Fun night in Virginia

Hello from Reston, Virginia!

Derek and I flew up on Friday afternoon to visit his parents (Dan and Nancy) and sister (Lindsay - yes, there are 2 Lindsay Zivney's!) before his parents move down to Florida next weekend.  We spent part of today sorting through some of Derek's old keepsakes (great stuffed animals, tonka trucks, etc... if we have a boy, he'll be set!) and then went to Dan and Nancy's going-away party, hosted by the neighbors.  It was fun mingling and eating delicious appetizers.  Derek and I came home early, and shortly after we got back it started to snow!!  We may end up getting ~5 inches within the next few days.  When we left Houston on Friday it was in the mid- to upper-80's, feeling just like early summer.  Now, the temperature is freezing (and below) and it's snowing!  This feels much more like February :)

Some pictures from tonight (pre-party and post-snow) are below.

Nancy and Derek.

Dan and Derek.

Nancy, Lindsay and Derek feeling the baby belly.

Dan and Lindsay.  Yikes, this shirt makes me look huge.

Baby bump in the snow!

Brrr, it's freezing.

Derek trying to make a snowball.

Silly Texan, you don't wear short sleeves, shorts and no shoes out in the snow! :)

Ta Da!

Our car seat and stroller were delivered today! Derek and I spent some time putting it together tonight (didn't take long), and it looks great. Can't wait to use it! Pictures are below. Oh ya, and my new hair cut :)

Derek working so hard.

With the finished product! (Car seat sitting inside stroller)

Examining the different components.

Even little Nova was curious!

Tee Hee!

Just got a text message from Derek:

"I love my babies!"

:)

Hunger

It's interesting how pregnancy hormones change the way I feel about food.  

1st trimester:  Food = yuck.  Basically all food.

2nd trimester:  I am always hungry.  

3rd trimester (beginning):  I am still, ALWAYS hungry.  

WHY?????  It's just more along the lines of my stomach is hungry almost 24/7.  I woke up at 3:45am this morning because my bladder was full (that's pretty standard too, really), and I couldn't go back to sleep until after 5am because a) I didn't feel tired and b) my stomach was growling.  I stubbornly refused to get up and eat something though, because that would just mean I'd be up for the rest of the morning and I wasn't ready for that!  I am ready for my mid-morning snack though.  Mmm, fruit cup.

Anyway, while I was laying there trying to go back to sleep, Baby woke up and started to kick.  It was actually very special, just me and Baby, bonding in the middle of the night.  Man, I know I'm going to have many MANY more opportunities to bond with Baby in the middle of the night during feedings, etc., but this was different.  Feeling Baby roll around... stretching.... moving... it's truly amazing.  I still cannot believe there is a little person growing inside my tummy.  What a wonderful blessing from God our little Baby Z is!

Freebirthing...

Oh. My. Goodness.  

I'm watching a show right now called Freebirthing on Discovery Health, where women deliver their babies in their own homes, without the help of midwives, doctors, nurses, etc... completely unassisted.  It just seems so risky to me - what if something goes wrong?  What if the mom starts to hemorrhage?  What if the cord is wrapped around the baby's neck?  What if you deliver the placenta first?  Of course women have delivered babies without medical assistance all throughout history, but it was very dangerous for both mom and baby.  It just seems like an unnecessary risk to do it without any help, in my opinion. 

The show followed 3 ladies, 2 in Great Britain and 1 in Colorado.  1 of the ladies in GB delivered in under an hour and barely said one word during the entire labor (I couldn't believe it!).  The other 2 ladies appeared to be in more pain, but still had relatively short deliveries with only their significant other helping.  And by helping I mean waiting nearby to catch the baby.  I will say, it was amazing to see what these ladies did.  But all I know is that I want a doctor and nurses AND an epidural.  Please!

Week 27. Drum Roll please!

EDIT: This was written last night, but I didn't post it until today :)

My belly!

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain issue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with a lot of medical help - if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

(www.babycenter.com)

Oh my goodness, it's been 27 weeks. It's incredible! You know what else is incredible? How my pregnancy is matching up very closely with the weekly descriptions. Seriously. Derek and I had just woken up Sunday morning when I started feeling small pops every 2 seconds. I thought "Maybe these are the hiccups that my baby book says will happen", so I made Derek put his hand on my belly and we sat there feeling the little movements for about a minute. When I got my weekly BabyCenter later that night for week 27 (see above caption), sure enough it said I could be feeling hiccups from here on out! That's the first time I've felt them, and I can't wait to feel them again.

