Welcome Zoe Louise Taylor

I'll post more on Zoe's actual birth story soon, but to tide you over.

Zoe Louise Taylor made her big debut on October 28, 2012.  Weighing in at 8 lbs and 20 in long.

I never knew you could love one person so instantaneously and so much.  She is the most precious gift and so worth the 9 month wait.  My heart just literally bursts.

I know that some of the tears are due to the hormones, but I find myself getting very emotional.  Watching the cute little faces she makes in her sleep.  Watching how peaceful she is while feeding.  Every hiccup, every little body jerk is just the cutest thing I've every seen.

39 Weeks: Watermelon

How big is baby: Baby is the size of a watermelon this week (oh how I miss them...) 18.9-20.9 inches and 6.2-9.2 lbs. 

Stretch marks: No.  

Sleep:  Pretty much unchanged.  Hip pain.  Waking up at least twice to go to the bathroom.  Still really hard to roll over.   And the World Series starts tonight which means I'll be attempting to stay up later.  We'll see if I can make it through the whole game!

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Fruit and sweets.  Apples are now my staple. 

Exercise:  Walking. 

Gender: We'll find out in a few days/weeks!  We're ready any time now. 

Movement: All the time.  Still some rather uncomfortable jabs to the right side.  More and more hiccups now too.  

The belly:  Definitely there.  

What I'm spazzing about:  Nothing really.  I'm nervous in general, but not about any one thing in particular.  It's weird, but right now, I'm not really nervous about the delivery.  But don't worry, I know I will be soon enough.  I'm more nervous about the recovery.  I'm just so ready to get my body back in shape and I know that I'm really not supposed to work out until at least 6 weeks pospartum.  I'm hoping that I'll feel up to walking at least.

I'm also really worried about nursing.  I hear so many stories of people giving up, people who physically can't do it for one reason or another.  I know they say the first two weeks are the worst and I just need to make it through that period.  But I'm so worried it's going to be really bad even beyond that point.  I have tons of books I've been reading and have another I need to get to which will hopefully help.  And I have several friends who have offered great support and told me to call whenever with questions which is so nice.  I just need to have confidence that I CAN do this.  It's what's best for baby, plus I get the added bonus of saving money and hopefully shedding the weight faster :)  


What I'm loving:  Being so close!  While I have my moments, we are definitely excited and ready :) 

Symptoms:  Sore hips at night.  Still some reflux but it's gotten better.  Cramping and more and more braxton hicks contractions.  Swollen feet and ankles.  Pretty much unchanged.  The cramping was really bad last night.  So much so that I thought maybe it was the start of labor, but I was able to fall back asleep each time I got up and obviously nothing now.  Oh well, the time will come eventually. 

I progressed a little from last week.  I'm now 3 cm dilated.  Baby is at a -2 station so the head is dropping. 

What I'm looking forward to:  Baby's arrival!        

Best moment of the week:  I saw a woman at work, and she just kept telling me how great I looked.  I don't really know her and don't see her much at all, and she said she saw me from behind the other day and had no idea I was even near my due date let alone one week away.  She said you couldn't even tell I was pregnant.  I definitely like hearing that :)

Final Meal

During our birthing class, the nurse told us multiple times to make sure I eat BEFORE going to the hospital.  Once I get there, I really won't be allowed to eat.  Of course, she said to make sure to bring plenty of snacks for Aaron...so not fair that I have to watch him eat.  But maybe labor will go fast and I won't be starving...yeah, right :)

Anyhow, we've heard it from multiple people.  Eat, eat, eat once labor starts.  Stop on the way to the hospital and grab something, etc.  Two of Aaron's coworkers recently had babies and were giving him advice yesterday.  Food came up yet again which got me thinking, where will my last meal be?

Now, I don't mean where are Aaron and I going together as our last night out just the two of us.  We already have that one planned this weekend.  We're doing it up in style at Roast in downtown Detroit.  I'm talking, I need to get something quick when I'm in labor.

Labor can start at any time, so what place is open 24 hours that I love?  None other than the golden arches.  And what would I eat every time I go there except that it's the HIGHEST calorie meal on the menu (I'm pretty sure, I haven't actually verified)?  A BIG MAC meal.  Two patties, special sauce, and cheese...I can just hear the jingle.  And my mouth is watering.  They say that labor is one of the toughest, longest, highest calorie burning workout of your life.  So I think I deserve the right to eat a Big Mac and fry from McDonald's :) 

Is it wrong that I'm actually excited because I really want a Big Mac?  Let's just hope I can actually stomach food at that point.  If not, I'll make it my celebratory meal AFTER the baby is born :)  Good thing McDonald's is just steps away from the hospital.

