The Dream

Last night I had an interesting dream: Jared and I were visiting my parents in Georgia (which is weird, because my parents had already moved to NC by the time I met Jared) but anyways there we were in Georgia, and we were about to go swimming in our pool. I posted a few pics of our house/pool in GA so you can visualize my dream better. lol

Our pool in Georgia was pretty sweet. The lights in the pool changed colors!
Green...then blue...purple...pink, and back to white I believe.

Anyways, back to my dream. So the water was pink when I decided to dive in. As I dove under the water, I did a front flip, and the weirdest thing happened. I felt my WHOLE stomach literally turn, and I felt the baby flip up-side-down. Normally in dreams you don't feel anything, but in this dream I swear I did! I instantly woke up and put my hands on my belly. It felt rock hard, and I couldn't feel the baby's head poking out near my ribs on the right side like I normally could. I got really excited and thought "maybe the baby actually did flip!" I woke up this morning, and tried again to feel where the baby was, but I couldn't! For some reason, my stomach would not relax, and I couldn't feel any part of the baby.

I went in to the doctors for my regular check-up this morning, and I told the doctor I couldn't feel where the baby was positioned like I normally could. He pushed on my stomach (yes it hurt!) and he said "well, it feels like he is still breech....................wait let me feel again..............hold on a sec...... you know what?......I think he HAS turned!!" I got so excited and told him I had a dream last night that he flipped! and the doctor said "lets do an ultra sound just to make sure he turned."

We went to the ultrasound room. I laid on the table while the tec rubbed the warm goop all over my belly, and I happily told her too about my dream. She put the monitor on my stomach (on the top left side) I felt so special for knowing that my baby had flipped because of a dream I had. BUT to my disappointment..... she said "nope! There's the head right there, Baby is still breech." dang.

So, unless the baby flips on his own, which is very unlikely, but not impossible, OR if I go into labor in the next 2 1/2 weeks, which again is very unlikely, but not impossible...The date of the c-section has been finalized. It will be November 16th at Madison Memorial Hospital, performed by Dr. Allred.

Birthing class day 1

Jared and I went to a birthing class the other day and the doctor said "Just a piece of advice: If your water breaks while you are at the grocery store, just drop a jar of pickles and run away."

LOL

I can do this!

The ultrasound was very good today! They score the baby on a scale of 1-8, and our little guy got an 8! He weighs 5lbs give or take 5oz. Which is a little bit small, but still in the "normal" range. Jared made me drink 5 liters of grape juice this week, and believe it or not, it actually DID improve the fluid levels! The ultrasound tec also told us that the little stinker is still breech. Which didn't surprise me at all, because I can feel his head in my ribs, and every once in a while he will stick it out near the top right side of my stomach, and I can SEE and FEEL his head with my hands.

We also discussed having the doctor turn the baby, so I could have a natural delivery. Doctor Evan's said that the odds of an External Cephalic Versions working for me are are at best about 20% because I have lower fluid levels, and it's my first baby (that makes it harder to turn him) Also, the placenta is anterior which makes it not only dangerous to try to turn him (because the placenta could abrupt), but very hard to do, because it would be like trying to turn him with a big pillow in the way. Also, he said that the ultrasound machines can't tell us if the umbilical cord is wrapped around his neck or not. SO, we decided that turning him for a natural delivery isn't worth all of the risks involved, especially if the chances of it actually working are so low anyways. We followed the doctors advice, and are planning on having a c-section unless by some miracle the baby decides to turn on his own. The C-section is tentatively scheduled for November 11th. That's THREE weeks from now! We will finalize the date of the c-section on Tuesday at my next doctors appointment.

I actually feel really good about this, and im SO relieved for some reason. It will be nice to know the exact date that he will be here, and best of all I don't have to worry about ME doing anything wrong. All I have to do is show up....lay on a table, and whooola a few minutes later I will have a baby. Recovery might be a big bummer, but i'll do what I have to do to get this baby here safely :)

Throwback to the small bump earlier this summer, I can't believe how much bigger my baby bump is now!

