Well, here we are. For this entire pregnancy, I have been receiving weekly e-mails from Babycenter.com, which tell me how many more days I have left to go. I remember when the number was in the 200s. Today, it's 4. Wow. Four days left.
So, here's an update...bascially, not a whole lot is happening. Without going into too much detail, this little guy seems to be perfectly happy with the free ride he's getting right now - warmth, no direct exposure to the northern Illinois winds, an adequate supply of bagels (which I eat in bulk these days). I went to see my doctor yesterday and I asked the $1 million question - "So, if we get to Saturday and he's not arrived, what's the plan?" And, my doctor said something that made me want to jump up and down and hug him. He said, "Well, I feel good enough that if he's not here by Saturday, we can just go ahead and schedule you to be induced on Sunday." SUNDAY!!! After I told him that that news made me a very, very happy woman, he made the call and the hospital expects us at 6am on Sunday morning!! That is, if the little one doesn't decide to arrive before then. So, that's where we are. Waiting still - either for what might happen at any moment of any day, or for Sunday morning at 6am.
Just something else to share...last night, Mike asked me what I wanted to do on Saturday. And all of a sudden, I realized that if induction is our path, Saturday will be the last day that it's just Mike and I. Obviously, when you're expecting, you know that any day can be that "last day." But when there's the knowledge of when that "last day" might be, it makes you stop and think. Do we go out for a really nice dinner? A movie? Or just hang out and not make a big deal of it? It's amazing to know that this time next week, we will have met our son and will be able to hold him and introduce him to this world.
Keep checking back for updates...as soon as the little guy arrives, we'll be posting about it!
Love, Ash
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
The Great Ceiling Fan Debate And More....
So, as I was looking back through my paltry and pathetic posts from this pregnancy, I realized that in our announcement post, I called out some of the new experiences I was going through as a newly preggers woman. I love hearing other people’s experiences and thought I’d just put together a quick run-down of the fun stuff that comes with an almost full-term pregnancy…
1. The Great Battle Of The Thermostat/Ceiling Fan…I’ve always heard that your body temp tends to rise in pregnancy. No joke, it was 32 degrees when I left for work yesterday morning and I got in my car without a coat and turned the air conditioning on. If I could, the A/C would be on in the house. But for poor Mike and Einstein, we’re compromising.
2. Cravings….Something a lot of people don’t understand is that when you’re 9 months pregnant, your stomach is no longer in the shape of a perfect oval/circle. Rather, it’s squished and just about 2” high. Which means for me, I don’t have the capacity to eat everything in sight, or really have the desire to. As for cravings, I’m a regular at Wendy’s for Chicken Nuggets. On a good note, fruit, water and salad are all on my cravings list. Of course, so are the regular chocolate chip cookies that Mike makes.
3. Why, Oh Why Do The Bottoms Of My Feet Hurt So Badly???...This is a total shocker and I can’t explain it.
4. Sleep….Doesn’t happen. Well, it happens for about 2-3 hours a night, then it’s pretty much a lost cause for the rest of the night.
5. Getting Appropriate Treatment At The DMV…So, I got the honor of going to renew our license plates a couple of weeks ago. Just what I wanted…to go and experience the loveliness of the DMV. But wouldn’t you know it, when you’re pregnant, they are actually NICE to you! They got me in and out in minutes and even made small talk. Wow.
6. Feeling Like You’re A Pretty Strong Chick…I’ve come to understand there’s a process to getting to the point where you say, “Whenever the time comes for this baby to arrive, I’m ready.” For me, I went through the Childbirth class and watched the videos and all that, and came away feeling like, “Okay, I can do this.” Then, there were a couple of weeks where I started to doubt myself. But now, I can say that I’m ready and I believe it. And, it’s kind of a cool feeling to get to that point where you feel strong enough to bring another life into this world.
With that, I’m off to walk around the block 25 times tonight to see if I can’t move things along!
Much love to all,
Ash
1. The Great Battle Of The Thermostat/Ceiling Fan…I’ve always heard that your body temp tends to rise in pregnancy. No joke, it was 32 degrees when I left for work yesterday morning and I got in my car without a coat and turned the air conditioning on. If I could, the A/C would be on in the house. But for poor Mike and Einstein, we’re compromising.
2. Cravings….Something a lot of people don’t understand is that when you’re 9 months pregnant, your stomach is no longer in the shape of a perfect oval/circle. Rather, it’s squished and just about 2” high. Which means for me, I don’t have the capacity to eat everything in sight, or really have the desire to. As for cravings, I’m a regular at Wendy’s for Chicken Nuggets. On a good note, fruit, water and salad are all on my cravings list. Of course, so are the regular chocolate chip cookies that Mike makes.
