New Pediatrician!!

It takes a village to raise a child...

I don't know why, but for some reason I have been so hesitant about finding a pediatrician and have been putting it off all summer. How silly can you be?! So I called Village Pediatrics Monday and set up an appointment to meet with Dr. Bernosky today at 1:00 so that Shawn could make it during his lunch break. We actually had an impromptu lunch date in Southern Village prior to our visit. Being the crazy researcher that I am, I made a list of 11 questions I wanted to ask the receptionist about operations and the doctor about child birth, epidurals, breastfeeding, sleep schedules and immunizations. I pretty much got the answers I was looking for and it really calmed some of the fears I have created - or rather - all of my research has created about these issues. I am still a firm believer in a sleep schedule after 2 months of age, and the doctor agreed, but I am not so stuck on the belief that an epidural or not being able to breast feed right way is going to scare and traumatize my little bundle of happiness for life! Whatever decision I make as a parent will be what is best for my child since we are all different and babies are well...not alike.

Side note: At our childbirth classes the instructor gave us a list of books to read by various authors, a few by the name of Dr. Sears. Today, our new pediatrician said that she thinks his medical license should be taken away from him! According to her, there is no scientific evidence that proves much of what he says - especially when it comes to child immunizations - yes, your child has 19 within the first 2 years of life. That was one of my new hangups after reading about all of the controversy over them, but you know what - my child will live and will be happy because we will be loving parents no matter what!

So Cheers to Village Pediatrics - I highly recommend them, and will hopefully feel the same way after our first visit at our baby's 2 day old birthday!

xoxo
Megan

47 days to go!

Picture taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia near Wintergreen.

It's been a while since my last post and many events have taken place! I celebrated my 28th birthday on June 24, Shawn and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary on June 27, and we embarked on our babymoon to Wintergreen in Virginia from the 24th through the 27th. Our friends Caroline and Andrew came along -she is due 6 weeks after me! We had a very relaxing time, but did go on a few hikes which ended up being a little too strenuous. Probably the most difficult hike I've been on since Peru when Kate and I hiked up a mountain on our hands and knees at altitudes high enough to take your breath away.

This past weekend I had my 32 week appointment which went well, as expected. I have been told I am one of the most boring pregnant patients they have every seen -not me, my pregnancy! But that is what I want to hear! On Saturday, Shawn and I went to a breastfeeding class where we got to practice with dolls and watch informative videos. My boobs did not look like any of the boobs on the video, so I'm wondering if my body even realizes it better produce some milk??!!?? It doesn't look too hard, and I wish everyone would stop telling me their horror stories about breastfeeding and birth! Is having your child really that much of a pain in your ass? Why did you have kids then?? Please shut up and allow those of us that are first time mothers to have the best experience possible and the kind of experience we want to have - a NATURAL one! Yes, I'm not an idiot, I know it will be painful, but I also know what I want and what my body is capable of going through and no two pregnancies are the same so how can you compare mine to yours? Childbirth is the one experience in a woman's life that she will never forget - even if she is plagued by alzhiemer's disease. So, why harp on that being such a negative experience? I certainly will do whatever I need to do so that I have a positive experience and can share that with other women instead of "don't try to be brave"!

I am really looking forward to not only bonding with our new baby but bonding on a completely new level with Shawn. His training and life coaching skills will come into play majorly!! We've already started practicing and I can't thank him enough for putting me through the physical training necessary to prepare my body for childbirth. He is the most motivational, supportive husband I could ask for and I am so lucky to have him in my life.

On Saturday, we went to our first 3 hour Prepared Childbirth class. We have three more sessions to go. The women in my class are great and it's nice to share stories and experiences with other first time mothers. I love the instructor, Kara, who has had two children of her own. We watched a couple of DVD's of natural childbirth and it is absolutely NOTHING like what other people say or what you see on tv. Both births did without any drugs - lots of movement and walking around, moving into different positions, no screaming, crying, yelling, or punching, cussing. They were both very quiet pregnancies - painful, but quiet. It was definitely a confidence builder and empowering - however, I'm a bit concerned at my ability to "stretch" down there for a freaking baby head to push through! Hopefully my pelvic area is wide enough - geez louise!

