Friday, August 27, 2010

The love of my life



Eleanor Grace Cox was born on August 1, 2010. She weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. She came three weeks early. I guess she just really wanted to meet me and daddy. We couldn't wait either.

It's been three weeks since she came into our lives and we're exhausted and thrilled and in total awe of the power she has over us.

I promise they'll be pictures and more updates later. Just know I know I need to write all this down because I'm at the beginning of an incredible journey and I want to share it. First...some rest.

xoxoL

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Belly week 36

That's my momma's hand on my crazy belly. :)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Dilated!

Monday I had an appointment with midwife Julie and she ran the Group B Strep test on me. I don't know what the results are yet, but I guess if I'm positive for the infection, I have to have antibiotics during labor.

That's not the cool news, though. Julie wasn't initially going to check me to see if I'm dilated because I'm only 36 weeks, but I was curious and she is sweet so she did and I am!!!

I'm 1 cm dilated and 90 percent effaced, which means that my cervix is 90 percent thinned. Read about effacement and dilation here.

Also, Eleanor's head is apparently quite low. It actually surprised Julie how low she is in my uterus. My mom aptly (and hilariously) pointed out that I'm now sitting on my baby's head. Thanks mom!

Julie guessed that I won't make it to 40 weeks. I hope she's right. I'm ready, I think. I'd like Julie to be on call when I go into labor, though, and apparently she's not on the schedule next week so hopefully Ellie holds out for another week, but I guess she'll come when she wants to so I need to just go with the flow.

So, baby time is fast approaching. How exciting!

Momma G is coming into town tomorrow. We're going to focus our energy on completing the nursery and cleaning the house. I can't wait to hug her!

xoxoL

Friday, July 23, 2010

Ayden Emeth is here!


Congratulations to Rebecca and Breeze! He's a beautiful baby.

Something cute for the weekend


Her clothes are washed and put away and her crib is made up (picture soon I promise). Come see us soon, Ellie!

Monday, July 19, 2010

The story of our glider

I just have to share the story of the great deal I got on our nursery glider yesterday.

A nursery glider is a hybrid of the classic rocking chair and the porch glider. It smoothly glides back and forth on a track and is usually covered with soft padding and fabric. The nursery glider specifically is used in nurseries to lull babies to sleep and to keep them as well as moms and dads comfy during feedings.

So, I went to Babies R Us yesterday and sat in a bunch of gliders. These things range in price from about $200 into the thousands of dollars! The one I liked (and that was within the imaginary budget I had in my head) was $299, but the floor colors were just awful. I asked the saleswoman to check on the store's Web site to see if other colors in the make and model I liked were available. She found this one.

Because all of our nursery furniture is white and because I suspect we'll have this glider for our next baby, I thought a white wood glider with a gender neutral fabric color would work perfectly.

The delivery cost was a whopping $100 so I asked the saleswoman what she could do for me. She said she'd have the glider delivered to the store and the store would deliver it to our home at no extra cost. She then fished out a $75 off coupon, bringing the cost of the glider down to $224.

Finally, I had six gift cards given to me over two baby showers that I wanted to apply to this one purchase. Apparently, the Babies R Us site doesn't let you use more than five gift cards on one purchase so the super nice saleswoman combined two cards into one and used all of them.

The total I had to pay for my almost $300 glider? Just under $60! I was so giddy.

The lady who sold me the glider was so sweet and so helpful. She could have easily told me there was nothing she could do about the shipping cost or decided she didn't want to go the extra mile and combine those gift cards for me. She certainly didn't have to find a coupon for me to use. But she did all of that and I'm so thankful for it.

This experience made my day!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Preggo on the job

I thought everyone would get a kick out of this:














I was interviewing the outgoing colonel of the 198th Infantry Brigade. It was very hot outside especially on that strip of asphalt.

Thanks to Lillie B. for giving me that cute maternity dress!

xoxoL

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Columbus baby shower invites

These are so cute. The picture doesn't do it justice, really.

Thanks Dawn and Anne!

I also feel I should mention that the theme of the party is reading and all guests were asked to bring a children's book with a personal message written inside. Isn't that a cute idea?

Eleanor is going to be a very well read child.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Putting together the changing table


This is Morgan preparing to put together the baby's changing table/dresser. Notice his cute "Ranger panties."

I'll post a picture of the finished product later.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Ellie Brooke Gillespie is here!









She's a little early, but Ellie Brooke -- daughter of my good friends Pat and Erin Gillespie -- arrived yesterday.

Here's what Erin said via Facebook:

"Preeclampsia led to emergency csection. Ellie's only 32 weeks, 3 lbs and 4 oz, healthy and beautiful. Please keep her in your prayers."

Congratulations to the new parents! I guess I'm next.

Monday, July 5, 2010

I've got a new gig, but I'm still blogging here

Recently I signed up and was accepted to be a blogger for Gather.com.

To find my stuff, just look up Lily Cox. Mostly what you'll see is my take on meaningless celebrity news, but that's what people want to read these days so that's what I write about.

