27 weeks...

Here is my new video update, nothing exciting, just blabbing away about nothing...lol...just felt like talking ha ha ha...enjoy it!

correction- 26 week update!

So here is the quick video of my 26 week update along with some pictures!  I am completely exhausted and have much more to blog later but for now, enjoy!

26 week bare belly!

26 weeks!

26 weeks!

25 weeks at my friend's wedding!

23 weeks, Boy or Girl, Midwives, VBAC, descending placenta, nesting and...

So I'm now officially 23 weeks, just about the 6 month mark and it's still shocking to me that I am totally preggo, lol.  So much to look forward to and so much to update...

I went back to my follow-up ultrasound to check on my placenta previa condition and it seems that it is "descending" instead of ascending and hasn't yet migrated upward.  3 weeks ago, it was sitting low and near the opening of the cervix and yesterday, it slipped down even lower and is now covering the cervix completely.  Such a stubborn placenta I have lol....so I am due back in 5 weeks for another ultrasound to see if there is any progress...upward.  Gregg jokingly said that maybe I need to help it along but laying upside down and maybe the gravitational force will move it along...lol...who knows...I may do it...why not? lol.

Luckily at this same appointment, I was able to request a new ultrasound tech to confirm the gender of the baby and she gave me a full panoramic view from every possible angle and it's quite clear what I'll be having.  I won't be sharing the news of the gender as of yet, but I will say that my baby is NOT shy!  Talk about being open and proud lol.  My daughter Vanessa was very shy and modest when we tried to find out at our 20 week scan...her legs stayed crossed no matter what our attempts were to figure it out..it never happened and we got our surprise the day she was born!  So stay tuned as I will update w/the news of my bambino/bambina.

I also met w/a Mid-wife, NOT NURSE Mid-wife, just a mid-wife that specializes in home births and holistic approaches to laboring and caring for you from beginning to end in pregnancy.  She was super cool and quite nice and I rather liked her alot.  I'm just not sure if I am ready to have her take care of me exclusively and foregoing not seeing my actual medical doctor so I have to sit and think it over a bit...but I love the idea of a home birth and am considering doing a VBAC since Vanessa was born via c-section due to her being breech.

I am still scheduled for a repeat c-section for December 30th, 2011 but if I go early and naturally before that date, I will attempt a VBAC and am hoping to be in the birthing suite at the hospital so that I can include close friends and family in my birthing.  I may elect to hire a doula...not sure for labor or postpartum or both...not sure that I'd need it although, I know they are so helpful and really help to relieve stress during this process.

I'm nesting in a major way and now that we officially know what we're having, it makes it alot easier for me to do my crafts and get things ready for the baby.

Anyways, this is the short version, lol, of my update...just enough to fill you in!  I have a video update that I will attach later...until then, have a great weekend and stay tuned!

Elise_Is_PG

Thanks Pam!

Another fellow IVF mom posted this cartoon on her blog and I just had to keep the ball rolling...it is definitely how we all feel about having a baby and the process of IVF just truly...is like the icing on the cake!

Video Update

20 weeks, wacky ultrasound, and trying to get my baby essentials...

Customizedgal.com was having a sale for $12 so I got this tank top made for when I went to the ultrasound!
Super cute and I am so proud to wear it out and show off my belly :)

So it's been about 2 weeks since my last post.  ALOT has happened since then.  I can't believe the summer will soon be over and we've only gone to the shore, TWICE!!!  So weird as this has been my routine for almost the last 7 years, it was surreal to be HOME on the weekends during the summer, lol.  We've managed to get alot done, which is great for preparing for the baby so I am very thankful to have had the time to do what I normally don't get to do.

