26 Week Happenings

 Mike finally got to meet my favorite doc, Dr. Spell, at our 25 week check-up last week! It was great to see her and catch-up. I just love her energy and she's truly a calming force. She looked at everything and it all checked out fine. Micah's heart rate and my weight gain are normal. She said my belly was measuring a little small but that's probably because she was laying breach across my belly as opposed to all curled up. Dr. Spell also informed us that my placenta is on the outside of my belly versus behind the baby. This is determined by where the egg decides to implant in the uterus. The risk to this fact is that my placenta is more exposed and so the threat of it being hit or bumped is greater. She told me to steer clear of car wrecks, intense exercise (no prob), falling down and any other activities that may affect my stomach area. I guess if the placenta is damaged then the pregnancy fails because it's the life line to everything. Kinda scary but I'm not too worried about it. Apparently I won't be able to feel Micah kick as strongly due to the placenta placement. It's like having a pillow over her so all her movements are muffled in the middle of my belly. Dr. Spell said that I would still be able to feel her on the top, sides and underneath though.  I always have the best luck feeling her on my sides so far. Renee was able to feel her last night for the first time. It was a special Nannie moment. :)

I signed up for a prenatal yoga class last week. I thought it would be good to take some time out to relax my brain and also stretch a little again. I have to admit that I get a little nervous during class that I may pass gas or something embarrassing while we're in complete silence holding our warrior pose or transitioning to a down dog. It's become increasing harder to hold in the toots lately. I make myself feel better by remembering that the other 4 women in the class are probably all experiencing the same issue so there's no need to fret. Regardless, it wouldn't be an ideal experience. My sis started a Pilates ImX class a few weeks ago and I plan to join her a few months after Micah is here. It's supposed to really whip your bootie into shape and I have a feeling I'll need it when it's all said and done. Judging by how sore my sister is, I think it's safe to say it's not going to be easy! No pain no gain!

Mike and I are counting down the days until we get to see Micah's face on the 3D ultrasound screen this Friday. I'm SO excited for the whole experience. I've been with my friends before and it's so unreal! I only have a 4 day work week this week because I decided I wouldn't want to go to work after the ultrasound at 10am. I'm planning on drinking some caffeine or eating some chocolate that morning so she's moving and grooving for us! I'll post the best pics of the bunch on here next weekend.

The PUPPPS rash has come back but the itch isn't as intense this time. I can still get through the day without any meds or reapplying oatmeal lotion so that's good. In the morning and at night are when the itch attacks so poor Mike has walked in to our room on multiple occasions as I'm sprawled out across the bed in my birthday suit letting the fan blow on me and itching myself vigorously. He just laughs. I don't find it quite as amusing.  

I have the sugar test at my 28 week appointment coming up. I'm crossing my fingers that I won't have gestational diabetes. I still want to be able to eat freely for the next 14 weeks! Ahhhh...only 14 weeks left!

THANK YOU MIKEY!

WARNING - A gaggy, mushy, "you have to be kidding me" post is about to explode from my heart onto this blog. Read at your own risk. I would say it's a pregnancy side effect but I really do feel all of these things on a regular basis and just felt the need to express them.

When I woke up this morning I felt compelled to dedicate a post to my lovely hubby. I want him to know just how much I appreciate ALL that he has been doing for me emotionally and physically during our pregnancy. I've always known that he would be so good to me during this time in our lives because he's simply a good person but I want him to know that there is literally not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for blessing me with a partner as wonderful as he.

