18 Weeks and Counting

Last Saturday (1/30), I hit the 18-week mark. Baby Meadows is now the size of a sweet potato. The only problem? My Grandpa grows these amazing sweet potatoes that are the same size as a Nerf football, so I don’t have a very good sense of how big an average sweet potato actually is!

I am starting to show a little bit. I’m thankful I’ve felt good enough to work out several times a week. It’s snowy and dreary here, and I believe the sweat sessions are helping counteract the caloric damage that’s been done by all the winter-weather-induced baking.

I’ve continued researching all the new fangled cloth diapers as well as nursery decor and birthing methods. I don’t even like to take medicine when I have a headache, so I really want to do this birth as natural as possible. I’m reading two fantastic books right now that are really specific on things you can do to make labor go more smoothly (positioning, different types of breathing, movement, mantras, etc.) The Big Book of Birth by Erica Lyon is full of practical advice without being too “hippie-ish”. It gives suggestions on what to look for during early labor, when to head to the hospital, etc.

And, because I think “hippies” know better than doctors do sometimes (ESPECIALLY in regards to low-risk pregnancy and birth…a natural thing, NOT a medical ‘condition’), I’ve really enjoyed reading Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin. Gaskin is a midwife in Tennessee and has delivered thousands of babies. She’s studied what makes a woman progress in labor and what sets her back. She even has a drug- and surgery-free technique for helping babies get unstuck in the birth canal…named the “Gaskin Maneuver” after her. Her book is incredibly helpful, especially for someone wanting to do a natural birth.

The best advice I’ve gotten during this pregnancy is “Get educated“. There are so many options out there, and so many things we are told are ‘normal’, especially in regards to a hospital birth. Me? I want to know what my choices truly are so I can stand up for myself, my beliefs, and my baby. Isn’t that what being a parent is about: doing what’s best for your children?

How about you? What’s the best thing you learned during your pregnancy or in the early days of parenthood? I’d love to hear from you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What I’ve read in baby books and magazines is true: there are a handful of questions everyone asks the minute they learn you are pregnant. So…here are some of the ones I’ve been asked the most, as well as my response:

When are you due?
July 3rd, 2010. Though only about 4% of babies arrive on their due date. They aren’t library books, people. My mom thinks I’ll deliver early, Andrew’s mom thinks I may go late. I just hope it’s not too close to the 4th of July, for fear that my doc will be at the lake, eating hot dogs and shooting off fireworks.

Where are you having the baby/Who’s your doctor?
I’ve been going to Dr. Susan Chambers’ OB/GYN practice for over a year now. She works for Lakeside Women’s Hospital: a doctor-owned and operated facility that is run by females only. It’s fantastic and Dr. Chambers is wonderful.

Was this pregnancy planned?
Not that that’s any of your business, but yes. We started our marriage with a one year plan, but changed our minds after spending time with my cousin’s little girls in NYC. I stopped taking the Pill and was pregnant 10 days later. Good thing we knew we were ready!

Are you going to find out what you are having?
Nope. We could find out in February when I have my next ultrasound, but I think finding out spoils all the fun. It’d be like opening your birthday present several months early and then wrapping it back up until your birthday. I’d rather be surprised! That, and our family likes to guess the gender and the actual date of arrival…closest guess gets to hold the baby first after us!

Have you thought of names?
Yes, and we aren’t telling. For one, they aren’t set in stone. For two, I don’t want to jinx them by giving people the opportunity to comment on them before baby is even born. For three, surprises are fun!

Have you started buying baby stuff?
No. Sure, I’ve researched cloth diapers and the like (so far I like Fuzzi Bunz the best), but we’ve got so many hand-me-downs coming our way that it would be silly to start spending money now. My mom even saved my own crib from 27 years ago, and I am so excited for my baby to sleep in it, too! That said, my sister Arica did buy me an entire Baby Gap outfit. Very cute. Just because we’re not shopping yet doesn’t mean you have to refrain if you feel so inclined. That, and we’ll be moving in the spring, so we’re trying not to acquire any more stuff until after we move!

