1 month!

A belated post since she turned 1 month 12/22 but still want to try to remember this time as much as i can!

Weight: 7lb 6oz (10th percentile)

Height: Not measured at the doctors until 2 months

Size Clothing: Still in NB but they are fitting perfectly right now so i wouldn't be surprised if she outgrows them soon!

Milestones: She is cooing. Not sure if she is socially smiling yet. It seems like she has a couple times but she hasn't done it consistently. Can't wait till she can tho!

Schedule: She eats every 3 hours during the day (about 2-3oz) and every 4 hours during the night.

Sleep: She is a pretty good sleeper in that once shes full, she passes out. She sleeps well in her crib for naps and nighttime. Most of the time she doesn't cry when she's put in there, even if she's wide awake. She'll just look around til she falls asleep. Recently we've been out and about more during her naps and she sleeps really well while in her carseat and out at stores. I don't even think she knows she's outside!

Her favorite things: Her monkey and puppy pacifier. Her swing with monkey jams of course. Live worship music (the girl cries when its over! and shes done it acouple times now!)

Morning with daddy and Kody!

My fav expression she makes after she gets her bottle, "Why did u wait so long?"

First time eating out - pho!

So peaceful

Tummy time!

Almost... 

Evelyn Michelle's Birth Story

On November 21, 2012 (37 weeks 4 days), I had a checkup with my OB. I was not due for a cervical check until the week after so it was the normal appointment where she measured my fundal height and baby's heartbeat. I had noticed in the past week it's taken longer to get 10 movements. Usually it would take about 30 min but this past week it took about 1 hour. She said that we should do a non stress test to make sure everything was okay with the baby. So they hooked me up to the machine to check baby's heartbeat and contractions for 20 min. They made me drink cold water and juice to get the baby going. The baby moved alittle in the 20 min but her heartrate didn't go above the heartbeat needed to pass the test (it had to go up 15bpm with each movement). So she didn't fail necessarily, but didn't pass. My OB decided to make me go to the hospital to redo the test since they had better equipment and if there was any emergency i'd be there. So i went and i was hooked up again. I laid for about an hour this time with the nurse trying to wake the baby up with a vibrator on my stomach. Baby didn't like that but it woke her up for a bit. So she passed eventually. The dr also looked at her fluid levels and confirmed there was plenty of fluid. Not sure if these tests had anything to do with what would happen the next day.

On November 22, 2012 (37 weeks 5 days), we were staying at my parents house who live about ~30 min away (yes we're lazy and didn't want to travel early in the morning to help cook thanksgiving food)  and my sister/BIL and brother were also there. It was about 4:55AM when i woke up to use the bathroom. When I got to the bathroom I noticed that my pants were soaking wet! I didn't remember peeing in the bed (i haven't done that since elementary school!!) but i didn't rule it out. I tried smelling it and it didn't smell like pee necessarily, but i didn't smell the "sweet" smell like i've read amniotic fluid smells like. So after waking up the husband to tell him what happened, I decided to put on a pad and went back to sleep. If it was my water breaking I knew the next time i got up I'd know for sure. Around 5:30AM I woke up to a pop feeling in my stomach. I was still not sure if that was my water breaking (in denial maybe??) and thought maybe the baby was kicking and went back to sleep. At 6AM I woke up to a gush feeling and knew right away that it was definitely my water breaking. I turned on the light and woke my husband up and said my water def broke. as soon as i stood up water started gushing out. i had no idea what to do bc i knew if i stood up there'd be water everywhere (Btw, fun fact, my parents just moved into their new house that week so it was the first time someone had used that bed! haha) so my husband grabbed towels from the bathroom while i sat on the bed wearing a makeshift diaper. i think i sat there for like 10 min cause i didn't know how to move without water just leaking everywhere. so i had my husband wake up my sister to find me some pads. This basically woke up the whole house. love the expression on my bros face when he was mad everyone was being loud while he was trying to sleep.