At the risk of exposing just how lazy I am right now, I'd like to list all of the things that I notice him doing all on his own and without complaint so I remember just how good I had it:
-Having dinner on the table on the week nights when I come home from work (I do the shopping/meal planning and he does the cooking...that counts for something, right?) :)
-Cleaning up the kitchen and doing all the dishes afterwards (even though he cooked).
-Emptying the dishwasher multiple times a week.
-Playing with and/or walking our dog every night (yet another good dad sign).
-Getting up at 5:00am to take our dog outside when he starts whining every morning.
-Picking up the smelly dog poop in the yard every Tuesday before the trash man comes.
-Gathering all the trash in the house and setting it out on the curb (along with the recycle tub) every week.
-Putting up with my constant budgeting, savings and financial planning conversations.
-Getting things for me once I've already sat down and don't feel like getting back up (drink, napkin, etc).
-Encouraging me to express my emotion and to release my stress to him in such an incredibly selfless way.
-Feeling deep compassion for me when the rash flares up and loving me extra on those weeks.
-Trusting me completely with the life of our child and never questioning a decision I've made thus far.
-Coming with me to every single doctor's appointment just so he can hear Micah's heart beat.
-Patiently watching my "reality shows" with me until I get tired and he can turn it to Sports Center.
-Being understanding about my increasingly intense nesting to-do lists and helping in any way he can.
-Consisting telling me how cute he thinks I am and how I don't even look pregnant until you see my belly.
-Watering my beloved potted plants (there are many) every day, sometimes twice a day.
-Bringing me unsolicited breakfasts in bed just the way I like it (Eggo waffles - light on the syrup, bagel - light on the peanut butter, toaster strudels - light on the icing...all with a half glass of milk to top it off).
-Being just as excited as I am to take a picture of my growing belly every Thursday night.
-Best of all: Lightly tickling me every single night until I fall asleep because he knows I love it so dang much!

Thank you Mikey for just being you. I can never pay you back for all that you have done and are to me on a daily basis. I try and show you every chance I can just how much I appreciate it. I hope that you feel my immense gratitude every day.

I've never loved anyone the way that I love you.
I love you more than cinnamon rolls - Jilly

Long time no post!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated this! I've been quite the blog slacker lately. We've had lots of social events going on between birthdays, baby/bridal showers. weddings, etc. It's been fun but Mike and I are both anxious to take the next 3 weekends and get some baby prep stuff done around here!

Warning: This post is probably going to be a long one so brace yourself!

We recently went to register at Babies R Us and Target. Mike insisted on going with me for the BRU run despite the fact that I told him it would take 3-4 hours at least and he probably won't enjoy it too much. He wanted to be there to help me pick out the big stuff. I thought it was sweet but I knew he'd regret it after 30 minutes. My sis went with us for part of it and it was nice to have her there since she has so much experience with babies, due to her profession. We had fun! Of course I had lists galore of recommendations from my friends. It was super helpful to have those but it still took a while to pick everything out. It made me SO EXCITED to meet Micah! It's so crazy that she will be in the infant carrier that we picked out in 3-3.5 months!! Ahhhh! Mike fell asleep in the glider section at BRU for about 20 minutes while I wrapped up the last few items on my list. I just had to laugh at how low his tolerance was for the detail of registering! I guess my nesting instinct started kicking in and I was a machine running around that place trying to get the best stuff for our little girl. Needless to say we were both exhausted afterwards. My thighs literally hurt from being on my feet that long and my brain was on overload! Mike came home and took a nap afterwards (men!). 

Now that registering is checked off the list it's time to move on to the nursery.

I've been brainstorming, planning and ordering stuff for Micah's nursery for weeks now. We have decided to do her room in a light gray/white and accent with lavender. The theme of the room is whales because we wanted to tie in something from our honeymoon. We went whale watching on the last day of our trip to Hawaii and little did we know that Micah was already underway at the time. Mike and I also thought it would be a good idea to keep the room as neutral as we can so we can use it for the next child and move Micah into a big girl room. Plus my mom did my nursery in whales so I liked the idea of including the idea that she had used for her first daughter.  When it comes to decorating I know exactly what I want and I always have a vision but I just need help getting there...that's where Marsha and Renee come in! Let's just call them my nursery dream makers. I have shared my vision with them in great detail and they have jumped right into painting the nursery. It already looks fantastic! I'll upload pictures as we go to you can see the progress.  Renee, Megan and I ordered all of Micah's baby furniture a few weeks ago from USA Baby out in Kansas. We got her a crib, mattress, two dressers and a glider. The furniture should all be delivered in the next couple of weeks. Although we've done some of the big stuff I feel like we've only scratched the surface of what all needs to be done before her arrival. I know these next few months are going to fly by! 