How many grandchildren does this make for your parents?
This baby will be my parents’ first and Andrew’s parents’ 8th. For my mom’s parents, this will be their first great-grand. For my dad’s mom, this will be her third great-grand. For Andrew’s grandparents, this will be their 8th great-grand.

What do the girls (Sierra and Mesa) think?
They are really excited. Mesa is hoping for a girl and Sierra is hoping for a boy (last time they mentioned it). When they come stay with us, they always ask me how big the baby is and what’s changed. We’ve all been delighted to learn all about how God knits us together…for instance, did you know babies have fingerprints by the 13th week of pregnancy?! Amazing. Last week, we looked online for videos of babies kicking…we all agreed that it looked a lot like aliens. It’s exciting that they are so happy about the baby. They will be terrific helpers and big sisters. I also think it’s fun to note that when Baby arrives, the girls will be the same ages [11 and 8] as me and Arica were when our sister Allison was born!

Will your baby grow up to be a cowboy (or cowgirl)?
I tend to think Willie Nelson’s advice was pretty sound (“Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys”), but our kid can be anything he/she wants to be as long as they’re not causing any harm. We certainly aren’t going to push them to be something or do things they have no interest in. The most successful people in this world are successful because they are passionate about what they do. That’s all we want for our kids: a passion that moves them towards positive actions.

Can I touch your stomach?
Only if I can touch yours. What do you mean, ‘that’s weird’? Why isn’t it weird to touch a pregnant lady’s?!

Weeks 12-15

For those of you who have been waiting for an update, I’m sorry it’s been so long since I last blogged.

At 12 weeks, I still wasn’t looking much different:

No real bump to speak of or anything. Which makes sense, considering that at 12 weeks, a fetus is only the size of a plum.

At 15.5 weeks today with a fetus the size of a naval orange, I’m still not showing much, but more than I was a few weeks ago:

I’ve been very diligent about going to the gym several times a week. It helps that Andrew will be running in the 10th annual OKC Memorial Marathon and has become more focused on his training and workouts. When he goes, I go, with a few rare exceptions. I’m glad we have each other and that getting fit is something we enjoy doing together.

I’ve also experimented with some classes at the YMCA. In the past week, in addition to my regular weights-and-treadmill/stationary bike routine, I have taken yoga once and deep water aerobics once. I even made a friend in water aerobics! Her name is Megan and she’s like me–in the sense that she’s also pregnant and is the only other class attender under the age of 60. Ha!

It was a great workout…and I’m in need of a new swimsuit for sure! Apparently, even though my tummy doesn’t look much different, other bumps of mine are growing! And pregnancy aside, I’ll admit the thought of shopping for a swimsuit in January makes me feel a little funny.

So far things are progressing well. My doctor always comments on how healthy I am, and how she’s fairly confident that this pregnancy will be an easy one for me if I just keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve been doing lots of research on midwives, and that’s a path I am very interested in, though probably not this time around. Want to make sure everything progresses normally all the way through to the end. If that’s the case, then I’ll midwife-shop the next time around.

I’ve finished the book “Your Best Birth” and watched the film “The Business of Being Born”. Some of the statistics are shocking! Made me think of how much my mom dislikes doctors. Man, this movie would make her FUME! (I’ll tell you all about it sometime, Mom.)

Erin and Jon (Andrew’s sister and brother-in-law) are getting closer and closer to having their new home finished. Once it’s done, we’ll move in to their current house and rent out our house in town. I’ve never moved while being 7 months pregnant, so I’m looking forward to letting everyone else do the heavy lifting.

Brahm’s Lullaby

Today my nephew Logan is 7 weeks old. He’s recently started smiling and yesterday while we were hanging out, I learned that he thinks Brahm’s Lullaby is pretty funny.

It’s a good thing I’m already pregnant…I can hardly wait to have a little one of my own!! Just 7 more months to go!!

