it's exhausting being fabulous

39 weeks!!!

2011-02-18T12:03:00.002-05:00

Greetings Family & Friends!

1 week until my due date! Hopefully baby teRelly won't make us wait too long before we can see that face!

Since we last talked, I have been going to my weekly doctor's appointments and had an ultra sound to check size. The baby is 6 pounds plus or minus a pound and the head is down towards my left leg. My doctor said everything looks good, however the little one did not want us to see the face! Great, stubborn already!!!

At my doctor's appointment yesterday, my belly is measuring at 39 cm (which is equal to the week) and the heartbeat was very strong. Sometimes when we are listening to the heartbeat, the baby likes to kick Dr. Dicoby. Also, next Tuesday, I will be going for another ultra sound for sizing and a non-stress test. Dr. Dicoby likes mommies to start going for non-stress tests at 40 weeks, just to get more info about the baby. AND she will not let me go past 42 weeks. So that is all good!

Baby stats from thebump.com:

Baby's now the size of a watermelon!
Baby's brain is still developing rapidly, and his skin has taken on a paler shade thanks to a thicker layer of fat around the blood vessels. (Don't worry; he'll change color again soon after birth.) He's now able to flex his limbs, and his nails might extend past his fingertips.

I have been feeling really good still! And I think we're as ready as we can be for baby's arrival! Mine and baby's bags are packed and ready to go! So now we wait....

Lots of love to you all!

Week 36!

2011-01-28T11:42:00.002-05:00

Hello family and friends!

I am so sorry for not keeping you all up to date and that the last time we spoke was 16 weeks ago!!! Everything here is great! I feel good and baby is growing well; I'm just hoping that the labor & birth process goes as smoothly as my pregnancy has been going!
Lots of updates!
Today I am 36 weeks! Hard to believe I know, only 4 more weeks until we get to meet baby teRelly!
Baby stats for week 36 are (from the bump.com):
Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Baby's skin is getting smooth and soft, her gums are rigid, her liver and kidneys are in working order, and her circulation and immune system are basically good to go. Her lungs are the only organs that still need to fully mature, but every day she gets a little closer to breathing on her own.
The bump.com also reports that the baby should descend into my pelvis soon (which I am looking forward to) and will give my lungs a bit more room making breathing much easier. Just walking up a flight of stairs makes me winded, I don't like that so much. Next, we are now at the point where if I do go into labor, I can deliver at Canton-Potsdam Hospital (CPH). CPH does not have a NICU so if you go before 36 weeks, they ship you off to Syracuse.
Rob has been terrific! We have been attending childbirth classes (a 6 week course, 2 more weeks to go) and he has been a good sport about the whole thing. They really haven't told us too much more than we already knew and since he is a farmer and knows EVERYTHING about delivering baby cows, he assumes delivering a human baby would be the same. He is rather disappointed that no chains will be involved if the baby needs assistance coming in to the world. Last week at childbirth class was probably the most exciting because we went to "the Birthplace" (CPH's maternity ward) and got to take a tour. It was really, really hot! But individual rooms do have their own temp control, thank goodness! It's pretty cool, you can deliver and recover all in the same room (unless you have a C-section) and the baby can be in your room the entire time as long as nothing is wrong after delivery.
I am also at the point where I am going to the doctor's every week and next Thursday I will be going to another ultra sound to get a better idea of the size of the baby. We also know what we are having but I'm going to ask the ultra sound tech to make sure-just in case; I've heard too many stories ;-) Plus, on Thursday evening I am going to my pre-registration appointment!
Good news, the crib is put together! It is in our bedroom and quite large I might add. When we were deciding where to put the crib, Rob said we will want the baby in our room for the first year, so we might as well just put the crib in our room now (I thought it was funny that he thinks the baby should be with us for the first year. And basically to move the crib from room to room, we will need to take it a part).
This weekend I will be spending time organizing all of the baby stuff we have gotten thus far (plus hopefully getting Rob to move some furniture and putting the changing table together). I was thrown 2 great baby showers and have gotten so much for the baby, it's unbelievable what they will need. It's all in the baby's room but not in any sort of order, except for the clothes! I have been organizing the outfits according to size. Plus, I have been buying things as well (thank you Janie & Jack for having such a great sale and adding new items all the time). I have great family and friends and everything that they have done is so appreciated!
I think that's it for this week! Hopefully next week I will have a picture of the baby from the ultra sound! I hope everyone is doing well!
Lots of love!

weeks 19 & 20

2010-10-12T19:14:00.002-04:00

Hello Family & Friends!

