She's Here!

Charlotte Alexandra Young
6 pounds 10.2 ounces
19 inches
December 20th, 2007

(click on pic to see more)

2 Days Shy, 39 Weeks

It's lookin' like we 'dropped' folks. My 'shelf' isn't as high and my belly button is pointing more to the south! Ha! She's getting ready! We so cannot wait!

Doc Update

Hello all! Just wanted to let you know that yesterday's doc appointment went just fine! We are measuring a week 'big' at 39cm. My weight is pretty much the same - I think I am maxed out now! Woohoo! We are still 1cm dilated, BUT 70% effaced; so that is good. And, I am pretty sure that I 'dropped' yesterday - seems like my belly is much lower and I am waddling more (could that be possible?). I'll try to post a pic this weekend...will have to dig the camera out of the hospital bag!

37 Weeks

37 Weeks and technically, 'full-term'! Woohoo! So any time now! Maybe this will be our last preggo post!!!???

Our past two doc appointments have gone very well. Really no change in weight, BP is excellent, Charlotte's heartbeat is still in the 140's and strong, and we're measuring perfectly! Her head is down and pretty much locked, loaded and ready. Oh?! And, we are 1cm dilated. I asked the doc if that was in any way a predictor of when she may be here and, unfortunately, it's not. But, hey! Progress is progress (we were only a smidge of a fingertip dilated at 36 weeks)!

I feel more and more exhausted every day and AM SO READY to not be pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I have LOVED every minute of our pregnancy (except for those 6 weeks of all-day nausea), but it is time now. We are ready (as ready as we think we can be anyways) to meet our little lady. So ready, in fact, that we took a trip to Scalini's last night for the infamous, labor-inducing eggplant parmesan.

Keep your fingers crossed! Our bags are already packed and we'll be sure to keep ya'll updated!

35 Weeks

Hey all! Sorry for the lack of posting - have been pretty exhausted and busy the past couple of weeks!

We had our most recent check-up on Friday and all is very well. We are still measuring right on time (34cm), and gaining a 'normal' amount of weight (+3LBS since last visit). Charlotte's heartbeat was in the 150s (very active!) and she 'seems' to be head-down, though this still needs to be confirmed at our appointment next week.

Speaking of our appointment next week, the doc will start checking to see if we are dilated! Eek! Keep your fingers crossed that she comes sooner rather than later! We are so excited. After our 36 week check-up, we will start weekly appointments until the little lady makes her appearance!

Our birthing class was on Saturday - ALL DAY Saturday, 9 to 5. How exhausting - we both took a nap when we got home! But, we learned lots of good stuff and even took a tour of the maternity wing so we know right where to go when the time comes! It was really great getting to meet lots of other couples that are due right around us too!

Charlotte's nursery is STILL coming along, so no new pics just yet! I am working on her mobile, and I just cut drawer liners for all of her drawers (and hurt my back in the process - you just sometimes don't realize your limitations until you have surpassed them). We still need to hang things on the walls and wash all of her little clothes (gosh, so afraid to lose something!).

We also chose a pediatrician this week and have yet to decide upon the best daycare option (can't think about that right now...get too upset and emotional).

Oh?! Right now she has the hiccups! Ha! She gets them all the time! Hope ya'll have a wonderful turkey day!

33 Weeks

Here's a much better photo - last week's replacement. It's easier to compare to all the others. And, as you can see, I'm getting bigger every week. Back pain - not so fun.

Middle Name

Just wanted to let ya'll know that we have finally decided on a middle name! It's Alexandra! After me!

Charlotte Alexandra Young

Baby Shower

Pics from our Georgia Baby Shower are up! Click on the picture to go to Flickr and view more! Enjoy! We certainly did!

If anyone should want to purchase a pic, click on the one you like and then choose 'ORDER PRINTS' from the little menu above it! There are a whole range of sizes!

Waxed

Disclaimer: this post is not intended for those who don't want in on 'too much information'. Let's just say that I took a trip to the spa for a good ol' waxing. Well, it certainly didn't go as planned. I expected to tough it out and be a big girl. But, hot damn, it HURT. And when I say HURT - I really, really, REALLY mean it. I wouldn't even allow the aesthetician to finish. I wouldn't recommend it. Pregnant or not.

If this is any inclination of how well I handle pain, labor is not lookin' good. Boy. Am I in trouble. The idea of an epidural looks real good about now.