The border is unveiled!

Papa and Nannie team work!

On a work note: My boss and close friend Laura officially gave her resignation to our VP last week. Although I knew it was coming it was still a sad reality. Her twins were born at 26 weeks at the end of March so she and her husband have been on the roller coaster ride of having two babies in the NICU this entire spring/summer. I'm happy to report that after a long ride and a few bumps both babies are doing amazing! Anna has been home for a few weeks now and Reed is set to come home very soon. She hasn't been able to work the last 4.5 months and doesn't see how she can come back in September with the reality of the care taking of special needs twins setting in. I completely understand her decision and would do the exact same thing if the roles were reversed but I miss her dearly. After she resigned I met with our VP and she informed me that I'd be covering both her role and mine indefinitely. It doesn't sound like there's a plan to hire Laura's replacement before or after my maternity leave. Although it's not the best timing in the world to add another layer of stress into my life (busiest part of the year/beginning in my third trimester), I'm trying my hardest to make the best of the situation and stay positive. Everything happens for a reason, right? You take what life throws at you and decide the kind of attitude you want to have about it, instead of letting it decide for you. I have my moments where I get very overwhelmed with all that is going on with my personal and professional life but then I remember the miracle in my belly and I'm reminded that my family is all that really matters in this world and everything else is secondary!

Whose bump is bigger?



Lisa's baby shower - she's due the week after me!



Brooke, me and Rain enjoying the shower



Placks rehearsal dinner night

Dancing with Micah at the Placks reception

Health update:

We have our 24/25 week appointment this Wednesday with my favorite doctor in the practice (Dr. Angela Spell) and I made an appointment for a 3D ultrasound in 3 weeks on Friday, August 26th (our 6 month anniversary). We can't wait to see the features on her face, count all her fingers/toes and watch her move around for an hour! We've invited both set of parents to come along for the 3D ultrasound so they can share in that moment with us.

For some reason I keep thinking that I am going to go into labor a little early. If I had to bet right now I'd say at least 2 weeks early but then again I was totally convinced that I was having a boy so I don't trust my intuitions as much these days. My mom was 3 weeks early with me (5.1 lbs) and 2 weeks early with Megan (6.1 lbs) so I'm hoping I take after her.  I've gained a total of 16 pounds so far. I figure that's not too bad for being over half way done but then again my appetite increases with each passing week so we'll see where I end up in November. My goal is between 30-40 pounds total. I've been experiencing bloody noses most mornings and I can tell my ankles are starting to swell already. My dad said mom had lots of water weight during her pregnancies so I guess it's going to be the same for me. Oh the joys of being knocked up! 

Micah has been kicking up a storm the last few days. I felt her for the first time at 19 weeks and each day that goes by the movements get more powerful and I'm loving it!  She tends to move more right after I eat and likes to really practice her dance moves when I'm going to bed. She is a night owl like her parents! I've been trying to get Mike to feel her flutters the last few weeks but he didn't have any luck until this week. One night this week I was laying on my right side and she was moving a ton so I grabbed Mike's hand really quick and placed it on the spot. He would smile ear to ear each time she did it and was in amazement that there was actually a real kid in there. Ha! It was a moment that I will never forget with my baby daddy. This morning was the first time she actually woke me up with her kicks. It was the coolest thing!

The dreaded rash has not come back full blown (knock on wood) this month. The last cycle I had was pretty brutal so maybe it's taking a breakout break for a while (God willing). I have it a little bit on my chest, behind my legs and under my belly/arms but nothing like it was and so far I haven't had to do anything to treat it. I just itch it a couple of times a day and then it dies back down. Who knows what's going on with this dang thing. I stopped trying to figure it out and I'm just grateful that PUPPPS is pooped out for now.

Whew....as promised that was a long one. Until next time...



