38 weeks!

I keep hearing "any day now" from people around me and it's starting to freak me out a bit!!
I am so ready to meet my little boy, but also insanely nervous about the whole process.
I was trying to explain it to my sister the other day... I'm not nervous for the delivery or myself for some reason, but I am so anxious about the baby.  Will it go smoothly?  Will he be healthy?  How big will he be?  What will he look like?  Do I have all the stuff I need"

I don't know why, but I just feel at peace about labor and delivery.  Don't try to scare me now - it's too late! I know that inevitably this baby has to come out, one way or another, so there is no avoiding it so why let myself get worked up over it.  I'm fully expecting it to hurt like heck and be a long crazy process... but I also know that at the end there will be a beautiful baby boy and that makes it so worth it.

I am still feeling really great.  I haven't hit the super uncomfortable stage yet, so I'm content to let this baby stay inside a little while longer.  Everyday he gets a little smarter and chubbier and that makes me happy.

I had a great visit with my OB today.  I am 1.5cm dilated and the baby is in the head down position and my cervix is shortening or whatever.... it's amazing he can tell all those things in literally 5 seconds.  I don't know if I just have the best doctor ever but he is so quick and totally un-awkward about examinations.
Also, since my last appointment 2 weeks ago (Did I mention that my doctor went to GRENADA for a week?! Since St. John is a clinical center for SGU a lot of the  doctors are involved with the school and so he went for a conference.  When he told me he was going I almost cried and then begged him to take me with him.  I mean, a girl shouldn't be too far away from her Dr. right?  So I quickly and quite fanatically filled in him in on all my favorite parts of the island and the must do things. lol. I think it was the most I've ever talked to him before.  He probably thinks I like Grenada more than my baby now.....)
ANYWAY remember when I lost 2 lbs at 34weeks and then went back at 36 weeks and had gained like 5? Well I'm down 3lbs again this week!  So I'm just weird.  The baby is measuring fine.  This week I measured 37 weeks, so I've been pretty consistently smaller than my actual week,  but that can be normal.

I haven't felt that last stage burst of energy everyone talks about, but then again I never lost any energy or had any of the other symptoms so why would I have that?  So I wouldn't say that I've been "nesting" necessarily, but I have been pumping out school work like a fiend.
Last weekend I put myself on self-prescribed bed rest and didn't leave my room for 2 days and was miraculously able to finish about 3 weeks of work for my classes, including discussion board posts, several shorter papers ( two 3 page papers and a 5 page paper), a couple exams, and get a jump on research for my final papers.  I.was.impressed.

I guess the possibility of going into early labor is a pretty good motivating factor.

As of today I am over halfway finished with my final 12pg paper about teen sexual promiscuity and slightly started on a 10pg paper on cognitive behavioral family therapy.... that one I am struggling with.  But whenever I get bored of researching the antics of teenagers I switch over to counseling theory..... fun.....

So the goal is finish both of these papers by Sunday night (2 weeks early!!!!) then I'll be able to focus on getting this house in tip top shape - dependent if my nesting skills kick in or not.

I may or may not go to work next week depending on how I feel and if I finish my school work.  My boss has been awesome and lenient and said I could just  decide if I want to come in.  I do want to go if at all possible because I really like my job and since Jenny has taken over my position I'm really just back up and spend the majority of the day chatting with patients and my coworkers.  Who wouldn't want to be paid for that?  and there's that whole I won't have a job any more after this bit..... aka no more paychecks. boo.

Anyway,  I would definitely say that the baby has dropped.  I can now feel my belly against the tops of my legs when I'm sitting down and leaning forward.  It's gross and I hate it, but you'll have that I guess.
I've also been experiencing some mild lower back pain and frequent "popping" noises of my back and hips adjusting..... guess they're expanding and getting into position.
And I've had a few contractions, nothing really painful, just tightening of my belly.
This baby is still kicking around and letting me know he's running out of space.  Hopefully he doesn't grow toooooo much more because I'd like to keep the belly around this size. lol. It's still manageable and (fingers crossed) stretch mark free.

I met with our pediatrician yesterday and I loved him.  He's a really sweet older man that seems to be really smart and personable.  The bad news is however, that since he's with a group in the hospital I might not actually get to see him when I deliver depending on who's on call that day, but that's fine.  It's the group of peds that Lee rotated with and he recommended them all.  One of the things I really like about a teaching hospital like St. John is that since all the doctors are also teaching students and residents they are really up to date on their info and research.  It's not like this man hasn't read any new information since he completed residency 40 years ago, he has to keep up with young guys like Lee.  Same goes for my OB, even though he's pretty young (I'd guess late 30s/40?) every time I ask a question he is prepared with the latest study or finding to back it up.  I like that.  Especially since I'm going to come home and look it up for myself anyway.

So this week I actually took a picture!

From the front it's like not that big.... (black shirt helps too though)
then I lift up my shirt and you see my weird stretch/crooked belly button and that horrible line up my belly.

THEN I turn to the side.... 

Wha Bam!
38 week belly!
I think this belly is making me look short!  I've NEVER thought that before. haha
but if you look closely you see that there is about an inch of shadow added on (yea still haven't figured out my camera... no time! it's on auto/flash mode) so object in picture appears larger than real life.
that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

How far along: 38 weeks
Total weight gain:  32lbs
Maternity clothes: yes and no.
Stretch marks: not yet.... only need to make it a couple more weeks!
Best moment of this week: getting one week closer to meeting our boy!!
Movement: yep, now that I know for sure that his head is down I know that those jabs are definitely his little feet kicking me!
Food cravings: not really, today I really wanted a donut.  But who doesn't want donuts?
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yea, although when I'm wearing a coat people can't tell so that's made things awkward a couple of times. 
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no, just preparing for labor right? :)
Belly button in or out: in!  It's not going to pop out at this point right?
Wedding rings on or off: on
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and anxious and nervous!
Looking forward to: finishing these papers and maybe getting to go on a date with Lee to the Cheesecake Factory and a movie or something before baby comes and we aren't able to do that for a while. 

37 weeks

Two magic words - FULL TERM.
I am so happy!