Doc Update

Just wanted to let everyone know that our doctor's appointment went just fine! I am measuring 32cm - right on for 32 weeks! (you should measure roughly the same in centimeters as you are in weeks, just in case you didn't know). I have gained a total of 27 pounds, and Charlotte's heartbeat was in the 130s. The doc also mentioned that her head is in the right spot - head down and ready to go! Let's just hope she doesn't get any funny ideas and flip around!

I also asked the doc about a Christmas delivery to make sure nothing hinky was going to happen. But, she assured me that someone from the practice WILL be there and that there isn't anything to worry about. In fact, the doc I saw today is the one on-call Christmas day - what a saint! I only need to meet with one other doctor before I get to return to my regular OB.

Then came the question - what if the 25th comes and goes and our little lady still hasn't made an appearance? Well, they will only let me go to 41 weeks and then induce. So, if by chance she likes it just fine where she is right now and doesn't want to join us for Christmas, we'll be induced the first week in January. Yowza!

BTW, we'll be having doc check-ups every two weeks now (as opposed to every 4 weeks)...so you can expect more updates! Then, after our 36 week check-up we'll start seeing the doc once a week.

Due Next Month!

Holy cow. I just realized that, as of today, November 1st, we can officially say - "We're due next month." That is nuts. Talk about a reality check.

PreggoLantern

My boss made me these extra special Halloween 'props'. I think I might keep them on when I hand candy out to the little kids tonight. Love it!

32 Weeks, 1 Day

You'll have to forgive the botched photo - I will have Stevens take another pic when he gets home! Sure is hard to turn to the side (at this point) and take a photo of yourself! Doing pretty good this week, though more and more tired. My belly morphs A LOT - I looked down at it yesterday afternoon and it looked like a ski slope and then, POOF, it vanished.

We have our 32 week prenatal visit on Friday. I am excited to see if we are still measuring right on time - maybe we'll measure bigger? Might we get to meet Charlotte sooner rather than later??? We'll try to post an update Friday!

We technically only have 8 more weeks to go until our EDD. And, yes, that also means only 8 more weeks til Christmas Day!

As mentioned in our 30 Week post, things have been crazy busy. Time with Dad & Mike was quite lovely - quick - but lovely. Ate lots of yummy food AND they surprised us with the most fantastical house warming present...window treatments for practically the whole house. Thanks Dad! Thanks Mike! It is amazing how different the house feels with stuff on the windows. More 'complete' feeling. We also hung some stuff and reaccessorized (not really a word, I know).

This coming weekend will prove to be just as busy too as more family will be in town for our Georgia baby shower! Hopefully this time around I will remember to take some pics with my digi to post on Flickr.

As for the nursery - sloooowly progressing. The glider is now in it's relative spot but we still have to hang stuff and complete the finishing touches. So nothing really new on that.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Nursery Update

My oh my, we sure have come a loooong way from the initial nursery pics! As you can see, we have been VERY busy getting Charlotte's room together. This past weekend we finished painting her dressers and put finishing touches on the walls. We also assembled the crib - as you can plainly see! And, tonight we get to go pick up the glider! Can't wait!

All that is really left is to polyurethane the dresser tops, fix a couple of woodwork snafoos and to accessorize! Oh?! And, we also have to prime, paint + polyurethane the doors for the dresser in the photo above. I'm sure if you give me a little more time I could think of more! I'll post more pics soon...my camera died mid-shot.

And, oh yeah - how ya likin' those clear, super high-gloss stripes? Sure was a you-know-what to tape and prepare for but they turned out perfectly...thanks to a very special guy! By the way, it is amazing how much the camera flash picked them up - they are much more subtle in person.

Happy Birthday Daisy!

Five years ago, on this very day, our little Daisy was born! How time flies! And, just like we did for our little man, Chopper, a pint of vanilla ice cream will be making it's way home for the birthday gal (and, no silly, she won't get the whole thing)!

What a CROC! Update.

Looks like I am keeping the Crocs. Eek! Please forgive me.

What a CROC!

Ok. So. I finally caved and bought a pair of Crocs. Do you see what impending motherhood has reduced me to??? Eek! You see, the cute new flats I bought (to accommodate my growing, swelling, unswelling, swelling again tootsies) make my feet sweat something awful (gross, I know) and I never have sweaty feet. Ever. And, it is getting to that time of the year where flip flops just aren't gonna cut it.

