felt slightly deflated by this comment. But, more than anything it made me curious. If this overwhelming urge to clean and get things organized for bub's arrival isn't nesting then what is?? Feeling the need to be validated (don't ask me why) I went online in search of answers. And where does one go when they need a question answered? They JFGI = "Just f***ing Google It"

I found a pregnancy website that says "generally nesting kicks in around the 5th month". I am just ending my 5th month, so I guess that means I am "normal", after all. The website goes on to say that for some women nesting doesn't happen until later and for other women it doesn't happen at all. But, the most interesting fact mentioned on the site was that dads can experience the nesting instinct, as well.

He'll NEVER admit it. But, I think Ryan has started nesting. He has cleaned out and organized a couple of closets, and he's every bit as interested as I am in getting bub's room ready. Yesterday, with the help of Roger, our property manager, he disassembled my project table and took it downstairs to our storage cage. After that, he hung a couple of Ikea Star Wall Lamps above the new changing table so that when we (notice I wrote "we") change baby's diaper in the middle of the night, we don't have to turn on the bright overhead light.







When I thanked Ryan for helping me, he said, "of course, I want to help get baby's room ready". And the room is coming along. We still have to get a dresser. But, other than that... it's looking good : )

Long Walks, Baby Kicks and Belly Rolls

This past weekend was a three day holiday to celebrate the Queen's Birthday. We had been expecting rain, heaps and heaps of rain. At least, that's what the weather man had predicted. It had been abnormally cold for a week or so, and we weren't really very happy about the added prediction of rain. So, we didn't make any outdoor plans for our three day holiday and instead planned on staying at home.

We were pleasantly surprised when we woke up on Monday and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We decided to take a long walk along the river. We packed a picnic lunch and stopped to eat it at the Kangaroo Point Parklands. The park was filled with heaps of other people also enjoying the unexpected 75* weather.

(21 weeks pregnant)

After lunch, we continued on along the river to the Maritime Museum, where Jessica Watson's Sailboat Ella's Pink Lady is on display. I followed the story of this courageous 16 year old's adventure sailing her little, pink boat around the world solo, non-stop and unassisted and had been looking forward to visiting the Maritime Museum to see Ella's Pink Lady in person.





After visiting the museum, Ryan and I walked even further. It was such a beautiful day. I had no desire to go home and sit on the couch. Instead, we walked across the pedestrian bridge, into the botanic gardens, through the mangrove boardwalks and back home. It was pretty much the longest walk we've taken since we found out I was pregnant in January.








The baby must have been rocked to sleep by all the walking. But, once we were home and I was sitting quietly, he woke up and started kicking like crazy! I love that feeling. He's been kicking for about 4-5 weeks now, and for the past couple weeks we've been able to see the kicks. Sometimes when he kicks, I'll lift my shirt and we watch as his kicks make my belly bounce. But, last night something new happened. I was laying on the floor with a heat wheat under my back. All of a sudden, it felt like the baby was twisting and turning. I lifted my shirt and watched as my belly rolled. Ryan was sitting on the couch a few feet away, and watched as my belly moved in a wave like motion. It was so cool!!

I know that this is just the beginning of all the movements and kicks, and I have 4 more months to experience this incredible feeling. I may eat my words later. But, I don't think I'll ever grow tired of it.

5 Months and Feeling Good

We had our monthly OB appointment this week. I am a lucky lady. 5 months in and Ryan hasn't missed one prenatal appointment. It makes me so smiley to know that he's just as excited as I am to hear what the doctor has to say about our little guy, and he's willing to take the time off of work in order to be there for the appointments.

This appointment was another routine appointment. Dr. Higgins informed us that baby is right on target for weight and length and said that bub is progressing steadily. He answered a few of our questions and checked my blood pressure. I asked to be weighed since I hadn't been weighed since the beginning of the pregnancy, and I wanted to make sure I wasn't gaining too much . I have no idea how... but, I've only gained 1kg = 2.2lbs. I know I shouldn't think of it as a license to eat junk food, but I couldn't help daydreaming about those chocolate covered peanut butter balls that I had wanted to make.

Dr. Higgins said not to worry about such little weight gain. He said that as long as the baby is the right weight and size for this stage of pregnancy, there is no need to be concerned. He also assured me that bub still has a lot of growing to do over the second half of the pregnancy, so I am sure to gain more over the next few months. Never the less, I still came home and made those chocolate covered peanut butter balls and WOW are they delicious!!

On a side note: We had my surname changed to Kearn this week. We were told by the celebrant who is going to marry us that it's necessary to do before the wedding so that all the names on our documents match up. We still have the actual Aussie beach wedding ceremony planned for Easter 2012, but I am now legally Cristi Kearn.

A Quick Glimpse Inside

Yesterday, we had our 20 week morphology scan. The purpose of this scan was to make sure that baby is developing normally and to look for abnormalities in the baby's structural development and growth. It had been 7 weeks since our last scan, and we were really excited to be able to see our little guy in 4D again.

My excitement soon faded after we met our tech. Unlike our last tech, who laughed and joked and seemed genuinely excited for us, yesterday's tech was a rigid old lady. She had an agenda and just wanted to check the boxes and get it done. During the scan, I noticed the baby's hand up near his mouth like he was sucking his fingers, and I said to Ryan, "Oh my gosh, look at his hand" The Tech abruptly replied, "I'm not focused on his hand right now". I realized quickly that she wasn't interested in what we were focused on, and after that Ryan and I both were pretty quiet for the remainder of the scan. I'm really glad it wasn't our first scan because she sort of sucked the excited out of it for me. But, enough about her negative attitude...and onto the more positive outcome of the scan.

The baby's scan showed us that he is developing properly. It showed us his head, brain, spine, neck, skin, lungs, heart, kidneys, bladder, boy parts and skeleton, and all looked great. It was especially interesting to watch his lungs as he practiced breathing and to see him open his mouth and practice swallowing. We also got to see that the blood is flowing correctly through the four chambers of his heart, and that he has two symmetrical halves to his brain. So, even though the tech only switched to a 4D view for a few seconds of the 45 minute scan, we were happy to see that our little guy is developing on schedule.

Here are a few of the pictures that we got when she switched to the 4D view. He was pretty active during the scan so the one picture we got of his face isn't very clear. I was a little nervous when I first saw it because his upper lip seems to be jutting out so much further than his lower lip. But, Ryan reassured me and reminded me that when he's moving during the scan sometimes an entire limb or his nose will disappear or it will look like he has a hole in his head. So, I'm going to stop worrying about his upper lip. All in all, despite the fact that our tech was far from enjoyable, our scan allowed us to have another quick glimpse of our baby boy, which is always a good thing.

Profile of baby's face

Baby's spine

Baby's right arm and hand