This week my baby boy has begun his decent south.  I can feel him much lower than before and am experiencing some mild contractions and pressure.  Not sure if this all necessarily means anything is going to happen soon... or if it's just normal for someone 3 weeks away from their due date.  In any case, I'm hoping he stays snug and warm inside just a little longer!  I am not ready!  I have lots of papers to write (which is why this is going to be short...) and the house isn't exactly like I want it when he arrives...
Have I also mentioned for the thousandth time how cold it is here in Michigan?  Yesterday morning it was seriously -5 when I went to work.  No baby needs to be born at a time like this.  Next week it's supposed to get up to around 40... much more tolerable if you ask me.  But whatever, we have the cozy car seat cover and lots of blankets and a really cute fuzzy little sleeper he can come home from the hospital with if need be!

So despite some increased symptoms I am still feeling really good, pregnancy wise.  Today I've developed some congestion and have been blowing my nose about 100 times an hour.  Thankfully Lee picked me up some Puffs plus lotion :)  My nose is very thankful.   Unfortunately he also picked me up a bag of Dove chocolates.... which I cannot resist.  So much for the cutting back on sugar, that man is an enabler!

Speaking of which... he's about to drive me crazy!  He is SO ready to have this baby he is convinced every time I say ow or hold my belly that I'm having a contraction.  He wants me to have him like yesterday!  And when I saw he's driving me crazy I mean, he is adorable and makes me laugh uncontrollably... which invariably causes my belly to tighten up and experience more pains!  I really think he's going to laugh this baby out of me one of these days.  For some reason my pregnancy hormones haven't made me cry once, but I laugh like a maniac at the drop of a hat.
Like the other day I said - Lee if you make me have this baby YOU'RE gonna have to write my papers and finish school for me!  He replied - "uh I'd rather do the breastfeeding"
bbbbbbbaaaaaaaaaaahhahahahahahahaha. I lost it.
He's going to send me into labor laughing.  It's all part of his evil plan.

Lee is going to be such a great dad.  I cannot wait to see them together.  He is so unbelievably sweet to me I can't imagine how he's going to be with a precious little baby.   He's been so cute setting up all of the baby's gadgets.  I don't know how to work any of this stuff, but Lee has it mastered.  Oh and he's an expert swaddler.  Now we just need to get to practicing the diaper bit.

So yea, that's it for this week.  Back to the grind.
Marriage and Family Counseling and Adolescent Counseling.
Side note - people are so pessimistic about teenagers.  I feel like maybe that's the group I need to work with because for some reason I'm the only one in my course that doesn't think that all teenagers are bad and/or that society is completely going to hell because of them.  Chill people.  Teenagers have always been teenagers.

How far along: 37 weeks
Total weight gain:  33lbs
Maternity clothes: yes and no.
Stretch marks: not yet.... only need to make it a couple more weeks!
Best moment of this week: wearing the same outfit as a dog. if we're not friends on facebook you won't know what I mean.
Movement: yep, he's wiggling himself down now
Food cravings: no, but a heart shaped pizza tonight would be nice.
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yea, although yesterday a patient had no idea I was pregnant... I mean... I think it's pretty obvious, right? 
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: maybe?! but don't tell Lee!
Belly button in or out: in, I think we're safe there it's staying put
Wedding rings on or off: on - luckily no swelling!  In Florida my rings got tight, but the cold weather in MI cancelled that out.
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and laughing like a fool.
Looking forward to: finishing these papers and maybe, possibly, hopefully getting a couple days to actually relax before having this baby.  Probably won't happen though! 

Maternity Pictures!

Our friend and fellow SGU SO Sara was able to catch a few quick maternity pictures for us a couple weeks ago!
We have been so extremely busy every weekend that there was no time to fit in pictures, or so I thought.  Thankfully one early, freezing cold Friday morning Sara was able to meet us on the Windsor riverbank while we were on our way to Lee's parents in Canada for the weekend for our baby shower.  About 30 minutes out in the snow and Sara was able to capture some beautiful pictures that we'll forever cherish.  We decided to do it on the river to get the Detroit skyline in the background, as that will be baby's first home and where we have spent the past two years and made the decision to have this baby!!
Sara I think they turned out great, thank you so much!
If you're in the Windsor/Detroit area for the next couple months check Sara (sarawhitsittphotography.blogspot.com) out... after that she and her husband may be moving for residency too!  AND having their 2nd little one in May!

35 and 36 weeks

These last few weeks are flying by!!
It REALLY helps to be busy.  I'm so glad I'm not sitting around counting the days.... although ok actually I am counting the days (25!) but you know what I mean.
I have 2 weeks left of work and 4 weeks left of school.  REALLY hoping I can get all my assignments done early or at least on time.  Stay comfy inside a little longer little one!!!
At work we've hired my replacement... although everyone keeps telling me not to call her that. haha. She's been great and I've been busy training her to do my job.  There are so many things to go over!  So we'll need at least another week, hopefully two to cover everything so she's not left in the weeds when I leave. Then I'll have two full weeks before the baby is due to finish school - which I need!  I have so many papers to write... yikes!

The past couple weeks have been great.
Two weekends ago I was able to narrowly miss yet another snow storm and go down to Ohio to see my sister and her girls one last time before they move to Germany for 3 years!  :(  Hopefully we'll be able to plan a trip to Europe in the future!!
Lee and I have also been working on getting the house all ready for baby's arrival.  I now have a packed hospital bag, with the exception of what I'll wear home from the hospital... still not sure of that one.  And all the baby's clothes have been washed and all his stuff has been assembled and ready to go!  He is definitely taking over our house! Baby stuff in EVERY room!

This past weekend Lee and I made a quick trip down to Florida to visit a residency program that he interviewed with for a second look!  I went to the doctor on Thursday to make sure nothing was happening and that I was safe to travel and he gave us his blessing and said to have fun! :) yay!
That doesn't meant that in the car on the way to the airport Friday morning I didn't have a panic attack when I thought about having a baby in Florida and how difficult it would be to get back to Detroit and how I didn't have any of my stuff with me.... thankfully Lee calmed me down and I boarded the plane anyway.  I'm so glad I did!  It was a great weekend and we LOVED Florida!