Some good news: Morgan has just about finished the baby's room and it looks precious. The pictures don't do it justice, but what you're seeing is a very light pink on top of a white strip of chair rail and a darker shade of pink below it.


I hope tonight to take a stab at putting together the changing table. The crib should arrive July 7.

My mom will be in town the last weekend of this month so she'll help me with other design elements such as curtains and where to hang pictures. I can't wait to see the finished product.

xoxoL

Monday, June 28, 2010

From whale to fox

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 27: Musician Alicia Keys performs onstage during the 2010 BET Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 27, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Earlier I wrote about how much of a heifer I feel like lately.

Well, in the interest of making lemonade out of lemons, I thought I'd post this story about how sexy Alicia Keys looked at last night's BET Awards -- belly bump and all.

Here's a taste:

"Instead of looking at the body you used to have, think about the one you have now. The added curves, and defined breasts, can be a blessing instead of a curse. Pregnancy hormones also give you thicker hair, longer nails, and glowing skin. Use those new looks to your advantage!"

OK. I'm getting there mentally.

Ellie's the size of a squash, I feel like a whale

While I've gained the appropriate amount of weight so far for my size, I am feeling tremendously heavy at the moment.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that M and I are taking our maternity pictures Wednesday! Usually before such big events where a camera will be focused mostly me (i.e. my wedding, graduation, etc.) I go on a crash diet and hit the tanning bed. Not options for this upcoming photo shoot, although I will be using bronzing lotion tonight and tomorrow in preparation for my close-up.

Sorry if I sound shallow. You've probably already tuned out, but I just have to add that taking bad pictures isn't my only source of anxiety right now. My house is in ruins (although I do appreciate the amount of work M put into it this past weekend), my ankles are swollen (can you say cankles?), I haven't exercised in weeks and I'm really starting to feel the reality of this baby coming despite my not being prepared for her yet. Will I ever feel prepared? Is it like one of those things that people tell you about it never being a perfect time to conceive?

I have to believe M and I will be amazing parents. In my heart I really do feel that. I guess that's all that matters. Dust and clutter and cankles are fleeting, right?

xoxoL

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Holy swollen ankles!

My ankles are out of control.











Seriously, it looks like I suffered a severe sprain! And yes, my bare foot is propped on my work desk in this picture. Don't judge! I had to put my feet up!

According to babycenter.com, what I'm experiencing is edema - when excess fluid collects in your tissue.

So, I'm retaining more water and my growing uterus is also putting pressure on my pelvic veins and vena cava (the large vein on the right side of the body that carries blood from your lower limbs back to the heart). The pressure slows the return of blood from my legs, causing it to pool, which forces fluid from my veins into the tissues of my feet and ankles.

babycenter.com tells me that I can help relieve the increased pressure on my veins by lying on my side and that since the vena cava is on the right side of your body, left-sided rest works best.

The site also said the swelling will go down after Eleanor is born because I'll shed the excess water weight. Cool. Pregnancy is sweet, right?


Monday, June 21, 2010

Back from vacation

Hi everyone.

Well, M and I have returned from our whirlwind, bi-coastal vacation and I'm happy to report that it was a great time all around.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in both Oregon and Massachusetts for our baby showers. A special "thank you" must be expressed to Carole and Carolyn, my mother-in-law and mom, who put together two amazing parties! Em and Jess also played a major role in making sure things went off without a hitch in Boston so thank you lovely ladies too.

I'll post pictures soon of all the cute onesies, dresses, toys, blankets and quilts we received as well as some shots of M and I exploring and enjoying our surroundings.

Coming up next week I'll have my last 4D ultrasound and M and I are also going to take our maternity pictures.

Have a great Monday!

xoxoL

Friday, June 11, 2010

Note to myself

Dear universe,

Thank you for challenging and testing me every day and forcing me to be patient with the unveiling of what I'm sure are your well thought out processes and plans.

Lily


Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Let's keep it positive, OK?

Because I'm starting to feel some anxiety about my impending labor and delivery, I am putting out a call to all moms who have some good stories to tell.

They can be about your personal experience or you can borrow a friend's story. Heck, make it up if you want! I don't care. I love fiction and non-fiction equally.

I just need to know that there's a possibility that this isn't going to be as bad as I've heard it is.

In the mean time, here's a list of "birth surprises" I found on a site called Babycenter.com that kind of made me smile.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Braxton Hicks

Braxton Hicks contractions are the body's way of preparing for labor.

At least that's what I've been reading.

Though I haven't had too many of these suckers during my pregnancy (I really only felt my first one about two weeks ago) they have been coming more frequently as of late.

Midwife Julie says if I feel than six of them in an hour I should call her straight away. That hasn't happened, thank goodness.

To me, Braxton Hicks' feel like a mild period pain. My stomach gets rock hard to the touch and there's just a slight discomfort.