How far along? 32 weeks 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: 25 lbs
Maternity clothes? Nothing new to report - getting really bored with what I do have.
Stretch marks? No new ones to report - none on the belly!
Sleep: Still sleeping pretty well. I wake up about 2 times a night right now to use the bathroom - I'm still super hot when I sleep and don't use covers much until Shawn leaves in the morning for work. I am fairly comfortable - but if I do too much exercise and get sore it's hard to roll over.
Best moment this week: Childbirth class with Shawn!
Movement: Brighton is moving ALL THE TIME!! It is not painful at all unless she bounces around super low - kind of a shooting pain. She moves a lot at night and in the early morning hours, and consistently throughout the day. I can see more body parts "poking" out of my stomach. She is still pretty low - nowhere near the ribs yet - not sure that she'll A: get that big or B: move up that far with only 7 weeks to go.
Food cravings: None - once again - such an excuse for women to eat while they're pregnant. I usually don't have much of an appetite and there is nothing that I truly desire or even want to eat.
Gender: Everyone I see asks if I'm having a boy because I am carrying so low. It's my long torso people! The baby better hope she's a girl or he's going to be in lots of girlie colors for a year!
Labor Signs: Nope - thank goodness - early labor is not such a good thing! Don't want to have the baby prior to 37 weeks. If I do go into early labor it can be stopped if caught soon enough.
Belly Button in or out? Flat
What I miss: Just being able to move around freely.
What I am looking forward to: Meeting our new baby!
Weekly Wisdom: YOGA is amazing for a pregnant woman! I felt so much better after an hour of yoga two days in a row. According to my childbirth teacher - "preparing for childbirth is like preparing for a marathon!"
Milestones: Taking our breastfeeding class and first of four childbirth classes! They were both very informative and I learned a lot!! And...my butt just keeps getting bigger...

The Squash

Baby Huber (Brighton) is now the size of a squash! I'm not sure what kind of squash since she was an eggplant last week. She has quite a bit more energy these days and is moving all over the place. She is still fairly low, but not as low as she has been prior to about my 28th week of pregnancy.

Shawn and I had a very eventful weekend! On Friday, two of my besties Brittany and Branan planned a birthday get together for me at Daniel's. My closest friends came (minus a few that couldn't make it) and I got a Pack N Play from my registry!!!

On Saturday we attended Lindsay's wedding and then dashed back to Chapel Hill for my 10 year high school reunion! We had a blast seeing everyone at the reunion and Shawn even knew some of my classmates! I think he knows more people everywhere we go than I do and he always knows someone no matter where we are! We could be in Mexico and he'd see an old friend! On Sunday, we took my Dad to breakfast at Elmo's and that afternoon we went to another friend's wedding, Lauren and Tyson out at the Shady Wagon. We had a great time, but the heat was killer!! The food was delicious!

By Sunday evening I was pretty worn out and when we got home I had 2 hours of work to do online to submit progress reports!

Shawn had his first Father's Day and got a Daddy Gear Daddy Diaper Bag from me! He loved it and will be a Daddy in Style this September!

How far along? 29 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 20 lbs
Maternity clothes? I just bought, and have already worn, two dresses for four different events we had this past weekend. This is the first time I've purchased maternity clothes in probably 2 months! I'm trying to look at "trendy" as possible when appropriate!
Stretch marks? Only on my inner thighs which I've always had for the past 10 years. They are just a bit worse now, but I put a lotion on my belly, back and legs to help keep it down!
Sleep: I sleep really well for the most part. The only time I wake up is to use the bathroom and the nurse the other day told me to try to layoff the water at night. I also sweat pretty bad at night and my body pillow (poor Shawn) is my best friend at night!
Best moment this week: Celebrating my birthday with girlfriends at Daniels and spending time with classmates at my reunion (and being with Shawn for most of our busy weekend)
Movement: She has moved up just a little bit, but I think that she is still breeched. I feel a lot of feet kicks very low and I think she is rolling and flipping around a lot. The feeling between a kick/punch and a roll/flip is VERY different. Some days she does not move a lot and other days she moves all the time. She has started moving more at night time rather than during the day. If I lay on my left side if feels like she's on my pelvic bone and I can make her move to the other side by flipping over - it's kind of cute!!