Big Girls DO Cry

I've been noticing lately that my emotions have been on high alert. I've become more sappy than usual (if that's possible) and even the slightest thought can bring me to tears.

Here are a few moments that have done just that lately:
-The car commercial where the little 5 year old girl is in the drivers seat and the dad hands her the keys through the window while telling her all the "rules of the road." Then is flashes back to the girl and she's really a 16 year old but to her daddy it doesn't feel that way. That will be Mike and I in 16+ years with Micah and it hit me hard how much you have to let your worry be as a parent and allow them to experience new things no matter how scary it is for YOU! I tear up every time I see it.
-The Pampers commercial they over-play on TLC about how every baby no matter what the circumstance was meant to be here and they roll through many different images of all types of babies. Hits me hard each time!
-The song by Coldplay called "Fix You" that Javier Colon sang on The Voice a few weeks ago. It makes me think about how I will feel as Micah walks through the trials and tribulations of this life. I want her to know that I'll always be here for her and I will do all that I can as her mother to provide the support that she needs no matter what, just as my MomR did for me. So I told Mike that I'm going to sing this to her from day one as I rock her to sleep. I downloaded it on to my iPod so I could memorize the words and of course the next day as I'm driving into work the flood works start as it begins to play over my radio. I honestly felt a little insane when I realized that I seriously couldn't stop myself from crying. Ha! Geez!

Here are the words to that song.  You have to hear the Javier Colon version to get the true tender feeling!

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down on your face
And on your face I...

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down on your face
And on your face I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

I've also noticed that I've been more protective of Mike. He's been having car trouble lately and my mind will irrationally spin out of control with all these horrible thoughts that could possibly happen to him on the highway as he drives with this broken vehicle. I can't imagine my life without him in it. After all this time and all that we've been through, I'm truly still in awe of the man that he is and how perfect he is for me. (I am seriously wiping tears as I write this now! Are you kidding me?) He is going to be the BEST dad that I know and I haven't even seen him as one yet. I am just so confident in the kind of father he will be to Micah and the true partner that I have in him as my husband. I am one lucky lady. WE are two lucky ladies I should say. :)

A tiny little kick!

Last night I was laying in bed with my hands on my stomach and I felt her kick on the left side of my lower belly! It was the sweetest feeling in the world. It was just a gentle little flick from the inside. I told Mike right away and he shot up out of bed to try and feel it for himself. He sat there with his hand on the spot for a few minutes but he couldn't feel it, although I could still feel her moving around a bit. What a neat moment. I will never forget it. It made me SO excited to start feeling her more and more. Now that I know what it feels like, I'll hopefully be able to detect it again. I really am enjoying this whole being pregnant thing. What a true miracle!

Three little lines

On June 30th at 9:30am Mike and I walked into the doctor's office with excited stomachs and curious smiles on our faces. We could not WAIT to finally find out the sex of our baby. It seriously felt like Christmas morning as a kid all over again. From the moment that I found out I was pregnant with this child I thought it was going to be a girl and Mike felt that way as well. Then the PUPPPS thing happened and we started thinking a little boy just might be in there after all.

I went to Seattle for a meeting for work the Monday and Tuesday before our appointment and there and back on the plane all I could think about was all the reasons why it was going to be a boy. I told everyone who asked that week that I would be SHOCKED if it was a girl. I guess I should've stuck to my gut feeling because it turns out that we are having a little lady! Micah Janee is the first precious baby to join our family. When the sonographer said she saw three little lines I knew right away what that meant but still needed immediate confirmation. I couldn't believe my ears. Mike was speechless at first and then asked where she saw the three lines. Haha! She pulled a fast one on us! Leave it up to my little girl to send us mixed signals. I can already tell she's gonna be a handful!

I'm so glad that Mike video taped the whole experience so we can show Micah someday. It was so fun to watch her little body wiggle across the screen. The sonographer said she was very active. I guess the chocolate I ate before the appointment paid off! Thanks for the pointer Em.

They checked every major organ, counted her fingers/toes and measured many different parts. Everything checked out great and they said she is healthy.  So far so good! That was the best news of the day!