Bauer is ready for me to stop posting pictures of him on the blog and start posting pictures of baby!

My longest blog post ever.

Excuse me for a few minutes while I brag about the good deals I got on all my cute baby stuff :)

When I would babysit my neighbor's baby in high school, this was my favorite item in his nursery. His glider chair was so comfortable, and he would just fall asleep in my arms. I loved it because the ottoman glides too... making it really easy to rock back and forth with out any work. The only problem is, these chairs are a couple hundred dollars, and we don't have that kind of money just laying around.

One night, Jared just happened to see an advertisement on our school's "craiglist" page for this lovely glider chair! A lady was having her second baby, and didn't have room in her tiny apartment for this chair. So she was selling it for SUPER cheap. I can't wait to rock my own baby in it!

This is our lovely Chicco car seat! It is exactly the one I wanted. It took me forever to decide on this brand, style, and color.

I chose this Chicco car seat because it secures the baby from 4-30lbs, which means the baby can go straight to a booster from this car seat....which saves money because we won't have to buy a forward facing car seat, before the booster. It is also rated #1 in America for safety and ease of use. I like it because it's not big and bulky like a lot of car seats, and it's super lightweight. Chicco might be a little pricey compared to other car seats, but we got this one 25% off thanks to my friend Carley, and her Baby's R Us coupon, so really it ended up being cheaper than most. This car seat comes in TONS of different patterns, and colors, but we finally decided on this orange one. We wanted a gender neutral color, so we can use it for other kids down the road. That meant the blue one was out, the green was too boyish, the yellow was too girlish, the grey was too boring and the red was cool, but everyone has that... so we chose orange! Completely gender neutral, and something that stands out. Then our only problem was that we needed a stroller to fit the car seat.

The Chicco strollers were not only too expensive, but they didn't have any I liked. I wanted one with a single handlebar across the top, (so I can push it with one hand without it going flying sideways off the sidewalk) I wanted a cup holder for my water bottle, and a place to store my ipod. I also wanted a stroller with wheels that I could take on a walking trail with bumps and rocks on the path.
We went stroller shopping in Salt Lake, and found THIS BABY. It is a Baby Trend Velocity Jogging Stroller. It had everything I wanted (single bar/my cup holder trey/all terrain wheels), plus more! The seat reclines all the way down, it has a huge storage basket underneath, it's super easy to fold, the front wheel can lock for jogging or swivel for everyday use, and it is about 5lbs lighter than most jogging strollers. It also has a speedometer and odometer (which I completely don't need) but LOVE because I can tell how fast and how far i'm going. OH, and it has a place I can hook my ipod into, and built in speakers! I'm one spoiled mama. The best part about this stroller is the ridiculously good price we got it for. We had stopped by Toys R Us earlier that day and saw that they had a sale on strollers. We found this stroller at Baby's R Us and asked if they had the same deal going on. The lady looked at us like we were crazy, and told us she had no idea what we were talking about, but she was tired and wanted to get off work, so she just GAVE us 30% off the stroller, and we used a gift card to make up for most of the rest! FANTASTIC.

and the best part about this stroller, is that our Chicco car seat fits perfectly into it...and actually matches!


I got the travel system I always wanted, (should have been around $400) and only ended up paying about A FOURTH of that price for both of them combined. BINGO.

Here's the 8 month belly picture (35 weeks) I feel like i'm HUGE but believe it or not, i'm actually measuring small according to the doc. I compared my 7 and 8 month belly pics, and I have to agree, they dont look very much different.