3. Why, Oh Why Do The Bottoms Of My Feet Hurt So Badly???...This is a total shocker and I can’t explain it.
4. Sleep….Doesn’t happen. Well, it happens for about 2-3 hours a night, then it’s pretty much a lost cause for the rest of the night.
5. Getting Appropriate Treatment At The DMV…So, I got the honor of going to renew our license plates a couple of weeks ago. Just what I wanted…to go and experience the loveliness of the DMV. But wouldn’t you know it, when you’re pregnant, they are actually NICE to you! They got me in and out in minutes and even made small talk. Wow.
6. Feeling Like You’re A Pretty Strong Chick…I’ve come to understand there’s a process to getting to the point where you say, “Whenever the time comes for this baby to arrive, I’m ready.” For me, I went through the Childbirth class and watched the videos and all that, and came away feeling like, “Okay, I can do this.” Then, there were a couple of weeks where I started to doubt myself. But now, I can say that I’m ready and I believe it. And, it’s kind of a cool feeling to get to that point where you feel strong enough to bring another life into this world.
With that, I’m off to walk around the block 25 times tonight to see if I can’t move things along!
Much love to all,
Ash
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A Big Puffy Version Of Ashley
Oh my. Thirty-eight weeks. I’ve been going through this adventure for 38 weeks. For the most part, everything has been wonderful. There are days, moments, but I’ve felt overall pretty good. And, now we’re down to less than 2 weeks to go and I’m ready. I’m ready to meet our son and to see what he looks like and what his personality is. So, for the next 2 weeks, I’m going to do my best to hang in there and wait.
For anyone who’s wondering what a pregnant Ashley looks like, I’ve included the latest photo below….
For anyone who’s wondering what a pregnant Ashley looks like, I’ve included the latest photo below….
So, we’re going to wait it out and see when our little guy is going to decide what day he wants to arrive. Keep checking back for updates!
Love, Ash
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Less Than 4 Weeks To The Big Birthday
That’s what we’ve been calling it. The Big Birthday. Admittedly, it makes me feel better. Less nervous about the actual giving birth part and more excited about the celebration that will ensue after his arrival. I always like a good party, and a birthday party isn’t a birthday party without a birthday cake. Yes, there will be birthday cake at the hospital to welcome our little man. (Thanks to my mom, her last stop before leaving Muncie to get here when we give her “the call” is at a wonderful little bakery that makes amazing cakes to make sure we have a proper celebration!)
There’s been lots going on and a lot of waiting in the last several weeks. Mike finally made his last business trip this last week back to Atlanta and I am so thoroughly excited that he is finished with trips until well after the baby arrives. We’ve both been crazy-busy at work, which we feel blessed with, especially when the news we hear everyday isn’t as great around the country.
I can pretty much say that when it comes to the material needs for a baby, we’re ready. His room is ready, there are diapers, wipes, pacifiers and lots and lots of clothes. (Which are of course organized in his closet by size. Not too big of a surprise to anyone that knows me!) We had a great weekend at the beginning of March with my dad and Ash B. where we got to introduce my dad to Babies R Us. Honestly, it was quite possibly the most adorable scene I had ever seen – my dad scurrying around Babies R Us to make sure that our little guy (and more importantly, his grandson) has everything he needs to be comfortable and happy. We feel so very, very blessed for both of our families and all of our friends that have been so generous in making sure our little man has everything he needs.
Now, to how I’ve been feeling…for the most part, I’m doing well. I have nothing to compare it too, so I just assume that I’m feeling good. Sure, I have my days where it is just so uncomfortable to sit at my desk that I can hardly stand it, but I’m hanging in there. The evenings are probably the worst – I now completely believe that the beginnings of sleep deprivation that occur in the 3rd trimester are preparing you for after the baby comes. I would have to say that I’m pretty much waking up every hour to two hours, either just plain uncomfortable, or with raging heartburn. But, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. This has been such a wonderful experience and to know that at the end of it, our son will be here is just the greatest feeling.
We also got to make our last trip back to Indiana at the end of February for a lovely baby shower. My dear friends Culleen, Allison, Patti and Megan threw a wonderful shower for me that was just the greatest afternoon with dear family and friends!
We’ll keep everyone posted in the next couple of weeks, as we count down to April 18th!
Love, Ash
There’s been lots going on and a lot of waiting in the last several weeks. Mike finally made his last business trip this last week back to Atlanta and I am so thoroughly excited that he is finished with trips until well after the baby arrives. We’ve both been crazy-busy at work, which we feel blessed with, especially when the news we hear everyday isn’t as great around the country.