I figure this can go one of two ways. ONE: I get past the ugliness, fall in love and buy multiple pairs in lots of beautious colors. TWO: The ugliness supersedes and I make a trip back to the store. Regardless, I have to admit, that they are amazingly comfy.

30 Weeks, 1 Day

So here we are - 30 Weeks already! Only 10 more to go! I can't believe it. It seems like so much has happened over the last two weeks...

We were up in PA for a wedding, house warming / birthday party and our baby shower. It was so great to see everyone especially since we hadn't seen most of our family in a couple of months! This past weekend we finished the stripes in Charlotte's room (pics and, I hope, a video to come) and we started on her dressers. Our plan is to finish her dressers this weekend and assemble the crib - I really can't wait to see how things look in their place! I even had a sneak peak of the little lady on Monday (I overreacted and called the doc and she had me come in to her office) via ultrasound - too cute! She is currently 3lbs. 6oz. and has a little bit of wispy hair. And, I had them check just once more to make sure she really is a little lady - no doubt now!

I have been feeling pretty good lately. Can't really complain, but I have noticed that I seem more tired now (at times) than I ever did in the first trimester. Didn't think that was possible! Probably just from more weight out front! And, by comparing this week's photo to the 28 Week photo, there is a definite difference. Looks like my belly button dropped.

So not only have the past two weeks been pretty busy, but the next couple will be equally as busy...if not more! Dad will be in town for a couple of days, then we have our GA baby shower the following weekend with more family in town, Stevens will be traveling a bit, then we have our birthing class and Thanksgiving! Whew. Just exhausted thinking about everything!

Stay tuned for nursery pics and a possible video! Ciao!

28 Weeks

Feeling a bit under the weather today - sore throat, but otherwise just fine! I'm headed to the doctor later today to get some meds and nip this in the bud...I surely don't want to be sick for our travels this weekend!

28 Weeks officially marks the start of our third trimester! Woohoo! Kicks are getting stronger and we had our first evening of the ever morphing belly last week. So crazy to watch. Can't wait to start seeing little fists and feet protrude!

Doc Update

Had our 28 Week check-up + Glucose tolerance testing this morning and all is well! My belly is measuring right on, blood pressure not too low or too high, and I actually lost 2 pounds from our last visit thanks to a persistent upset belly the past 2 weeks. Charlotte's heart beat was right in the 140s and there was lots of static on the doppler as she moved about. I found out that my legs and feet falling asleep is a normal side effect of pregnancy and, with so many questions jumping around in my head, I completely forgot to get clearance to travel this weekend! Argh! I am now waiting on the OB nurse to return my message and give us the go ahead! Can't wait to see everyone Thursday!

Oh?! And BTW we have one more appointment in 4 weeks and then we'll start seeing the doc every two weeks! Holy cow! It is getting close! I'll post pics tomorrow!

26 Weeks

She's been kicking lots more! And even responds to hot and cold - sitting in the tub last night, part of my belly was submerged, the top part was not...I blew cool air on the top and she started kickin' right away. Amazing. Here is what my weekly newsletter from babycenter.com had to say...

Your baby now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in her ears are developing, which means her response to sounds is growing more consistent. Her lungs are developing now, too, as she continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when she's born and takes that first breath of air.

25 Weeks

Another week down! And, only 103 days to go (according to my babystrology widget)! Been feeling pretty good, but have experienced some swelling. Imagine my surprise when I realized I had no ankles last Friday - don't worry though, they are back to a fairly normal size now. No more cankles, at least for today anyways.


I have noticed that there are lots of little things about pregnancy that no one really talks about - things that you have to be an 'insider' for to actually figure out. Everyone is always quick to share with you the preggo 'glow'(of which I have yet to experience), the enhanced rack, the exhaustion, the incorrectly labeled 'morning' sickness etc - but what about the return of adolescent-like acne? Or, more importantly, the sudden growth of your feet? Why on earth does no one talk about this? Perhaps it is just too painful - it sure is for me. You see, I have a 'thing' for shoes. A fetish, if you will. An 'I can't live without stylish shoes' complex. And the other day I thought I might break out a couple of 'almost Fall' / changing of the season shoes - you know the kind...the cute little ballet flats, patent pumps, sexy boots etc. Well let's just say that was a bad idea. A VERY BAD IDEA. Nothing fits. I am now a size 8, goodbye (for now) my dearly beloved 7's.

What is a girl to do? I surely can't start wearing my Uggs this early in the season (thank god something fits). Lord help me and please let my feet shrink back...at least eventually.