Anyway, at the doctor I had a nice low blood pressure, gained more weight than I care to admit (but will anyway), was not dilated,  and was measuring 35 weeks despite being 36.... so maybe this baby won't be a giant after all?! that or he's staying put for 40+ weeks....

So Florida!
When we left Detroit it was 1 degree... we landed in Ft Myers 3 hours later it was 81.  An increase of 80 degrees?! I've never experienced anything quite like it.  Even when we moved to Grenada from Ohio in January 2010 it wasn't that drastic... it doesn't often get down to ONE.
When we landed the first things we noticed were 1. the temperature 2. how green everything was 3. how clean the cars were! no salt and snow yucking up the cars!

The program had the whole weekend planned out for us and they did an great job of showing us all Ft. Myers has to offer, as well as their program.  Friday night we went to dinner at a bank, strange yes.  It was in the bank because the CEO of the hospital is friends with the bank president.  Whatever the case, it was very nice and we met a lot of people.
Friday night we went for a night swim in the hotel pool.... it was so nice to be weightless in the water.  For my future pregnancies I definitely want to be able to go swimming often.
Saturday morning Lee and I had breakfast together before he was taken to the hospital for some workshops and I was taken on a tour of Ft. Myers and the beaches with another spouse!  They set up for us to tour with a concierge relocation expert or something like that... she's a real estate agent too.  In the afternoon we met at a park to have lunch and hang out with all the other applicants and residents and program director.  Then Lee and I went looking at some apartment complexes in the area just to get an idea of what was available and the price range.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that we could get a 3 bedroom apartment with a pool, fitness room, tennis courts, washer/dryer, and dishwasher for not much more than we are currently paying in Michigan!! How is that possible? haha
Saturday night we went on a dinner cruise with the program director, hospital staff, applicants, and residents.  It was beautiful and the food was delicious.  After that boat ride I was totally convinced that I was made for life on the water as I didn't get a smidge of sea sickness - even at 36 weeks pregnant!   But after a long day of lots of walking and heat I was one tired girl and got a great night's sleep that night...
Sunday morning we had breakfast and went to church at Ft. Myers First Church of the Nazarene - which was conveniently located next door to some apartments we looked at!  Service was nice, but in true Florida fashion there were LOTS of seniors... :) I'm almost positive that someone we graduated from MVNU with's grandparents were in the crowd! haha!  After church we had lunch and hung out by the pool for for a while before heading to the airport to head home...
We arrived back in Michigan to several inches of fresh snow on the car and temps around 20, which is much more tolerable than 1!

Pictures from the weekend!!

And the weekly picture from 35 weeks!

I've sorta fallen off the bandwagon on that one.  There's a gap from 32 to 35, and now no 36... oops.
As you can see the jeans still fit!  What?! I am seriously huge and have gained a lot of weight and yet each week I can somehow button this jeans... maybe 37 weeks will be the week I no longer can.

I've kept up with the monthly pictures!  Here's January! 

How far along: 36 weeks 3 days 
Total weight gain:  32 lbs.  So my week of no gain was just a trick as my body was preparing to gain it all the next week :/ 
Maternity clothes: yes and no.  I have jeans that still fit and I bought a pair of shorts on clearance at Old Navy for my Florida trip - non-maternity but 2 sizes bigger than I'd normally wear.  And the dresses I wore are not maternity.  One is what I wore when I graduated college! 
Stretch marks: no... please not ever. 
Best moment of this week: escaping the cold and snow and spending time on a gorgeous beach? yes! 
Movement: Yes, he still likes to be high and push on my ribs 
Food cravings: no, unless sweet stuff counts but that's been a craving of mine for almost 27 years... 
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: oh yea.
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no, but I think I've had a couple contractions! 
Belly button in or out: in, but the way the top is stretched in a really tight shirt it looks like it might stick out. 
Wedding rings on or off: on
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!!
Looking forward to: staying home.... but not looking forward to all the homework I have to do... 

Baby Showers!

I almost feel guilty for saying this... but me, Lee, and our sweet baby boy had not 1, 2, or even 3 baby showers... but 4!
Four showers!  I can't even get over it.  People have been so overwhelmingly generous and supportive of us.
Why so many?  Well Lee and I have been pretty spread out over the past few years.  My family and friends are in Ohio, his are in Canada, and we are currently living in Michigan with all our new friends and loved ones!

First we had a shower in Ohio at my home church where I grew up.  In attendance were my friends from high school, family, and the wonderful women from my church.  It was themed in vintage toys and was so adorable!  It was a great day to get to catch up with friends and see people I don't get to see that often.  My mom, sisters, and friends did all the work and preparation and it turned out great!  At this shower Baby Coghill really diversified his wardrobe :)  We got so many cute outfits that he is going to be one well dressed baby!  We received some essentials, like diapers, wipes, bath items, and a beautiful homemade blanket.  My also mom gifted us our crib and changing table!

Next, we had a shower at Lee's parents house with all of our Canadian friends and family!  This was a shower men and women both attended and it was a lot of fun!  Lee's mom and sister's did a lot of work in planning and organizing the event and we also got to see a lot of people we don't get to see that often.  At this shower Baby Coghill loaded up on toys and books, while I received some necessary items to take good care of him, like a nursing cover, changing pad, items for the car, diapers, and bath items.  Lee's Nana got us our jogging stroller/car seat travel system so we can take Baby Coghill on lots of walks and hopefully jogs!!

Third, was a surprise shower!  We were not able to get together for a Christmas party with my work this year, mostly due to Lee and I's busy weekend traveling schedules, so we couldn't meet for dinner until January 24th!  We decided to go ahead and still do our white elephant gift exchange.... or so I thought!  I showed up with 2 white elephant gifts while everyone else brought baby stuff!! I was so shocked.  I'd never had a surprise party before in my life!  My boss and his wife were so, so generous and got us the nicest gifts, including a really awesome swing, stroller, a cover for shopping carts, and thermometer that works in the baby's ear, the tub, or their food!  My friends from work also showered us with love and we received some great stuff - like wipes, burp cloths, a really cool noise machine, which also plays ocean sounds, and outfits with whales on them because they all know my love for the beach :)

Fourth, was our church here in Michigan had a shower for us and all the great ladies from our church came out, even in a near blizzard and sub zero temperatures to celebrate our baby boy with us!  At this shower we awesomely received FOUR homemade blankets, a homemade bath towel with hood, and a little scrapbook! They are the best.  I absolutely love the thought and work that went behind the making of these handmade items.  They are so beautiful and the women who made them were so thoughtful. We also received an adorable bouncer seat that has a lion in a hot air balloon on it - exactly the kind of thing I'd like right?  And a play mat and more cute outfits and necessities. One of the little girls we know also wrapped up 3 of her toys to share with my baby, so sweet.