I can pretty much say that when it comes to the material needs for a baby, we’re ready. His room is ready, there are diapers, wipes, pacifiers and lots and lots of clothes. (Which are of course organized in his closet by size. Not too big of a surprise to anyone that knows me!) We had a great weekend at the beginning of March with my dad and Ash B. where we got to introduce my dad to Babies R Us. Honestly, it was quite possibly the most adorable scene I had ever seen – my dad scurrying around Babies R Us to make sure that our little guy (and more importantly, his grandson) has everything he needs to be comfortable and happy. We feel so very, very blessed for both of our families and all of our friends that have been so generous in making sure our little man has everything he needs.
Now, to how I’ve been feeling…for the most part, I’m doing well. I have nothing to compare it too, so I just assume that I’m feeling good. Sure, I have my days where it is just so uncomfortable to sit at my desk that I can hardly stand it, but I’m hanging in there. The evenings are probably the worst – I now completely believe that the beginnings of sleep deprivation that occur in the 3rd trimester are preparing you for after the baby comes. I would have to say that I’m pretty much waking up every hour to two hours, either just plain uncomfortable, or with raging heartburn. But, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. This has been such a wonderful experience and to know that at the end of it, our son will be here is just the greatest feeling.
We also got to make our last trip back to Indiana at the end of February for a lovely baby shower. My dear friends Culleen, Allison, Patti and Megan threw a wonderful shower for me that was just the greatest afternoon with dear family and friends!
We’ll keep everyone posted in the next couple of weeks, as we count down to April 18th!
Love, Ash
Sunday, February 1, 2009
29 Weeks And Counting...
Since I have this enormous guilt about not taking pics of myself during the pregnancy, I have vowed for the next 11 weeks to take a picture every week. Along with this guilt, I've had requests from our family and friends that don't get to see us every week to see what I'm looking like as a pregnant one. So, here is this week's picture, taken in the baby's room.
29 Weeks, 1 Day
We've had a great weekend with Mike's family and had the opportunity to introduce Mike's mom and dad to the land of IKEA. But most of the weekend was spent playing Wii tournaments among all of us. :)
Much love to all!
Ash
Monday, January 26, 2009
Turning Thirty, Five Years Of Wedded Bliss And An Almost Finished Baby's Room
January is always a huge month for us. Not only are we trying to recover from the holidays, but just as we finish getting the last of the holiday decorations put away, we have three more celebrations…my birthday, Mike’s birthday and our wedding anniversary. I know, we really piled it on in one month. At least the arrival of our newest addition will come in springtime, which is always a time we look forward to.
This year’s January was one of milestones. Mike and I turned 30. Then, this last weekend, we celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary. Typically, by the time we get to our anniversary, we look at each other and know that we’ll both be just fine with going to dinner to quietly celebrate the occasion. That said, the 30th birthdays were pretty exciting for both of us. Here’s a rundown:
My birthday was first up, on Sunday, the 11th. On the Friday before, the plans (to my knowledge) were that my mom, Keith and my sister were headed to our place with the baby’s furniture. And a quiet dinner would fall somewhere in there. On Friday night, after getting home from work, I was folding laundry (glamorous, I know), and around 7:45pm, the doorbell rang. I scurried to the front door (as much as a 6-month pregnant woman can scurry), thinking it was FedEx. I opened the door and my dad was standing on our doorstep. He had flown in from Florida to surprise me for my birthday. And, he brought with him full dinner plans for Saturday night (my dad is a WONDERFUL cook). It was honestly a perfect weekend.
Next up was Mike’s birthday. A much more low-key affair. I admittedly told him that I didn’t have family coming in for a surprise. But I did manage to score his gift that weekend…something evidently so coveted that people pay 1-1/2 to 2 times its value…a Nintendo Wii and a Wii Fit. I have to say that we’ve both gotten kind of addicted to it. J
Then came the anniversary. Very low-key. Dinner out and finishing the baby’s room. But it was very us.
So, that’s our January. We’ve included some pics of the baby’s room, which is basically finished. There are of course pics to hang and the rocker to finish (we’re refinishing my grandfather’s rocking chair), but we’re happy with it.