Honestly, I kind of like them. Sshh, don't tell M because he gets all worried and cute and sympathetic when I'm having one. My favorite thing about them is they are telling me that I am normal, my body is doing what it should be and that my sweet angel will be making her appearance soon.

While the latter part scares the bajesus out of me (I've developed an anxiety about labor and delivery), I know that beautiful, joyous things await M and I when it's over.

So, I'll let everyone know as soon as my practice contractions turn into the real thing. I'm in week 29 now so it won't be too much longer.

xoxoL

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Can new dads get postpartum depression?

According to a recently released study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, new dads might be equally at-risk for what is usually called postpartum depression (PPD) in mothers.

Here's what the National Alliance on Mental Illness released in a recent article:

"According to NPR, the JAMA study reveals that as many 10 percent of men whose partners are pregnant experience an onset of depression anywhere from three months prior to the baby's birth up to the child's first birthday. The incidence of depression in new fathers is twice the typical rate of depression in men and also corresponds with the rate of postpartum depression in women."

If you think about it, there's logic behind this. A new baby comes into the house. Excitement ensues, but so do anxiety and sleepless nights. Sprinkle in some chaos and a touch of fear and you've got yourself a recipe for a freak out don't you think?

Would I go so far as to say dads can develop PPD on a hormonal level like studies suggest most women who suffer from PPD do? Maybe not, but at the very least more research should be done.

Either way, depression is a serious issue that when left untreated can have a dire impact on the health and well-being of the family. I know I've put out the call to my loved ones to be aware of my mental state following Eleanor's birth since PPD runs in my family.

Thoughts on this?

xoxoL



Thursday, June 3, 2010

4D ultrasound pictures are in

Morgs and I visited Baby Waves this afternoon to have Ellie's picture taken. Here are the results:























Isn't she precious? Video to follow.

xoxoL

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The THIRD trimester!

Well it's here! Today marks the beginning of my third trimester.

Morgan and I were riding in the car this evening talking about how quickly it's gone by.

Admittedly, I didn't know I was pregnant until I was about 7 weeks along so it went a little faster for me than I think most women, but still...

What an incredible ride this has been.

Already I'm so in love with my daughter. She takes my breath away...in a good way. :)

We can't wait to meet her. It won't be long now.

So my neighbor Kelsey recently introduced me to a website called Etsy. Check it out. It has a lot of really cute baby and toddler items but also furniture and clothing and most everything on it is super affordable.

Happy start of my third trimester everyone!

xoxoL


Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Rolling into week 26

It's hard to believe I'm already in week 26!

As I continue to grow I wonder more and more what exactly Eleanor will look like.

Will she be pretty? Will she be big? What features of mine will she have and what of Morgs'?

Coming up real soon I have three baby showers (two of which are mine) and a wedding to attend.

Does anyone know where I can get a couple of cute maternity dresses other than Target, Motherhood Maternity and Pea in the Pod?

I'm looking for something colorful, fitted and different. Why do all maternity clothes have to look so dowdy?

Have a good Wednesday everyone!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Sidewalk art

Walking around downtown this morning I saw this and it made me haaaapppy:


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Nursery help

Does anyone know of a color (other than chocolate brown) that goes well with pale pink?

I ask because I need to give Morgan some paint options for the nursery and he's really uncomfortable with an all-pink room.

My preference is to paint the whole room a pale pink and be done with it, but for some reason M is fighting me on it so instead of complaining and sulking and doing all those things I tend to do when I don't get my way, I'm going to look at this conundrum as an opportunity to get creative with color.

Take a look at this room. The color is called Robin's Nest by Benjamin Moore. M could perhaps install a chair rail in the room and we could paint the top half a pale pink and the bottom half Robin's Nest.

I also like the idea of striping the room pink and white or choosing two pink tones like this to stripe it.

Sticking with the chair rail thing, we could do a champagne for the bottom half and pink for the top too.

What do you guys think?

This web site has a lot of cute ideas. Check it out, have some fun and help a preggo in need all at the same time!!!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Belly!

Here they are everyone:








This takes us from week 18 to week 25. I know it looks kind of blurry, but if you click on it it'll open up clear.

Also, here's one just for fun:











Yesterday, my husband came home with a card and an assortment of gift certificates for the mom-to-be. It was very sweet and very unexpected. I love you M!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mother's Day! Here's a belly pic

Can I just say I have the best family and friends in the whole world?

I came home yesterday from a long day at work to find two boxes sitting on my front porch. One was from Meredith, Mike, Carole and Terry (my in-laws) and the other was from my mom, dad, sister and brother. Both boxes contained a beautiful bouquet of flowers for the mom-to-be on Mother's Day!

Also, the other day I received a package in the mail from Jessie. Here's what it had in it:

The tank top says "Ellie Belly" in case you can't read it here. I LOVE IT! Jessie's package also had a card that read: "Great things come in tiny packages." And then on the inside it said: "Happy Mother's Day to a beautiful mom-to-be."

I didn't even know they made Mother's Day mom-to-be cards! So cool.

