Labor & Delivery

It's been awhile since I have had a chance to blog, but I wanted to say a few words on how the past 10 days have gone. On Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 4:25 PM our lives changed forever. Our healthy little miracle was born and after 1 hour and 40 minutes of pushing Joe looked at me and announced that I had given birth to a baby girl...both of us were so overcome with joy (and I was also glad to be done pushing)!


Although I have say how lucky I was as my "labor" was not terribly long or painful; the first 5 hours from 6:30 AM to 11:30 AM my contractions were minimal (as far as pain goes) and at certain points I did not even realize I was having them. After the doctor broke my water the contractions picked up and then it got more intense. At 2:15 PM I got the epidural and at 2:40 Dr. McGrew checked me and we realized I was at 10 cm (I went 6 cm in 1 hour and 15 minutes; at 1:00 PM I was at 4 cm). I feel very fortunate that my labor was not very long and that I got the epidural prior to starting Gia out. It was an amazing experience and I am so happy and thankful that Joe was by my side the whole time, as well as my mom and dad being able to be with us in the room. Joe was so wonderfully supportive the entire process and I could not have asked for a better husband during L&D. It was an experience we were so happy to share together and the start of a new chapter with our little girl!

The Anticipation is Building

It is now 6:15 PM...in less than 12 hours we will be at Hillcrest Hospital getting me ready to be induced to have the baby. The phone calls and text messages from various loving/concerned family members and friends have started to come in. All of the love and support is overwhelming. On tv this morning was Father of the Bride Part II; when the mom and daughter both have babies, at the end of the movie when they are getting ready to deliver I almost found myself breaking down in tears. I seem to be fine except for when my friend Erin texts or emails...every time I hear from her for some reason I feel like I am going to break down. I am both so excited and scared to death all at the same time. It's hard to even attempt to equate all of the emotions I have try to even process what is going to go on tomorrow. My mom asked me if I am scared about being in pain...I said well less scared of the pain and more scared of the process and it taking forever. Hopefully our little one will cut me some slack tomorrow and be ready to make the big debut (and not be too "fashionably late"). I know how many people have been and will be praying for us tomorrow and I am just going to trust that everything in my pregnancy has been healthy and normal for these 40 amazing weeks and that tomorrow will be no different. We are so excited to share our little one with the world soon.

This will be my last post before becoming a mom...just thinking about that word makes me think of how wonderful my mom is and my grandma was and for the so many other moms I know that have been such an important part of my life so far. Thank you for all you have done and for those things you have yet to do.

Belly Pictures 40 weeks & 2 days

Since I forgot to take pictures last week, I figured we would take one more picture of me and Baby Beyer before he/she makes their big debut! I can't help but feel restless now that we are 2 days past due date...part of me feels bad that I should have more patience or something, but Joe and I are just so excited. I am still feeling pretty well overall considering I am 2 days past due date. Mostly I just don't want to go to work tomorrow, but I will continue to go until Baby Beyer arrives. Here we are mom and little one for the last time in utero:

What a Difference a Year Makes!

It is hard to believe that exactly one year ago my friend Lauren and I were running in the Akron Road Runner half marathon! Lauren and I were talking yesterday about all of the training and preparation that went into planning for the race and how we had countless conversations about getting pregnant (hopefully at the same time) and becoming moms. Now being one day past due date it's crazy to think how fast the past 9 (well 10) months have gone and how time is just flying by. I know it will only be a few more days (hopefully sooner than Thursday, if possible) that we will be holding our little boy or girl. For now we are just waiting in excited anticipation!

Dr. Appointment #13- Due Date!

We met with Dr. McGrew this morning for what we hoped would be our final appointment. Unfortunately, there was no change in my cervix since last week (as far as dilation goes). He says my cervix is still continuing to thin (which is good), but now I need to start having contractions so that the baby’s head pushes farther down. The good news is that all of my vitals as well as the baby sounded healthy and strong. The plan is to wait out the next few days and see if Baby Beyer comes out on his/her own. Dr. McGrew’s hospital day is Thursday which means if no baby by then we have an appointment at 6:00 AM to be at the hospital for me to be induced. Hopefully our little boy/girl will be ready to brave the world before then…but if not that is the plan. I plan to wash all of the floors, etc. tomorrow morning in the hopes to coax him/her out. There could also be a rigorous amount of jumping jacks to be started soon.

Joe and I wake up each day hoping that today will be the day…thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. The Ducks will be Flying Soon (hopefully)!

Getting a Little Closer

So the last few days have been pretty uneventful that was until yesterday. In the afternoon I started to get a stomach ache/cramps (but not having contractions). Lauren and I walked around DSW during lunch which seemed to help, but when I got back to work and sat down I felt icky again. Basically since yesterday afternoon I have had a constant stomach ache. Mom says that this is good because it means I am getting closer to having the baby.

I called the doctor yesterday to see if there were any earlier appointments for tomorrow (originally my appointment was at 3:45 PM). When I called there was a cancellation at 9:00 AM so we will be going first thing in the morning which works out better for me and Joe. If Dr. McGrew says not yet, both Joe and I will go back to work; if he says it is time…then the DUCKS WILL FLY AT MIDNIGHT! I am not having contractions yet (that I really know of) I still think they are Braxton Hicks because they are not very consistent and I am not in any pain (which is good). I am going to make sure to be more conscious of movement today so that I can write down and track any possible contractions that I do get. For now I am at work and just waiting…

Dr. Appointment #12

I just got back from the doctor and it was a good visit. I am still only 1 cm dilated, but getting close to 2 cm. Dr. McGrew said he can definitely feel the baby’s head and he/she is in a good position. The good news is that since last Friday my uterus has started to thin which is an important part of the process. For Baby Beyer to arrive three things need to happen: 1) Dilation, 2) Uterus thinning 3) Baby’s head down. We have two of three going on which is good. Dr. McGrew said that at my visit next Friday (assuming the baby does not come before then) that depending on how much I have dilated they could admit me since I will be full term, but we will wait and see how the next seven days go…who knows Baby Beyer could surprise us all and be here sooner! Both mine and the baby’s vitals continue to be strong and healthy so at this point we are just waiting for he/she to be ready to make their grand entrance.