This year’s January was one of milestones. Mike and I turned 30. Then, this last weekend, we celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary. Typically, by the time we get to our anniversary, we look at each other and know that we’ll both be just fine with going to dinner to quietly celebrate the occasion. That said, the 30th birthdays were pretty exciting for both of us. Here’s a rundown:
My birthday was first up, on Sunday, the 11th. On the Friday before, the plans (to my knowledge) were that my mom, Keith and my sister were headed to our place with the baby’s furniture. And a quiet dinner would fall somewhere in there. On Friday night, after getting home from work, I was folding laundry (glamorous, I know), and around 7:45pm, the doorbell rang. I scurried to the front door (as much as a 6-month pregnant woman can scurry), thinking it was FedEx. I opened the door and my dad was standing on our doorstep. He had flown in from Florida to surprise me for my birthday. And, he brought with him full dinner plans for Saturday night (my dad is a WONDERFUL cook). It was honestly a perfect weekend.
Next up was Mike’s birthday. A much more low-key affair. I admittedly told him that I didn’t have family coming in for a surprise. But I did manage to score his gift that weekend…something evidently so coveted that people pay 1-1/2 to 2 times its value…a Nintendo Wii and a Wii Fit. I have to say that we’ve both gotten kind of addicted to it. J
Then came the anniversary. Very low-key. Dinner out and finishing the baby’s room. But it was very us.
So, that’s our January. We’ve included some pics of the baby’s room, which is basically finished. There are of course pics to hang and the rocker to finish (we’re refinishing my grandfather’s rocking chair), but we’re happy with it.
Baby Update: Our little guy is doing wonderfully well…he’s growing on target and he’s pretty active all day long! No names yet…and actually, we will likely not settle on a name until we actually see our little man.
Much love to all!
Mike, Ash, E! & Baby Murcia
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Heartburn That Radiates To My Kneecaps And More....
So, I made a promise to myself that by coming back and posting more often, that each and every post wouldn't necessarily center completely around our pregnancy and other fun baby stuff. And, I still promise this, but of course, with each post, there are a few things that I have to share...
For one, I have never experienced heartburn in my entire life the way I am experiencing it now. Oh my gosh. My mom always told me the story of the heartburn she experienced when she was pregnant with my sister, and the fact that she lived only on Wendy's Baked Potatoes for 9 months. We always joked that my sister was just preparing my mom for her arrival and the next 18 years. :) (I love you Lyssie!) I always just sort of said, "oh yeah, I've had heartburn. I can handle whatever symptoms I am blessed with." But, oh my gosh. This is heartburn that wakes me up at night, that causes me to sleep sitting up, that makes me swear that at any moment, I am going to begin breathing fire. In the movie "Juno," when Ellen Page tells her parents that she has "heartburn radiating to her kneecaps," she wasn't joking. And, by the way, I've tried Baked Potatoes. I've tried staying away from acidic foods. Nothing helps. I drink water and I get heartburn. The only thing that takes the edge off are my good friends, Tums. So, at least I know I'm getting my calcium. :)
As for other non-pregnancy news, we are literally 8 square feet away from finishing our patio. Mike has been working his fingers to the bone to get it finished, and we're even thinking that he might be working with a broken finger. (Hopefully not!) One more weekend and it'll be finished. And, then we'll have 600 square feet of outdoor space that we'll be able to enjoy fully next spring and summer!
So, that's all for now. As soon as the patio is finished, we'll post pictures to celebrate. It's been many months in the making!
For one, I have never experienced heartburn in my entire life the way I am experiencing it now. Oh my gosh. My mom always told me the story of the heartburn she experienced when she was pregnant with my sister, and the fact that she lived only on Wendy's Baked Potatoes for 9 months. We always joked that my sister was just preparing my mom for her arrival and the next 18 years. :) (I love you Lyssie!) I always just sort of said, "oh yeah, I've had heartburn. I can handle whatever symptoms I am blessed with." But, oh my gosh. This is heartburn that wakes me up at night, that causes me to sleep sitting up, that makes me swear that at any moment, I am going to begin breathing fire. In the movie "Juno," when Ellen Page tells her parents that she has "heartburn radiating to her kneecaps," she wasn't joking. And, by the way, I've tried Baked Potatoes. I've tried staying away from acidic foods. Nothing helps. I drink water and I get heartburn. The only thing that takes the edge off are my good friends, Tums. So, at least I know I'm getting my calcium. :)
As for other non-pregnancy news, we are literally 8 square feet away from finishing our patio. Mike has been working his fingers to the bone to get it finished, and we're even thinking that he might be working with a broken finger. (Hopefully not!) One more weekend and it'll be finished. And, then we'll have 600 square feet of outdoor space that we'll be able to enjoy fully next spring and summer!
So, that's all for now. As soon as the patio is finished, we'll post pictures to celebrate. It's been many months in the making!
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