Oh but the Mother's Day fun continued when I opened another Happy Mother's Day to the mom-to-be card from Carole.

Thank you all so much for thinking of me! I'm so looking forward to being a mom.

And, Happy Mother's Day to all you moms and moms-to-be out there!!!

xoxoL

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Weekly update

Going into this work week I knew each day would challenge me in a different way.

Monday I covered media day for the upcoming Best Ranger Competition along with the 50th "birthday" celebration for the "Follow Me" statue. If you live in the area, I encourage you to come out to the BRC either Saturday or Sunday. It really is fun to watch.

Tuesday the 598th Maintenance Company deployed to Afghanistan so I was on post again to speak to families and soldiers.

Wednesday the Columbus Rotary hosted guest speaker Dutch Van Kirk, the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew. The Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August of 1945. I also wrote about a group of local high school students who held a Skype session with a group of Iraqi teens. That story hasn't run yet.

Today's story for Friday will be about Best Ranger, which begins Friday. Then I'll be out at the competition all weekend. Check my military blog for updates.

Frankly I'm tired. At this point it's just about getting through each day, one at a time, without making any major mistakes.

On the pregnancy front, Eleanor seems to be doing really well. She has definitely established a sleeping pattern that I can now set my clock by. Typically, she's up when I'm down and vice versa. That's just fine by me because it's nice to feel her moving around when I have the time to stop and enjoy it.

After this weekend I'll be taking some much needed time off even though I'm not quite sure when exactly that time will be. All I know is this pace is getting tougher to maintain with each passing week. I can only hope things will soon slow a bit.

One last thing. I know I owe the blog some belly pictures. Things are just crazy right now so all I can say is they'll be up soon.

xoxoL

Monday, May 3, 2010

Week 24

Week 24 is here and boy is it going to be a busy seven days ... for both Morgan and me.

I'm too tired right now to write much else so stay tuned for another, longer post tomorrow.

xoxoL


Thursday, April 29, 2010

10 things I am thankful for

1. My husband
2. Our healthy baby
3. Supportive family
4. Wonderful friends
5. A roof over my head
6. Sweet baby Dave
7. Love
8. Chocolate
9. My growing belly
10. Sunshine

Monday, April 26, 2010

Week 23 already?

Fun fact of the day: Eleanor Grace now has nipples. Ha!

According to The Bump, her little face is fully formed sans fat and she's sprouting "two teeny-tiny nipples." That made me chuckle.

Well, week 23 is here and I'm feeling pretty pregnant, though everyone keeps telling me how tiny I still am. It's flattering, I suppose, but on the other hand I wonder what exactly they're looking at because clearly it's not my obvious baby bump.

Perhaps everyone's just thinking I've let myself go a bit. Too many ice cream cones and not enough exercise. I mean, c-mon, I have quite a belly now. You don't see it? Geesh.

Along those lines, I'll post a couple tummy photos in the coming days so keep checking back with the blog.

I'm happy to report that progress is being made on both the front bathroom and nursery thanks to my superman husband! All it took was a panic attack late last week on my part to get his butt in gear. Note to self: Express severe anxiety earlier in the process next time I want something done in a timely fashion.

In other news: Our neighbor Kelsey delivered a healthy 7 pound 4 ounce little girl into the the world this weekend. She's just beautiful. Morgan and I are so happy for the new parents and can't wait to pick both Kelsey's and Josh's brains about the labor and delivery.

Happy Monday everyone.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Birthing class tonight

Morgan and I are taking a natural child birth class tonight at Martin Army Community Hospital on Fort Benning.

Before you say, "But Lily, I thought you were getting an epidural," I want to add that this class is free (unlike Bradley Method courses which run $200 for 12 sessions) and I am still planning on getting an epidural if the pain is just too intense to bear, which I expect it will be.

Primarily I want to learn some relaxation and non-medicated pain management methods that I can begin to practice in anticipation of the big day.

Any advice from moms out there? Dads can weigh in too! Morgan's gonna need all the help he can get I'm sure.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Learning to leave the past behind me

Last week was incredibly exhausting both emotionally and physically, but I am determined to leave it behind me and focus some positive energy on the future.

Today I am 22 weeks and one day. One more week and I'll post some more belly pictures for everyone to chuckle at. Ellie's been kicking up a storm in there lately, especially when I strap on my Lullabelly. She either really likes Bach or despises him. Morgan and I finally got to see her kick, although we couldn't figure out what body part she was using to cause such a commotion. It was very exciting (and a little weird) for both of us.

The nursery is coming along. Yesterday M and I spent a couple of hours cleaning it out in preparation to paint it a pale pink. It's really a sweet room that gets plenty of natural light. Even though we made some progress on it over the weekend, I still can't help but to feel overwhelmed by everything we have yet to accomplish house-wide before Ellie arrives. I just don't know how to tackle it all and I get the feeling that M's overwhelmed too though he won't admit it.

