Eco Child's Play Layette Giveaway

Eco Child's Play Layette Giveaway

Check it out and enter yourself in the giveaway too!

In the Clear

At today's appointment, we had a non-stress test and got the results from the glucose tolerance test repeat as well as the blood work for CMV, Parvovirus, and Toxoplasmosis and the good news is we're in the clear. Phew! Now that I definitely don't have gestational diabetes I'm eating what I want for the next two weeks. Who am I kidding? I already do, well - I still try to eat healthy, but I should say I'm not giving it a second thought whereas before I would really try to avoid any unhealthy sugars the day before an appointment. And as for the other blood work, it is definitely reassuring because I went to my good friend the search engine and scared myself plenty, so now I can breathe easy. Tomorrow, I'll head to the fetal diagnostic center for the AFI (which I found out I can get just as easily in the office - I knew it!). So, I'll be canceling that last appointment and rescheduling to consolidate trips to the doctor. I'll update on fluid levels tomorrow. Today, I also asked about which body parts were sticking out where and found out that the large bump right in the middle isn't a body part at all, but a big ole lump o fluid. She's curved all around it - how accommodating.

Cram Session

Jeff and I had a date night the night that we found out I was 2 cm dilated, just in case. Since then, we've been "getting in" other date nights here and there, just in case. I feel like each moment is a stolen one that we need to treasure before it's all gone. That's not to say that we won't spend time together once the baby's here, but it will be different. So, since our movie night (now two weekends ago!) we've been out to dinner, yesterday we went to the carnival and today we're going to the movies during the day and mini-golfing in the evening. We've also been eating dinner together at home as often as possible and enjoying DVDs from the library. I feel like soon we'll be so consumed by the baby but it's also important to both of us not to lose touch with each other. Jeff's also looking forward to our "hospital vacation." It may be our last vacation for a while.

Week 38

Week 38 marks the start of the AFI measurements. AFI stands for Amniotic Fluid Indicator, so on Wednesday, we'll see how many fathoms, eh I mean centimeters, deep the fluid is these days. Even though she could come at any time, keep in mind that we're still 2 weeks away from our due date. We are prepared, but patient. Baby will get here when she gets here. People sure do like to tell me how ready to go I look. Thanks :)

Happy 4th of July!

4th of July is one of my favorite holidays - probably because it falls right in the middle of my favorite season, summer. This summer will give us all new reasons to celebrate soon enough. Some summer with baby activities I'm looking forward to: long walks, dips in the pool, trips to the shore, trips to the zoo, and day trips in general. I have big plans for being out and about with this baby and, as a realistic person, I also realize that none of them may happen - so, to be on the safe side, I also look forward to holing up in our home with our baby and being quite content there too. Either way, I feel very fortunate for the relatively temperate weather we've had so far this summer and look forward to floating a few more days weightlessly in the pool before baby arrives. Did I mention that I love the summer?

Supermarket Sweep

I don't think I followed up on this before, but the week after school let out, I had a mission. I made a list of the items we most often purchase at the store. We've been most recently going consistently to Whole Foods to do our shopping. Everyone always commented that Whole Foods was always more expensive, and I wasn't so sure. So, with the time available, I wanted to find out. Also, a new natural foods store will be opening right up the road (next to the new Toys R Us/Babies R Us superstore) and I wanted to have a basis for comparison when we check that out. The biggest drawback I've felt about Whole Foods is the distance and therefore gas we need to use to get there on a weekly basis. On the other hand, I want to support organic practices whenever possible. So, with those things in mind, I compared the prices of products at Wegmans, Giant, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. I was trying for apples to apples whenever possible, so I wasn't looking at the cost of conventional items, only organic or the same brands we've come to know and love whenever possible. So, I started at Wegman's and recorded unit prices, then did the same at Giant. When I arrived at Whole Foods, I quickly realized that the units were different - ugh! I also went to Trader Joe's in between and they didn't have unit prices at all, just total cost listed - double ugh! After getting the total prices at Whole Foods, I went back to Wegmans and Giant to check on the items that would be less expensive there to double check. Overall, there were still items available for the lowest cost at Whole Foods - surprise! I created a list of which items we'll (ideally, anyway) get at each place and a comprehensive list of the prices found at each store so that when the new store opens up we can compare there too. Jeff was so pleased (note the sarcasm) when he asked, "So which store do we go to?" "All 3!" Wegmans is on the way home from work for Jeff so we'll consolidate trips that way, and any trips to Whole Foods will be more to stock up in bulk on items so that we don't have to go there once a week as we were before and Giant...well, that's within walking distance, so no biggie. If you're interested in the prices I found, just let me know and I'll forward the list your way. Now - this is specific to us, and does not include every item in the store. If you're wondering about how much you spend on groceries, I highly suggest this as a way to find the lowest cost without sacrificing the quality of your food.

Still the Same

We had our non-stress test/pre-natal app. combo today before the holiday weekend. The non-stress showed a VERY non-stressed baby for close to an hour and then she kicked it up a notch for a "textbook" print out. The exam showed that I am measuring "about the same." I'm guessing that actually means 2 1/2 cm., but to be fair, the same would be 2 cm., 50% effaced, so to err on the side of the caution that's where we are. We can anticipate our repeat glucose results, and lab results for CMV, Toxoplasmosis, and Fifth's Disease back in 1-2 weeks (we'll see) and we tested negative (a good thing) for Group B Strep. I did get the AFI (fluid level check) scheduled for next Wednesday and the following week (again...we'll see). So next week, there will be three days of doctors. Overall, I'm still feeling very comfortable and able to move around and do all sorts of things.

On a different note, Jeff has had a bad case of insomnia. (I've been sleeping just fine!). He commented this morning that once she comes, he thinks he'll be able to sleep - haha. Little does he know what's about to happen here.