Daddy Shawn LOVES to feel Brighton moving in Mommy's belly!

Food cravings: NONE!!! I truly believe that this is such an excuse for pregnant women to eat what they want. There are things that TASTE really good when I eat them, but I don't CRAVE a particular food item. I've never made Shawn go to the store to get me anything. Food, in general, tastes better and you can taste the different ingredients in foods. I do like salty foods and for some reason I enjoy french fries which is a food I rarely ate before.
Gender: Hopefully still a girl! Everyone that sees me asks if it's a boy because I'm carrying so low, but three different ultrasound technicians have told me it's a girl! I hope so because I have a room full of girl stuff!
Labor Signs: Not yet!!!
Belly Button in or out? Flat
What I miss: Being able to work out with intensity.
What I am looking forward to: Raising an intelligent, well rounded, caring, christian daughter!
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy every moment of pregnancy and make sure you realize you are already a Mom that must take care of a growing baby!
Milestones: Weighing over 140 - One time in college I think I got up to 140 after I got off of a diet and gained 15 pounds. I'll weight 125 by December!

The Eggplant

Hi Everyone! Baby Huber is now the size of an eggplant and is gearing up for life in the outside world by ramping up her immune system and soaking up my antibodies. Her beautiful eyes are forming and she will start blinking soon! She will even have eyelashes as well! She moves very often and for a while I could figure out when she was awake and when she was asleep, but now it has changed and she is starting to move more in the middle of the night. I also feel her more throughout the day - not just at my meal times. Her movements are also getting much stronger, but I can't tell yet how she is moving or what is punching or kicking me?!?!

We haven't done anything in her nursery yet because we are working on so many other home projects at the moment - our biggest project being the downstairs bathroom that Shawn is remodeling which is directly beside the nursery. We have gotten a ton of 0-6 month old clothes and shoes already and have slowly been accumulating cute outfits for when she is closer to a year old. Kim gave us a precious little sailor suit with a matching hat - I can't wait to see her in that!

I've been scouring the Internet for possible baby nursery wall murals and have found a few that I really like. We have an artist lined up who will be painting a mural for us so I can't wait to see the outcome. The crib and changing table will be next on the list, but we're waiting for June paychecks before we make any big purchases.

I am still feeling pretty good, but Brighton is sitting VERY LOW and has been the entire pregnancy. She must be sitting, rolling, punching, and kicking my bladder because I feel a significant amount of pressure and have to use the bathroom ALL THE TIME even if almost nothing comes out! The urge is extraordinary, even at night. I have been getting up about 3-5 times a night to use the bathroom. Maybe it's getting me ready for night feedings and a baby that won't allow me to sleep much. Sleeping comfortably is starting to become an issue even with three pillows and a body pillow. I despise sleeping on my side and have my entire life. I am a stomach sleeper and am still most comfortable (luckily) partially on my stomach/side even while being pregnant.

Graduation Project presentations are finally over, but there is still more work to be done with students who are not yet proficient and figuring out necessary revisions for next school year. I have been losing quite a bit of sleep over the whole thing and decided to sleep late on Thursday since I have 1st period planning and had only been sleeping 3 or 4 hours a night all week. I got up at 5:00 am and had a little melt down, e-mailed my principal, and was able to crash for about 2 hours. I am so thankful that the weekend is here so that I can sleep in!!! I have been really tired lately - not really my body, just sleepy and have not made it to the gym much at all. Hopefully I can get back into it once school is out.

I hope to start uploading more pictures, but my dog ate through the USB cord so I can't charge my camera or load pictures. Those of you that never see me I know you must be waiting for those fun updates.

We have a busy June coming up with the end of the school year and my summer course starting up on June 14. We've got two weddings in one weekend and a 10 year high school class reunion in the same weekend. The following weekend we're heading to Wintergreen, VA for a babymoon with our pregnant friend Caroline and her husband Andrew. I CAN'T wait to visit the spa and pool there and eat delicious food!!!! I need a break, that's for sure!

Mark down August 7 on your calendars - we're having a baby shower! Invitations will be sent out in June by my lovely sister-in-law! I hope you can all make it! I've changed my mind and it will no longer by co-ed, so just us girls!