And it seems like each week we've had a mini-shower in the mail as a lot of our out of town friend and family have sent us gifts!  My cousin is stationed in Korea, but because the internet makes the world so much smaller she was able to send us some things that she found useful with her little girl, like a boppy and other nursing supplies.

Surprisingly I've also been loving hearing everyone's interpretation about what is a MUST have.  Everyone has a different idea.  What people say don't even bother with someone else says they couldn't have lived without.  I've been trying to choke back my typical pride of not asking for advice and seriously just try to absorb all the information people want to offer.  I've never done this before and there's only so many websites I can read, haha!


So to all our family and friends, seriously, from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU.  This outpouring of love has been wonderful and unexpected.  Maybe you feel sorry for these two crazy poor kids that decided to have a baby... but most importantly you love us and we can feel it and I will make sure this baby understands how much love was surrounding him when he came into this world.
Thank you!

34 weeks!

Whoa!  Things are getting real.

Since I work in a busy office I get asked roughly 50-100x a day when I'm due.... quickly followed by where are we moving to.  The same people ask each week.  I understand they want an updated countdown to the due date.... but how many times can I explain the match to someone and the fact that I won't know where we're moving until March - AFTER the baby?!

Anyway, the countdown part is fun.  This week (ok so actually I started telling people yesterday) only 6 more weeks!  6 weeks!?  That is like nothing.  He is going to be here before I know it and I still have so much to do!
I'm still asking everyone I know for tips, advice, and recommendations on products.  I'm still googling birthing plans in my very limited free time (aka avoiding homework).  The car seat isn't installed.  I don't have a bassinet/pack-n-play.  I don't have a swing.  I don't have one of those fancy wraps to carry the baby in.  I haven't packed a hospital bag.  I'm still waiting on the shipment of my after baby needs from Amazon. haha.

One day this week on my lunch break I decided to go to CVS and buy all those lovely things I'll be needing for myself post-baby... and was seriously in sticker shock.  It has been YEARS apparently since I've bought a package of pads and whoa they were more expensive than I anticipated.  Then onto things like... well you know all those other gross things they recommend you have after having a baby that I am seriously hoping I don't need, but want to have anyway just in case you know?  I ultimately left the store only buying my favorite 3 shade eyeshadow compact from Wet and Wild for $2.99 (not that that was on the list...) and decided to find the rest on Amazon... which I did, for much cheaper.
I think I could do all my non-grocery shopping on Amazon.  and maybe I will.

That being said, I am totally open to suggestions from other moms about what I need, although I can almost guarantee if it's been posted on the internet elsewhere I've read it.  But really, if there is something that you were like "dang wish someone had told me about that" TELL ME!

Another question people have actually asked me, which I don't know why I should be surprised people ask whatever they want, is how Lee and I are planning on surviving for 4 months with 0 income between us and a new baby.  So in typical fashion I decided to just tell you.
First, we fully plan on being very, very poor.  Obviously.
Second, believe it or not we planned for this baby to come exactly then, when neither of us are working. haha for real! This is the only time in our lives when Lee and I are BOTH going to have 4 entire months with NO work or school or commitments to spend all day long at home with our baby.  I feel sorry for our subsequent children, but hey it is what it is.  Lee started medical school in a January term which allowed him several months of wiggle room in clinical rotations and he decided to save it all up at once and spend it with us before starting residency.  I for one, think almost any amount of money is worth having an extra set of hands around 24/7 for the first few months of my new baby's life, especially his Daddy!
Third, it takes almost 10 months from conception to birth, typically.  Plus a month or two of discussing whether or not we should have a baby - which is about a year of prep time.  A year of saving.  A year of "we can't afford that we're having a baby".  A year of stock pilling baby stuff.
Fourth, income tax return!!  I'm at that stage where I actually had a job for the entire year AND still don't make all that much money so I basically get everything I paid into taxes plus some back!  Which is a couple months rent at least... and it will perfectly arrive right around the time I stop working.
Fifth, back up.  Ok, so we are extremely fortunate that Lee does have a line of credit from a bank in Canada that we used to pay tuition during medical school (which we are DONE paying!) so we are no longer going into negative dollars (ok unless you count interest) and we thankfully didn't max it out during medical school so if worse comes to worse we can borrow money from the line of credit, way cheaper than using a credit card.  I refuse to ever go into credit card debt after that one month when I somehow didn't pay $10 and was charged 24% interest............... people. do not go into credit card debt. But by all means use them for all the points/miles/whatever they'll give you! haha!
Sixth, baby showers!  We have been so blessed by family and friends generously buying us and our baby gifts.  I mean, wow it is amazing how generous people are.  There have been just a few things that we have had to purchase ourselves for this little one. Baby Coghill is basically set for the first 6-ish months of his life in terms of clothing, diapers, and baby gear.... and praying all goes well I'll be able to breastfeed - aka free food. (and I seriously will upload pictures from my showers someday)
Seventh, faith and prayers? haha no but seriously... God has blessed our little family so abundantly and we are so thankful for this opportunity to spend time together as a family before residency takes Lee away for 3 years...

here's a little looksie at one of the maternity pictures we had taken with Sara!

I can't wait to see the rest and hopefully take more if the baby and weather cooperate in the coming weeks!