Belly Pictures 38 weeks 2 days

Apologies for such a long time since the last picture post. As you may guess I have gotten bigger...but not so much that I feel like I am falling over so that is good. Below are two pics of me from the side, the second one is me and Cosmo looking at each other!

Overall I feel like I am holding my own, I am still able to move over/maneuver pretty well. Sleeping gets a little more difficult each night, but it will all be worth it. One of the ladies at work (Jen) says I am not ready to have the baby yet because I am not miserable enough. While I would agree, the last two have been more trying and I anticipate the next 12 or so will be as well; but I am tough! When Baby Beyer is ready to make his/her big debut I am sure it will not disappoint!

Dr. Appointment #11

On Friday at exactly 38 weeks I had my most recent doctor's appointment. Baby Beyer and I had a very good check up. All my vitals continue to be healthy and strong and I am not retaining any excess fluid (only a small amount, which at this point the way the heat has been is Cleveland comes as no surprise). The baby is measuring a good size (as far as when the doctor measures from the bottom to the top of my uterus). Baby Beyer continues to have a strong heart beat at 150-160 bpm. When Dr. McGrew did my internal exam he determined that I am currently 1 cm dilated. I knew I had to be something bc the internal was not anywhere as near as uncomfortable as it was the first time (granted it wasn’t a picnic, but it was better). He said he was also able to feel the head which was in a very good position for delivery (the fact that he could feel the head kind of weirded me out a bit I am not going to lie). Hopefully when I go again this Friday we will have additional progress.

Last week I was tested to see if I am a carrier for Beta Strep (20% of pregnant woman are). It’s the same bacteria that cause strep when we get it. The test confirmed that I am a carrier. What this means is once I get to Hillcrest they will hook me up to an IV so I can begin taking antibiotics to combat the Beta Strep so that when Baby Beyer is ready to come out he/she does not get infected. The doctor said it takes about 6-8 to get 2 doses into the system which means now instead of hoping for a super fast labor, we just continue to hope for one that isn’t like 20 hours, but one that is long enough to make sure I am able to get all of the medicine I need in my system prior to the delivery stage. It also means that once I know I am in labor instead of potentially waiting a little at home we will go right to Hillcrest so I can get hooked up to the IV.

I have talked with a few friends who I did not even know also had this and I am happy to report that all of their little ones are just fine. In 99% of cases if the mom has the antibiotics prior to the baby’s arrival then the baby does not pick up any of the bacteria which is very comforting. Most deliveries tend to at least one minor set back…maybe this will be ours and we are just finding out in advance.

Joe and I just continue to pray for a happy & healthy little boy or girl whichever it is. I must say that sometimes I feel like Baby Beyer is trying to “break out” (of my stomach that is). The last 2 days the baby has been going crazy and my stomach has been moving around a lot…it’s quite funny to look down and see your shirt moving in so many directions! It’s crazy to think that our “due date” is only 12 days away J

Dr. Appointment #10

With less than 3 weeks to go until Baby Beyer’s due date the anticipation is starting to build like crazy…the suspense of he/she coming, knowing the gender, and finally giving a name to our first born has me overly joyed. I had my 37 week appointment on Friday (9/2), which included my first internal exam. The good news is that all of my vitals have continued to be strong and healthy (good heart rate, bp 120/70, no extra retention of fluid). The Baby’s heartbeat was loud and clear between 150-160 bpm! No exciting news as far as my cervix being dilated. I asked Dr. McGrew how big he thought Baby Beyer will be and he said that he estimates somewhere around 7 and a half pounds which sounded great to me; not so small that I would be afraid to hold my own child, but not so big that (hopefully) he or she would get stuck!

Baby Beyer is sure taking up a lot of room in my mid section these days. I find myself eating a lot less and just being full very fast, which is fine with me and it seems to be fine with him/her since I am not hungry or anything (more than usual). Dr. McGrew asked me if I have had any Braxton Hicks contractions, I told him I didn’t think so, but I wasn’t sure. There are a lot of movements/feelings going on now and some of them are readily identifiable, while others are not. The only thing I know up until this point is that my water has not broken and I have not had any real labor contractions. At this point, I figure unless all of a sudden I am in a lot of sudden pain I only need to worry about identifying those two things. My next appointment is this Friday and I have appointments every Friday from now until due date, Friday, September 23!