I had my 20 week ultrasound/anatomy scan yesterday and both Gregg and Vanessa were there for the "event!'...although our ultrasound tech was not so friendly nor did she have a nice "bedside" manner so she really didn't seem to care either way about us finding out the sex of the baby and her answer wasn't very definitive either...everything in terms of development looked GREAT and we are still left w/the question of what the gender is ...unanswered...she said it "could" be a girl, but didn't really try to show us via the scan what she was looking at that made her think so...nor did she get the doctor to confirm it...she was quite passe about it which really actually, pissed me off.  I totally get they can never guarantee it yet she really wasn't helpful. 

I do have to return in 3 weeks for a follow up as my placenta placement is unsually low and close to the opening of the cervix so they want to ensure that it starts to move up into my uterus and doesn't end up covering up the cervix opening altogether.  This condition is known as Placenta Previa which is often occurs in early/mid pregnancy but should fix itself as you progress, but if it doesn't, it could potentially end up in pre-term delivery and a mandatory c-section, which in terms of the c-section is fine as I am already scheduled for a repeat one anyways...so I have to be mindful of what I'm doing to avoid any further "descent" of my placenta.  I wasn't really instructed to do anything different nor was I given any restrictions, yet I still want to be mindful of what I am doing and how I am going about my day-to-day.

20 week belly!  My face is...getting...FAT, lol.

Profile scan of Bambino/a Davis at 20 weeks!

Vanessa is all ready to be a Big Sister, yey!!!
My girlfriend, Chantille had this shirt made for Vanessa as soon as she found out I was pg!  On the back it says "Vanessa 11" since Vanessa is 11 yrs old and how fitting, it is also 2011--so it works, lol.

In nesting and getting ready for the baby...I've been religiously scrubbing craigslist and my mommy group list on Yahoo for great finds and deals for myself and the baby.  I recently got an Advanced Pump In Style Medela Electric Breast Pump valued at $379.00 for ONLY $50 and got ALOT of accessories included w/it as well, so I am VERY happy!  I just bought new tubing since that is the part you can't clean from a previous owner as well as sanitized and cleaned all the parts in my dishwasher.  The same mom gave me an extra Graco Snugride carseat and base for FREE and I doublechecked it for recalls or for anything faulty and it was A-ok!!!  I was also able to score another Graco Snugride carseat and base (prices range online from $79.00 and up) and a Baby Trendz Snap and Go Stroller (prices range $50-65.00)...They were both only 2 years old and I got both for a total of $40!!!!  So needless to say, I am really happy that I now have a carseat for each car so Gregg and I will always be able to pick up the baby without wondering who has the car seat last and w/the lightweight snap and go stroller, I should have no trouble gettin' around...

Many of my mommy friends that have toddler-aged kids have volunteered their baby clothes and some of their baby essentials to me for FREE so I will have to pick through everything when it gets closer or maybe after the baby is born since I don't know yet if I'm having a boy or girl...so we shall see.  If I have a girl, it will be kinda sweet since I still have alot of Vanessa's clothes from 11 years ago!!!  And her stuff was so cute and will still be "in style" for the baby so that will be nice that the baby can wear some of her sister's clothes...but for now, it is going to be a surprise! :)

Also, I have been debating for awhile now if I would actually need a crib and changing table...I just hate adding more furniture to our house so I am unsure...yet I recently saw the CUTEST crib bedding that I absolutely love!  It is a bit pricey so I am searching sites and etsy.com for similar fabrics to see if I could attempt making the bedding myself....which I am sure will be an undertaking since I am a novice sewer...but I'm up for the challenge if need be.  I am still debating...and will see how I end up...but for now, my plan was to use a pack and play that comes w/a cozy sleeper bassinet attachment and converting an existing dresser I have into the changing table area...But here is a pic of the bedding I fell in love with, I really love it, especially since it's gender neutral and I can use it for subsequent kids...

As I am thinking up sewing and knitting ideas for Vanessa and I to do to prep for the baby, I am also excited about the baby shower and just getting together w/all of my friends to celebrate our soon to be arriving baby in late December or early January.  I am really hoping to have the baby before Christmas, but whatever God's plan is, I will follow it as long as the baby is doing well and healthy. 