Anyway, I drove to Atlanta with my friend Lauren Saturday to the Dogwood Festival where I bought a cute piece of art and a rustic, old picture frame for Ellie's room. The frame will hold a family picture once she's born. That's what I envisioned it for at least. I'll post pictures of both these purchases in the next day so be sure to check back with the blog.

Meanwhile, plans are being made for M and I to travel to Oregon for a baby shower at my mother and father-in-law's house in June. My mom will also be flying in from Boston, which makes me so happy.

After spending a few days on the West Coast, we're going to fly to Boston to attend my friend Diana's wedding on the Cape. My mom and sister plan to throw us another shower there as well so June should be a good month!

Well, happy Monday! I hope everyone has a good week.

xoxoL

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

A terrible accident

Yesterday morning my sister, Emily, texted me to ask if mom had called to tell me about what happened to our brother, Ben. When I said she hadn't contacted me, Em called and here's what she had to say:

Ben was riding his bicycle to school like he does every day and his front tire fell off. This caused him to face plant into the pavement. He was on the UMass Boston campus at the time so campus security called an ambulance which took him to Boston City Hospital. There he was treated for several gashes to his face and it was determined that he had broken his two front teeth, his right cheek bone and his nose.

I'm sick over this news. My mom said his face looks even more swollen and bruised today than it did yesterday. I closed my eyes tight so as not to start crying and told her that with some dental and plastic surgery he could be put back together again. It's his spirit we're all worried about. He's just had a tough go at it lately and this was the absolute last thing he needed.

Everyone please keep Benny in your hearts, minds and prayers.

xoxoL

Monday, April 12, 2010

How a nice visit with neighbors left me feeling stressed

Morgan and I were invited to check out our neighbors' nursery yesterday afternoon and I couldn't believe how similar it is to the one that I've designed in my head, right down to the pink walls and white furniture. They've done such an incredible job with it and the rest of their home. Little Jocelyn is going to love living there!

To be honest, seeing the progress they've made on their house, especially in the nursery, makes me really nervous about the lack of progress we've made on ours. True, Kelsey is due any day now and I still have 20 plus weeks to go, but I would love to not leave the task of setting up Ellie's room to the last minute.

Because I'm not really supposed to be painting or handling toxic chemicals I feel really helpless in all this. It would be great if I could start patching the walls in her room and then get it painted. I'd feel so much better if the room were even partially completed, but right now it's being used for storage (like almost every other room in our house) and it's driving me nuts!

Morgan was at work all weekend, literally, so he had no time to do anything with our spare bathroom, which has been under renovation since about January. If we don't get that bathroom done we can't have the contractor begin the back bathroom so those two projects are linked and they're pretty much out of my hands. In the meantime, our nursery is a disaster and really so is the rest of the house. I need my mother to fly down here and help me pull this together. Do you hear that mom? Help!

Happy Monday everyone.

xoxoL

P.S. I'm 21 weeks and 1 day today.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Loving my Lullabelly

Yesterday was just plain rotten. Everything from the rain to my mood to the fact that I temporarily misplaced my W2 tax form stunk. The only thing that made up for the crappiness that was Thursday was this.

It's a Lullabelly. Morgan ordered it for me online as a belated Easter gift. The band, which wraps around your stomach, has a pouch in it that contains a small speaker and MP3 hookup. You just plug your iPod or MP3 player in the hookup and voila! Your baby can listen to music. I guess the speaker never gets too loud for baby so you can rest assured that while she jams out to Jack Johnson she's not damaging her little ear drums. The band also allows me to hook in a pair of head phones and listen to what she's listening to so it can be a shared experience between mommy and baby (or I guess daddy and baby if he wants to plug in as well).

Last night she listened to some classical music before bed while I read a book.

Anyway, today has been better mostly due to the fact that it's Friday. So, happy Friday everyone!

xoxoL

Thursday, April 8, 2010

So much to do before baby comes

I'm sitting at my desk at work and thinking about all the things that have to get done before the baby comes. Now that I've hit the 20-week mark in my pregnancy, there are a few things I need to do within the next week such as sign Morgan and me up for a labor/delivery/parenting class.

Because I'm stressing about it, I'm going to post my "To Do" list here. Maybe that'll hold me more accountable for actually getting everything done in a timely fashion.

The good news is I still have 20 weeks to complete these tasks.

1. Visit Martin Army Community Hospital on post to check out their free labor/delivery/parenting classes
2. Sign up for labor/delivery/parenting class
3. Call pediatricians, set up meetings, go to meetings and pick pediatrician
4. Register at Doctors Hospital
5. Tour labor/delivery unit of Doctors Hospital
6. Register
7. Purchase crib, stroller, car seat, bases, glider (the big stuff that won't go on the registry).
8. Prepare nursery (fill and sand holes in wall, paint, clean, decorate)

20-week video of Ellie

Here's the video from my 20-week check up. Sorry I didn't post this last night, Carole, but Morgan and I fell asleep really early.