RAV Baby Shower

When I walked into our weekly staff meeting today I was surprised to find that my office had thrown me a baby shower. It was very sweet of them and all planned by my wonderful friend Lauren; she even invited my mom (who by the way brought an awesome desert)! They arranged for us to have sandwiches and salad from my new favorite place Stone Oven…they have the best chicken salad ever. It was so nice just to take a break and relax with my co-workers. Everyone has been very supportive through my pregnancy and they are excited to for Baby Beyer’s arrival. They put a baby pool together at work and the gender poll is dead locked right now at 50/50. The majority think the baby will have brown hair and eyes and be weighing in somewhere around 7 lb. 13 oz and about 20.5 inches long. In a few short weeks we will know all of the answers J

It's All Coming Together

With only “25” days left until Baby Beyer’s arrival everything that can be prepared has been completed. The nursery is finished, all of the bottles, pacifiers, etc. have been sterilized; the baby’s clothes and blankets have been washed and everything has found a “home.” We are getting so excited with anticipation…I can’t wait to hold our little boy or girl for the first time; I know some of you are eagerly awaiting to know the gender just like we are. I was talking about how I washed the floor on Saturday (sorry Erin, I know premature labor…I promise it’s the last time before the baby comes) and a family friend said “oh so I see you are nesting” I replied with “I have been nesting my entire life” for those that know me it is so true, I just now officially know what to call it. Joe put the base for the car seat in my car and this week he will put the extra base in his car. I am almost done packing my bag for the hospital, just a few more odds and ends to go and Joe will be packing his bag this week.

My next doctor’s appointment is on Friday, I will be 37 weeks; the doctor will perform the first internal exam and we will begin talking about the size of the baby and we will have a more formal idea of how I am progressing.  Hopefully more good news to come at the end of this week!

Baby Beyer has the Hiccups!

So for a really long time I did not think that I had felt the baby have the hiccups at all throughout my pregnancy. I was at the doctor last week and I mentioned that I often feel that I can feel my blood flowing/heart beat; he thought that was odd and say that maybe they were just really small kicks or movements. Today I was sitting in our Monday staff meeting and I kept feeling this motion of like my stomach moving up and down…I believe the baby had the hiccups and has really been having them for several weeks now…apparently I was just too naïve to realize that is what was going on. It was kind of cool once I realized it, then the baby started to have the hiccups and kick/punch at the same time which was just a lot of movement period! I am still waiting to see an actual foot or hand print on my stomach when the baby kicks.

I know it has been over a week since we posted pictures and we will soon. I can promise you as nature intends that I am getting bigger…at this point I realize there is nothing I can do about the process. Laying down is starting to get uncomfortable, but luckily at this point I am still comfortable sitting, standing, walking etc. Joe and I were laying on the couch last night watching a movie and I felt like my lungs were being completely smushed, I took in some pretty deep breaths, then I would have to attempt to re-position myself on the couch. At some I think I got comfortable, but I am sure for the next 4 weeks or so it will be an ongoing struggle.

My next doctor’s appointment is next Friday (September 2) I will be 37 weeks and from there we start weekly appointments. It won’t be long now! J

Dr. Appointment #9

I went to the doctor on Tuesday and everything is checking our good with me and the baby. My measurements are in line (as far as size of me and size of Baby Beyer). My blood pressure has come down, closer to where it normally was pre-pregnancy and I am happy to say that I am still not retaining any excess fluid! The baby’s heart rate was between 150-160 beats per minute. Some of the people at work have changed their minds about what they speculate the gender of Baby Beyer is. We had birthday lunch yesterday and Jen asked our one portfolio manager Tom what he thinks it is…Tom looked at me and said “I think it’s a baby!” I told Tom I appreciated his support.

We are still making progress on organizing all of the things we received for the shower. Mom and I spent about 2 hours sterilizing bottles, pacifiers, etc. last night and putting away bath stuff. Joe ordered our extra car seat base so we would have it in plenty of time for his car. In about a week we will be packing our bags for the hospital in the event Baby Beyer would decide he/she needs to be here a little early.

Tomorrow I will be 35 weeks…only about 5 to go…we are getting so close. We appreciate all of the continued prayers and support. It won’t be long now! J

Baby Beyer's Nursery

The nursery is now complete (minus hanging the quilt on the one wall because we don't have the hooks yet). Check out Baby Beyer's Nursery tab to see how the room turned out. Joe and I both love it so much and we hope our little boy or girl does as well.

PS- Joe had a dream about 3 weeks ago that we are having a boy. Last Sunday (after the baby shower) I had a dream it was a little girl...we will find out here in about 6 short weeks!

Baby Shower

Last Sunday we had the baby shower...it was a wonderful event! Thank you to all of our family and friends who helped make the day possible. I know Joe and I were filled with so many emotions during the day. Other than all of the gifts we received for Baby Beyer (which are still being organized by the way), I received a very special surprise...my best friend Erin from New Mexico and her 7 week old daughter Delainey came to the shower. I was so ecstatic that I started to cry (it would not be the last time I did at the shower either). It was so wonderful to see her and to meet Delainey. Joe and I are so blessed to have such generous people in our lives. We will let you know once we finally have everything organized...

Akron Baby Shower

Thank you to Joe’s wonderful coworkers and friends for throwing us a baby shower at Lockview on Wednesday in Akron! A special thanks to Julie for arranging everything, getting a cake with a monkey on it (see the awesome picture below), getting bibs and puffy paint, and buying the cutest monkey pins for everyone to wear. It was so great to see everyone now (before I get even huger- is that a word?). We are getting so excited for Baby Beyer to arrive and are happy that all of you can share in our excitement!

Good news, my face still looks thin. it just has to hold out for 9 more days until Jill & Zach's wedding!

Vacation & Baby Bumps!

Joe and I had a wonderful time on our vacation in Geneva with my family (and all of the little ones) as well as a spectacular time in the Finger Lakes in New York. We hiked, visited wineries, and spent some much needed time together relaxing and just being ourselves. I was a little nervous about all of the hiking we would be doing, but the good news is I was able to keep up the whole time. The hotel we stayed at (Watkins Glen) was just magnificent!

While we were in Geneva Joe convinced me to take some additional pictures of my baby bump amongst the beautiful scenery. Here are some of the pictures below.