We are halfway there! Last week (week 19) the baby was the size of a mango. This week (week 20) the baby is the size of a cantaloupe!
Also (from thebump.com):
Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

On Friday, October 15th (yes this Friday) Rob & I are going for our sonogram to try and see if we can find out if the baby is a boy or a girl...I will keep you all posted!

I'm feeling really good and travel is going well. I'm at the halfway point!

I hope you are all well!

Weeks 16, 17 & 18!

2010-09-27T12:25:00.002-04:00

Greetings Family & Friends!

Happy Fall to everyone! I am doing well. I have been very busy. Last week was my first week of travel (for work) and it was great! This year I only have 5 weeks of travel (this has NEVER happened)! The reason being is that I have 2 retired Guidance Counselors doing 7 of my 10 counties. I will be done traveling by October 29th and am pretty excited!

Like I said, this week was really good! I got to see my friends Libby & Margie, while in White Plains; my Uncle Wes & Gordon, while I was in NYC, and went to see my cousin Brianna, Aunt Sherry & Uncle Sherm at Mercyhurst for Brianna's family weekend (she is a junior this year)!

Traveling so far hasn't been too tiresome, although, too much standing=swollen ankles=yuck! They don't hurt but they look terrible. And it was pretty hot on Wednesday when I was standing all day at a SUNY event at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. (It wasn't hot inside but my body just knew what was going on outside). But when I get back to my hotel, I prop my feet up and they are all better by morning.

Over the past few weeks, baby teRelly has gone from an avocado, to an onion, to a sweet potato! In the last two weeks, baby has formed those little bones in his/her ears, eyebrows, lashes and hair is starting to fill in, the skeleton is hardening, and the baby now has one-of-a-kind finger prints! This week, the little sweet potato is becoming more mobile; passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough thatI 'll soon be able to feel her/his movements.

They also say that this is the time when you will start to feel "puffy", well I certainly do. I feel like my body is expanding an an exponential rate; while I know this is not true, some days I would like to "call in sick" due to this. While I was in White Plains this past week, I spent a mini-fortune at Destination Maternity (including Motherhood Maternity & Pea in a Pod, plus they have a day spa just for future mommies) and I should now be set with clothing until after I have the baby in February. While I was trying on clothes, they have this belly pillow that you can put on so that you can see if the clothes will fit later on in your pregnancy, looking in the mirror was a little................... interesting. I'm glad that this happens a little more gradually and I won't have a big belly when I wake up one morning.

On other notes, Rob is doing well. He has been very busy at the farm, they are in corn chopping season now and chop about 50 loads a day (sometimes more if it's a good day). My friends Libby, Kel and Jules are starting to think about baby showers and are chomping at the bit to find out if it will be a boy or a girl. On October 15th, Rob & I will go to an ultra sound and try to find out. I say "try" because I have been told that these little people don't always like to cooperate.

I hope everyone doing is well! Lots of love!

Welcome weeks 14 & 15!

2010-09-03T13:28:00.002-04:00

Greetings Family & Friends!

Happy Labor Day weekend! It has been a very busy 2 weeks for me. With summer coming to an end and students moving back to campus, we have been very busy here at work. Exciting work news-I finally got a new computer which means I don't have to wait 45 minutes for my computer to start up in the morning and can be much more productive throughout the day!

As for baby news, this weather is not my favorite for sure. My ankles have been swelling the last two days and I'm not so in to that. Don't worry, I have been putting my feet up, but it makes it difficult when there is so much to do when you get home from work at night. Last night, I made a second batch of peach salsa, which may be spicier than the 1st. But soon the garden will be done producing and there will be a break until next summer.

On to baby stuff:

So, I have been feeling pretty good! Tired, but good nonetheless. The 2nd trimester has been better than the first!

Baby Stats for week 14:
from thebump.com:
Baby's now the size of a lemon!
Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine, and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys, and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over her body for warmth.