I went to the doctor this morning for my 34 week checkup and everything is still going great!  In fact I was SHOCKED to find out that since my last appointment I've actually lost a half a pound.  I've been weighing myself on the scale at work and this week I noticed I hadn't gained any, but I thought I had gained last week. If I did it disappeared somewhere.  The only thing I've changed is trying to cut back on sugar.  I really, really like candy. haha, so I've just been avoiding candy basically because my glucose test did come back on the higher end of normal and I really, really didn't want to mess around with that.
My doctor said if I were to go into labor at this point they wouldn't do anything to stop it.  At 34 weeks I am passed the point where they can give me anything that would better prepare the baby for birth (like steroids) so he is basically ready to be born, just doing some last growing, fat storage, brain developing things!
Also, Baby Coghill is getting situated in the head down position!  My Dr. felt around and felt his little head, back, and bottom.  His bottom is right under my left rib cage.  There were a few day this week where he decided that it'd be fun to live under my ribs.  I have the longest torso in history and my baby wants to cram into the very tippy top and stretch out my rib cage.  No super strong kicks, just pressure against my ribs.  Move south little buddy!  But I guess the positive is I haven't had any issues this entire pregnancy with going to the bathroom a million times a day.  I go no more than I did pre-pregnancy even though I feel like I am constantly chugging water.  I am definitely thirstier pregnant... or I just think "I need water" more often.  So if he's in my ribs he's not pushing on my bladder, so... thanks!
Another thing I haven't experienced at all is balance issues.  I wore heels to work yesterday, trudged through the snow and all, and no problems. No swelling either, but I'm not sure who could swell in negative degree weather.  I test my engagement ring about every day to make sure I can still slide it on and off and so far so good... but I think I might take it off soon, just in case.  I'm getting claustrophobic just thinking about it.  The wedding band will stay on though, for some reason I can't picture it getting stuck but I can the other, and I've NEVER had my wedding band off.
Other things I've skipped so far - hot flashes.  I'm begging to be hotter, MI is cold! but that hasn't come, apparently it will after birth?  And I've been sleeping great.  I don't know if he kicks in the night or not, I just sleep right on through... if I'm able I could sleep like 9 hours.
Also, no contractions yet at all.... I'm hoping the lack of contractions and the fact that he is sitting so super high up in my stomach doesn't mean he's going to take his good ole time coming into the world.  I'd prefer him you know, really close to the due date.... maybe even like the week before?  Not asking for much here, right? :)

How far along: 34 weks
Total weight gain:  28lbs! I never thought I'd be so happy to have gained 28lbs, haha but at this point I'm like shew only 28!
Maternity clothes: no, but I did hit the jackpot today at Salvation Army and got 3 brand new Liz Lange Maternity shirts for $1 each!  I figured $1 was worth it even if I only wear them a couple times.  Every Friday our SA picks a color of tag and has a 5 for $5 sale!  So today I got 3 shirts and the baby got 2 :)
Stretch marks: no, but people keep telling me that this doesn't happen until the final weeks anyway, ugh!
Sleep: Good
Best moment of this week: hiring my replacement at work - one more thing off the list that needed to be done
Miss anything:  my normal non stretched belly button?
Movement: Yep
Food cravings: nope
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: oh yea.
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no
Belly button in or out: in, just stretched funny
Wedding rings on or off: on
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!!
Looking forward to: dinner out with work tonight! birth class tomorrow! and baby shower Sunday at church! 

Baby Pictures

I've been thinking a lot lately about what Baby Coghill will look like.  I'm pretty sure he'll have lighter hair, since Lee and I's hair is basically the same color of light brown, but Lee's eyes are very dark brown and mine are blue-ish green depending on the day.
And I'm assuming he'll be tall since Lee and I are both above average height!

I put together some of our baby/kid pictures to compare... I hope he does look like his daddy... chubby cheeks and blonde hair.  He's was so adorable!

this one is my favorite of Lee... he looks slightly scared and just so precious 

random musings

this morning I just feel like talking
It could be due to the fact that I've been awake since 4:50AM.  Just woke up, wide awake, ready for the day.  I went to bed around 10 so I got plenty of sleep, so I just got up and ate breakfast slowly and wasn't too rushed getting ready - which is a switch for me!  On Wednesdays I have to be at work at 6:30 and honestly most days it's more like 6:35, but today I was a couple minutes early!  What!
I guess maybe my body is preparing for less sleep in the weeks/months to come.

Also this morning I'd like to brag on my friend Amber a little.  She is the best friend, seriously.  She is giving me so much ease about labor and new motherhood -granted her baby Jack is not quite 2 weeks old yet, but I just feel like she has made such a great transition and has filled me in on ALL the gory details and I am so thankful!  I can't wait to raise our babies together - or at least vacation together, right?

I've been hearing more and more horror stories from people lately, everyone feels inclined to tell me about their worst experience with pregnancy or delivery.  I guess they're trying to help?  but I feel bad because when they ask "have you experienced {this} yet?"  and I never have.  Up until the past week or so I have not felt much different than I did when I was not pregnant, a part from some limitations with picking up heavy stuff, quick movements from sitting or laying to standing, and of course this little baby kicking my insides.
I hope that this continues and I'm not repaid for this easy pregnancy with terrible labor or a wild baby! haha... but if this baby's personality is reflected at all in how he moves I think he's going to be pretty chill.  I hear other people talking about how much their baby kicks their ribs or hurts them and I've only experienced truly painful kicks like twice.  Usually he just rolls around and gently pushes against me, it's so sweet, just like a reminder that he's there and happy.

Now that I have his room almost completely finished I am getting more emotional about having him actually here.  I cannot wait to sit in that rocking chair and rock my precious sleeping baby.  I love walking by his room and peeking in and imagining him in there.  I hope he likes bright colors, lions, and vintage toys as much as his mom.... :)

I'll post pictures of his room soon!  I'm trying to get it as neat as possible so it doesn't look like a mess in pictures - babies have A LOT of stuff!

picture updates

I missed a few weeks here and there, but you'll get the gist of it - my baby and I are GROWING!
I feel like my 32 week picture looks especially huge.  We had just eaten a really big meal.  That's what I'll blame that on.  I still don't feel that large, but today as I was uploading the pictures I accidentally clicked on one from 10 weeks and was shocked.... I have grown  A LOT since then.  It is amazing what my body can do!  But guess what - my jeans still fit!  haha thankful they have a little stretch to them!

32 weeks

Happy 32 weeks to us!!
My doctor said yesterday - at this point if I went into labor and delivered at a hospital like the one we have here, with an awesome NICU then I can almost be sure of a healthy baby!
Yay for the 32 week milestone!