Baby Furniture

The baby furniture arrived today, it looks wonderful and we are so excited! Check out Baby Beyer's Nursery tab to see the pictures. Thanks to Nonna & Papa (my parents) for buying the baby's furniture.

A Rollar Coaster Week

It has been a crazy week; today I am exactly 31 weeks pregnant. Up until this week (and I think Joe would agree) that I have had a normal, healthy pregnancy, with only a very few minor emotional lapses and some cravings here and there…nothing to get all crazy about! However, this week was like a roller coaster. Between the chaos at work, training the new girl that started (she is great, but it’s like how many things can I do in a 8.5 hour period you know?), trying to have a life, and attempting to get myself mentally and emotionally prepared for the baby I am starting to get tapped out. I had several emotional breakdowns this week (one much larger than the rest)! Some of them just consisted of a little bit of yelling followed by some disgruntled faces about whatever it was I was freaking out about, others were much more serious and in a way I feel appropriate and necessary. On Wednesday night when I was on the phone with Renee, Joe at one point went upstairs because he told me I was starting to scare him. I figured, well he made it through unscathed for 30 weeks….he can tough out the last 10! Luckily, as always Renee was there to comfort me and make me laugh. The good news is that it’s Friday, I get to go home in about 8 hours and then on Sunday we leave for our vacation at Geneva with my family then onto the Finger Lakes in NY (Joe and I are going just the two of us) for some much needed rest & relaxation.

The shower is quickly approaching and I couldn’t be more excited to see everyone and to have everyone see me! Just as exciting as the shower is the fact that 4 days after the shower Erin, Mike, and Delainey come to Cleveland and I will get to meet her for the first time…then 3 days later Jill and Zach are getting married. Good news Jill, I tried on my dress last night and it fits…I even have a little room in the event my boobs get bigger (we will just keep our fingers crossed that they don’t though)! I am trying to keep my arms and upper body “firm” so I can look as cute as I can for my longtime friends special day. Feeling good and more excitement to come…Baby Beyer arrival is quickly approaching!

Good News!

We have good news, the baby furniture came in yesterday and it will be delivered to the house tomorrow morning. Joe and I are very excited. I am just happy that I did not have to yell at anyone at the furniture store yesterday. At one point we weren’t sure if the furniture was going to be on the truck yesterday and I was afraid I was going to have to rip someone’s face off….luckily no one was hurt during the process. Hopefully we will be able to post pictures of the furniture tomorrow or Sunday morning before we leave for vacation. Keep checking the Baby Beyer Nursery tab for new photos.

New Tracking Ticker

I added a new pregnancy ticker to the bottom of the page, it tell us how big the baby is in reference to the size of a vegetable or fruit. I have been meaning to add this ticker for quite some time and couldn't remember what site to find it at. Luckily, while helping another friend create her blog, we found it yesterday.

Baby Beyer is now the size of a squash!

Belly Pictures 30 weeks 2 days

Here are updated pictures of my belly. The picture with the dress is from Jen's bridal shower on Saturday and the other is a picture from Sunday at 30 weeks and 2 days. I am getting bigger (as you can see), but feeling pretty good overall.

The discomfort while laying down is starting to build, but luckily most nights I am so tired that I am able to fall also (relatively soon) at least for the time being. Joe has been a great support these last few days. I feel like we are both started to let ourselves get excited now that we are less than three months away. There is still so much to do, but luckily we have wonderful family and friends to help.

The baby furniture should be arriving this week...so keep your fingers crossed for that!

Dr. Appointment #7

We had a very good report from the doctor today…it is hard to believe I am exactly 30 weeks! My blood pressure and weight were good. The results of my glucose test from the last appointment came back normal; excellent blood count and normal range for blood sugar. My uterus is measuring 30 cm which the doctor says is right on target. The baby’s heart rate was between 140-150 beats per minute; although I swear it had to be higher than that. Dr. McGrew found the heart beat immediately and it sounded like a freight train. Per Dr. McGrew both me and the baby are on track and looking/sounding very healthy. He said we are “cruising” with about 10 more weeks to go.

I scheduled the rest of my appointments from here through 40 weeks. My last appointment is scheduled on our due date, September 23^rd!

I am still feeling well, a little more tired, but overall very good. I am getting excited for the coming weeks, the baby furniture to arrive, and the baby showers (our family/friends shower and then Joe’s colleagues at Akron are throwing us one as well).

Lots of people at work now are starting to “guess the gender” it is so funny to hear what everyone says. The anticipation is starting to build J

Updated belly pictures to come later this weekend.

2:00 PM "hangovers"

So ever since I hit around 29 weeks between 2:00-3:00 PM I have a “sleep hangover.” Basically I have almost fallen asleep at my desk a few times. We had a meeting yesterday (non client) for a new program that we are getting and I think I may have fallen asleep for like a minute (or two) during the two hour meeting. Other than the sleepiness in the afternoon and started to get very tired again by bed time all systems are still going strong.

Tomorrow I will be 30 weeks and I have a doctor’s appointment; more good news (hopefully) to come. My photographer will be home tonight so we will make sure to post new belly pictures this weekend. It’s hard to believe we are only 10 weeks (or so away) from Baby Beyer’s arrival!