I don't have much else to report for now, but will follow up as soon as I get more info in 3 weeks from my follow up ultrasound about the placenta previa and maybe then, I can get a 2nd opinion on what the gender of the baby is...but until then, happy nurturing and enjoying the last few weeks of summer!

Love Always!

Elise_Is_PG

18 weeks and cloth diapering updates!

...So tomorrow I will be officially 8 weeks and am so excited that I am almost "halfway" through my pregnancy already, yey!!!  I have my OB appointment tomorrow and then I have my anatomy scan in 2 weeks and I am so excited, I can't wait!  Here are my 18-week belly pix:



...And here is the quick 5-minute video blog on my update and how I'm feeling:

So I finally got my "fluffy mail" and have my "starter" stash of cloth diapers.  I still need to get things like my diaper pail, wet bags, wipes, diaper sprayer and things like that but I registered for some of them and may end up purchasing some when it gets closer to my due date.  For now I have the following items:

One dozen Cloth EEZ brand unbleached indian NEWBORN size prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers.
This is BEFORE I prepped them.

The varying inserts that came w/my cloth diapers.
These have NOT been prepped yet.



Top to bottom- Left to right: Bum Genius 4.0, Kawaii
Fuzzibunz OS, Best Bottoms OS Shell, Tweedlebugs OS
Bum Genius Flip OS Cover, Happy Heiny's OS
Grovia AIO newborn, Bummis Super Lite Cover, Fuzzibunz XS newborn, Bummis Super Brite Cover.

...To prep my diapers, I bought a sample of Rockin' Green detergent to use and to try out.  The scent is very clean and mild and I am currently researching other cloth diaper friendly detergents for my diapers as well.  There are some mainstream detergents that are acceptable to use for both your laundry and cloth diapers, but I am feeling compelled to use a separate one for my cloth diapers yet there can be conflicts w/doing that as residue from your existing detergent can always potentially get into your cloth diapers...so..I am still researching my options and will let you know what I end up doing.

...I prepped my diapers in 2 separate loads.  I did all the diapers, covers and inserts in one load and then hung them to dry with a short fluff cycle on low heat for 10 minutes.  I did the prefolds separately with some bath towels and dried them in the dryer on high heat.  I use wool dryer balls in my dryer and that definitely helps cut the drying time down alot so I am glad I bought them for that reason!

...I have an LG stackable front loading HE washer and dryer and the washer senses the size of the load and adjusts the water accordingly and the dryer senses the size and moisture and adjusts the drying time accordingly...very cool and efficient.

...For the first time in prepping my diapers, I did a cold rinse cycle with no detergent.  Then I did a normal load with one teaspoon of the rockin' green detergent on hot wash, cold rinse.  This is what  I will continue to do to prep my diapers.  The suggestion is to do this at least 5-6 times BEFORE the first initial use of the diapers and if possible, a dozen times before....this only counts for the actual INSERTS and PREFOLDS.  The actual diapers themselves and covers do NOT need to be prepped this way...when in doubt, just follow the manufacturer's instructions in washing and prepping  your diapers.  I am only going to prep my diapers once a week for the next 10 weeks since I didn't feel like spending all day or half the day doing consecutive loads to prep the diapers...so will take my time over the next few months to do so.

I am sure once I am actually using the diapers and have actual soiled diapers, my routine and cycle will be different and I will be sure to update what I am doing at that point, but for now I am only prepping them.


...I am really excited that I get to go to a brick and mortar cloth diaper store tomorrow!  It's called Green Family Living and her website is Diaperware.  She is only about 20 minutes from me and I'm just tickled to be able to go there to check everything out so I can gain some perspective before making my next few purchases, yey!

Well I hope this has been informative for you all.  I will be sure to update on my anatomy scan and everything else over the next few weeks.  It's still so surreal yet fabulous all at the same time.

Until my next post, take care and have a great weekend everyone!

Elise_Is_PG