I'm SUPER nervous for my doctors appointment on Wednesday. We are going to discuss the Version (process where they turn the baby upside-down) with the doctor to see if I would be a candidate for it. My fluid has been a little low, so I dont know if it would be too much of a risk to try anything like that...also, I hear a lot of women go into labor while they are trying to flip the baby around and i'm NOT ready to have the baby next week... also i'm a big wimp, and I hear that process is painful, but at the same time... I would do it if it meant not having to have a C-section. SOOOO i'll be nervous if he says that they want to try to flip him, and I will also be nervous if he says that that they wont flip him and I'm going to have a C-section. EITHER WAY I'LL BE NERVOUS. oh wait.... i'm already nervous as it is. haha even if everything goes well, and he flips on his own i'd be nervous, because I just have no idea what to expect about the whole birthing process in general! I'm a mess right now, but I guess all that matters is that he is healthy.

Welp, sorry for the ridiculously long blog post today. I will be surprised if anyone actually reads it all. I'm just in one of my talkative moods tonight, but I can't talk to Jared, because he is doing homework. OH that reminds me! We got Jared's MCAT scores this week, and are very pleased with the turnout. He did great, especially considering he didn't have months of preparation time like most guys do, because he was going to school full time and working, but even still he did very well, and i'm so proud of him. :)

Poor Deprived Dog

The baby hasn't even been born yet, and Bauer has already gotten the boot. I mean look, I haven't had a post dedicated to him in MONTHS! People keep asking me (with a worried look on their faces) "How do you think Bauer will do with the baby around?" Honestly? I'm pretty sure the first moment they meet will go something like this:

Bauer is such a sweetie. Is he big? Yes. Is he sometimes clumsy? Yes. BUT he is very obedient, and is a quick learner. I'm sure he and the baby will be buddies in no time.

This next video took place a few weeks ago. Our neighbor found a 6 week old kitten, and brought it over to meet Bauer, and...well... see for yourself.

ps Bauer is the dog in the BLUE collar. His brother, Diesel, is the one in the black collar.

Bauer was TERRIFIED, and his brother, Diesel, actually liked the kitten! So maybe Bauer just comes from a weird batch of pups, because where I come from dogs are supposed to CHASE cats.

Routines are good!

We are getting into a good routine at preschool, and all of the kids finally know the rules, and what is expected of them. It is making teaching MUCH easier.

Ryley and Calvin playing with blocks during "exploratory play"

We also have an arts/crafts table set up everyday, which is probably my favorite activity the kids do. This is Ella and Jayden.

This is Franklin, our class turtle. As you can see, his favorite food is salad. Sometimes we let him out of his cage to crawl around the classroom, the kids love it. I picked him up one time, and he SPAZZZZED out. I will never pick him up again, it was freeeaky.

This is our bulletin board. We first review the days of the week and weather, and then we go on to teach the alphabet.... how to write each letter, and what the sounds of each letter make. Soon they will be reading short words! I love teaching this age, because they are all so good, and eager to learn EVERYTHING.
Preschool wouldn't be complete without snack time. I love listening to the conversations they have with each other. "Do you wantta come to my birffday pawty, because you aw my best fwend.....what's ya name again?" They can go from not knowing each other to instantly best friends in a matter of seconds. So cute. This is Owen, Cade, Sam, Kaden, and Paul.

Grape juice? I'll give it a shot!

Sorry if this blog entry is boring. It is mostly for me, because I want to be sure to document everything about this baby :)