Belly Pictures 28 weeks 4 Days

Some new pictures for you to enjoy. I think I look "bigger" with my shirt down then I do with my shirt up! Joe says that I don't look any bigger...I think he is just trying to be nice :)

Just Keep Walking

For those that are familiar with the movie Finding Nemo, about mid way through the movie when the dad (Marlin) feels like he will never see his son Nemo again, he is swimming along with absentminded companion Dori and she is singing “just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming” to try and encourage him during their journey. Right now I feel like Dori except for I just keep thinking “just keep walking.” At this point while it’s not that I couldn’t do additional exercises, etc. it all seems to be slightly daunting and I can slowly feel myself beginning to get tired more easily. I can’t say I didn’t see it coming, my friends have warned me this would happen along with my “What to Expect When You are Expecting” book. I am trying to walk at least once (if not twice per day with Cosmo) and I am still walking up and down the four flights of stairs each day at work, so for now that will have to do. The most important thing is to try and keep up my energy and stay active as we get closer to the home stretch. One of the very important things I learned during child birth class is “movement during labor is key!” For now I will just stay with the mantra and “keep walking.”

Babies R Us

I went to Babies R Us last night (by myself) to return a gift we bought for our goddaughter Maddie for her 2^nd birthday. Now that I am pregnant I feel like walking into Babies R Us is the equivalent of walking into Wal-Mart was when we were in Edinboro…you just seem to find 100 things that you want to buy…maybe you need some maybe you don’t. They had a sale on clothes and other clearance items. The clothes were SO adorable! The good news is since we do not know the gender of Baby Beyer it was less temping to buy clothes (being that I only found like 2 gender neutral outfits that I really liked). However, I held strong, took back Maddie’s gift and did not buy anything; I was so proud of myself!  I am looking forward to the shower and seeing what kinds of outfits we get any then afterwards I will go on a little mini clothes shopping spree…I will be strong and hold out until then.

Belly Pictures 27 weeks 2 Days

Here are some updated pictures of the ever growing belly from the side and the front!

At least my arm doesnt look like it is getting huge! :)

How Am I Feeling?

At this point, as you might expect during the day at least 5 people ask me "how are you feeling?" I am happy to report that overall I am still feeling very good. I am being as active as possible (at this point it's not that I am getting tired, it's more like I feel like my stomach is getting in the way of things). I put my tennis shoes on this morning to take Cosmo for a walk and the whole bending over to tie my shoes is getting more difficult as the weeks go on. It's odd because I still don't feel "really" big, (at least mentally) which is good, but obviously my body understands/feels that I am.

Right before I hit 27 weeks I noticed an increased in trips to bathroom. It's frustirating because now I having smaller pees more frequently instead of normal or larger pees less often. In  the morning I try to hold off (once I get to work) to go to the bathroom, because once I do I feel as though it's the equivalent to being drunk and "breaking the seal" and then it's really all down hill from there as far as trips to the bathroom go!

The other thing I have noticed during the past few nights is I move around more. I used to roll over maybe twice during the night (that I was aware of); now I wake up and my stomach feels uncomfortable so then I have to move. I knew it was only a matter of time before the laying down was going to start to get uncomfortable so hopefully it doesn't get any worse (at least for a few more weeks).

Other than the additional trips to the bathroom and a little more rolling around at night, I have to say I feel very lucky for my pregnancy to be going so well thus far.

The baby sure it kicking a lot now which is exciting. My mom, brother, and Aunt Gracie were able to feel the baby move last weekend on Father's Day which was great.

The start of my Third Trimester is quickly approaching...more exciting news to come then.

Special Congratulations!

We are so thankful to have all of you in our lives, your love and support is appreciated and much needed. Two very special acknowledgements this week. The first to Erin & Mike Killion who brought their daughter Delainey Grace into the world on June 16 (well technically Erin brought her into the world, but I know that Mike was a wonderful support and she could not have done it without him)! We are so happy for you guys and are thrilled to meet Miss D in 7 weeks when you come to Cleveland! Even though we could not be with Erin (since they live in New Mexico) Mike was updating us constantly so we would know our best friend and Miss D were doing okay. Thank you to Mike for letting us be a part of your special moment with our girl! God bless you and your new family I know Delainey is going to be a wonderful addition to the group! J

The second is to Arianna and Matt for getting engaged! We are so happy for you both and you are just the cutest couple ever! Look at the wonderful circle of life that you are about to embark on together. Congratulations.

Dr. Appointment #6

I went to the doctor on Friday (6/17) and I was exactly 26 weeks. All of my vital signs were great, my blood pressure was good (down a little, which made me feel better because the last 2 visits it had been in the 120s, I like to live more in the 110s; on Friday my BP was 110/71. My weight was good, I had gained a minimal amount the past 4 weeks which the doctor said was both normal and good since I had gained a lot at the previous visit. My uterus is measuring right where it and the baby are supposed to be so that is wonderful news and I my ankles are still ankles and not kankles (at least for now…who knows what this summer heat is going to bring)! Dr. McGrew was able to find the baby’s heartbeat right away…it was really fast between 150-160 beats per minute. When I to got to work I was telling the ladies about my visit and the one got excited and said OH THAT IS A HIGH RATE I think it’s a girl! Then Jen, another lady (she is so funny) says no no, you don’t have any back fat…it’s a boy. Now I know there are different “sayings” and “wives tales” out there about if this then you are having a ___, but I was like Jen really back fat come on…maybe I amjust one of those people that don’t have a lot of back fat, LOL! So there you have it, you can decide for yourself. My mom thinks it’s a boy disguising himself with the fast heart rate to throw everyone off! I guess we will find out in about 3 months!

Overall I still feeling well. My mid to upper back is starting to get sore from the weight gain in the front…this just means more back rubs from Joe, so hopefully I can tough it out! My next visit will be at 30 weeks (in mid July) then I start going every 2 weeks or so. The baby kicks just about all of the time now. I think the baby may have had the hiccups the other night, but I am not sure…there was a different sort of moment then the kicking/punching so we will see. More exciting developments to come!

Belly Pictures 24 weeks 2 Days

Here is the ever growing belly...

