minimalist hospital stay

Posted on 10.21.2013 by sarah

I thought I did the hospital stay right! Didn’t pack too much and used almost everything!

Here’s my list, plus some items I wish I would have packed.

Personal (think classic travel toiletries)

Shampoo/Conditioner
Face wash
Face lotion
Lip balm
Dry Shampoo
Make-up
Deoderant
Glasses/Contacts
Medium overnight absorbent pad. The hospital provides these, too.
Ponytail holder
Medula lanolin cream

Clothing – The delivery and first day, I just wore what the hospital provided. This was a gown and panties. Considering how much you sweat those first nights, it was nice just to use the hospital items. Each day they would change the sheets, too.

2 Gap V-neck maternity tees – put this over a cami during the day.
3 Nursing camis – great, easy access sleepwear. I love these even now.
Nursing bra
1 Comfortable pants/shorts – I bought Gap Body cropped pants which worked great.
1 Comfortable outfit to go home. Think early maternity.
Flip-Flops – I wore these (one less item to pack) to the hospital and they were great to walk the halls with.
3 pairs of underwear 2 sizes bigger than your usual.

Other – We paid an upgrade fee so our room was a little bigger and included a roll-away bed for the hubs, pillow/sheets for him, stocked refrigerator (water, juice, yogurt), snacks (granola bars, cereal, fruit), mini-shampoo/conditioner/soap, and hair dryer. Think hotel amenities. Check with your hospital to see what they provide to help minimize what you have to bring! Plus we had room services.

Photo ID & Insurance Card
Hospital Registration Papers
Camera + charger
Phone + charger – I wrote my notes on my phone and had a book on my phone.
Baby Book – The nursery nurse put Jack’s hands and footprints in the book! Too cute!
Snacks for you and your hubs
The hospital provided a big water jug for me that I had the nurses refill hourly! I was SO SO thirsty!

Baby Items – Jack was swaddled and in hospital diapers the entire stay. They gave us a pack of diapers, wipes, a zipper swaddle blanket, thermometer, and enema bulb when we went home.

Swaddle blanket
A going home outfit
Infant Carrier (remember to put the base in the car prior to delivery!)
Socks

Items that are on most lists that I wouldn’t (don’t need to) bring…

Boppy – I used hospital pillows to prop Jack up. It worked great.
Robe – I was really warm (sweaty even) my entire stay, so a cami or t-shirt and cropped pants worked great.
Computer – (slept most of the time or chatted with the hubs/guest and just used my phone), plus Back to the Future Trilogy was on during my stay! Bonus! ;)
Nursing pads – Your milk doesn’t usually come in when you’re in the hospital. I didn’t need mine until I was home.
Curling iron – I just didn’t use it.
Emory Board – The nurses don’t cut your baby’s nails, and I didn’t either. It wasn’t until Jack’s first bath at home.

I wish all those mommies-to-be the best of luck!! Remember, you will always have friends, family, and nurses around to get you anything you need or forgot, so don’t worry too much about the packing!! Get all the rest you can and have tissues close, there will be lots of happy tears!

belly project part II

Posted on 7.08.2013 by sarah

Just growing that baby over here! I cannot believe it, but I’ve hit my last trimester and am already considered full-term, that was at 34 weeks! I know I still have 4 weeks left but with all the uncertainty about me making to the Big 4-0 weeks, I wanted to get these photos up!

Week 21 – 36 have been a little more challenging than the first twenty, but still I have yet to complain (whole-heartedly) about this pregnancy process. A couple weeks ago, I finally had to stop trying to lay on my stomach to sleep (my preferred position prior to pregnancy), and I invested in a wedge pillow which has been awesome! I suggest it to all pregos! Then, while traveling to Pittsburgh to see a friend, I had my first experience with swelling! Cankles! It was super weird to have big ankles/feet/lower legs, but luckily it all went away when I was back on the ground in Texas. But they sprouted up again at Week 33. They look bigger to me but most wouldn’t notice, thank goodness.

Here’s Weeks 21 – 36. As usual most of my pictures were taken by my iPhone! It was just easier than having the hubs take them, but I did get into my t-shirt a couple times, too! It’s funny, before this experience, I felt bad for friends that would post their own pregnancy photos taken by themselves; now, I just realize it isn’t sad, it’s just more convenient… maybe I’ll invest in a tripod?

Otherwise, life is good, baby is good, and BIG, and we’re just getting really excited about his arrival which could be less than 2-3 weeks away, if the doctor has anything to do with it! Crazy! Oh, and I’ve been addicted to chocolate shakes or chocolate milk before bed… Justified by helping with my acid reflux! It works like a charm and yes, I recommend it to all my pregos out there!!

Happy Summer, Friends!

the benefits of measuring big

Posted on 7.03.2013 by sarah

Baby Boy’s Profile

Since my 26 week appointment, my belly measurements have been on the “large size”. Luckily, I’m tall, and I don’t think most people notice that at 26 weeks, I was measuring 32 weeks! And at our 34 week appointment, I was measuring 40 weeks. That being said, my OB is slightly concerned about the status of our bambino’s accelerated growth pattern. I’m consistently measuring big, and I don’t have any other risks for a big bambino, plus being tall, I should ultimately be measuring smaller than bigger. It may just be the way I like to carry my babies. Front and center, so there’s no mistaking I’m pregnant or there may be a bigger than gestational age baby in there (OB’s concern).