anyway, no pads so i had to waddle with a towel between my legs through the house. i called the OB's office and they told me to just come down to the hospital. Not sure if i somehow subconsciously knew something like this would happen but the day before i had set up the carseat and packed the hospital bag. however, i put it in my car which was at our house versus my husbands! so we had to drive down to our house first (which thankfully was on the way to the hospital) and then switch cars, then go to the hospital. it was from the drive from our house to the hospital that i started feeling contractions I started timing them around 630AM. they were about 30 seconds long at 2.5min apart. they felt like menstrual cramps. they were manageable in the car, but definitely uncomfortable.

at 7am, we got to the hospital and altho i put on 2 pads at our house, i still managed to leak right through them. so i had to waddle through to labor and delivery. Once we got there we got shown to our room right away. i changed and got in bed. the contractions were still coming about 2 min apart but definitely getting more intense. they had me answer some questions and told me some policy info to sign. i remember not comprehending anything she was saying since she kept talking to me while i was having contractions. but i was told i was smiling through the contractions so at least i looked friendly! haha. they didn't want to give me a cervical check just yet since my water had already broken and they don't like to check as much once that happens. but at 7:55AM they finally checked (my first one since i was never checked at the OB) and was happy to find out i was at 4cm, 90% effaced, and -1 station. this was around the time i asked for an epidural. i still wonder if i could've made it through without one since my labor was pretty short. but it felt so good not to feel anything. and i think it lessened my stress and anxiety about the whole process. my contractions always stayed about 2 min apart but just got stronger. i finally got the epi around 8:45AM after I had enough IV fluid in me. I didn't feel the epi very much. getting sticked by the IV definitely felt alot worse! once i had the epi, i could still move my lower body, but just not feel the pain. which was awesome. so now we just waited. my sister/bil/bro/ and parents came to visit around 10 ish.

After the epi, all is good again!

Just waiting

at 12pm I had another cervical check, to our amazement the nurse said we were at 9cm! so thankful that the epi didn't stall the labor at all. the nurse went to lunch since she knew it'd be soon that we'd have to start pushing. btw, our nurse was awesome. she was so nice and encouraging. always had something positive to say about everything. Around 1:30pm the nurse came back and checked that i was at 10cm. Then we started pushing. It took almost 2 hours to push but baby girl kept progressing nicely. Finally, the last push the doctor told us, "its a girl!". it was definitely an emotional moment to finally meet *her* (even tho we were team green i kind of knew it was a girl altho never 100%. I know i suck at surprises).

she still makes this cry face!

The hubs cut her cord and we got to do some skin to skin with her. It did take us awhile to pick her name. It was between Evelyn and Emmalyn. But I think Evelyn fits her perfectly. She was 6lb 7oz and 18 inches at birth! Its crazy this only happened a week ago. Little girl is growing up so fast!

37 weeks!

This was written after the baby was born. But I thought I should finish my pregnancy updates since this is the last one!

How far along?  37 weeks 1 day

Total weight gain/loss:  27-28 lbs! stayed below 30!
Symptoms:  The last week I remember feeling less movement from the baby, which caused me to have to get a non stress test. The first on at my OB's office was non reactive (baby didn't move enough) so I had to go to the hospital to get another non stresss test for longer. Baby was more reactive, but still had to be zapped (a vibrator put on my stomach to wake her up) to get her moving. Still wondering if her lack of movement is because of her being a good sleeper.. we shall see! Besides that I just felt a couple BH every day but no other symptoms.
Sleep:  Peeing 1-2x a night and would usually wake up early even if i was tired.
Best moment this week:  i remember being so excited about thanksgiving food! who knew there'd be something else to be excited about!
Movement:  less movement. still not sure why, maybe less room or just a sleepy baby.
Cravings:  nothing new, just food, thanksgiving food, sweets, the norm.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nothing new
Labor Signs:  a couple BH a day but nothing else besides that
Belly Button in or out? flat!
What I miss:  pre preg body was one big thing! felt really huge at the end!
What I am looking forward to:  babyyyyyyy!! birth story next

36 weeks!