Hi Mom and Dad

She's a fighter already!

Sucking on her hands

Bottom of her feet/bootie - her lady parts

We left the appointment and immediately called Mike's family. They were all surprised by the girl news as well considering that the Simpson side only has 2 girl cousins that are spread 30+ years apart.  All the rest are boys. This baby will be the first granddaughter for Mike's parents and the 20th great-grandchild for Mike's grandparents. We sat in the parking lot at Macon Park (near the tree there that is dedicated to my mom) and called/texted our friends too. It was so fun to share the news with the people we love the most.  We meet my parents and sis for lunch at Chappell's in Northtowne at 11:15 and I had made little signs that announced the sex to give to them. (I had a boy version ready to go too just in case). They were totally surprised by the girl news as well. My dad was the only one who still thought it was a girl, even after the PUPPPS. He was trying hard to hide how excited he was that it was a girl but I could see right through it! He wanted a granddaughter and I'm happy that we were able to give that to him.

Megan and I left lunch and went shopping!!! I can already tell that it's going to be addicting. Girl stuff is just so dang cute. We went to Lauren Alexandra's, Baby Gap, Old Navy and Target. Baby Gap was having an incredible sale so we went a little crazy there, to say the least. We came back and laid all of her new clothes out in her room to assess what we got. I left it all laid out and I peek in there daily. It makes me smile!

The damage

That evening I invited my high school friends over for a reveal party. It's a tradition that we've done with each of their first children. I had them cut into a cake that either had pink or blue filling inside. It was really special to share that moment with them. Now with Micah joining the kid crew it will be four girls and three boys.

More belly pics...

P.S. My PUPPPS has returned. It seems as though it's going to follow a pattern for the next 20+ weeks. It starts out on my chest and then slowly moves to other areas of my body over a two week period. Hopefully this cycle includes the one week disappearance. I was up from 4-5am last night scratching my tail off.  Looks like it's time to bring out all my weapons again. For three days now I've had extremely sore calves and lord knows it ain't from exercising! Renee bought me a prenatal massage so I went today. It hurt so badly when she was rubbing on my calves that it took all that I had to not whimper in pain. Pathetic, I know - but true. You should see me walk down the stairs. It's not a pretty sight! Hopefully that will come and go as well.

Just another small price to pay for our Micah Janee.

Rash Smash

I've been waiting to hear back from the doctor on the biopsy they took of my rash last week before I posted again. The dermatologists office just called and confirmed that it is indeed PUPPPS. I almost wasn't expecting this news because my rash has almost completely gone away now. It's the weirdest thing but I'm not complaining. I tried some of those home remedies for a while and they seemed to help but then my doctor asked me to stop them until we knew for sure what it was. So I did and the rash just gradually kept disappearing. I haven't had any itching episodes, problems sleeping or had to take any medicine for almost a week now. It's a miracle! I'm not quite sure what to think now.

The doctor said it could be one of those things that "comes and goes" throughout my pregnancy. I'm just thankful for the "goes" part. At least I have the hope of little breaks here and there instead of having it the remainder of my pregnancy and beyond. So Mike and I are celebrating it's disappearance on a daily basis!

We are now 9 days away from finding out the sex (not that I'm counting)! I had myself convinced that we were having a girl since the rash was going away and the PUPPPS 70% boy statistic wasn't in my mind anymore but now it seems that the boy notion is back in full swing. I can't wait to just know an answer because it's nearly impossible not to speculate during this time. Although I realize there is no way of really knowing, it's still fun to guess.

I'll be 18 weeks this Thursday and I keep anticipating the feeling of little kicks someday soon. I've heard it can still be a while before I do but I swear I feel little tingles here and there that I don't normally feel. I like to pretend it's little feet and hands going to town in my belly.

Well...here's to the rash no longer showing it's face. I hope it doesn't have the guts to return. I'm not afraid to use my campfire smelling soap, V8 juice 2x a day, vitamin C and oatmeal lotion weapons again! PUPPPS who? That's what I thought.