Baby Beyer sure is starting to move around a lot in there! This morning I felt the baby and I put my hand on my stomach and I was able to feel the kick from the outside. In excitement I yelled to Joe to let him know; unfortunately he was in the shower covered in soap so he did not get to feel the baby move...I know it is coming soon. I can't wait for him to scribble about it once he feels the baby move. Hopefully that will be the next blog you read.

Registration Complete

I am happy to announce that with some help from my wonderful friend Alicia on Tuesday night that registering for Baby Beyer is now complete. A few odds and ends may be added, but it is good to know that the registry is now “official.” I am just so glad to have it done and to have one more thing checked off the list. We are registered at Babies R Us and Amazom.com.

Our next big project will be cleaning out the room that Baby Beyer will be inhabiting. We ordered the baby furniture 2 weeks ago and it is scheduled to arrive around the second or third week of July. By then we will only be 2 weeks away from the shower and from the shower only (approximately) 7 weeks from Baby Beyer’s arrival! Everything is getting so exciting (and slightly overwhelming, but in a good way).

We started our child birth classes last night, which proved to be both educational and entertaining. I am still feeling great and at this point have a lot of energy. I am working out more (which I am sure is a large contributing factor) and just trying to sort through some stuff at home and get ready for my third trimester which starts July 1!

You Know What is Worse?

You know what is worse than bathing suit shopping…shopping for a bathing suit while you are pregnant. Seriously, it was awful. And it wasn’t awful like how it normally is where you just want the bathing suit to look better…because let’s  face it ,the bathing suit you have on while you are pregnant is never really going to look normal. The upsetting part about the entire experience was that even though I know I am getting bigger, I don’t necessarily feel “huge” yet but any means. When I had to try on those bathing suits it basically forced me to do what I avoid just about every day and that is actually look at my whole body in the mirror. So I bought a bathing suit (at least it was on sale) since I will be needing one this summer, it is black and white with flowers…maybe I can hope that like so many other black colored clothes the bathing suit is “sliming” LOL. I never quite knew what Erin meant when she would say how (during pregnancy) she all of a sudden hated shopping. It’s like the worst of two evils…we need clothes, but going through the process is so much more exhausting than normal shopping and inevitably you end up with the one thing that looks “less bad” than the others you tried on.  I have to say though maternity clothes have come a long way and our generation is very lucky compared to what our moms had to wear. After the whole shopping for a bathing suit experience I leave you (particularly those who are pregnant or have been recently and can relate to what I am about to say) with one question…How do fat (and I am not referring to pregnant woman) buy bathing suit on a routine basis? I forever feel perplexed by this concept.

Cosmo is so in tune with his emotions!

I already knew how smart our dog Cosmo was; however, as our child will do someday that dog just continues to amaze me. Joe left last night to go on a weekend backpacking trip with the boys. Later in the evening after Cosmo and I had been relaxing and watching TV he knew it was getting close to bedtime and he went upstairs in the loft to watch to see when Joe was coming home. Finally I had to go upstairs and get him to come back down to go potty since Joe was obviously not coming home last night. We went to bed and I thought he would be fine in the morning.

I need to preface the rest of the story with that a few weeks ago when Joe was in Columbus for the weekend my parents had come to pick up Cosmo. I went over there later in the weekend and he was very excited to see me; however, he knew immediately that I was there and Joe was not. Up until I had arrived at mom & dad’s Cosmo was eating his food and acting normal. After I arrived he started to not want to eat his food. I tell this story because he did the same thing this morning. Normally Cosmo (like most dogs) are very excited to get their meals. After I put his food in his dish he didn’t want to eat it. I left for work this morning and he still hadn’t eaten (at some point he will during the day, but it’s not his normal routine.

The moral of the story is Cosmo is so smart that (I believe) when he goes to my parent’s house (and Joe and I are not there) he knows he is safe and the feels comfortable. This also means that he knows when he is at his grandparents that Joe and I are together. When I am home or with him at his grandparent’s house and Joe is not there, he knows that we are not together. Psychological analysis: our dog has separation anxiety, and I don’t mean it in a bad way. It means that he understands when one of the two of us is not there and we are not together…which makes him nervous. He is so loving and observant!

If more humans were as in tune with their emotional side like our dog the world would be a better place!

Belly Pictures 21 weeks & 5 days

Baby Beyer is getting bigger!

Dr. Appointment #5

I am happy to report that I had a good meeting with Dr. McGrew today. My blood pressure and other vital signs continue to be healthy and it took us all of 5 seconds to find the baby’s heart beat with the doppler…boy was it going fast (somewhere between 140-150 beats per minute). The other goods is that I am not retaining any extra water weight (particularly in my ankles). This is good because I have noticed as of late that when I wear my sports socks that they leave little marks around my ankles. I think it just normal dispersion of weight and as long as I don’t wake up one morning with kankles. Baby Beyer is growing healthy and very active.