In the first couple of seconds of the first video you'll notice a mouse circling a dark spot on Ellie's body. That spot is her stomach and it's full of the amniotic fluid she's been drinking. I've mentioned this before, but babies drink amniotic fluid in the womb and then pee it out. It sounds totally gross, I know, but I was happy to see her little tummy full of fluid (and a little later in the video, her bladder) because that means all her digestive systems are working properly.

The mouse also circles what looks like bubbles above Ellie's tiny, cute little nose. That's a part of the umbilical cord.

The next few videos are just Ellie being Ellie. You can see her heart beating and we get some fuzzy shots of her arms and feet. The ultrasonographer than reconfirms that it's a girl!

We can see her open and close her mouth and push her head back. At one point she jerks a little (it looks like a hiccup) and I could actually feel it when she did it so that was cool.

Towards the end of the video she puts her hand to her mouth in an attempt to suck her thumb. I think it's amazing that all babies feel they need to do that. What a comfort.

She's 11 ounces, by the way, and from head to rump she's about as big as a can of coke. Still tiny, but she's getting there.

Oh, I hit the 130 pound mark! It was a bit of a bummer because I've never in my life been 130 pounds, but remember I said when I got there I'd buy myself an ice cream cake? Well, that's my plan this weekend. Morgan has to sleep at work Saturday so I'll probably buy it then and visit him that evening for a delicious treat.

So, in conclusion, baby is happy and I'm doing fine as well. Morgan is tired (from a crazy work schedule) but so looking forward to being a dad.

Enjoy the videos!




















xoxoL

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

20-week checkup

Today I'm scheduled for an ultrasound and visit with midwife Julie at 3 p.m. I can't wait to see how Ellie looks. Supposedly she'll be a lot plumper then she was at week 15 when we last saw her on ultrasound at Babywaves.

Among the questions I plan to ask Julie is if it's OK to take allergy medicine. The pollen levels down here are incredible. Literally everything is coated with a fine layer of yellow dust. It's really taking its toll on me.

On another subject, I wanted to share with everyone a link to a store called The Land of Nod. It's a childrens' off-shoot of Crate and Barrel. Lately I've been looking around for some cute bedding, paint color ideas and art work for the nursery and I think I found what I've been looking for on that site.

After speaking with my mom about the various goodies I found there she reminded me of the poem, "The Land of Nod," by Robert Louis Stevenson. Undoubtedly that's where the store got its name. I wonder if that's legal.

Anyway, it was one of her favorite poems growing up and she said she used to read it to Emily, Ben and me when we were little. I certainly remember the story of "
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod," by Eugene Field:


And in honor of my mom, here's "The Land of Nod":

The Land of Nod
By Robert Louis Stevenson

From Breakfast on through all the day
At home among my friends I stay,
But every night I go abroad
Afar into the land of Nod.

All by myself I have to go,
With none to tell me what to do--
All alone beside the streams
And up the mountain-sides of dreams.

The strangest things are there for me,
Both things to eat and things to see,
And many frightening sights abroad
Till morning in the land of Nod.

Try as I like to find the way,
I never can get back by day,
Nor can remember plain and clear
The curious music that I hear.

Happy Wednesday.

xoxoL

Monday, April 5, 2010

Halfway there

I'm now 20 weeks (and one day) so that means I'm halfway to my due date, which is amazing and scary and exciting all in one!

Anyway, my cousin, Leah, had a good list of things I will need for the baby. I thought I'd share it here. The night light is especially helpful because I never would have thought of that!

ok
you need a car seat w stroller attachment
breast pump- medela
shirts/onsies/dressing gowns with mitts
baby towel set
night lights so the room doesn't get too bright when you change her/fed her at night
a swing or bouncer chair where you can put her down safely when you need the batroom
all kinda essential

Thanks Leah! That does help a lot.

xoxoL

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter Sunday

Morgan and I aren't religious so today was really just another Sunday for us, but it was a nice one anyway.

I got up about 10 a.m. and hid Morgan's bunny basket (like an Easter basket, but non-denominational) then wrote up a couple of clues (literally just two) to help him find it. Dave was involved in this process too. It was very elementary and very funny. I can't wait to do that for Ellie in a few years.

The rest of the day for me was spent going on walks (two of them) and reading in the front yard (I just started "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"). Morgan worked on our front bathroom. This renovation has been a three-month process, but I am happy to report the end is in sight.

Ellie has been a very busy fetus lately, kicking around and having a grand 'ol time in there. Last night we went to a concert venue/bar called The Loft to watch The Modern Skirts play. It was very loud and very fun, but Morgan was a bit concerned that it was too loud for our little girl. I think she's fine.

Earlier in the day M and I went to Babies R Us to check out the merchandise. We wrote down pretty much everything we want so we can register online. It was so much fun. Way less stressful than registering for our wedding. That kind of sucked actually. I felt like such a mindless consumer. Shopping for Ellie just feels different. Like every product is essential to her survival as a new person on this earth. Yes, Morgan, those tiny, pink Converse sneaker slipper high tops ARE absolutely necessary!

