The Plan, Stan

So...on Monday, we had another BPP and growth ultrasound.

At 35 weeks, 6 days, Baby Free was clocking in at 7 lb. 4 oz.

90th percentile.

Gulp.

My blood sugars have still been all over the place.

(Which means placenta function is good, but not good to have baby marinating in lots of sugar. Maybe my child will be extra sweet?!)

So...here's the plan.

Next Thursday (2/2) at 8 a.m. we have an amnio scheduled to check for lung maturity.

By noon we should have results.

Peri said we need a number above 70.

If it is....we will head to the hospital to induce!

I asked about statistics as this would mean Baby Free coming into this world at 37.5 weeks (which is pretty standard for diabetic pregnancies).

He said he'd give a 70% chance that baby's lungs will be ready. If they aren't...we will induce one week later.

He said with induction, and it being my first, there's a 25% chance of it leading to a c-section.

The "scheduled" induction time is at 3:00 on 2/2. They will most likely begin with a 12 hour dose of cervidil. Then around 3 a.m., if cervidil did it's job, we will begin the pitocin. When Dr. gets in around 8, she will break my water.

The nurse said she would "guess" Baby Free would be here around dinner time on Friday (2/3).

Granted, sometimes the cervidil needs to be done twice (which would be 24 hours of just that) or baby doesn't react well to pitocin, so a c-section is needed. So lots of variables.

But I'm so excited to meet our chubby-cheeked child!

The peri and doctor agree that it's safer for both of us to get baby out as long as baby is ready. The longer baby is in there, the harder my blood sugars are to control.

The longer baby is in high glucose, the fatter baby gets and harder their own pancreas has to work, which could result in a NICU stay for hypoglycemia.

Mr. Free and I have seen God's hand throughout this entire pregnancy.

I am nervous about all these events (amnio! pitocin!), but know that Mr. Free and I have faced some scary procedures through these past 2 years and God brought us through them just fine.

I know He is leading the path to meeting our little miracle!

On a good note, I've been having some on and off contractions, so a true blessing would be if Baby Free decided to come on their own before Thursday!!! Praying, praying, praying!!!

Our Changing Station Crib Topper

Since our nursery is small, I knew we wouldn't have room for a traditional changing table.

And I was OK with that.

I googled all over for options and stumbled upon this

The Oeuf Changing Station.

I loved the modern look and simplicity of design.

I did not like the price however.

$249.

Gulp.

So, I put Mr. Free and Grandpa Free on a mission.

This past weekend during one of my baby shower's, Daddy and Grandpa made this masterpiece.

Mr. Free thought adding some storage on the side would be beneficial for our small space.

We tested it out with the cloth diapers and they fit perfectly.

However, for the first bit we are starting with disposables and regular disposable wipes as we were gifted a TON.

Everything fits perfectly!

Look at all that storage!

I am thrilled with the results and so glad to have a custom solution for our nursery!

And the price?

Materials came out to a little less than a quarter of the Oeuf price!

And on Friday, the middle school art teachers threw Mr. Free a baby shower and gifted him some money for the baby. Mr. Free used that money to build this! Thank you art teachers!

Baby Free could be here as soon as about 2 weeks! Luckily things are coming together nicely!

I can't wait to meet my chubby cheeked baby!

A little overwhelmed.

Baby Free 34 weeks 2 days

6 lb. 3 oz.

Well, we met with the perinatologist today to review blood sugars as well as a growth ultrasound and biophysical profile.

Baby looked great.

Turns out our kid has LONG hair. Crazy.

One kidney looks normal, other kidney measuring 7.2 mm. Doctor said that he would be concerned if it was over 10 mm, so he thinks it'll be fine following birth.

But...baby is measuring big. 87th percentile.

Borderline macrosomia.

Macrosomia is very common in diabetic pregnancies and simply means a big baby.

My blood sugars have been GREAT through out pregnancy, but the last 2 weeks they have been a roller coaster. This is very normal for diabetics, but frustrating too.

With macrosomia, a risk is that the baby will be born with low blood sugar.

See, my uterus is not the 'ideal environment' since Baby is growing amidst lots of glucose. Therefore, Baby's pancreas has been working overtime to keep Baby's blood sugar normal.

But once Baby is out, their pancreas may still be in 'over drive' and cause low blood sugar.

The perinatologist said that if this occurs, it could mean Baby is in NICU for a few days after delivery.

He said he thinks the best option is that in 2 weeks (gulp) have an amnio to see if Baby's lungs are ready for birth.

If Baby's lungs are ready.... Baby will be induced.