From Eight to Ten

The Monday before Thanksgiving, I had a viability ultrasound to make sure everything was progressing normally with my pregnancy. Andrew was able to come with me, and we were so excited to get a peek at our little bean. The imaging center sent home a cd with some shots from our visit. Here’s Baby Meadows’s first photograph (at 8 weeks):

It’s hard to make out but his/her head is to the left (centered right under the word “baby”) and that black spot is an eye. Below the head is a little arm sprout. Though it isn’t noticeable in a still photo, we were able to see Baby’s little heart fluttering.

As of today, I am 10 weeks along. It’s AMAZING how quickly a fetus develops. Here’s an excerpt from babycenter.com telling what changes are happening this week:

Though he’s barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He’s swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they’ll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you’d spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby’s limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby’s forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he’s about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Isn’t that just amazing?! Fingernails, organs, the ability to kick…and Baby is just the size of a kumquat (which I think is an odd choice, mostly because I’ve never seen an actual kumquat and therefore it’s not a helpful size comparison for me.)

I met with my doctor on Monday. She used the Doppler and I actually got to hear the baby’s heartbeat. It was so wild!! I was sad Andrew missed it, but we didn’t know that was even going to happen or I’m sure he would’ve tried to be there.

So far, I haven’t gained any weight at all, but I know it’s coming sooner or later, as it’s inevitable, especially when the baby starts doubling in size every week!

The doc told me that because ultrasounds can be up to a week off, we’re going to be calculating my due date based on the date of my last cycle…soooo…that means we’re back to July 3rd. Honestly, I think the specificity is silly, considering only 5% of babies are actually born on their due dates anyway. Baby Meadows will take his/her sweet time in arriving, whether it’s June 30th or July 1 or July 12.

Until then we will wait patiently for his/her arrival.

Onesies, Twosies, Threesies

What’s the best way to tell your family you are going to have a baby? A present!

I created little baby tees to break the news to Andrew’s parents, my immediate family, and Andrew’s 10- and 7-year-old daughters.

For Andrew’s parents, the onesie read

While the one for my parents said

For Sierra and Mesa’s surprise, I got some embroidery advice from my friends Emily and Mandy, both of whom helped me with my project without ever once asking what it was for. Once I’d practiced on some scrap fabric of Mandy’s, I went home and stitched the actual piece:

Not bad for my first attempt at the back-stitch, huh?

Telling everyone was so fun. It was amazing to see the range of emotion…some teared up, some screamed, and some were speechless. I love the variety and I know that will all the different personalities in our families, our baby will truly get the best of both worlds!

Wowie!!

GUESS WHAT’S NEW?!

Several weeks ago, Andrew and I learned that we were expecting!! We’ve kept mum for quite a while, because we wanted to be able to tell our families in person before spilling the news to anyone else. And since my immediate family is in Nebraska, it’s not like we could just show up unannounced without raising suspicions. So, even though we found out in late October, we kept quiet until Thanksgiving.

But now word is out and we’re so excited to be able to tell everyone!

Baby Meadows will be arriving sometime around the 4th of July…our little firecracker!

Andrew and I are so excited! This will be his parents’ 8th grandchild and my parents’ 1st. And, as the oldest grandchild on my mom’s side, this baby will be the 1st GREAT-grandchild for my mom’s parents and my Grandma Z’s 3rd great-grand. So fun!

For those of you in the family that weren’t around to hear our announcement in person, we look forward to seeing you at Christmas! And Aunt Alysa: we’ll take the crib and baby stuff you were trying to pawn off on us this past summer. We’re ready for it now.

Stay tuned to hear how we broke the news to our parents and our sweet Sierra and Mesa, our baby’s big sisters.

Happenings

It’s been months since I’ve blogged. And those months have been filled with some busy, crazy, fun days and weeks. Here’s a photo recap of the last few months:

I’ve always had warm-fuzzies about porch swings…probably due to fond childhood memories. So guess what my sweet husband Andrew got me for my birthday?!