A couple of questions for the mothers and mothers-to-be out there: Can you offer me a list of the top five things I can't do without for the baby? How about the top five things I don't need to worry about purchasing?

Well, that was pretty much our weekend. No belly picture today. I'll have three of them in a row for you two Sunday's from now so get excited. My tummy really feels like it's growing daily.


Wednesday, March 31, 2010

16 and pregnant

It sounds ridiculous, I know, but the show 16 and Pregnant is making me kind of nervous to be a mom. What if I'm really bad at it? What if I'm not able to get her on a schedule and I have this poor child up until 3 a.m. every morning? What if I drop her or I don't know what to do if she's wailing?

I've also been thinking a lot about labor. Should I try to go natural or should I go into it knowing that I'm getting an epidural? I think I'm going to explore the Bradley Method a bit and see what's up with it.

If there's one thing I'm sure about it is the fact that I love my daughter already, I can't wait to meet her and I will do anything to make sure she's safe and happy.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Stomach bug

Hi everyone. Yesterday I was in bed with a stomach virus that pretty much had me doubled over in misery for 24 hours.

Happily, I'm feeling a lot better today, although getting up and walking around still makes me nauseous and I haven't been able to eat anything more than a slice of toast.

I did call my midwife to see if I should be concerned for the baby and her nurse said I just needed to stay hydrated because my body was pretty much expelling all fluids going in to it. She also said to take Imodium and Tylenol to relieve my stomach issues and head pain.

Hopefully I'll feel 100 percent tomorrow.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Belly pictures at last!

Here they are at long last. I'm big. In the first picture my stomach looks bigger than in the second, but that's just because of the position of my arms. Enjoy!

(Oh and click on the picture itself to enlarge it).

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Something else I wanted to share

Here's a recent back-and-forth I had with my new friend, Rebecca, who's also pregnant. She was responding to my post about the first time I felt Ellie move.
Rebecca said...

the other morning i woke up startled and sat up really fast, and all of a sudden there was a little someone throwing a fit in my tummy.... arms and legs going everywhere for like 30 + seconds, he must have been sleeping too. it was really weird.

Lily Cox said...

So funny Reba! I woke up the other morning and my stomach was literally lopsided from the baby settling on my left side. After I rolled over onto my back I had to physically push her over to the center of my stomach. It was the strangest sensation! Crazy babies!

Blame it on Morgan

Ok I know it's been weeks since my last tummy picture, but now I actually have someone to blame for my tardiness.

Morgan suggested I should wait until I have several weeks' worth of pictures saved up so we can compare week 16 to weeks 17, 18 and 19 side-by-side. Honestly, it makes sense, sooo that's what I'm doing. We have been taking one picture a week since the last time I posted a belly shot so after I take one more this Sunday I'll upload them right away.

Hope that is OK with everyone. You won't be disappointed. My stomach is really growing fast!

In other news, I leave for Boston tomorrow evening. I'm going home to celebrate my sister, Emily's, 30th birthday. In preparation for her party Saturday I did some shopping both online and around Columbus. At Stein Mart I bought a maxi (long) dress that shows off my bump, but hides some of the areas I'm self conscious about.

Having to shop for something nice to wear led me to the maternity store A Pea in the Pod where I heard that model Heidi Klum has a collection. Well, she does, but all of the pieces I like are way too expensive. It's just hard for me to justify spending hundreds of dollars on a wardrobe or even pieces of a wardrobe I'm only going to wear for the next few months.

Ok. I'm going to watch American Idol now. Take care everyone and I'll post again Sunday!

xoxoL

P.S. I felt Ellie move again last night. It was so fun!


Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Milestone

I believe I just felt our baby kick for the first time. It was on the lower right side of my abdomen.

It felt like a tony muscle spasm combined with a touch of the butterflies.

Keep kicking Ellie!

xoxoL

p.s. I swear to you, you will see back-to-back belly pictures (for the 16th and 17th weeks) on my next post. I've been really busy at work lately so that's why I've fallen so behind.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Baby slings of death!

Morgan and I were just talking yesterday about baby slings and how we can't wait to get one for Ellie.

Well, oddly enough, today the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a safety warning today on the suffocation risks of baby slings. I got this news from The Bump, an online newsletter from the makers of the popular wedding site, The Knot.

Wouldn't you know the second I opened The Bump email regarding baby slings of death Katie Couric popped up on TV with a story about the CPSC safety warning on the hazards associated with baby slings! Weird, huh?

Anyway, I'm going to reconsider the sling.

16 Week appointment

Morgan and I visited midwife Julie yesterday for my 16 week appointment.

It really wasn't too eventful. First I had some blood drawn. I hated it as always. Then a nurse weighed me. I'm 127 pounds so I've gained a total of six pounds in about four months. That's normal I'm told. By the way, when I hit 130 I'm buying myself an ice cream cake...after I hit the gym and maybe shed a tear or two.