The ultrasound looked very good today, and little baby boy antczak is healthy! He had the hiccups during the ultrasound: it was SO cute. :) I would feel the hiccup and then on the screen I could see his whole body move! The level of amniotic fluid has stayed the same. It is still a little bit low, but at least it is not dropping at all, so that is good. This means I will continue to go in for weekly ultrasounds. The doctor also confirmed that he is STILL breech, what they call Frank Breech if you know what that looks like. She said that if he is still breech at my appointment next week, they will schedule an external cephalic version at the hospital for the following week (2 weeks from today). This is the process where they try and turn the baby around by maneuvering him from the outside of my belly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AM6wDwTjmc if you so wish to see what it looks like.They do it at the hospital because there are some risks involved, and to be safe if an emergency C-section is needed. I will learn more about the external cephalic version at my next appointment if we decide we want to have it done. The doctors here will NOT deliver a breech baby naturally, they always schedule a C-section, around 39 weeks. So basically it's try to have the version done, so we can have a natural delivery, or just schedule a C-section. Also at my appointment, I got in trouble for trying to do weird things (like ice packs on the belly with hips elevated while listening to music) to get the baby to turn up-side-down. oops! She said there is always a risk that the umbilical cord is wrapped around his neck, so trying to make him turn around by myself could be bad! Oh well, nothing I tired worked anyways, just made him kick me a lot! Serves me right.
Doctors orders this week are to drink lots of Welch's Grape Juice! Apparently she has had other patients drink it to increase amniotic fluid? she suspects that that's the reason he hasnt flipped yet.... because the fluid is low. Other baby's are still swimming around in it at this time, and our baby is just chillin'/sittin' tight in it. We'll see if this works.

Good news and bad news. but mostly good!

I know I'm not due for another 5 weeks, but we are pretty much completely ready for him! His bedroom is all set up with a crib, a rocking chair, a changing table complete with diapers/wipes, clothes, books, toys, blankets, a baby swing, a bouncer, and a stroller! Some people might think it strange that i'm ready so early, but really, it's a good thing, because it turns out that there is a slight chance he might make his arrival into the world a little early! We had FOUR separate ultrasounds done last Tuesday, by different doctors. The first one they did was to check his size, because I have been measuring small. Turns out our little boy is growing just fine, but they discovered that he is still in the breech position. Meaning, he hasn't flipped upside-down yet, and most babies have by this point. The other ultrasounds were just to check and make sure that he didn't have any abnormalities or growth problems- which he doesn't thank goodness!

He is positioned like this:

and he should be like this:

Being breech is not a huge deal, as he still has time to flip, but the doc wanted to make sure that I had enough amniotic fluid for him to flip around in, so they did a second ultrasound, and it looks like I'm a little low on amniotic fluid. I was measuring at 9.6 and they like you to be above 12. So, 9.6 isnt terrible, but they are going to monitor me closely to make sure that level isnt dropping. If it is dropping, it could mean that he will be here early. Finger's crossed that the level hasnt dropped any at my next appointment in a few days! Hopefully it has just been a little low all along, and we just never knew. The other ultrasounds were just to make sure his heart, breathing, and movements were okay, and they all looked fantastic! Looks like we have a healthy baby boy!

Anyways, my mom and I were discussing ways to get the baby to flip upside-down. I came across this way on my web research:

1. lay on your back on a bed.
2. put pillows under your hips to elevate them so it will be easier for the baby to turn
3. put an icepack near the top of your belly by your ribs, and something warm near your pelvic bone. (babies like to be warm, and generally will move to the warm spots)
4. Play loud music near your belly to wake the baby up and get it moving!
5. Turn the lights out so that it is dark, and move a flashlight along your belly from top to bottom (they will usually move toward the light)


We'll see if it works! If it doesn't I will be trying the headstands in a pool next week!

The last few weeks I have been milking the whole "eating for two" excuse.

Fall is here, and with that comes delicious fall treats!

We made caramel apples for FHE on Monday! Good news? They were scrumptious. Bad news? The caramel broke Jared's crown off the tooth... guess we are going to have to find a dentist in Rexburg now!

Last weekend was A BLAST! We went down to Utah (for the final time before the baby comes) where my wonderful sister in-law Meredith through me the bestest baby shower ever! We had a very good turn out, about 18 people came :)

Here's Cathi and Kerri, my sister in-laws from Jared's side, and my two cute little nieces!

I am a very lucky girl to have such good sister in-laws... I have 6 of them to be exact!

Here is a video clip that Courtney took from the baby shower. We played a game where you had a piece of yarn, and you had to cut it to whatever length you thought would fit around my belly. Most people guessed way too big, but my granny in particular guess was ginormous! oh and ps, sorry Dad if you ever see this video, I didn't mean it! :P