He said as long as Baby's lungs are good, it would be better for Baby to be out, then in.

The closer to 40 weeks we get the chance of stillbirth can increase and other complications.

He really wants a vaginal delivery as it will help Baby's lungs.

So we may have a baby in 2.5 weeks!

If Baby's lungs aren't quite ready, we will postpone the induction until they are.

All this was hard to hear.

First of all, this is SOON!!

MUCH sooner than I had thought!

Also, I can't help but feel overly guilty.

I wish my blood sugars were better the last few weeks...I've really been trying.

Thinking of our sweet baby in NICU just tears me up.

(Now I know, the NICU is a wonderful place and if this is where my child needs to be, then by all means that's whats best)

The thought of an amnio freaks me out.

The thought of bringing baby into this world in less than 3 weeks freaks me out.

The thought of Baby struggling after birth freaks me out.

Now, I am so, so excited to meet our sweet baby.

I just didnt anticipate hearing all this today.

I just have to wrap my mind around it all.

Please be praying that Baby Free's lungs will be ready when they should and that at birth Baby's blood sugars will be steady. I really want to have Baby near after birth, but just want Baby to be healthy.

So...anyone else have any amnio or induction advice? I'd sure appreciate it!

Week 34

How far along? 34 weeks

Maternity clothes? Yup. Though I'm rebelling and wearing some non-maternity clothes that are super long just to shake things up. Like the shirt above...

Sleep? Pretty good. Again, doing the hip toss n' turn but that's the new normal.

Best moment of the week?

It's been a pretty quiet week here, which has been a blessing. I've enjoyed just spending time with Mr. Free, our family and friends. I know life is going to change (for the better!) in a few weeks so I'm just savoring this time.

Food cravings? Still orange juice. Mmmmm.....

Gender? We'll find out soon!

Belly button in or out? Still in! It's about to bust, but it's still in!

Movement? Definitely. As baby is starting to run out of room it's starting to get a bit uncomfortable. Baby likes my right side so most of the fluid is on the left. So when Baby moves, there isn't much cushion. But I love it!

What I miss? It's weird. Pregnancy just seems like the new "norm" for me. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that in a month or so I won't be pregnant anymore! I did tell Mr. Free I'm looking forward to sleeping on my stomach and a sub sandwich : )

What I'm looking forward to? Thursday we will get to see our sweet baby's face again! I can't wait! Then Friday the music teachers in the district are throwing me a baby shower and then Saturday is my family and friends baby shower! This baby is so loved!

Milestones? Being 34 weeks! Sunday I saw my mother-in-law and she asked if the baby had dropped. I said I had no idea. Then, my mom texts me and said that at church that morning she noticed it looked like the baby had dropped. This week at work I've had half a dozen people remark the same thing! I will say that when I sit it feels like Baby is more on my lap than normal. I'm *praying* Baby Free is making progress...since I will have to be induced by 39 weeks it would be awesome if Baby would be ready to go!

Week 33

How far along? 33 weeks 1 day

Maternity clothes? Umm....yeah.

Sleep? Pretty good. Still tossing and turning and throwing in a bathroom break again. Plus I've started the weird vivid dreams again.

Best moment of the week?

1. Seeing Baby Free again. (Notice I say this every week?!) Even though it was a regular ol' ultrasound (not the level 2 3D ones from the peri) it was still so neat to see our little one. For the 3rd week in a row Baby was playing with their foot. Again, bringing the foot up to the forehead, then grabbing the foot with their hand and playing with it. So super cute. And baby was practice breathing like crazy! Which is quite reassuring!

2. Ringing in the New Year! We had a great group of friends over and we munched on some goodies, chilled in our new basement and watched the ball drop. I'm totally excited for what all 2012 has to offer!

Food cravings? Let's see.... taquitos. You know, the boxed frozen ones from the grocery store? Yeah, I've had a serving like every day...

And fruity drinks. Like orange juice or smoothies.

Gender? The Dr. says one or the other... : )

Belly button in or out? Still in! Barely!

Movement? Oh yeah. More like rolls then definite kicks. It seems where I feel the most movement is where baby's butt is. They must be shiftin all around.

What I miss? Still nothing. Feel very blessed to be in this stage of life!

What I'm looking forward to? Our next baby showers next week! And we get another 3D growth ultrasound in a week and I'm so excited to see baby's face again!

Milestones? Being this far! 33 weeks....a month from full term!!!