 At 32 weeks I am still feeling great.  I do feel more pregnant with each day and it's pretty obvious to everyone by now.  I have received several comments this week... my favorites and least favorites include:

older male patient at work - "wow! you must be eating good!"
5 year old boy in Subway - "are you having a baby?! my teacher is having a baby!"
lady working at Salvation Army - "I used to hate when people would touch me without asking".............................. while she was rubbing my belly WITHOUT asking! so weird.
My boss held an interview the other day to find my replacement and one of our patients said "you're kind of premature replacing Kelsey aren't you?!" haha he didn't realize I was due so soon and apparently was defending me.  so thanks dude!

oh and a funny conversation with my OB.
Me - "my husband thinks I'm crazy, but I swear sometimes I can feel the baby's heart beating"
Dr. (very matter of factly) - "oh  you're not crazy, but that is impossible"
hahahaha. oops. But really... any other pregnant woman ever feel like they can feel their baby's heart?  I mean, I have the opinion of two men who've never had a baby inside of them, so maybe it's not impossible?!


I've been working on organizing the baby's room and figuring out what we still need - which is a lot!
We're having a shower in Canada next weekend and then after that we'll have to get serious and finish getting all the things we need for this little one.
Something that I am excited about that I bought this week are some cloth diapers!  I went in with a group of girls in a diaper co-op to save money and got some really cheap.  Since we already have some disposable diapers we're going to use them in the beginning when this little one is going pretty constantly and then hopefully make the switch to cloth, if nothing else during the day and when we're at home.  It's going to be a learning curve but we can save so much money, not to mention being environmentally responsible.  And they are so cute!  Have you seen the new, updated types of cloth diapers?  So adorable.

So something else has come up, one of the residency programs we are interested in has invited us for a second look! Actually this is our 3rd second look invite, but the only one we're going to be able to go to.  Problem is, we'd have to fly and I'll be 36 weeks pregnant.  My OB said there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to go so as long as everything continues to go as planned.  I'm having a full check up/exam the day before we leave just to make sure everything is ok!   So I'm getting the babymoon I wanted after all! Now the only problem is, I don't have any warm weather clothes that fit!!  Hopefully I'll be able to find a couple summery dresses in my closet that are stretchy.  What am I going to do about a bathing suit though?! yikes.  I always thought if I was ever pregnant in the summer that I wouldn't have an issue wearing a bikini, but now that I am at that point I'm wondering how comfortable I'll actually feel with it all hanging out.... but I don't want to have to buy a maternity suit.  So we'll see.  It's a good problem to have.

Let's see... this week we had a blizzard.  That's news.  Lee and I got stuck on our way back to MI from the family weekend in West Virginia and had to get a hotel.  The weather was so bad and we could no longer see the road and people were in the ditches everywhere... it was terrifying.  Thankfully we found a nice place to stay right off of the highway and were able to make it home the next morning, very, very slowly.
Detroit got about 14 inches or so and we had several days of extremely cold weather.  One morning with the windchill it was -45degrees!  One day it only got up to about 0.... Thankfully today it  got above freezing and we were able to thaw out a bit.

I have to go back to school on Monday!  yuck!  Who's idea was this?!  And guess when my classes finish?  March 7th......... hahaha am I crazy?! I'm hoping to be able to get a little bit ahead and finish early just in case.  Otherwise I'll have lots of keep me occupied if this baby decides to take his time coming into the world.

32 weeks 2 days

How far along: 32 weeks
Total weight gain:  27lbs - thankfully my BFF Amber is giving me hope about bouncing back post baby, she's one week out with her sweet baby Jack and looks awesome.
Maternity clothes: I pretty much wear a dress everyday
Stretch marks: no
Sleep: Good
Best moment of this week:  arriving home safe and sound!
Miss anything:  nope
Movement: Yep, lots of movement.
Food cravings: nope
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yep
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!!
Looking forward to: sleeping in tomorrow with Lee and being lazy before I have to start school again on Monday.... :(

30 and 31 weeks

I can never seem to actually write the blog and/or take a picture on the actual day anymore.  Fridays are difficult!  This past week I had absolutely no excuse.  Lee and I both had the Friday after Christmas off and we spent the entire day at home, in our pajamas (new ones he bought me for Christmas!) and did nothing of importance other than some laundry and the dishes.  So I couldn't be bothered to fix myself up for a picture I guess.
It was a great day though.  All this week has been great.  Lee and I have stayed home a lot and relaxed and watched TV and he's practiced his ukulele and I've painted.....  it's been so nice.
Lee and I have so much fun together, even if we're doing nothing.

Well I am officially in the 30s!  We're moving right along although I must admit I feel like this being pregnant thing is going to take FOREVER.  I don't have a ton of patience, but seriously I feel like I've been pregnant for bloomin eternity.  I can't imagine what it must feel like to not have like, the easiest pregnancy in the history of pregnancies.

Not a whole lot of new things with me and baby Coghill.  He likes to squirm around, more so than kicking I feel him rolling around and wiggling.  It's pretty much adorable. I love to look at his picture, although I'm sure he's changed so much since 24 weeks! He's aged months since then :)
I still don't feel that huge, which is nice. I'm starting to notice some things not fitting as well, regular shirts are sometimes too short, haha, which isn't a great look.
Sleep has become slightly more uncomfortable.  I can no longer lay flat on my back comfortably... but I'm counting making it to about 30 weeks with sleeping on my back, my preferred method, a success.  So side sleeping has been fine, except for this morning,... I fell asleep with stud earrings in and somehow I woke up with two bleeding earlobes?! I'm blaming pregnancy because that's never happened before. lol. They aren't even infected, just bleeding.

Overall things are great and I cannot complain about anything.  Except for maybe the weight gain.  It's annoying to see the scale rise so much... but honestly I haven't noticed it that much in my body so I keep telling myself it's all baby and fluids.... right? just agree.... and I suppose I'm on track with how much weight I should be gaining, I was just hoping to stay on the low end of the spectrum and I'm not.
Have I mentioned that we're going to Hawaii in May for Lee's sister's wedding?  I mean I am trying really, really hard to not focus on the physical aspects of pregnancy and get hung up on body issues when my body is doing amazing things every second of the day.  Not only did I/we create a life but I'm sustaining and nurturing this little baby.  I'm growing a human being!  Seems silly to to care about a few extra pounds, cellulite or stretch marks... but I am human, and a woman... so.... seems legit.
And then add just that bit of pressure about going to an amazing tropical island roughly 2 months after giving birth... yea... trying to stay positive about that and be glad that I have a goal to work towards, just wish it was a little further out.