38 Weeks: Pumpkin

How big is baby: Baby is the size of a pumpkin this week (happy October!) 18.9-20.9 inches and 6.2-9.2 lbs. 

Stretch marks: No.  

Sleep:  Hip pain.  Waking up at least twice now to go to the bathroom.  Still really hard to roll over.   Exactly the same as last week.  Now that work has slowed WAY down, I've been sleeping in until 7 am which has been so nice.  Especially since I've decided I must stay up and watch the Tigers :)

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Fruit and sweets.  Apples are now my staple.  I stocked up on apples and clementines at Sams Club this weekend.

Exercise:  Walking.  I do wish my mom and BFF lived closer.  It's nice having a walking buddy!

Gender: We'll find out in a FEW WEEKS!

Movement: All the time.  Still some rather uncomfortable jabs to the right side.  More and more hiccups now too.  

The belly:  Definitely there.  

What I'm spazzing about:  I'm starting to freak out a little that this baby may decide to come on election day which for us does not matter.  However, my dad works at their local township offices and that is probably the busiest day for him.    

What I'm loving:  Having less than two weeks!  Well, less than two weeks until our due date.  We'll see when this baby decides to make his/her appearance. 

Symptoms:  Sore hips at night.  Still some reflux but it's gotten better.  Cramping and more and more braxton hicks contractions.  Swollen feet and ankles.  And let's just say, some trouble going to the bathroom...I'll leave it at that :) 

I progressed a little from last week.  I'm now 2.5 cm dilated.  So not a ton of progress, but I'll take it!

What I'm looking forward to:  Our pre-baby weekend this weekend!  My goal is to get all of my cleaning done before Saturday so that we can just relax.  But we're going to do the cider mill and dinner downtown.  I'm excited :)        

Best moment of the week:  Being done with busy season!!  Such a huge relief.  Although, now I have almost nothing to do at work since I've transitioned everything for my maternity leave which has made the days drag.  I guess I always have to complain about something, right? :)  I've had stuff going on this week though that I've had to leave early for.  Coming in later helps too.  For now, my last day is tentatively November 2, assuming this baby doesn't come early.  I figure that way, I'm ending on a Friday, and the baby could have a full week/or partial week at day care as our trial run before I actually go back to work.  I know I'm probably going to have an extremely difficult time with that part, so I think having a few "fake" days where I can drop baby off for a few hours to get my feet wet will be good for me.

Go Tigers!!

Watching the Tigers with my two babies :) One is so enthralled, he's now snoring away. Dogs have such a rough life!

Nursery Reveal and Guest Room

Finally, here it is!  Sorry for the quality of some of these pictures . Our house has terrible lighting to begin with, and this weekend has been very rainy so the rooms were rather dark.  Oh well, you get the gist of it :)

This is the view from the hallway.  Eventually, I have artwork plans for above the dresser, but we need to find out the gender first.  I bought embroidery hoops in various sizes and plan to put gender specific colored fabric in them.  I figure it's not too difficult of a project that I should hopefully be able to handle it once things get settled after the baby arrives.

This is the view of the crib from the doorway.  Don't worry, we will take everything out of it once baby actually is sleeping in the crib.

This is the final side of the room.  I'm so glad I held onto my college night stand all these years :)  Who knew I'd finally find a spot for it again?  We have one picture to put over the lamp once we buy a frame.  And Aaron is in charge of DIYing the birth announcement once baby is born (that will go on that wall as well).  I found a few cute ideas for the lamp shad too on pinterest that involves fabric, so I plan to tackle that when I do the embroidery hoops.

And here are some close ups....

Mobile made with love by Aaron.  He worked on this many nights and finally finished while my mom was here.

My mom spent quite a bit of her time here working on this crib skirt.  We couldn't be
happier with it!  It saved us a ton of money and it exactly what we wanted.
The mug and what's inside was from when I was a baby (my mom found it for me).
I found the "pouf" online.  

We also redid our guest room in the process.  It used to be our office only.  Here are the after pictures.

Aaron painted these canvases for above the bed.

We bought a new duvet and bed frame from IKEA.

A new home for our diplomas.

This corner is still a little unorganized but you get the idea.  Aaron spent the money his parents
gave him for becoming an architect on this chair (he's been drooling over it for years).
He painstakingly made this desk from reclaimed wood.  I think he started it in the spring
and just finished it a few weeks ago.  He did such an amazing job, but I told him he's
probably too slow to make this a side business :)

37 Weeks: Winter Melon

How big is baby: Baby is the size of a winter melon this week 18.9-20.9 inches and 6.2-9.2 lbs.  Umm...I'm hoping this baby is not 9.2 lbs with still 3 weeks to go!!  I doubt it since I'm measuring right on track, but I can't even imagine.