On a complete side note.... I am having the most bipolar feelings about labor. *Most* likely this child be induced between 38-39 weeks. That's the typical protocol for diabetic moms. Some days/moments I am so stoked for labor. I'll view it as a rite of passage and am excited to see what my body can do. Then some days/moments I am in an utter panic thinking I can't do it! I am such a wimp and can't handle pain at all! Plus I have crazy anxiety to begin with so just don't know if I can do all this!

But I want my baby here safe so know *something* has to happen to get this child here!

Is this thought process normal?

Any reassuring thoughts? : )

Diapering: Our Plan

So, Mr. Free and I are in no way experts. Obviously.

But we've done our research, and *so far* this is our plan to diaper our little one.

Our goals?

Frugality!

Comfort!

Fashion!

Since I will not be a permanent stay-at-home momma, but will luckily be home with this baby for the first 6 months, we've decided oncloth.

But in returning to work, we know it'd have to be an easy process for our nanny or provider. (Still have to figure that out...so much to do!!!)

So after much research, we decided to go with One Size Pocket Diapers.

One sized pocket diapers are pretty pricey, but will last throughout their diapering days. They grow with the child and fit babies 10-35 lbs.

This was appealing with our teeny house and teeny nursery, to not have 18+ diapers in 4+ sizes to store.

With one sized diapers, you have the option of aplix (velcro) or snaps. While the aplix would probably be most user-friendly, they can wear out over time. The snaps are much more sturdy. So in the name of frugality, snaps won.

Another appeal of the one sized pockets, is the pockets! 'Pocket' refers to the pocket built into the back of the diaper to stuff with inserts.

Most diapers come with 2 inserts. A 'newborn' and 'regular'. BumGenius comes with microfiber inserts, but many rave about the bamboo inserts.

If your baby is a heavy wetter, you can stuff with both inserts. If they aren't and you want a trimmer fit, you can just use one.

I really like how it can be customized for your child.

We have registered at Buy Buy Baby and one thing that sold us on them over Babies R Us is that they carry the BumGenius 4.0's IN STOCK!!! Babies R Us they are online only. I'm hoping to receive a few as presents which would help us with our stash!

In the one sized world, BumGenius is probably king. They are the most widely available and popular.

Our plan is a stash of 18-24. If we have more, the better.

We registered for 18 BumGenius 4.0s at Buy Buy Baby.

We have also heard great things about Sunbabies, Alva Babies and Kawaii's. These Chinese-made diapers are a FRACTION of the cost of BumGenius.

BumGenius one-sized pockets are $17.99/diaper. (Thankfully Buy Buy Baby has their 20% off coupons regularly, making them around $14.50!)

But the Chinese-made selection range from $6-9/diaper and get a range of reviews. Some think they are better than BumGenius, some think not so much. I think a lot of it depends on the shape of your baby and which brand fits the best to control leaks.

Black Friday offered some GREAT deals and I snagged 13 one sized Kawaii's and 3 Bum Genius 4.0's.

We received 2 more BumGenius diapers at my shower, and then scored 4 more Bum Genius diapers on clearance at Cotton Babies during their Seconds Sale. (These diapers supposedly have minor defects, but I have yet to find them!)

So our current stash sits at 21 diapers and have only spent $200!

Since the one-sized usually don't fit babies well until they are 10+ pounds, we decided to just use disposables until they fit versus buying a newborn stash. Since we have no idea what the size of our baby will be, we feel this will be the most frugal choice.

Also, the disposables will give us a chance to segway into parenthood before laundry overload begins.

So...what about laundry?

Most usually wash their diapers every other day. Obviously the more diapers you have, the less laundry you have to do...but for the 'stink factor' I think every other day will be a good rule of thumb.

For laundry, most cloth mamas use wetbags vs. systems like a diaper genie. Wetbags keep the contents inside, but breathe so that there isn't ammonia or stink build up. Most have a home wetbag and a travel wetbag for changing while out and about.

We purchased 3 PlanetWise wetbags as they have great reviews and come in adorable prints. 2 are in the nursery in trash cans for everyday laundry, and 1 travel wetbag in size medium for the diaper bag.

The newborn poops is water-soluble so you don't need to do a thing to prep them.

Once baby is onto solid food, the poop becomes...well...more solid.

That is where a diaper sprayer comes in handy.

We registered for one at Buy Buy Baby and hope to get one.

This sprayer attaches to the water line in the tank of your toilet and hangs on the side of the tank.

When baby has a dirty diaper you can just hold the diaper over the toilet and rinse of what needs rinsing.

Then throw diaper into the pail and wash when its time.

Now with laundry detergent...

You can't use just any laundry detergent as it can cause repelling issues.