How far along?  36 weeks 1 day!
Total weight gain/loss:  26 lbs! looks like the weight seems to have steadied out. Not sure if its a fluke. i feel like i eat alot but i think im just getting full really easily.
Symptoms:  feeling alright this week. had a tdap and flu shot earlier this week which caused body aches the next day (no fever tho) and my arm was so sore. that was not fun. but hopefully the baby got the antibodies from it! again, also feeling really full after eating alittle bit, alot less room in there. i don't think i have stretch marks (yet...) but i have some weird red marks, kind of like an internal bruise or something. i hope its not the start of stretch marks! lathering the lotion like crazy these days. also comparing previous pictures, my bump seems to have gotten rounder and higher the last few weeks.
Sleep:  not as good this week. having to pee 1-2 times a night these days!! then its hard to go back to sleep cause my mind starts going into overdrive. i think i still sleep about 7-8 hours a night but just not continuous like it used to be.
Best moment this week:  had my growth scan! found out everything is looking good with the baby, the baby seems to have dropped which may be why my bump is measuring smaller by a couple weeks. the fluid level and growth looked good tho. the baby is measuring 36-42nd percentile (alittle smaller than average!) and estimated to be 5.5 lbs (+/- 1 lb... so not completely accurate). and all the measurements are pretty proportional.
Movement:  feeling the baby more, more movement than kicks. starting to pay attention more to the counts since i know in the last couple weeks the movement can decrease.
Cravings:  want to make something pumpkin but not sure what! also had 2 peppermint mochas this week... (so bad but so good)
Anything making you queasy or sick:  i made chili this week and i felt sick after. :-/ i think it was the beer i used in it! saddd
Labor Signs:  i don't think so.. feeling weird stabbing in the cervix area, i've read it could be dilation but might just be some kind of muscle spasm. not sure!
Belly Button in or out?  pretty flat. i can tell when i eat alot when my belly button is completely flat. otherwise its a shallow innie.
What I miss:  sleeping in positions besides the sides, my old clothes, not worrying about fluid levels or baby movement, moving faster.
What I am looking forward to:  the baby! thanksgiving!! working from home after thanksgiving! 

And here are some belated shower detail pics!

 Diaper cake and favors made by my sister!

 Colored name tags depending on if the guest thought it was a girl or boy

 baby food quiz!

 some of the spread! 

 Poms made by my sister (and BIL)

 Flag banner where guests wrote sweet words to the baby!

 Baby carriage made by my sister!

 More food and pinwheels!

 Me and the hubs! wow my belly looks wide!!

 my sister!! thanks for prepping and planning everything!!

 Drink bar - including peppermint mocha!!

35 weeks!

How far along?  35 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain/loss:  26.5 lbs! looks like last weeks weight gain was some water retention. my feet are back to normal for the most part. Theres still hope to be at 30lbs at the end!
Symptoms:  my right side is starting to hurt more so i can't lay on that side for long periods of time. still waddling altho my butt doesn't feel like it hurts as much anymore. may be cause i'm used to it now? feeling full fast these days altho my eyes are always still hungry so i think i end up overeating alot.
Sleep:  pretty good for the most part, still get about 8-9 hours of sleep a night. sleeping more on my left side now since my right side is hurting. having to pee in the middle of the night again :-( then can't go back to sleep for about 30 min, but still feel pretty rested in the morning once i get back to sleep.
Best moment this week:  getting all the fun gifts from the baby shower together and organizing the babys room! feel more prepared this week!
Movement:  feel the baby mostly 3 periods during the day. mostly in the right ribs or hiccups. sometimes feel some weird movement across the belly
Cravings:  peppermint mocha from starbucks! and it was so yummy. may get one tomorrow...
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nothing new
Labor Signs:  just crampy, but i think thats just growing pains
Belly Button in or out?  in but flat
What I miss:  sleeping in all sorts of positions. my old clothes!!
What I am looking forward to:  meeting the baby! getting back to my regular size! growth scan tomorrow!