That brings me to the benefit of measuring big! I was ordered to get another sonogram last Monday to make sure he wasn’t already 9 pounds with 6 weeks to go! We were just excited to have another sneak peak at our baby boy! We (as always) got to walk away with a couple prints and a DVD of our bambino’s acrobatic performance.

Nose, lip, chin, and a part of a hand.

Opening his mouth… practicing his swallowing/breathing.

As we recently found out, he is measuring big! Proportionately big, but big nonetheless. At 34 weeks, he’s already 6 – 6 1/2 pounds and considered full-term! At this point he gains about 1/2 pound a week making him 9 or 10 pounds (breathe, Sarah) if we go the full 40 weeks… The doctor did indicate this means a semi-early arrival, if I want any chance of a natural delivery. Maybe he doesn’t want to share the month of August with his mom and dad? Maybe he wants mom and dad to realize the joys of unscheduled things to come? We’ll keep you posted!

Otherwise, this little guy did not want his photo taken! His hands were covering his face or he was sucking on his fingers or he was moving so much the doctor (the sonographer wasn’t available which didn’t help) couldn’t take the correct measurements! So, the pictures we have look more like globs throughout this post than baby, but we’ll try again in 3 weeks! We did find out he does have some hair on his head, and he’s practicing his breathing and swallowing, which is a wonderful sign of a healthy baby getting ready for the real world! It just makes me more excited to see this little guy in person and hold him in my arms! We cannot wait for his real debut!

3D image of his face. right arm across his forehead and left hand is in his mouth .

gender specific

Posted on 4.03.2013 by sarah

This post is a little later than the actual news because we’ve been parading the news to family and friends! But ladies and gentlemen the wait is over. We have a verdict!

Above is my histotech’s comments after our whole staff ran into the break room to find out what color my cupcakes were for the office! They were blue and green… I bought yellow and white cake mix and mixed in blue food coloring. I figured green was still on the boyish-side but apparently alien or smurf is all anyone could think about! I heart my coworkers!

Unfortunately, with a few tears on my part, we just FaceTimed our families instead of sending them a gender specific cake or cupcakes. Yes, tears. I really wanted to do something more special but understand everyones desire to know *now*. Plus, the proximity of sending something would have taken days and by then one or more of my family members (not saying which ones) would have had a stroke or heart attack. I didn’t want that on my shoulders. Maybe for baby #2.

Our sonogram was pretty awesome and I wanted you all to share in the little bean’s movements … they gave us a CD of the whole thing; below is a tidbit of the video and around 1:29, you can see the technician pointing at an extra appendage on our now known little man. Warning: the kid’s skin at this age is translucent so he can look kinda creepy when he’s looking straight up at us… Then again, I think 3D ultrasounds are creepy, too. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The husband and I had a little insight that our bean was a boy. On our 12 week ultrasound the doctor gave us a 95% odds I was carrying a boy, and after the little guy flipped again he said nope, now 98% odds. But it was so much fun seeing him kick and swim around again. We needed this confirmation that our baby was a boy!

I first thought finding out early was kind of selling out or opening our Christmas present early, but I have no regrets. The memory of finding out that day will stick with me forever. The image (half scared/half joy and excitement) when I look over to my husband, as the technician said “it’s a boy!,” was pretty priceless. Plus, a new bond has started with a little boy growing in my belly, and it’s so fun to think of him as a little boy not a just a baby. Even this morning as Otis (our pug) raced off the bed barking, the little man in my stomach started to kick frantically. I laughed at the joys this little guy will have with our dogs and what fun times there are ahead for us all.

belly project

Posted on 3.25.2013 by sarah

Hi Friends! I’m back from my own spring break week of R&R goodness but don’t think I haven’t been thinking about my blog! I’m excited to share with you all the projects I’ve been working on around the house and share my newest milestone of making it to Week 21 in my pregnancy! That’s more than half way! Yay!

When people ask how I’m doing or how my day was, I always respond… Well, besides growing a baby (or making life), I…. It’s fun, makes people laugh, and it’s pretty dang cool to be a woman! Here’s the first half of my belly photos. I’m loving this process. Yes, at times I asked myself is this “baby” growth or my new found love of ice cream and jelly beans; either way I don’t care. All I want is a healthy baby, and I can take care of the details after the birth!

I found it kind of tedious to put on this shirt (which doesn’t do my bump justice), and make the hubs take pictures, so I started snapping pictures in my own gear with or without the hubs! In the picture below, he offered but I said I got it! He he.

15 weeks

17 weeks

19 weeks

20 weeks

21 weeks

So, there you have it! My first 21 weeks have been a breeze. A big Thank You to the women in my family before me for the good pregnancy genetics. Here’s to 19 or 20 more weeks! I already have my prediction on the due date! Ha ha.

spaghetti on bath night

Tag Archives: pregnancy