Here are the most recommended:

Rockin' Green

Original Tide Powder

Dropps

Charlie's Laundry Soap

or make your own...which is what I plan to do.

In food processor, combine:

1/2 c. Baby Oxyclean

1 c. Borax

1 c. Washing Soda

I've stocked up on Dropps when they were on clearance and registered for lots of Baby OxyClean as I have all the other ingredients for the detergent on hand.

Now...what about wipes?

At first, I planned to stick with disposable wipes. But then... I changed my mind. If we are already doing laundry every other day for the diapers, we might as well have cloth wipes and throw them in with them as well.

BumGenius has their own brand of flannel wipes that we were able to register for at BuyBuyBaby as well. We have received 2 packs of them so far, so that totals at 24 cloth wipes. As far as getting the baby "clean"... you can either just wet the wipe with plain water, or there are a number of homemade "wipe solutions" to clean em up.

What about diaper rash cream?

Well, from what I've read, babies who are cloth diapered experience diaper rash much less than those in disposables.

When you do need to use rash cream, you cannot use traditional creams (desitin, butt paste, etc.) as these will create a waxy layer on the cloth causing the liquid to repel (not good!).

A few types you can use include California Baby (available at Target and Buy Buy Baby) and CJ's BUTTer.

I registered for some California Baby and ordered a few samples of the CJ's.

The CJ's is awesome because it's not JUST diaper cream. It can be used for all sorts of skin ailments and comes in fun flavors! They smell awesome!

Now obviously, we haven't tried this all out yet but I've done lots of research and can't wait to give it a whirl.

The savings is so motivating and the cute little fluffy diapers are inspiring as well.

I will be sure to update you on how the process goes!

Does anyone else cloth diaper or plan to?

I'd love to hear insight!

Goodbye 2011

This morning I've just sat and looked through my blog posts from the last year. What a roller coaster ride!

But I see God's hand in every step.

2011 started with just experiencing my 2nd miscarriage. I was devastated and in a dark place. I had hope though that 2011 would be "our year".

3 months later, we were pregnant again...only to lose that one too.

As hard as all of that was, I felt God gently leading me by the hand for the next part of our journey. Our reproductive endocrinologist fell into our lap. We were able to see him immediately and begin testing.

We quickly began hormone therapy in hopes that would help me carry a baby to term.

And with that first try? It worked.

I was terrified for the testing. Afraid of the pain and afraid of the results. I was afraid to 'try' again only to lose another child.

But I felt this peace that this is where God wants me.

And on June 12, 2011 we learned we were expecting our miracle.

As hard and painful and heartbreaking as that experience was, I have seen God use it several times to help others in just the past year! He has brought several women in my life that are experiencing something similar and I am able to listen, give advice and just understand! And praise the Lord, I have a beautiful miracle to share with them as well.

Mr. Free and I have been so blessed by our little baby that will be here in 6 (or less!) short weeks!

Overall, this pregnancy has been so easy. Our baby is healthy and beautiful.

I never knew if we would be able to be parents, but I'm seeing what God's plan was for us this whole time.

2011 has brought many other blessings as well:

- Mr. Free got a full-time teaching job in the district that he wanted. We both are now full-time teachers! HUGE BLESSING!!!

- God has provided to pay all our medical bills as we underwent fertility testing. I didn't know how we'd afford it, but God made it work!

- With the unexpected medical bills, we were still able to finish our basement. We had to delay the project, but we were able to pay for it every step of the way and now have a great space to fellowship with others.

- With both of us being out of school for the time being (collegiate school that is...) we've been able to spend great quality time together, with our families and with our dear friends.

God has been so good and I am so looking forward to what He has in store for 2012!!!

Weeks 31 & 32

31 weeks 4 days

Christmas Eve

How far along? 32 weeks 1 day

Maternity clothes? Umm....yeah

Sleep? During Week 31 I was getting glorious sleep! Still tossing and turning, but felt SO rested. Now that I've hit Week 32, I've gone back to having a hard time being comfortable. Right when I find a position that my hips feel good, my back hurts. Then right when I find the "sweet spot", Baby starts kicking at the mattress.

Best moment of the week?

1. Christmas!!!

We had a great Christmas with all our families, filled with some quality time, great food and presents of course! It's so fun seeing our twin nieces discover the magic of Christmas. I can't wait for our own little one!

2. My birthday!

I turned 27 today and had a fantastic day. Mr. Free woke me up with some french toast. We then headed to Target to do a little shopping. Then headed to a new restaurant I had wanted to try on the Plaza. I then waddled around the Plaza with him for a few hours and wound up buying the baby a couple of cute things. We finished the evening at a local Italian restaurant that gives you a free meal on your birthday! It's been wonderful! I feel so blessed with where I am at on this birthday and am excited for the next year!