Week 15 (which begins today):

from the bump.com:
Baby's now the size of a naval orange!
Continuing the march toward normal proportions, baby's legs now out-measure his arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably can't feel the movements just yet.

I'm also supposed to start experiencing a shortness of breath but that has been happening before this point. I have noticed it more when I'm interviewing students and I get really in to the interview.

from about.com: pregnancy & childbirth:

Your baby may have developed the habit of sucking his or her thumb! The skin is very thin and you can see the blood vessels clearly underneath.

Your baby is about 70 grams. The scalp hair pattern is developing. And the heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood a day. This will increase to about 300 at term.

Also, my heart is increasing its output to supply the baby with oxygen. Your enlarged heart is pumping about 20% more blood than pre-pregnancy. This volume will actually increase throughout your pregnancy for an ending increased heart output of 30-50%.

So, some pretty exciting things that are going on. Also, I got a cute journal from my Aunt Sherry called, "Out of the Mouths of Babes". It's a book to keep track of all the things kids say and what age they said them at. I'm pretty excited to use this although sometimes Rob says some pretty funny things that would probably fit! Thanks Aunt Sherry!

Have a fantastic weekend all!

Welcome weeks 12 & 13!

2010-08-20T15:11:00.002-04:00

Greetings Family & Friends!

So again I'm behind but have a good reason! I wanted to wait until I went to my doctor's appointment, in case there was anything exciting to report...this was easier said than done. My doctor's appointment was scheduled for August 13th and was canceled because my doctor was delivering a baby. Then it was rescheduled for Monday August 16th. So I show up at 10 minutes to 4 and she was leaving because another baby was ready to grace us with his/her presence. So, I was hoping that the third time would be the charm and it was; I did in fact have my doctor's appointment on Friday August 20th.

It was an exciting appointment! I got to hear the baby's heart beat which was a strong 150. It was also exciting because my doctor, Dr. Dicoby, didn't have to search for the heartbeat, when she put the listening device on my stomach, we could hear it right away. It was pretty cool and makes it feel more "real".

At week 12 baby teRelly was the size of a plum and baby stats from thebump.com reported:
As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of her systems are fully formed.

This week, at week 13, the baby is the size of a peach, which I think is fitting because I just recently canned peaches and made peach salsa.

Week 13 baby stats:
from thebump.com:
Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords...savor this, their nonfunctional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with his head now only one third the size of his body. And intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy -- much more convenient.

from about.com: Pregnancy & Childbirth:

There are a lot of things going on this week! All twenty teeth have formed and are waiting (Teething is yet to come!). Your baby approximately weighs in at 1 ounce (28.3 grams). Consider that the placenta weighs about an ounce now as well.

Your baby's intestines are migrating from the umbilical cord into his or her abdomen. The villi are also forming in the intestines, these help in peristaltic movements and digestion. The pancreas of your little one is even secreting insulin! Meconium, the baby's first stool, is developing.

If you would like to know more about Meconium, you can click on the word (above) and it will take you to a wonderful explanation.

All in all I'm feeling pretty good. I'm still a little tired but that could be a combination of work (it's crazy here) and then having to go home and "store for winter" (I've been doing A LOT of canning). Our garden is in overproduction mode. For example, Rob planted 48 tomato plants and 47 have produced tomatoes, I don't think I like tomatoes anymore ;-)

Until next time! I hope you are all doing well!

Welcome weeks 10 & 11!

2010-08-04T15:48:00.006-04:00

So, I am a little behind, my apologies! It has been pretty busy here. Everyone is trying to get in their last college visit before school starts, plus all the other fun things that come with August!

At week 10, our baby was the size of a prune or 4 paperclips!!! A prune is not the most exciting or cutest fruit, but paperclips are an interesting concept. Week 10 was an exciting week for the baby however:

Baby stats:

From thebump.com:
With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will start working too.)

From about.com: pregnancy & childbirth:
The baby now enters its fetal period. The average size is approximately 27-35 mm crown to rump length (CRL), or 1.06-1.38 inches. S/he weighs in at 4 grams, or 4 paper clips. Tiny toes have formed. The eyes are largely open, but the eyelids are beginning to fuse, and will stay that way until 25-27 weeks. External genitalia is beginning to differentiate. External ears are formed, as is the upper lip. The biggest accomplishment this week is the disappearance of the tail!