Besides the hiccups, Baby had a very busy weekend getting its "exercise". Haha! My stomach (and bladder, and cervix, and other internal organs) were getting a ton of kicks, and you could actually see my belly changing shape slightly as Baby pushed in one area versus another. I'm actually watching my belly morph right now - first roundish, then cone-ish.

We finally bought our first big baby item yesterday - our travel system (carseat/stroller)! It's just so exciting, our first major purchase. Next to come is our crib, which we plan to order by next weekend. Speaking of next weekend, Derek and I decided on the spur of the moment to fly up to Reston, VA to visit his parents and sister from Friday-Monday! It actually works out perfectly because his parents are preparing to move down to Florida, so we'll get to sort through Derek's old keepsakes and take home the things he wants to keep. Hopefully we'll find some good items from his childhood (books, toys, etc.) that we could use with Baby! This will be the first time the Zivney side of the family gets to see my belly since Christmas, so just like my family saw last weekend, they're in for a surprise too. :)

Okay, enjoy the belly shot! Hopefully I'll have more fun updates this week. We shall see!

Coming tonight - belly shot, week 27

Derek says we need an updated belly shot, so stay tuned for an update tonight! :)

Being pregnant

I was in the Geology building this afternoon, hanging up a flyer in the stairwell, when a professor walked by. I smiled at her, continued what I was doing and she started walking up the stairs, stopped, turned around and said with a smile "You must be pregnant!". I laughed and said yes, and we chatted for a bit about kids (she has a toddler-aged son), how it's nice to start a family early, and the fact that grad school is a pretty good time to have kids since it's a little more flexible than a steady job, etc. Anyway, I thought it was funny.

Then later, I was in the restroom with another grad student who I've only seen (never met) and she kept staring at my belly. And I mean STARING. She tried to do it covertly while she was drying her hands, head down, eyes to the side, but I still caught her. It was weird. I guess I just look pregnant today!

Let's see, what else. My doctor's appointment went well on Monday. As I mentioned, I went in for my glucose screening to test for gestational diabetes. The nurse had me drink this... delicious... glucose drink that tasted essentially like flat orange crush, waited an hour and then drew my blood for the test. She said they would have the results the next day, and that no news was good news so this must be good for me! Haven't heard back from them, so that makes me happy :) During the hour I was waiting I had my usual check-up and everything looks great. Baby's heartrate was 155... and that's about it. Baby was very active after I drank the glucose (and for the rest of the day, actually) so I think we can conclude that Baby likes sugar. Duh.

Derek just got back from getting me a delicious hot fudge sundae, so I'm going to go eat it now! YUMMMMM!!!!!! :)

Week 26

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's in haling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum - a trip that will take about two to three days.

(www.babycenter.com)

I had a doctor's appointment today for a glucose screening test. Will update more tomorrow, too tired to do it tonight!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Derek and I had a very nice day.  We went to College Station to visit with my parents and sisters, had a nice lunch at Chili's, spent some time hanging out at my sisters' apartments and then came back home.  We ordered a pizza for dinner and now we're trying to decide what movie we want to watch, so altogether it was a very nice relaxing Valentine's Day!  

Oh ya, we had an interesting experience at lunch.  As we were leaving Chili's, my sister Kim noticed that something was smoking in the back of one of the pickup trucks parked nearby.  So she called Derek over to investigate (good thing the volunteer firefighter was nearby!), and Derek pulled 3 items out of the bed - a pair of pants, a balled up rag and a pair of underwear (I know, weird)....  They were all smoking and soon after Derek put them on the ground, the pants literally burst into flames.  It was the weirdest thing!  A Chili's host came out and took down the license plate to make an announcement and soon the truck owner came to check on his belongings.  Turns out he is a welder, so we're guessing that the balled up rag must have been oily and then combusted.  It was pretty crazy.  Good thing Kim spotted it!

Well that's about it.  I've posted a few pictures below from the last night and today.  Enjoy :)

Lindsay and Nova, pretending not to pay attention to each other.

Sisters feeling the baby!  Kim, Lindsay and Mikaela.

Is the baby kicking??  Kim felt a good strong kick, Mikaela only felt a moderate one.

The precious giraffe that my parents gave us for Baby's nursery, and the beautiful roses Derek bought me from Valentine's Day.  My parents found the giraffe at a Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson, AZ.  It was made in Thailand using a hollowed out coconut.  So cute!

100 days left.