Hope everyone is doing well! Miss you and love you!!

xoxo
Megan

Our Little Papaya!

It has been entirely TOO long since I've blogged! I'm already at Week 24 and I think I was around Week 19 when we found out that we were having a GIRL the last time I updated everyone!

I still have one of the most boring pregnancies in the history of all pregnancies - but, I could not be more thankful! I was reading "A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" but so much of it didn't apply to me that I skimmed through the whole book in a matter of hours. I would not suggest purchasing this book if you are already expecting and I'll be glad to hand it over to whomever would like to read it. Seems like book was written more for laughs than to really give factual information about living through the ups and downs of expecting. One chapter is dedicated to NOT working out and has 10 bogus reasons as to why such as "You'll be too tired" or "You won't look good in work out clothes" - both true, you're tired and look HORRIBLE in anything that should be considered cute on a Size 2 gym rat! However, no doctor will ever tell you NOT to work out unless your heart rate soars through the roof or you are skiing down a black diamond mountain. I could probably go hit a few balls on the tennis court and beat my husband at this point!

Baby "B" is still sitting low, but I do feel her in other spots other than the bottom left hand corner of my uterus. I can feel her in the bottom middle now and occasionally to the right a bit, but she is nowhere even close to my belly button yet. Her movements are getting much stronger with each day as she is starting to grow. At my last ultrasound, which was specially ordered by my doctor due to her spine not being visible at the previous ultrasound, she weight a whopping 1.1 lbs which means she gained 9 oz. from Week 19 to Week 22!! That also means that Mom over here is packing on the cottage cheesy legs and booty! I think total I've gained about 16 or 17 pounds and have hit the 140 mark! I can believe that Fall semester of 09 I weighed 120 until I forced myself to gain 6 pounds as soon as we got out for Christmas Break.

Also at the last ultrasound, I got to see the baby in 3D which was super neat. I did show the ultrasound pictures to my three classes at school and the students in my 4th period thought it looked like an alien and asked if it freaked me out that there was a little "alien" child living inside of me. I kindly, with a smile responded, "no". I reminded them that they, too, looked like that 15 years ago before they were born and I reminded the girls that one day they would all have an alien child growing in their bellies - but hopefully not for 10+ more years! Anyway, Brighton is absolutely precious in her 3D picture and I am definitely going to frame each of my four ultrasounds and hang them up in her room.

We have decided to change her name already - still Brighton for the first name, but no longer Winslow for the middle name. We decided not to do family names so we wouldn't offend anyone and I wanted to give her a middle name that she could potentially use as a first name if she decides to do so later in life. I won't divulge the new middle name per advice from a fellow pregnant friend;)

Speaking of pregnant friends - EVERYONE is having a baby and I love it! It has been very comforting and enjoyable to share this experience with other expecting first time moms. It's also so crazy how all of our pregnancies are so individualized! I've realized that 99% of what moms tell you is not what will happen in your own pregnancy and most moms think that they way it happened to them is the way it happens to everyone - not the case. So, my non parent friends, you'll go crazy if you listen to every single Mom's horror stories or even pleasant stories because your pregnancy will be nothing like theirs. Your pregnancy will be all about you and your body and we all know that they're all a little different. Some of the things I've read in the three books I'm reading are so far off the mark from what I have experienced that I might as well not be reading anything. I have found that if you know your body well, which I always have, nothing is really too much of a surprise.

Today was the first day that I felt pretty uncomfortable in shoes. I put on a pair of flats/closed toe that I've been wearing the heck out of and they were just too darn tight. Flip Flops it was today with my girly little dress from Target. I've also gotten to the point where it's pretty hard to use my ab muscles to get up after sinking into a comfy couch which is very new and I'm not so sure I like feeling helpless and weak, but it's to be expected. Sleeping is still not too terribly enjoyable - I do not sleep very well and I sweat to death every night even if I can get the room down to 50 degrees.

I haven't had headaches in a couple of weeks which has been a welcomed relief, but my allergies are in full force and are probably worse than they have been in years. I took meds for a while (safe ones) but finally stopped because I was having to take them everyday and no medication is actually 100% safe for the baby.