Anyway,  Lee has started a new rotation - Neurology.  His next to last rotation of medical school!!! Crazy! And we're down to just 2 months until this little one makes his arrival!
We put up the crib this week!!! It's so fun to look in his room and imagine a baby in there.

How far along: 31 weeks
Total weight gain:  25lbs
Maternity clothes: I've decided I do not like maternity clothes, I have like 2 shirts that I like and  thankfully I have 2 pairs of jeans that fit for non-work days and I can wear my regular shirts and dresses and tights/leggings to work.
Stretch marks: no
Sleep: Rotating from side to side, but overall can't complain.  One day this week I may or may not have slept 11 hours straight...
Best moment of this week: spending lots and lots of time at home with Lee just hanging out and having way more fun than we should just sitting at home.
Miss anything:  This week I was seriously missing eggnog, but am not allowed to drink it b/c of the raw eggs so I tried the Silk soy milk Seasonal Nog and it is delicious!
Movement: Yep, lots of movement.
Food cravings: nope
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yep
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: sooooooooo happy!
Looking forward to: Spending this weekend with my family for our little Christmas get together - weather permitting! 

28 and 29 weeks

The week leading up to 28wks was not a good week. 
Probably the worst week ever. 
And not just for me, but for a lot of people around me that I love.  It's terrible to see your loved one's hurting.

My Grandma Rosie passed away last Sunday. 
An event in my life that requires a separate post to comprehend what that means and how that changes our family and what an amazing lady she was. 
It wasn't an entirely sad affair though, the funeral was a celebration of her life and message about God's love and the gift of salvation - exactly what she would have wanted.
The day before she died when the preacher was praying with her she didn't request any prayer for herself, for healing or to be free of pain... she prayed for her unsaved family. 

I'm going to miss her so much, I don't think it's quite sunk in yet.  It's like she's just at her house, 6 hours away and I'm going to see her when I go home for Christmas.  

Then, I also found out last week that one of my best friends was diagnosed with lymphoma.  My sweet, vibrant, funny friend has to face cancer.  I also don't think that has sunk in for me yet either. I can't imagine what she and her family are feeling.  
She is still undergoing testing to find out more details and the treatment plan.  Please remember her in your prayers. 
Unfortunately last weekend when I was home she was in isolation at the hospital with chicken pox :( and pregnant ladies can be around people with the chicken pox. 


And of much, much lesser importance I finished up my classes for the semester last week!  It was possibly the hardest paper I've ever written because I had to finish it quickly to go home for the funeral and I was in no mood to concentrate on writing a paper about some fictional couple's marital issues.  However, I finished it and even though I haven't got my grade back yet I'm assuming it was good enough to get an A in the class.  I needed to get like 90/150 to get a 90%, so let's hope it was at least worth a 60%.  And my other class I was able to finish up my work ahead of schedule, thank God I actually did, and finished with a 95%!  
No school until January 13th.  
But I still haven't had a chance to breathe... after the weekend at home I had to rush into finishing Christmas shopping (and working) and we headed up to Canada last night to have Christmas with Lee's family. 

Hopefully this next week is a lot more chill.  Lee and I are staying home for Christmas and the weekend following.  I'm looking forward to actually enjoying our home, Christmas tree, baking some cookies, and watching some Christmas movies because somehow this season has totally escaped me and I haven't watched any! 


So, how is pregnancy? 
Well I am bigger.  I feel him move, a lot, and he is quite aggressive.  I think he's quite low.  Every once in a while I get a kick to the pelvic bone that takes my breath away.  I wake up some mornings with a lot of pelvic pain, but once I'm up for a few minutes and stretch a little it goes away.  It feels like my pelvis is splitting in two, but thankfully it doesn't last long.  Sleeping has been fine, I might be a bit more tired, so I could use some more of it. Going to work at 6:30am in 10degrees is not something I am going to miss.  I may be up at 6:30am a lot with this little one, but I'll be snug in my house. 

Last week was my baby shower at home!  There was a bit of a damper on the day due to the funeral the day before... but it was still a great party that my mom, sister, and friends threw for me.  And let's just say that this baby is going to be one well dressed little man.  He easily has more clothes than me now.  It's possible and true.  We've been spreading the word around that he literally doesn't need another article of clothing unless you buy 9months+.... once he's that big he doesn't have much. haha. 
It's also hard to buy things in bigger sizes because we have no clue where we'll be living. Fall/winter in MI and fall/winter in Florida are very, very different. 
I'll do a post about the shower soon too, with all the picture details.  It was adorable. 

Also I'll catch up with the pictures.
I took one last week at 28 weeks and Lee and I will take one later today, but I haven't uploaded them yet.
I think around 28 weeks I definitely "popped"
Its looking more like a round bump for sure :)

How far along: 29 weeks
Total weight gain:  22lbs
Maternity clothes: I wore my first maternity skirt and a pair of dress pants this week.  The skirt was almost too small, apparently my butt has grown too and the pants kept falling down. SO. annoying.  Every time I'd stand up the stretchy waist band would be showing. Other than that have been wearing a lot of dresses.  I have 2 pair of regular jeans that still fit, one is my most comfortable pair so that's good.  They sit really low, otherwise they wouldn't be fitting. lol.
Stretch marks: no
Sleep: fine
Best moment of this week: Being with family.
Miss anything:  Nope
Movement: Yep, lots of movement.
Food cravings: nope
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yep
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: cuddling on the couch with Lee by our Christmas tree.

27 weeks! (and 1 day)

Hello 3rd trimester!!!

I really feel like I've been cheating this whole pregnancy thing... I can't believe we're in the final stretch and I have yet to actually start feeling pregnant much.  Some days I feel like I ate a little too much, but I haven't experienced any of the typical symptoms.
Thankfully this little boy likes to move around and reassure me that he's there and happy!