So 4 paperclips!!! That's pretty exciting, however I have been asked the normal sized paperclips or the large ones-I'm not sure. I guess the normal size ones.

So, we got our first present from Auntie Booge (my friend Kelly) when she came back from her vacation in Minnesota. She has decided that we're having a girl.

Week 11 is a much more exciting object for sure, this week the baby is the size of a lime! And for anyone who has watched the movie "Juno", my baby is developing fingernails!

Baby Stats:

From thebump.com:
Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through it. But fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds, and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.

For those of you that are anxiously waiting for me to start preparing for baby, I got a bassinet this weekend! My mom and I were on our way to pick up peaches and there was a rummage sale that we drove past. (For those of you that know my mom well, knows she's not into rummage sales), but we saw, from the road, a bassinet and decided to stop on our way back from picking up the peaches. Needless to say, I was glad I had Uncle Tim's truck because that came home with us too!Yes, you may look at this and say, "umm, Heather, it's pink, what if it's a boy?", well I am a step ahead of you! Before purchasing this, I checked it over and all of the pink stuff can be removed and replaced with blue if it is a boy!

I will have to say that the last few days I have been feeling some sort of weird feeling in my stomach, sort of like a pinching but not really like a pinching, it's hard to describe.

This Thursday, I will be going to my next Doctor's Appointment, so I should have even more to report.

Have a great week everybody!

Welcome week 9!

2010-07-27T13:18:00.005-04:00

Hello family & friends!

I think this week's post should be dedicated to my Uncle Wes. He loves martinis with green olives!

So Week 9 began on Friday 7/23! And according to about.com pregnancy & childbirth our baby stats are this:

We have elbows! Your baby is now approximately 13-17 mm crown to rump length, or about 0.51 - 0.66 inches. S/he also weighs in at 1 gram! Toe rays are present as the toes begin to form. Gonads have become testes (for boys) or ovaries (for girls). Baby will move away if touched through the uterine wall, and can spontaneously move as well. Ossification (hardening) of the bones may begin.

And according to thebump.com:

Baby's now the size of a green olive!
Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like...well...a baby!

I don't want to jinx it, but I have been feeling better during the days, recently, the evenings have not been so great. For example, last night I felt horrible and extremely exhausted (although, I could have been recovering from the weekend still). Rob and I went to our friends' wedding in Syracuse. It was a lot of fun, but I am realizing that traveling makes me more tired than normal. And as far as food aversions, I don't really want anything to do with raw meat. Not that I eat raw meat, but it makes it difficult to have supper ready for Rob when he gets home; it's fine once it's cooked, but before then-blah!

I have to say that I am excited that our baby is growing but it's funny to think that I have a little olive in me, especially one that has elbows! People have been asking me "what are you doing to prepare for baby?" And I feel shocked, the baby is not due until late February, so I still have lots of time! And there's really not a lot that I can do yet because I don't have any ideas about a nursery yet! I will admit, I have been looking, but nothing is striking me. Once I go on the road for work, I will have lots of opportunities to "get inspired".

On another note, Rob's gardens are still over-producing (not necessarily a bad thing) but we have more cucumbers, green peppers, zucchinis and green beans than we know what to do with. I am always trying to find creative ways to cook and store them. I told Rob's mom that I feel like a squirrel getting ready for winter! However, the sweet corn is ready (which I'm pretty excited about) and the "little kids" as he still calls them (our nieces & nephews) will begin selling soon. We are having some sweet corn for supper tonight!

And for me on the work front, work is good but busy! We have lots of prospective students and families visiting, of course which is good, but when I'm talking with students and families, I find myself out of breath. I'm hoping this is something that only I'm noticing and that the students and families aren't thinking "what is wrong with this chick?"

Until next week!

We're having a baby!

2010-07-19T14:58:00.005-04:00

Greetings family and friends!

As most of you know (I apologize if this is the first time you're hearing of it) Rob & I are having a baby! Rob's family is very excited because they haven't had a baby near them in some time and we have been told that we will have a lot baby sitters! My mom is excited, even though she does not want to be called "Grandma" because she thinks she is too young for that! But we all know she will melt when she looks into the little one's eyes and she will let the baby call her whatever she/he would like! (She's really a softy).