Crib

We got a call the other day that our crib is in! Woot! Can't wait to pick it up! And, sorry we're a bit late posting photos this week...it's a busy one. Should be something up this weekend!

24 Weeks: UPDATE

Got a bit freaked about something so the doctor's office upped my appointment to today (instead of Thursday) - but NO worries! Everything checked out to be just fine. Got to hear little Miss Charlotte's heartbeat AND got to hear her moving ALL around - it was crazy. She was so active at times that it was hard to hear her heart beat over her movements. I didn't know that movement could be picked up by the doppler but it sure can! Amazing!

24 Weeks

24 Weeks is pretty much equivalent to 6 months, right? Man oh man. The concept of 'time' sure is weird when pregnant...at the current time it seems as though things are draaaaaaagging along. But when you look back you can't believe how much time really has passed.

Here we are, present day, time draaaaaaagging. Sure doesn't look like much of a difference from my last couple of pics. Thought I would notice more of a size difference. Our next doctor appointment is Thursday - just a regular old check-up...measure the belly, weight check, blood pressure check, listen to the heartbeat (can't wait for this part)! No ultrasound this time. In fact, I think the gender ultrasound was our last - boo hoo...how I love to see our little person. But, I am pretty excited that I will get to meet with my regular OB doc this time around - haven't seen her in a bit. FYI - when you are a patient in a larger practice, you get passed around so you can meet all docs in case your main doc isn't available for delivery = no surprise faces.


As for the nursery - we have completed all touch-up painting. I was so excited that I was able to participate this time around. Woot! In the next couple of weeks we will start the clear, super high-gloss stripes for a real subtle tone-on-tone effect. Can't wait!

Just Chillin'

Daisy looked mighty comfy yesterday morning; just thought I would share...

Balloon Knot

According to Stevens, my belly button now closely resembles a balloon knot.

Refrigerator

Maybe it is just me, but why is it that with each major appliance purchased, the older you feel? Oh well. Anyhow, the refrigerator that was generously left by the previous owners has decided to make its departure. Quite honestly, it isn't all that upsetting - it had mold. Gross. So now we introduce, our Whirpool 25.6 Cu. Ft. Side-by-Side Refrigerator. It is not stainless - surprising, huh? Sure does look it! As we learned over the weekend, most major appliances offer a 'stainless look' finish so the impending mini finger prints we have to look forward too won't show so much! And, did you know, that true stainless is NOT magnetic? No magnets? No fingerpaintings? No report cards? Well heck, we just couldn't have that. Rock on 'stainless finish'!



I opted to NOT post our actual refrigerator, though it has already been delivered and is happily in its new home - Photoshop was giving me grief.

Charlotte's Nursery

We finally started Charlotte's nursery this past week (end). Actually, we were pretty busy! We ordered a crib (finally!) and glider with ottoman, and picked out paint to match her bedding.

Stevens started AND finished painting the base coat in her room - we plan on adding vertical stripes this coming weekend. For everyone who has been asking, the nursery colors are Magenta + Sage Green - I started a Flickr set for Charlotte's room so you can check out reference photos there (just click on the photos below - they are direct links to the Flickr set). For now, I leave you with some action shots...






It isn't looking like too much yet, but it will soon. And, BTW, I really did try my best to help...the primer fumes were quite overwhelming. I'll give it another go with the stripes and touch-up painting!

Registries

Registries are up and running - check out the links to the right. We are officially registered at Babies R Us and have also put together wish lists for Amazon.com and Kaboodle.com. If you have any questions, call, email or leave a comment here on the blog! Thanks for all your love and support!

23 Weeks

Here we are again! I have been feeling lots of movement lately - pretty cool. I am sure I will get to the point where the movement will be uncomfortable, but for now I am really enjoying it - Stevens too - especially on Saturday...I made Stevens take me to Dairy Queen and Charlotte was doing quite a dance; so much so that you could see my belly move - so incredible.

Registry

We are in the midst of setting up our registries - look for links over on the right soon!

22 Weeks

Well, 22 Weeks today! Not much has changed this past week so I guess that is good. Though it seemed pretty unanimous among my coworkers that my belly grew over the weekend. I never can tell unless I look at my photos for a little compare + contrast!

The latest from babycenter.com...

"Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily."

Oh?! And, Daisy was in the bathroom for my weekly belly shot this morning, so she got a photo too...