Stretch marks: No.  

Sleep:  Hip pain.  Waking up at least twice now to go to the bathroom.  Still really hard to roll over.   Now I'm waking up more and more just randomly.  I still feel pretty rested during the day though so so far, it's not a big deal.  Basically, exactly the same as last week.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Fruit and sweets.  Thankfully this pregnancy is winding down because the fruit selection is definitely lacking now that it's fall.  No more watermelons :(

Exercise:  Walking when I have time which really hasn't been very often.  My mom and I went for a nice long walk while she was here.  It felt so good!  Once work slows down (Monday - yay!), I plan to try to walk every day.

Gender: We'll find out in a FEW WEEKS!

Movement: All the time.  Still some rather uncomfortable jabs to the right side.  Last night, there were some serious shots to my ribs as well.  I had to stand up so that there was more room for this little one.  

The belly:  Definitely there.  

What I'm spazzing about:  Nothing really.  

What I'm loving:  Being full term!  And having everything we can crossed off our list.  I feel so much better. 

Symptoms:  Sore hips at night.  Still some reflux but it's gotten better.  Numb patch at the top of my uterus.  Cramping and more and more braxton hicks contractions.  These are getting pretty crazy some days.  The doctor said not to call until I am having serious (can't talk or walk) contractions 4-5 minutes apart) so I'm no where near there yet, but things were definitely uncomfortable last night.  Swollen feet and ankles. 

I'm also 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced so things are progressing. The doctor said that it might mean they'll see me before next week or it might mean I'm going to be overdue.  There is just no telling.  She did say that it's a very good sign and that it's good to get those early centimeters out of the way.  So we'll see!

What I'm looking forward to:  Being done with busy season.  Less than one week and I can't wait!  It will be nice to take it easy at work and be able to leave at a decent time to go home to relax, run errands, go for walks, etc.

Also, as long as baby holds off, Aaron and I plan to take a weekend getaway next weekend to downtown Detroit.  We thought about this weekend, but he has a serious sprain from soccer last weekend.  We don't plan on doing anything too crazy, but I want to get to the local cider mill (even though I can't drink the cider) and walk around along the trails they have, go out for one last fancy dinner where we don't have to worry about a babysitter, and then stay down there at our favorite hotel.      

Best moment of the week:  Having my mom here.  I was so sad to see her go.  She was such a huge help.  Everything that can be done is crossed off our list.  There are two things I want to do still in the nursery that we have to hold off on until baby is born (I'll do a reveal soon, hopefully, of it thus far) and then we have to pack our bags.  I was hoping to pack at least some stuff early, but I need almost everything I want to pack so I think I'm just going to wait and hope my labor is slow :)  I do have my list made out though so it's just a matter of putting the stuff in a bag. 

So Thankful

The fact that we are getting so close to becoming parents ourselves has really made me start thinking about my parents in a completely different light.  I like to think I've always been appreciative of what they've done for us growing up (well, most of the time).  But it's just so crazy to think that even when we turned 18, that selflessness and help didn't stop.  They still paid for our college (that in itself is so much), gave us a little extra money when they saw us, or filled up our gas tanks.  They still take us out to dinner or buy us little random things when we're home.  

My mom coming to help this weekend really made me stop and think.  First, it was nice just having the company.  I know Aaron had no desire to step foot in Buy Buy Baby for that long ever again :)  The advice and opinions were so helpful.  And we just flat out had fun.  She sewed her brains out and made the best crib skirt which goes perfectly in our nursery.  I really wish we lived closer, but I know that just makes our times together that much more special.

And while my dad didn't make the trip over this past weekend (he would have been terribly bored and he had a full weekend of things to do at home), I have plenty for him to help with when they are here when baby is born.  Knowing that we don't have to worry about Wally is such a huge help.  My dad is a crazy walker and I know Wally will get his fair share of exercise with my dad.  

My parents really are the best and I love them to death.  I can't wait to watch them become grandparents.  So thank you mom and dad for everything over the past 29 years!!  Love you!!  

36 Weeks: Honeydew

How big is baby: Baby is the size of a honeydew this week 17.2-18.7 inches and 4.2-5.8 lbs. 

Stretch marks: No.  

Sleep:  Hip pain.  Waking up at least twice now to go to the bathroom.  Still really hard to roll over.   Now I'm waking up more and more just randomly.  I still feel pretty rested during the day though so so far, it's not a big deal.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Fruit and sweets.  