34 weeks!

How far along?  34 weeks 3 days!
Total weight gain/loss:  27-28lbs. YIKES! I think part of it is from water retention now (my feet r swelling like crazy!) and losing motivation to keep the weight gain minimal. so close to the end but still so far! will still try to keep it at ~30 ish i hopeee!
Symptoms:  swelling has returned! this time its happening in both feet. luckily my hands have been okay so far so my rings are still fitting fine. and i don't *think* my face is swelling, but who knows. haha. Also been cramping alot this past weekend. felt like menstrual cramps + stomachache cramps but no diarrhea. so.. not sure what that was. its gone now. it helped that i laid on the side that wasn't hurting so maybe the baby was in a bad position? still waddling too but thats normal now.
Sleep:  still good unless the hubs wakes up. man i don't think i'll understand how much i'll be sleep deprived after the baby comes. right now i sleep about 8-9 hours a night.. i think i'm in for a big surprise after baby.
Best moment this week:  baby shower! it was a lot of fun and it was exciting sharing it with our friends. I'll post some photos when i get them from my sister (hi alice!!)
Movement:  baby has been alittle quieter these days, it might be because i've been more active. still counting movement just in case its too low. i have a feeling the baby is wedged in a weird position. for one, my bump is really weirdly shaped. second, i only feel the baby near my pelvis and on my right side, like way to the right, almost to the side of my stomach. i'm hoping the baby is not breech! i will find out next week though.
Cravings:  i had 2 chick fil a sandwiches last week ( so good!), wanted something pumpkin-y  so i made pumpkin muffins!
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nothing really
Labor Signs:  nope don't think so..
Belly Button in or out?  pretty flat, but still innie
What I miss:  being more flexible. so much harder to do stuff on the ground like put stuff together with a big belly in the way. can't wait to wear regular clothes!
What I am looking forward to:  baby in hopefully less than 6 weeks! gonna find out more about the babys growth and position at my appointment on monday, excited for that! and looking forward to halloween bc of the candy! i got some good candy this year and hope there are some leftovers... :-D 

33 weeks!

How far along? 33 weeks 2 days!
Total weight gain/loss: 24.5lbs! Maybe the goal of ~ 30lbs is attainable?? just maybe.. as i eat my chinese bakery bun..
Symptoms:  Still waddling. it hasn't gotten worse but hasn't gotten better. so i'm guessing its here to stay. peeing more of course. one of my legs gets kind of numb if i don't walk for awhile, and i walk slowwww
Sleep: its been alright. hubs still wakes up too much in the middle of night which keeps me up. but i had one of the best sleeps in a long time this week. wish there were more of those
Best moment this week: Feeling like most things are done/getting done/in the works so not too anxious with my to do list.
Movement: think i'm starting to get paranoid about the baby not moving enough so i try concentrating on movements but then thats when baby decides to sleep. but then when my mind is busy on other things thats when the baby starts moving. i also think the baby is on the right side of my stomach cause thats where i feel the most movement. love feeling the movement tho
Cravings: candy!! would love a burger and fries
Anything making you queasy or sick: broccoli
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? still innie but flat for sure after i eat
What I miss: regular clothes! i wear the same things over and over. eating whatever without much consequence!
What I am looking forward to: i think its close enough to say meeting baby! <7 weeks left. i want baby to stay in till 37 weeks, then i'm all ready for their arrival!!

Here's my bump progression pics for the 3rd trimester so far! finally at the end of pregnancy have i figured out how to make sure the camera is level and in the same spot every week.... so these pics are kind of all in different angles. the next one will be awesome. it definitely looks like the bump has rounded out, alot less pointy now.