I just can't believe how quickly time has flown by.  There are only 100 days left until my due date!  We started with 280 days, now there are only 100.  Crazy!

I reached another milestone today.  I'm starting to swell... bah.  My wedding/engagement rings barely move on my ring finger.  I went for a walk this morning (my usual route, nothing special) and then did some moderate cleaning around the apartment, but after my shower I noticed that I couldn't remove my rings.  Normally I take them off to lotion-ize myself, but this time I just couldn't do it.  The weather is super humid today so I'm thinking that may have something to do with it.  I get puffy when the humidity is high :)  It could be that I'm not drinking enough water too, although I'm pretty good about keeping my H2O intake up.  Anyway, I hope I don't puff up too much more, otherwise I'll have to remove my rings.  I accept that I may have to do that at some point, but I'm not ready to do that yet!!  Maybe I can get Derek to buy me a fake wedding band.  You know, fake diamonds... cubic zirconium... moissanite...hehehe.

Let's see.  Anyone have big plans for Valentine's Day?  Derek and I don't really.  We're going to College Station to visit with my sisters and parents tomorrow, but after that things are up in the air.  This will be our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, and the last one of it just being the two of us.  Hmmm, maybe we should do something fun!  I am looking forward to seeing my family though - they haven't seen us since New Years, and things have definitely changed since then.  I can't wait to see their reactions when they see my big belly.  I feel like Baby has grown exponentially over the past few days, so we'll be sure to take some pictures so I can post them later this weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I've actually had energy this week!  It's a great, not feeling like the walking-dead by 3pm.  I wonder how long this will last for??

Wow, Week 25

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight - a pound and a half - isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair - and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

(www.babycenter.com)

Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes. Baby is the size of an eggplant.

(www.thebump.com)

My belly seems to be growing upwards now. It feels like things are getting squeezed higher - lungs, stomach, etc. I'm also finding that it's starting to get more difficult for me to move around with ease. I now struggle to get out of the car, get up from the couch, out of bed. It's just not as easy as it used to be! I can only imagine how I'll be feeling by the time my due date rolls around. At least I can still shave my legs (relatively) easily right now... haha, TMI. Another sign that I'm getting bigger: I rub lotion of my belly everyday to stave off dryness and lately I've been going through the lotion pretty quickly. As my husband lovingly points out, it's because I'm rubbing it on a greater surface area now. Ha, thanks honey! :)

Since I mentioned it yesterday, here's a picture of Derek and Nova. This was taken when Hurricane Ike hit the Galveston/Houston area in September 2008 and we went to stay with my sister Kim in College Station. They decided to have a nice little nap on the couch together and Kim caught it on film.

Ahhh, the weekend!

I love weekends!  It's Saturday night and I'm just relaxing on the couch, watching TV, enjoying a bite to eat and reading birth stories online (man, I am a good multi-tasker or what?!).  My new favorite snack: Strawberry Delight Frosted Mini Wheats with ice cold soy milk. Mmmm... so good, so delicious.  Baby likes it too.  Mmmm, mmm, mmmm!

Today was a nice day.  Derek and I woke up "early" (read: before 9am, haha), had breakfast and spent most of the day cleaning and sorting our old junk that was stored in our guest room closet.  It's crazy how much stuff we've accumulated over the years.  It's about time we get rid of things because we're about to acquire a whole bunch of new items, all baby related.  Plus, it will also make things much easier when we move this summer.

Not too much news on the baby front...  Baby is still kicking, and Nova still likes to sleep on my tummy.  Speaking of Nova, she's now coming to keep us company on the couch.  Actually, I think she's trying to round us up, saying "Mom, Dad, it's time for bed.  Let's go."  She loves to cuddle with Derek.  He is her Daddy and she just loves him.  I should post a picture of the two of them cuddling because it is just precious.  I wonder if she'll be jealous when Baby arrives and there's someone else vying for her Daddy's attention.  Hmmm... I hope not.

Okay, time for bed!

Week 24

We skipped a week in terms of my belly shot, but this should make up for it! I'd say I've grown since week 22.

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

(www. babycenter.com)

We don't want our baby to be a picky eater, so I better be sure to eat a wide variety of foods! It's another nice day today, although more humid than yesterday. It definitely feels like spring around here -we can't believe it's February already!!!!! That means that we only have 4 more months to prepare for Baby's arrival. Crazy! I mentioned that to Derek this morning-- "In roughly 16 weeks, we'll have a baby." Literally. With us forever. He said he can't wait :)