32 weeks, 1 day

My 27th Birthday

Food cravings? Orange juice! And Sonic Sunrise's. Sooo yummy.

Gender? Still don't know...

Belly button in or out? Still in! Barely!

Movement? Like crazy! The nurses always comment during the Non Stress Tests how active of a baby we have! It's hard to think that they still need to grow...I feel like there just isn't room!

What I miss? Still nothing. But I will say, I keep thinking about how I wont be pregnant forever. I'm just so used to it by now, that it blows my mind that eventually I won't be pregnant anymore. That Ill be able to sleep on my tummy and eat deli meat without second thought. So strange.

What I'm looking forward to? It's hitting me that in around 6 weeks we could be meeting our child! I am seriously SO excited for that!!

Milestones? We keep passing our NST's and Biophysical Profiles with flying colors! Baby is quite active and so entertaining to watch during the ultrasounds! This baby LOVES their feet. The last couple ultrasounds, Baby has one foot up by their face and grabbing the other foot with their hand playing with it. It is adorable!

Kick up your feet and stay awhile...

Have I mentioned how much I'm loving our new space?!

For a long time I have wanted a sectional and big ol' ottoman. Our little upstairs living room could no way accomodate the sectional, and we had picked a different coffee table for that space made of glass to help it seem more spacious.

But now that I have my new family room....

I ordered this ottoman off of Walmart.com for just $79. It's nice and big at 4' by 2'. It had 108 reviews all at 5 stars, so I knew I couldn't go wrong! The top is nice and firm so you could set a plate or drink on it without it falling over. But just cushy enough to put your feet up on : )

We figure it will be nice whenever Baby Free starts toddling around, so there isn't a hard edge to hurt themselves on.

Plus I like the way it looks!

So, are you a cushy ottoman or a sturdy coffee table person?

Basement Decorating!

One thing I was really looking forward to in finishing the basement was decorating it!

Our small home was pretty much all decorated, so I was stoked to have another room to decorate!

And since the rest of the house is pretty much beige, we decided to go with a slate pallate downstairs.

We had already moved the furniture in, so I did a little shopping to pick up some accessories to make it a bit more homey.

Target happened to have perfect slate colored pillows to coordinate with the walls. They were $20 for a 2 pack.

The end table, also from Target was $69. I liked the clean lines. I also picked up at Target the glossy white lamp and the white tray. I really like the neutrals and slate with pops of white. Also, picked up the vintage looking wire basket at HomeGoods for just $7.99 to hold our current magazines. But the tray was pretty necessary, so I could easily remove the items on top of the table..

Flip the top over and make it into an ottoman! How cool is that?! Thought for big game nights, it'd be great for extra seating!

I also dressed up the bookcase corner a bit. I found the white boxes on sale at Michaels for $1.99. They will soon hold baby items, like a few extra diapers and wipes for quick changes downstairs. I also nabbed the cute basket in the middle at HomeGoods for $12.99 to hold some of our favorite books. The bookcase is also holding some games for game nights and a nice big basket we already had to hold the soon-to-be overwhelming amount of toys.
I also threw a throw blanket we already had and a pillow to help dress up the hand-me-down recliner.

Love the details of the basket and the pop of white in the boxes!
We definitely needed a back door mat for wiping feet/paws. I loved this mat at Target ($25) since it had the browns and grays in it.

I had seen lots of 'Family Rules' signs on Pinterest and loved the idea. I was browsing Hobby Lobby and stumbled upon this one in the clearance section. It is very sturdy and made of solid wood. Mr. Free said the "Obey Your Parents" should've been the biggest one : )


Also at Target I picked up this Starburst mirror to help break up the long wall. I like the little bit of shimmer it adds.


We also picked up at Costco a pet bed for our pooches. They are NOT allowed on the furniture downstairs so figured they needed a comfy spot to lounge too.


Mr. Free also got the surround sound all rigged up this weekend and it is AWESOME!




Since our lives are going to change in approximately 8 weeks, and we will become much more of homebodies then we ever have been, I am so thankful for this space to be able to watch movies and play with Baby Free and not feel so crammed.

Our home is 900 square feet but the addition of the family room makes our home now 1400 square feet of living space. We keep commenting on how huge our home feels now! : )

Thanks for looking around. We absolutely love the space and plan to just veg down there for the month of January while we wait for Little One!