I'm so looking forward to wrapping up the end of the school year. I consider it the last day I actually have to teach which is June 2. Exams start June 3 and the kids graduate on June 11. I definitely don't mind being her alone in my clean, quiet room once the kids leave, but it's just that time of year when you won't to send them to chillout for raising their hand to ask a question. I've about decided to start off the beginning of next school year assuming that she'll be born on the due date of September 3 and not August 20 when it's time to return to school. But, I'm thrilled to be out until January! I will be teaching a full class online this summer, possibly two, and have been guaranteed two full classes this fall, so we shouldn't feel the effects of a missing pay check for a month or two.

We're currently doing tons of projects at our house - well, I guess Shawn is, not me. I can't look until they are done. I just pick things out and tell Shawn to do the work. He has demolished the downstairs bathroom and has put down the prefloor for new tiles. We're getting a new toilet, tiles, exhaust fan, and hopefully new mirror, light fixture and vanity. We'll see how far my money goes - may have to wait on some of that til June. We uprooted 20 foot red tips, cleaned up the natural area in the front which must be pine strawed, still have a 20 foot wide hole for a pond in the backyard, and must now clean out our awfully full of old housewares garage. We must also fix our deck so that it has proper railing and we still have to do our nursery. Busy summer indeed!

Hope everyone is doing well. I apologize that I have no pictures, but my dog ate through the usb chord that allows me to transfer pictures over to my computer. Perhaps I should get a new one. People, even today, still tell me that I don't look pregnant - I guess they thing I just look fat. It's almost an insult to tell a pregnant woman - "You don't look pregnant, just 20 pounds heavier than you did 5 months ago." "Oh, and I love those maternity dresses and flats that you wear everyday, bet you like not wearing those high heels." Great, thanks for the compliment - NOT!

xoxo
Megan

Halfway there!

Hello Friends! It has been too long since I've updated our baby status and at Michaela's request - here goes a Week 20 update!

Can't believe I'm already halfway done with my pregnancy - it has been amazing and so enjoyable - thanks to my freakishly calm hormones and apparently relaxed baby in there! She doesn't move around too much - guess she likes to sleep a lot - must be a mama's girl already! I could sleep 12 hours a day. Maybe this is a sign she'll be a sleeper, and if we're lucky through the night, too! The picture above was from the Northwood Prom on Saturday, April 17 - I had a good time with Michaela and Mom - it was so wonderful to see the kids act like young adults and look beautiful and handsome - some really cute dresses - and some awful ones, too. The dress I am wearing should be familiar - I've only worn it one other time when I changed into it at my wedding for the last dance and departure! I may have worn it on my honeymoon, too but I dont' remember. Maybe I'll take my daughter to prom when she is old enough one year!

As I'm sure you've figured out - we're having a precious little GIRL! As soon as we were told, Shawn literally threw us fists up in the air and announced that we would not have a baseball player. A professional baseball playing brother and brother in law is enough for now! She can still be a tennis player though:) Baby Brighton weighed 8 ounces about 10 days ago and was 3 inches long. Since then my belly has grown a bit so hopefully she's packing on some much needed weight and length - she was average in both at the ultrasound. (she just kicked - she doesn't like being talked about like she's not here). I asked how to make her gain some weight and was told that women who gain 50 pounds have big babies and women who don't chow on unhealthy foods during their pregnancy have little babies - as long as I'm eating enough fruits, veggies, dairy and protein and stocking up on vitamins we'll have a healthy girl!

At this point, baby Brighton can taste the food I'm eating and I'm trying to eat healthy foods that hopefully she'll like as she grows older. I am starting to feel the ligaments and muscles in my lower abdomen area begin to stretch and sometimes when I go from a sitting to a standing position it is a bit painful - I tend to feel it more at the gym. When I sit sometimes I can feel my insides being pushed upwards which is a weird feeling. Baby Brighton is sitting really low - still and most of her kicking is well below my belly button - which hasn't popped yet! According to the bump, she should be the size of a cantaloupe, which, to me, is a rather sizable fruit. I could not fit a cantaloupe in my belly right now, so not sure she's quite that size yet, maybe in another week or so.