I must share the only not so exciting piece of news from my visit was that since my last visit (4 weeks ago) I gained 10 pounds…I was very shocked. I noticed in the last 9 days or so that I have really gotten a lot bigger and unfortunately my boobs are also getting larger…which is clearly just very unnecessary. Anyway from weeks 18-19 my weight was still on track and where it should be.  I swear after we went for our ultrasound (at 19 weeks & 3 days) it has been all downhill from there (in regards to the weight gain). The majority of this lovely 10 pounds has come in the past 2 weeks (6 of the pounds to be exact). I wish I could just say that I have been eating a lot of junk food etc. and that this is just what I get…but I can’t even be happy to have been stuffing my face with sweets and have gained the 10 pounds. After I left the doctor I was very emotionally overwhelmed and then spent the next 20 minutes or so (after I called Joe to tell him that the baby was fine) on the phone with my mom sobbing. The whole thing is just very overwhelming only because my weight (up until the past 2 weeks or so) has been very steady and on track….then BOOM ATOMIC BOMB! It is just scares since I am just at 22 weeks that I am still so early on (relatively speaking) in my pregnancy and that something like this would happen. Last week when I felt like I had really gotten bigger (which has now been confirmed based on the weight gain) I was talking with Erin and I asked her how to deal with all of these feelings of getting bigger (being that she has seemingly had an answer/feel good method for just about every other situation so far). She told me that there is nothing I can do, she still hasn’t accepted it, most likely I won’t either, and that I should just blog about it…so now you know why I have been rambling on for several sentences. I understand that weight gain is all part of the process, I just want myself and the baby to be as healthy as possible.

The good news is that this week (prior to this emotionally distressful news) I had increased my work outs and planned to do so (as long as my body will let me). All I can hope is that the work outs will help level out the weight gains for the next several weeks.

In other funny and ironic news I have continued to feel the baby move; however, I have yet to feel the baby move when I am resting/calm. I only seem to feel the baby when I am in a frenzy/running around…there goes my hope that Baby Beyer will be calm like Joe and less of a spaz like me…here’s hoping that we can teach the baby some yoga or relaxing breathing techniques at a young age!

Confirmation of Movement

During certain points of pregnancy (prior to feeling the baby move) you wonder what is really going on in there and even though you know the baby is getting bigger, the whole science of it all is still very overwhelming. Two Friday’s ago (Good Friday 18 weeks in) before I went to my doctor’s appointment I was franticly trying to finish up stuff at work and as I was leaving and running about I swore I felt a small movement (which I had never felt before). I dismissed it thinking that it was just me getting caught up in the moment and maybe thinking I was a little hungry. A similar feeling happened right as I was entering the doctor’s office then two more times later that afternoon (while I was washing the kitchen floor). I didn’t really get any more sensations that next week (during the week), but then Saturday morning (19 weeks) as I was cleaning and washing the floor I started to feel them again. I did not want to get excited, but had the sense that I was starting to feel the baby move.

Last night as I was cleaning up from the graduation party and moving around a lot I felt them again and again. It’s kind of feels like tumbling when the clothes are in the dryer and they get to the top and fall down to continue tumbling or when a hamster is running on its wheel. I also felt these movements (more distinctly) again this morning.

At this point I feel confident in sharing with the world that Baby Beyer is indeed making a ruckus inside and that movement has been confirmed. I am looking forward to feeling a kick or a punch (sounds odd doesn’t it) during the next few weeks. I am even MORE excited to when Joe will be able to feel the baby from the outside…I am sure he will have a good Sunday Morning Scribbles to read once it happens!

Half Way There!

It's hard to believe that I am 20 weeks today...time sure does fly! Even though this is my first time being pregnant I have had a prediction for quite some time about when I was really going to start looking "big." Unfortunately, the one time I would have liked to be wrong...I was not. I figured through the first 19 or so weeks that I could keep my body statue relatively low key (getting a little bigger each week). I thought once I hit 20 it was going to be all down hill...right now I feel as though my prediction could not be more true! I have not weighed myself this week (I will tomorrow at the gym), but I can say that size wise I got much larger this week. I teased my mom on the phone this morning not to be scared when she sees me on Sunday for Mother's Day. I know what you are thinking and as Joe lovingly always tells me "you are supposed to get bigger." I understand and have accepted it, but it doesn’t change all of the feelings that come during the process.

We had a little graduation party at our house for Joe's grad students/student workers last night. I had seen several of them 3 weeks ago at the Run @ the Roo 5K when I was 17 weeks. All of the girls said how much bigger my stomach has gotten...and it HAS! At 17 weeks I had a nice small bump and now I have more of a nice circular volleyball size mass growing. At least (for the time being) nothing else seems to be growing significantly larger on my body so that is good news.

I am so excited to start the second half of the pregnancy as we will begin registering for the baby as well as looking for things to complete the nursery. Now that I am getting bigger I will make sure to share belly pictures more often for everyone to see.

Lots more exciting news and adventures to come!

Belly Pictures 19 weeks

By popular request below are two pictures of my growing belly. I like to think of myself as just getting "rounder" as opposed to "bigger" (at least for the time being)!

Ultrasound 19 weeks & 3 days

We had our final ultrasound today and it was exciting, I felt the suspense building all day. As most of you know the plan was not to find out the gender of Baby Beyer…and we are happy to report that we still do not know whether our little miracle is a boy or a girl. It was very difficult and at one point we both wanted to change our minds and find out, but we held strong and will surprised when Baby Beyer arrives.

We saw so many great pictures of the baby. All of the measurements for Baby Beyer came in as they should, so I am on track for my due date of September 23! Baby Beyer now weighs 10 oz. and measures in at 21 cm long (8.3 inches)! The baby had a very strong heart beat of 158 beats per minute. We were able to see several distinct features of Baby Beyer including his/her face, nose, jaw, eyes, hands, feet, heart, spine, ribs, as well as the umbilical cord. The whole experience was very surreal. A few times during the ultrasound the baby was kicking and Joe kept saying “can’t you feel that?” But at that moment I could not. I do believe in the past week I think I have felt the baby move, not a kick or punch but more like tumbling; Baby Beyer did plenty of that during our ultrasound! We learned during the ultrasound that I have an interior placenta (no cause for alarm, my wonderful friends Renee and Erin had the same thing). It just means the placenta is above the baby (as opposed to be underneath or besides the baby) and it is between my uterus and the baby, this means Baby Beyer will have to kick/punch extra hard before I start really feeling all of the activity in there. But don’t fret, from what I have heard from Renee and Erin once Baby Beyer starts moving and I can feel it’s GAME ON!