21 Weeks

21 Weeks today! Been feeling pretty good and gaining a little more of my energy back each day. And it looks like (any day now) my belly button is going to pop out or maybe it will just become flat - we'll see!

As a registered user of babycenter.com, I receive weekly updates of what is happening to my body, along with how the baby is developing etc. This is what it says for this week...

"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound (she was actually 13 oz. last week) and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. Her eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel her move. She's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if she starts working out just when you're settling down for the night."

Pretty cool, huh?

It's A Girl!

The results are in - It's A Girl! Woot! She was VERY cooperative, and VERY active. Moved all around; I guess it helped that I had a bunch to eat beforehand. She would flip to her tummy, then to her back and would then suck on her thumb. Just about every day now I (and Stevens too!) have been feeling little 'bumps' and 'taps' in my belly so I know she is well! Here are some pics...(click on 'em for a larger view)...

This is a view looking up at her little butt.


Here she is sucking on her thumb.


And laying on her side, facing us!


And, my most favorite, her little feets! We're so in love!


Needless to say we are VERY excited! Time to start the nursery! Stay tuned for some belly pics!

Happy Birthday Chopper!

Just wanted to give a shout out to my little man - a whole 3 years old today! There is a pint of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream waiting for him at home - he'll smell like ice cream for a week.

Whooped!

Just to let you know - my prenatal fitness class whooped my butt. Seriously. One of the other soon to be mommies - 33 Weeks along mind you - fared better than me. I am so out of shape. Good grief. On that note, I leave you with this pic, taken at 18 Weeks, 4 Days - just imagine a margarita with extra salt in that glass. Mmm.

19 Weeks, 1 Day

19 weeks! Holy cow! Almost 20! Almost half way there! Lately I have been feeling pretty good - morning sickness has passed, no more continuous nausea (knock on wood), and my energy is returning though I still crash pretty hard in the evenings. I am really looking forward to my prenatal fitness class and meeting other soon-to-be-mommies; I'll let ya know how it goes come Monday!

OH?! And don't forget to vote for beaker's gender over on on the right! Less than a week until the big day! Now you just watch...the little bugger won't cooperate and all this hype will be over nothing!

Prenatal Fitness

I signed up for a prenatal fitness class yesterday! Starts this Saturday - Toning, Fitness & Yoga. It is so easy to be lazy. Gotta get off my butt.

AFP Results

Got a call from the OB nurse yesterday and our AFP results came back NEGATIVE! Woohoo! One less thing to worry about cause these tests sure can be stressful. Of course, some are optional but we figured we might as well go through with them just in case something of concern would pop up. The only thing left now is the 1 hour glucose test to check for gestational diabetes (closer to the 30 weeks mark).

Oh?! By the way. I kept forgetting to charge the camera battery - it's a chargin while we speak! Pics soon to come!

Ultrasound Pics

Pics of our Baby Beaker! This first pic is from our viability ultrasound at 7 Weeks, 2 Days - clearly quite early on...so much so they had to label the 'baby' part.


And, these other two are from our Nuchal Translucency testing at 13 Weeks, 1 Day - talk about stressful (it took two weeks for our blood work to come back, but everything turned out OK!).




Whaddya think of the profile in pic #3? And, can you believe the difference a few weeks makes? Tons of development! I'll be sure to post the anatomy u/s pics on the 9th - a little more than two weeks...but who's counting? Certainly NOT moi!

Cast Your Vote

Ok Peeps! Our anatomy ultrasound is scheduled for Thursday, August 9th. You have until 12P that day to cast your vote...will it be the first girl in 33 years on the Young side? Or might it be a mini Stevens soccer prodigy? Use the "WHICH IS IT" poll on the righthand side of this page to cast your vote! I'll post our other ultrasounds pics come Monday [my scanner is at work - argh!].

Be sure to check back on the 9th for the reveal!!!

17 Weeks, 4 Days

It's an unneccesary boob shot, I know. But hey, come to think of it, for the first time I sure am proud. For more pics, click the link over on the right.

Welcome

Hi all! As I am sure ya'll know - we are PREGNANT. And, since so many of you are far away, we set up this blog to keep in touch and to be sure no one misses a thing! Keep checking back for updates and be sure to click the "WATCH MY BELLY GROW" link to the right for weekly belly shots! Be sure to leave comments too! Love & miss you all!

OH?! And, by the way, we are 17 weeks, 4 days as of today. And - one more thing - there is only ONE baby in my belly (just in case you thought you needed to ask). I am Queen of Bloat, what can I say.