Yesterday, Rob & I went for our first ultrasound for viability & due date. I am due February 25th (so about 8 weeks along), not 10-11 weeks like we previously thought. Much to my dismay because I was really looking forward to week 12 and feeling better! However, I have been lucky and have not had to "throw up" like other women I know, just feeling nauseous pretty much all day long.

At week 8, our baby stats are this (according to about.com: pregnancy & childbirth):

Your baby will be about 8-11 mm (crown to rump) by the end of the week. The baby's hind brain is clearly visible. This week the baby's gonads will become either testes or ovaries. And spontaneous movement begins! There are a lot of things that we do know about life before birth.

Bones and joints this week have many things going on. Elbows appear and the process of ossification (hardening of the bones) begins. Toe rays become present, almost ready for you to count!

At the ultrasound they said the heart beat was 168-which is very healthy! We did get to see the flicker of the baby which we were told was the heartbeat. The ultrasound tech also showed me where both of my ovaries are (which wasn't super exciting because what am I going to do about that). I also had to give a large sampling of blood, and I'm not sure if I have much left!

Here is our baby's first picture:

I think that it looks like a little blob, others say it looks like a bean or a peanut. Rob says, "It's a baby" and KNOWS the head is on the right hand side.

I have to say that I'm pretty amazed that this little person is growing inside of me.

On another note, votes for names of the baby are coming in. James (Rob's brother & my brother-in-law) requested that his godson be named James Robert because we have to "keep the name in the family". My Uncle Time sent me a card with a note written in it and throughout the note, he kept saying "Tim is a good name". Don't forget, it could be a girl!

Until next week!

A Giant Potato and rocks in my room ...

2009-09-29T22:03:00.009-04:00

So, this is the 2.3 pound Potato that my husband grew. I think it might feed an entire family of 4, maybe we can sell it for like $10! This among other items are what he has grown this year: we have tons of carrots (again), we had lots of cherry tomatoes, green BEANS, lettuce, plus many other items. I'm happy for it later on in the winter but getting it ready for Winter is NO fun!

Here is a picture of a whole wall photo in my room at Hotel Indigo in Albany. It's an interesting hotel, it's not bad, just different. There is no carpet on the floor-it's hard wood (with an area rug) which is a plus because it feels cleaner; and the linens are white but the duvet cover is not. It's green and brown on top and red, brown and white on the underside I like it-it's sort-of Ikeaish. They brew Starbucks coffee here for breakfast, but I'm not sure if I have to pay for breakfast or if it is complimentary...I didn't have time for breakfast this morning--I had a Special K bar instead. Maybe it will tell me online or I can find out tomorrow.
So this evening, I went to see my sister-in-law and her family (Mari, Bryan, Amelia and Ethan)! It was so fun to see them again! Ethan is such a happy baby (except when he is hungry) and smiles all the time. Amelia was all about me; she wanted to sit next to me at dinner, then on my lap while we were eating and then next to me on the couch then on my lap while we watched Snow White. And yesterday when I was talking to Mari on the phone, Mari said Heather and Amelia had to correct her and say "Aunt Heather". I loved it! Then, while we were watching Snow White, Amelia asked me if Robert took my shoe and if Robert threw my shoe? She was remembering this happening at the wedding when he was getting the garter and he took my flip flop and threw it across the tent--she is almost 3 and I can't believe that came out of nowhere! Definitely being around them makes me think I'm ready to have kids--or atleast start thinking about it seriously...

My first day in New Jersey

2009-09-14T15:25:00.001-04:00

So, today was my first day in New Jersey and I survived!

First Posting

2009-09-13T21:06:00.000-04:00

Greetings! So here I am, blogging, please bear with me because I'm a blog virgin! My friend Kel has been blogging for some time and she has been putting lots of great info on her blog about her pregnancy and I thought it was a great way to keep in touch with family and friends from a far; in a bit more intimate venue than Facebook.
So, here I am in Paramus, New Jersey getting ready to do a week of travel. So, we'll see what New Jersey has to offer...