We are so excited to share with you all of our good news. Baby Beyer is healthy (and happy) in the pictures below…enjoy!

#1 Baby Beyer's hand & leg (profile view)
#2 Baby Beyer's foot/toes (profile view)
#3 Baby Beyer's leg (profile view)
#4 Baby Beyer's face & arm (frontal view)

Dr. Appointment #4

I had my fourth doctor's appointment yesterday; I exactly 18 weeks. My appointment went very well. My blood pressure and other vitals were normal and my weight continues to be healthy and on track. We found the baby's heart rate right away with the doppler. Per Dr. McGrew the baby's heart rate was somewhere between 150-160 beats per minute. The heartbeat was very strong and loud (I wonder where the baby gets that from)?! Final bit of good news is that I am not retaining any excess fluid, so that is always good.

I am anxiously awaiting feeling the first movement of our little miracle...I feel that it is coming soon. Hopefully I will be able to blog about that soon!

What a Sunday

It was a very eventful Sunday. We woke up at 6:30 AM to get ready for the 1st annual Run @ the Roo 5K at the University of Akron. I was very excited about the race. My goal was to run the entire time and (if possible) run the 5K (3.1 miles) in under 35 minutes. The weather conditions were a little cold and windy, but I am happy to report that I completed the 5K with a time of 30:00 I was 143 overall out of 260 people (which for being 17 weeks pregnant isn't too shabby). I felt so great the entire run; I had a lot of the excitement from the race to keep me going. I did not push myself hard...I actually thought I was running very slow as I had a watch on (that I borrowed from Lauren) but there were no mile markers throughout the race. When I got into the stadium toward the finish the aannouncer was yelling "you can make it in 30" and I got very excited!

Before the race when Lauren and I were warming up and stretching I said wouldn't it be crazy if I felt the baby move for the first time during the race? Luckily I didn't but I am happy to report that Baby Beyer made it through his/her first 5K with flying colors.

Later on this afternoon my mom and I went maternity clothes shopping as I will soon be at the point when my clothes just look a little odd, I am not there quite yet, but it is coming soon. I am happy to report that we found a nice assortment of sun dresses, work pants, and shirts that I can wear to work or out. I was so happy to be shopping with my mom and very blessed to have here there with me as I rummaged through the racks of maternity craziness. Thanks for being so great mom.

I think after all of that excitement I am very ready to relax for the night. Our next doctor's appointment is this Friday, April 22...more after that.

Belly Pictures 17 Weeks

For all of you that have been dying to see these you will finally get your wish! Here are pictures of me at 17 weeks and 2 days. While my bump is easy to see in person, in the pictures the "roundness" is less then impressive. I am happy to report that through the first 17 weeks I have gained a healthy amount of weight and I am on track (actually slightly under) as advised by my OB/GYN (I figured I am saving it all for later when I gain like 10 pounds overnight)!

Enjoy!

It Happened

So it happened….I “popped.” At the end of March when my good friend Renee was in town for our friend Erin’s baby shower, Renee and I were talking about when I was really going to start showing. Renee looked at me and said “Don’t worry at some point during your second trimester you will just POP.” Well she was right! I think Monday or Tuesday morning after I took my shower I was looking at my stomach and noticed that it was significantly more round then it was 8 hours prior when I went to bed. Now granted it wasn’t necessary that much bigger (I mean it was a little), but it just got very round over night. Joe agreed that it did get a lot rounder overnight. So there you have it. Now that I am “round” in the middle I have decided that it is ridiculous to attempt to hide it at work. I mean I am not walking around wearing baby tees or anything (like we all wore in high school…lol), but at the same time I know that I should just be proud of the bump and if it wants to stick out well I should just let it.

On another exciting note my friend Lauren and I are running in the University of Akron 5K (3.1 miles) on Sunday. I am very excited about it. Lauren and I ran 3 miles last night (which I ran the whole time) and it felt great. I did not run terribly fast, but my goal is just to have fun and run the whole time Sunday morning.

More exciting news to come after the race!!

A special shout out to Erin who started her third trimester yesterday! I was looking at my calendar and realized that I start my third trimester on June 30 which means that less than a week after I start my T3 Miss Delainey will be arriving…I know we are all SO excited.

Sunday Morning Dad Scribbles Volume 5

Yesterday, Marissa and I visited with my Great Aunt Irene who turns 90 next month.  Aunt Irene is an incredible woman with a passion for children and the miracle of giving birth.  It was nice to sit down and talk with her as she asked question after question and smiled through it all.  There were times where she was even choked up about it all.  We talked for almost two hours until both Marissa and even my stomach began to growl.  It was a very nice visit.

On Saturday we had some friends over to watch the Final Four and play some games.  I was glad to see that my buddy brought over their daughter and our god-daughter Maddie.  She is an amazing little girl who is around 2 years old.  I can start to see our lives changing towards more parties and gathering with little ones running around and soon it will be parties revolved around their concerts, plays and/or sporting events.  I especially enjoyed that little girl always checking on where I was and her little voice saying "joe?!"  Jason and Sarah are expecting their second in August I believe and hopefully we can raise our children together and Maddie will be that Big Sister to everyone.

Lastly, Marissa will kill me for writing this, but be careful around her lately - another "symptom" has arose!  Let's just say sometimes she is waking me up in the middle of the night.  I thought I was the only one in the family that could clear a room/dance floor.  Hey, it happens, right?  It's science.