Exercise:  Walking when I have time which really hasn't been very often.  I'm sure my mom and I will go for a few walks with Wally this weekend.

Gender: We'll find out in October!  I guess I should say "in a few weeks" now that it's actually October :)

Movement: All the time.  And serious, uncomfortable movements on my far right side.  I'm fearful of how they'll be once baby is bigger.  

The belly:  Definitely there.  And based on my weight gain, baby must have had a serious growth spurt.  Seeing those numbers is really tough.  I know it will be what it will be and it's just important that baby is healthy, but I can't help but worry how all of this weight is going to come off.  I'm trying to remember too that this time I was weighed at the end of the day and I was weighed first thing at my last appointment.

What I'm spazzing about:  Nothing really.  After today, I am worried about my weight, but I know that can't be helped and it's nothing bad about the baby which is good.

What I'm loving:  That my mom is finally coming this weekend!  We have a long to do list, but I'm excited to spend the weekend together :)

Symptoms:  Sore hips at night.  Still some reflux but it's gotten better.  Numb patch at the top of my uterus.  Cramping and more and more braxton hicks contractions.  I'm definitely noticing more water retention at the end of the day too.  Oh, I also found out today that I tested positive for Group B strep.  My doctor said it's pretty common and they'll just give me some antibiotics during labor to make sure it's not passed to the baby.  I refuse to google it since Dr. Google only proves to scare me :)

What I'm looking forward to:  This weekend!  Tomorrow we get the car seat installed.  And this weekend my mom is here and we have tons planned.  She even graciously agreed to paint my toenails since I can no longer reach them :)  I love my mom!!    

Best moment of the week:  Not baby related, but Go Tigers!  Our very own Detroit Tigers made it to the playoffs.  Let's just hope they do well in the first round.  Fingers crossed!  The first game is this Saturday night, so I know what we'll be doing that night with my mom :)

Pre-Baby Classes: Review

I was completely clueless on what classes to take before baby arrived.  The doctor's office gave us a long list of what was available, but I knew that they probably weren't all necessary.  Thankfully, a good friend delivered at a Beaumont Hospital and was able to tell me which classes she took, and I signed up for those.  I've had a few people ask since then, which classes we decided to do so I thought it would be helpful to write down a few thoughts from each, just so that I have something to reference once baby is here and I am so sleep deprived, I can't remember anything :)

Childbirth Class
We had the option to take this class at the hospital or at our doctor's office.  We decided to do out doctor's office only because the times were better.  I knew that I'd never last through a one day, six hour class.  And the offerings during the week just didn't work with our work schedules. 

We went for three weeks, two hours each week.  A nurse from the hospital came and taught the class.  While there were some things I already knew just from reading blogs and other books, it was still very helpful.  And it was really good for Aaron. 

The videos were definitely an eye opener.  I mean, I knew what had to happen, but to see it up close and personal was....graphic.  Aaron held strong.  The girl behind me though was definitely getting antsy and her and her husband ended up leaving before it was finished.  I'm glad we got to see them though. 

I also learned that my husband is a ten year old boy stuck in a twenty-nine year old man's body.  I was seriously having flashbacks to our "Family Life" (aka sex ed for Catholic schools) classes back in fourth and fifth grades.  Some of his facial expressions and even the noises that came out of his mouth were priceless.  I'm glad we can find the humor in all of this :)

Childcare Class
I'm glad we took this class, but I don't know that it was completely necessary.  Aaron definitely got more out of this than the breastfeeding class.  There were a few things here and there that I picked up that will be useful.  And we got a giant book for reference.  While it was helpful, I'd probably put this at the bottom of the other two classes we took. 

Breastfeeding Class
Aaron and I both attended this class and so did most of the other dads.  Aaron had mixed feelings on whether or not it was necessary for him to be there, but I definitely thought it was important.  The class was really helpful, in my opinion.  It was only 3 hours, and I thought it could have easily been longer.  I was worried that the morning would drag, but it went by really, really fast.

I have lots of friends who breastfeed and bought books that were recommended.  It was nice though to be able to ask those random questions that I thought of during class.  And there were a few things that she mentioned that might affect me that I had never even thought of before.  And now I can get more information at my next OB visit well before baby arrives.

Hospital Tour
I would definitely recommend this, even if someone has no interest in any other classes.  It's nice to know where you need to go once you get to the hospital and I'm guessing it will make me a little less anxious (maybe not by much) at least being familiar with my surroundings.  We got to see triage, labor and delivery, and the postpartum unit.  It was all definitely worth the 45 minutes of our night.