Andrew’s sister Anna got married in August and I was honored to be a bridesmaid…that’s me on the right end. The blonds are her sisters and the brunettes, her sisters-in-law

To celebrate my birthday, I invited a handful of friends to Wig Out with me and go sing karaoke. I kept up my Brooklyn-based punk rocker persona all night. F-U-N.

My amazing husband competed in several races this summer, including the Hillapalooza Triathlon. This was his first competitive swim, and he did an AWESOME job!! Woo woo!

I resigned my position as Graphic Designer for LifeChurch.tv and said goodbye to the Bling team on August 19th.

The day I quit my job, Andrew and I headed to Destin, Florida with his parents and teenage bros for a week on the beach! While there, we learned to Yolo board.

For Andrew’s birthday in September, we spent a week schlepping around NYC and seeing all the sites we could cram in. My poor cowboy was ready to come home after about 4 days! This is us on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Andrew was the Best Man in his friend Kerry’s wedding in Kansas. Yes, brown tuxes. They turned out to be pretty snazzy! And what’s NOT to love about a man in a tux?!

We lost our dog Buster in August, so when we heard about some Blue Heeler puppies for sale, Andrew made the decision to adopt Bullet.

I became a redhead!

Many hours spent raking leaves at Andrew’s parents’ house led to some really fun times with my nephews. Here’s me and Will taking a leap.

Andrew’s sister Erin had her third son on October 28th. She’s such a great mom and had an awesome, easy delivery.

I got to meet Ree Drummond, a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman. Ree is one of my blogging hereos and one of the greatest people you could ever hope to meet. She’s funny and smart and talented and SO modest. And don’t we just look like we could be related?

I’ve also been going gang-busters to work my way through an entire cupcake cookbook (a la “Julie & Julia”)

And I’ve also been making lots of handmade books and journals for people. Love doing that!

I think that just about brings you up to speed…what did you do this summer/fall?

Du Draper!

As I mentioned in my last post, Andrew was scheduled to compete in a duathlon yesterday. May I just say that my handsome husband did an AWESOME job!! Here’s a photo recap of the event.
Airing up the tires

Right in the thick of the pack of runners…starting the first 5k run.

Coming in from the first run…looking strong!

Getting ready to start the 24k bike portion…gearing up.

SWEATY!

Rounding the final bend near the end of the bike race.

Hopping off the bike to begin the second 5k run!

After running the second 5k, Andrew finishes strong!

His final time.

GREAT job, baby! I’m SO PROUD of you!!

July Update

Well…we’re still waiting to get our photos back from our professional photographer. I guess that’s what we get for getting married at the height of wedding season!

In the meantime, here’s a brief run-down of what’s been happening in our lives:

*The girls’ rodeo season is in full swing. In fact, tonight Sierra is competing in barrel racing and poles and Mesa is doing barrel racing, poles, AND riding a sheep (I’m sure there’s a rodeo term for it, but I’m not knowledgeable yet!)

*Andrew joined the OKC Triathlon Club and is competing in his first-ever duathlon this Sunday. He’ll run (5k), bike (24k), and run (5k). I’m excited to watch him compete (I’ll be the one taking pictures!)

*I’m working on building my cake and book business. Check out my most recent posts at Z as in Zebra.

*I’ve been meeting with my friend Mikie for accountability in terms of wellness, making good eating choices, exercise, and healthy weight, as well as the mental/emotional/spiritual sides to all of the above. She’s doing incredibly well and I’m blessed to witness her transformation!

*Andrew has been running the family business for a few months now. Business is going well, but he and his brothers are getting so fast, most days end early. If you need window washing, power washing, or welding, call them!

*My artsy friend Mandy and I have been encouraging one another to live more creatively. Not only during ‘official’ art-making times, but just in general. She defines it perfectly here.

*I’m starting a 12-week study called The Artist’s Way with a small group of friends. Week One begins this Sunday!

What have YOU been up to?!