Back to my appointment: After all the poking and prodding and weighing I sat down with Julie to ask her some questions. Morgan and I wanted to know whether she recommended I get the H1N1 vaccine. She said she didn't recommend it, but she suggested we do some research and make our own decision. We're still considering. Does anyone have an insight about this?

Next, we asked her about a Dave Matthews show I want to go to this summer. I was pleased to hear that a loud show in the middle of the Georgia summer won't hurt me or the baby. DMB here we come Jessie!

I also asked Julie how tight is too tight when it comes to pants because mine are fitting mighty snug these days. She (and my preggo friend in crime, Rebecca Paull) suggested I buy a belly band. Morgan and I went post haste to the nearest maternity store to buy two. I'm wearing one now. Heaven!

Thursday's appointment wrapped up with us all listening to little Ellie's heart beat. It's going at about 157 beats per minute. Very good, according to Julie. We were so happy to hear her.

The next time I see Julie will be in four weeks. I can't believe I'll be 20 weeks by then!

Here's what Fit Pregnancy says about my baby at week 17:

Your baby is about as wide as your palm, about six inches tall, and weighs about four ounces—about as much as a bar of soap. She now weighs more than your placenta. Your baby is now covered with a downy layer of lanugo, which swirls in fingerprint-like formation over her whole body. Her skin is still thin. Brown fat, a special type of fat that plays a role in body heat generation, is being deposited. In the next few weeks, your baby's eyes will begin to move beneath their fused lids in a side-to-side sweeping motion.

xoxoL

P.S. I know I promised a belly picture. It's coming. I swear.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Layla Grace

Yesterday I posted a story on the Ledger-Enquirer's Web site about a two-year-old named Layla Grace who recently died of Neuroblastoma.

This morning, I couldn't help but go back to the story and share it with all my Twitter followers and Facebook friends. It's a powerful story with a tragic end. From a news person's perspective, it carries very interesting implications about how an incredibly personal and private ordeal can be played out in a series of public forums to a mostly positive outcome.

Just a moment ago I began reading the blog little Layla's parents began two years ago and kept up with throughout their daughter's illness. It's so tragic yet, in a way, it's a beautiful thing. It's tragic for obvious reasons and beautiful in that you know by reading it that this child was loved to her core and that so many people -- family, friends and total strangers -- were clearly pulling for her.

By the time Layla died, she had almost 46,000 followers on Twitter. Here is what her mother Tweeted in the hours before Layla's death:

"Mommy is rocking Layla. She has only opened her eyes once today. Her feet are getting cold too.
"

"Please continue 2 pray for peace for Layla. Her dad is in her room right now talking to her & comforting her. She is not doing well at all.
"

"Layla went to play with the angels early this morning. Rest in peace precious Layla. 11/26/2007 - 3/9/2010
"


And finally, her parents' Tweet from this morning:

"Very restless night & woke up w/ swollen eyes. Meeting w/ funeral director today. Feel like I'm walking in a fog. Thank you for prayers!!
"

I don't mean to bum you guys out. This story just makes me think about my and Morgan's little girl and hope beyond hope that she's a healthy baby. It also made me thing about how connected we all are nowadays for better or for worse.

xoxoL

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Sunny Saturdays and my growing belly

Here's to wearing my very first piece of maternity clothing!

I wore a long-sleeved, black, cotton shirt Friday courtesy of Lillie Besozzi. The only aspect of it that I think gave me away was the ruching on the sides.

It was just too comfortable to pass up and lately my wardrobe has been getting a lot smaller. Currently, my favorite pair of jeans is sulking in the back of my closet. No amount of sucking in will get those puppies to button and I no longer can use the rubber band method on them so they will just have to chill for a few months until I get my body back, and I will get my body back.

Speaking of, I have continued to work out these past few months and I don't plan to quit until right before baby Ellie is born. Today, Morgan and I went on a walk with Dave and our friends, Frank and Lauren and their dog, Callie. It was beautiful outside. Sunny and warm.

Studies show (and it makes sense) that eating nutritious meals and sticking to an exercise plan can make labor and delivery easier or at least more tolerable and also decrease my chances of developing health problems including backaches, varicose veins, high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

Bottom line, I want my body to be prepared for and capable of handling what's ahead.

Oh and I do one day want to be able to fit back into my favorite jeans...

Tomorrow marks the beginning of my 16th week. Morgan and I decided we're going to take a tummy picture every Sunday from here on out to track my expanding circumference. I'll post it here tomorrow.

Also, stay tuned for an update Thursday from my next appointment with Julie the midwife. I don't think I'll get another ultrasound this time around, but they will be drawing some more blood. Yippee!

I've made a list of topics I need to discuss with her. Here they are:

1. Need a note to give to human resources at work explaining in detail what I can and can't do on the job especially while working the cop beat.

2. Prescription for prenatal pills.

3. Begin to discuss birth plan

Am I missing anything?

Here's what I have to do before seeing Julie:

1. Pick a pediatrician and contact him/her

2. Choose a parenting/birthing crash course and sign up for it.