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.

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.

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).

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.

March 17, 2010 3:02 PM

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!

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.

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.

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. 11:17 AM Mar 8th via Tweetie"

"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

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.

Ellie video 5

Ellie video 4

Ellie video 3

Ellie video 2

Video of Ellie Grace

More pictures of Eleanor Grace

It's a girl!

Today has been a great day.

Morgan and I went over to Baby Waves, which provides parents-to-be with 4D images of their little bundle of joy. Today I am 15 weeks and 3 days so we thought maybe it would be possible to find out the sex of our baby.

We were right! (Get a load of the pictures).

Mary, the ultrasonographer and owner of Baby Waves, knew almost right away what we having after looking at the 2D image, but she decided to play with us a bit.

Morgan and I were clueless until Mary handed us a Mounds candy bar. If we were having a boy she would have handed us an Almond Joy. Get it? Almond Joys have nuts. Mounds don't. No nuts=a girl! Very funny, Mary.

Of course I immediately began to cry and didn't stop until we finished with our appointment. Then, as soon as I called my mom on the car ride home the flood gates opened again. I just couldn't help myself. We're having a little girl!

We have already picked out a name: Eleanor Grace Cox. (Please don't hold us to this because she might pop out and really be a Kathryn or a Clare). Right now, though, we love Eleanor Grace. Eleanor was my grandmother's name by the way and we've just always loved the name Grace.

One last thing about the name: It actually sounds good with Cox. Winner!

Since Morgan was right about the sex, he won our little bet and therefore I had to buy him his favorite desert.

So, in a minute we will cut into a delicious carrot cake. By the way, if it'd been a boy like a said it would, we would be sitting down to slices of Carvel ice cream cake. Yumminess either way.

xoxoL

P.S. My next post will contain video.