I can still do basically everything I did before being pregnant - like sit straight up from laying down, wear my jeans (although all dress pants are all out at this point), go the entire day at work without feeling tired, bend over and touch my toes. lol. you know all that stuff I expected to change by now.  I'm guessing weeks 27-40 will begin to be a little more trying...
Oh and I got another eye infection this week.  Number 4 since being pregnant!  What's the deal?

This week I go for my glucose test and to see my OB again.  Not looking forward to the test, but just for the fact that I have to lose an entire hour + doing it and this is like one of the craziest weeks of my life.
I have to work everyday AND finish up my classes, as finals are Friday!!
This weekend I need to get a big paper finished, find time to prepare a lesson for Sunday School tomorrow morning, AND bake 4 dozen cookies for the women's Christmas party at church.....
and get ready for our office Christmas party on Thursday
and our baby shower is next weekend in Ohio so we have to drive back down there!  Thankfully my best friend, mom, and sister are taking care of all of that and all I have to do is show up! :)

Lee is leaving tomorrow to go to Florida again for another interview!  We're getting anxious about this residency process and trying to decide which places to rank top... it is so stressful.

Oh and did I mention that we got a new camera?!  Black Friday we got an amazing deal on a new Nikon DSLR to take lots and lots of pictures of our new baby boy :) :)
So my pictures will hopefully be getting better... but I don't really know how to use it yet so these are just on auto.
I think this weeks picture actually looks smaller than last week.... guess that's what 2 days of being home at mom and dads AND eating multiple Thanksgiving meals will do to you!  This week we were able to detox some of those mashed potatoes and pie out of our system ;) and it looks like at least the top of my belly is smaller, haha!

Here's how we're looking from the front... pants are still buttoning and belly button is still in, but I think I'm getting the dark line up my belly... it's very faint but it's there.

How far along: 27 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain:  oh man... I've gained 20 pounds!  If I gain one more a week until the baby comes I'll have gained 33 pounds... just under the recommended 35, yikes hopefully I can manage that. 
Maternity clothes: not yet.  I'm in that in between stage where some of my regular clothes don't fit, but the maternity clothes make me look like a huge puffy marshmallow.  It's kinda difficult getting dressed each day.  I usually end up wearing a dress. 
Stretch marks: no
Sleep: Good
Best moment of this week: last night I finished a paper for a class and realized that even if I don't turn in the last assignment I'll still get a B, so an A is pretty much guaranteed!  Trying to keep this 4.0 up! 
Miss anything:  Nope
Movement: Yep, lots of movement.  
Food cravings: nope
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yep
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: On 
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy 
Looking forward to: finishing school so I can focus on Christmas!  I haven't bought or made any gifts or actually decorated this place! :/ it's going too fast! 

26 weeks 3 days

Everyday we get closer to the 3rd trimester!!
Did you consider 27 or 28 weeks the start of the 3rd trimester?  There is conflicting data online.  Not that it really matters, just curious.

This week we went to Ohio for Thanksgiving and had a great visit.  We were there from Wednesday night late until Sunday afternoon.  I think I gained at least 5 pounds from eating 2 Thanksgiving dinners on Thursday, lots of leftovers, movie pop corn, our favorite pizza place TWICE, and pumpkin pie and cool whip for breakfast everyday... so..... yea. Tonight we're having chicken, rice, and vegetables. haha.

We got to spend time with 8 of my nieces which is always lots of fun.  Lee and I got lots of practice in with my 9 week old niece Rynnlee!  She is just the sweetest little baby... and at 9 weeks is probably the size Lee and I's baby boy will be at birth! haha!

In terms of the pregnancy things are still going pretty much the same.  No more headaches after that one awful week and I think it was from this soy milk drink that we had.  It was something we'd never had before so maybe I had weird reaction to it?  I haven't had any since and no more headaches, so whatever the reason is I don't mind!  Just glad they're gone!

I've gotten a little bigger this week, but it's still high enough that my pants fit!  Depending on what I wear I can still pass for not pregnant and at church this weekend people were still finding out and SHOCKED that I'm 26 weeks, haha!  My mom, grandma-to-be must not be doing a very good job advertising this baby... or people just don't listen because I'm pretty sure it's been announced.  And my baby shower is in 2 weeks!

Lee and I are pretty set on a name, we think.  We've been talking to our baby a lot and trying to get used to the name and see if he likes it.... I think he does :)
It's so cool that I'm actually growing a human being inside of me... sometimes Lee is just like mesmerized that there is actual life inside of me - moving and kicking.  It's so fun.  I can't wait until he's here and we're a little family.  Lee is going to be the best daddy... I hope my baby doesn't like him more than me! haha! It's very possible.

I only have 2 weeks left of school until I'm off for a month for Christmas!  Thank you Jesus! I need a break, this has been a tough semester - lots of writing.  And it hasn't helped that a couple of those weekends that I've had a paper due we've been traveling... oops.  Soon I'll be able to focus all my evening and weekend attention on Christmas DIYs - Yay!

Ok, this week's picture - I think I look HUGE in these pictures... bigger than I feel or think that I look. eek!

How far along: 26 weeks 3 days
Total weight gain:  not sure, haven't weighed myself since Thanksgiving so I'm guessing it's up there... 
Maternity clothes: not really, I still have several pairs of jeans and 2 pair of dress pants that fit and all my regular dresses fit for the most part.  This weekend I did wear my first maternity shirt though!  
Stretch marks: no, I've been increasing my coconut oil regime and drinking lots of water because apart from heredity I think hydration is my only defense. 
Sleep: Good, this weekend though I did wake up earlier than necessary 
Best moment of this week:  being home and cuddling with my nieces :)
Miss anything:  Not really 
Movement: Yep, lots of movement.  
Food cravings: nope
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Have you started to show yet: yep
Gender:  B-0-Y!
Labor signs: no
Belly button in or out: in, it appears to have stopped stretching at this point so maybe we'll keep it in? It was pretty deep to start with. lol 
Wedding rings on or off: On 
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy 
Looking forward to: My mom coming this weekend and going to Frankenmuth - the Christmas village!