I've started to get my registry in order - overwhelming to say the least!!! I've probably spent around 24 hours total just browsing through Target and Babies R Us baby items and reading reviews to try to figure out what to get. It's difficult to keep track of how many of this and how many of that to get and what is and what really isn't necessary. To a first time Mom EVERYTHING seems necessary, but when I read reviews I realize that some things are simply a waste of money and will not be used enough to spend the money. Besides a newborn won't know the difference anyway! We were blessed to be offered a a stroller, car seat with two bases, swing, high chair, and never used diaper genie by a colleague of mine who has a 20 month old. All of it is still in great condition and looks brand new! We're being sold all of these items for such a steal and we're probably saving over $350!!! I am probably going to try to find a crib on Craig's list, but I did find one for under $200 that I like! If anyone has advice to share on items that I should definitely buy or items that I could skip over let me know! I'm also kind of lost as to how many items of clothing to get for the different ages in months (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, etc) and which pieces of clothing to get (onesies, gowns, etc.). They grow so fast, but my child will be a fashionista indeed!

Mark your calendars for August 7! I'm about 90% sure this is going to be our baby shower date! Shawn and I are going to try to secure the Briar Chapel Club House, but need to get on the ball before the dated is scooped up by someone else. We've decided to have one big co-ed shower/party so that ALL of our friends and family can come and celebrate and welcome baby Brighton into the world! We're so grateful for all of our friends, both men and women, and want to share this event with everyone at one time! We're thinking a big barbecue! If the date changes I'll let you all know - but be on the lookout for invitations this summer! If you need to update your home address with me, please send it to me at meganjohnson.mj@gmail.com!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the weather! We certainly are doing just that - Shawn and I have been working in our yard for about a month now - we're building a pond, taking down overgrown red tips, digging up stumps, planting a rose garden, sewing new grass, and planting lots of new plants in the front along with shipping in new dirt, mulch, and pine straw. It has been a project around here, but things are finally starting to shape up!

xoxo
Megan

From the Avocado to the Onion

No post last week while Baby Huber was an avocado! I LOVE the fruit and veggie comparisons I get from The Bump! The "onion" is about the size of the palm of my hand with a crown to rump length of about 5 inches and a weight around 5 ounces. Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His/her umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints. He/she is all about practice in preparation for birth by sucking and swallowing, the heartbeat is regulated by the brain and about twice my own heart rate. Life happens fast! I still haven't felt any movement from the inside, but am looking forward to the first punch or kick!

This past weekend Shawn and I visited Barnes & Noble to get pregnancy and gardening books. I bought What to Expect When Expecting and What to expect the First Year. I have almost finished the 600 page "expecting book" - it is great and really makes me feel at ease about the changes I my body is going through - they are all extremely normal. In fact, I'm pretty boring compared to some of the horror stories other people have told me about their pregnancies! My worst complaint is a headache! I did have a fairly severe headache on Sunday which was about the 3rd day in a row I had experienced a headache. It finally subsided on Monday night and I haven't had much of one since!

This past week I had TONS of energy and feel about as normal as a pregnant woman can feel at the gym. I can do just about everything I could before but I try not to get out of breath which makes me knock the intensity down a couple of notches. I do get out of breath sometimes just by walking up the stairs at home and by 4th period at school when I talk I get out of breath. I have become fairly forgetful, too, and feel like I'm losing brain cells and gaining pounds in the form of cottage cheese!

Last weekend I babysat a two year old boy (son of two of my co-workers). I got to witness my first diaper change (thanks, Ashley!) and got some tips from a Mom! I felt a little uneasy at first being that I had never been around a small child and had no idea what they were or were not capable of doing on their own! He was such a joy to play with - we spent most of our time in the backyard with a football, soccer ball, kickball, and basketball. I hope I get some more experience before my little one gets here!

We find out the sex at my next ultrasound on April 8!

I had my 4th month doctor's appointment with my lovely Dr. Rahangale at UNC. I've seen her four times now, and I'm seeing her in April, so I hope I don't have to trade her out for the other four at this point. So far each of my appointments have gone smoothly because I am such a boring patient - what they want until "labor day"!! I did get to hear the heartbeat Thursday which is always reassuring because I know that he or she is still thriving!

Week 18 here we come! :)

xoxo
Megan