28 Weeks and Merry Christmas!!

Well, another week has come and gone and we are officially into Trimester 3!

As time gets closer and closer to Baby Punt's arrival, Mom is getting anxious to figure out a job situation... and to get the baby room started! The nesting stage has officially hit and I am more than ready to start the baby room! We just need to figure out what the career situation is for me. I'm still searching for a job, but am not finding much. I keep applying for different jobs, but the results are usually rejection or they never reply back to me... irritating. Being pregnant is taking a toll on this job search as many employers will see/hear that I'm pregnant and their initial reaction is "oh, so you will be on maternity leave in a few weeks..." ... why yes, yes I will be... what do you want me to do?? NOT take maternity leave and get back to work the day after giving birth!?! I don't think so!

The back and hip pain is still present in my life... and not getting any better. Friday night, after work, I slipped on the ice and took a hard tumble onto my right hip.. a few bruises later and the lack of bearing weight on it, it's still killing me. I'm seeing the Dr. on Friday, so we are hoping that she will have some suggestions for me. I've tried stretching it, using a heating pad, tylenol... nothing is working. I am guessing that it's a nerve that is being pinched because the pain isn't constant... it's only when I step in a certain direction or twist wrong.. So I do anything possible to avoid that. I'm hoping to see a chiropractor this coming week also to help get some cracks and pops out of the way... I feel like I'm 90... and I'm only 22... hehe.

Brad and I are looking forward to the arrival of Baby Punt more and more every day. We are starting to stock up on clothes, and received a TON for Christmas! I am excited to start playing "dress up" :) and taking lots of pictures! Maddie and Shepp are also starting to transition into "cuddlers" as they have realized that mama is spending more and more time on the couch lounging... which gives them more opportunity to crawl up and snuggle with me. :) They even have started sleeping in bed with me... Not sure how long that will last, but for the last couple of nights it's been welcomed by both Brad and I! :)

Overall Christmas has been a wonderful catch up time with the family. Even though the day is only partially over, we are exhausted. It's nap time here for the Punt's. We opened gifts and shared stories and laughs. Tis the Season. 

Merry Christmas to All. We hope everyone has a great time with their family and friends, and that travels are safe and secure!

 

Merry Christmas from the Punt's!! 

27 Weeks and... going strong??...

Ufgh. Trimester 3 Has Begun.

And I am feeling it.

This past week was an eventful and emotional one. I have officially graduated from ISU with my BS degree. Saturday with the family was a long, tiring, emotional day as I slowly began to realize that "I'mma Big Kid Now." I'm now working full time in the Meat Research Lab in a temporary "post-grad" position doing lab work and research that I have been working on for the past few years. We just started a new project in November and I will continue to work on that until I find a permanent job.

As week 27 begins, I am starting to realize that the next 13 weeks are going to be a slap in the face from the amazing beginning of this pregnancy. My ribs and back had been hurting before, but now its to "killing" on the pain scale. I broke down last night and ran to wal-mart JUST to get tylenol. There wasn't any way I was going to get any sleep with the aching back that I had. The worst part about my back hurting is it's not even my lower back, it's my upper back. Right between my shoulder blades. There are huge knots there, and Brad attempted at rubbing them, but to no avail. I think its officially time to see a masseuse. Merry Christmas to Me! :)

My feet are swelling, my legs hurt, my back kills, and my ribs tend to hurt whenever I sit down for too long. Welcome to the last trimester. Thank goodness school is done and out of the way, so I just have to get through work the next 10+weeks... eek. Anyways. Nothing much is changed from last week. We see the doctor again next week after Christmas, and will be asking LOTS of questions about the pain. I also have the glucose test next week, which I'm not looking forward to, but I need to have it done.

27 weeks! Getting Big! 

The Lonergan Research Lab Crew: Elisabeth, Ed, Emily, Kyle, Me, Steven, Shannon 

Me and the PhD Graduate, Kyle :) 

My Handsome Hubby and I 

Diploma in hand... alright... let's rock and roll! 

My Delicious Cake. 

Diploma!! :) 

Bradley and I 

Week 26: Wanted Adds

.... 14 weeks to go. Can time begin to crawl any slower? Last week we were at least moving at the speed of snails on a hot California sidewalk.... which according to mostextreme.com is the speed of .03 MPH... (the slowest moving animal on earth) can anything else move any slower that that!?!?... oh wait... Yes... a tree. That's about how fast time seems to be moving.... According to the dictionary, a tree is a plant that has a permanent woody main stem or trunk.... permanent... as in doesn't move... yup. That explains time right now.


As time has began to slow, the pain began to creep. As I laid in bed for a matter of 36 hours straight (minus the frequent bathroom run for my self and the four legged furry babies) from Friday night at 6:30 to Sunday morning, I decided this pregnancy is probably going to kill me. My ribs and back officially scream basically whenever I am sitting. Laying down is fine. Standing is fine (but then my legs and feet hurt)... I've hit the uncomfortable stage... and I want it over with. So, yesterday, as I sat at my desk, desperately trying to study for my genetics final, I decided that now is as good of time as any to start advertising in the wanted adds! :) For what?.... a masseuse. Yup. You got it. I want my own personal, call anytime of the day, 24-7, masseuse. As I sat there in pain I began to dream of how wonderfully amazing it would feel to have someone around at any time of the day while baby Punt insisted that my back and ribs were in the way, not allowing enough room for growth. So, here's my official "Wanted" Add (not really... actually stolen off of google images:)) that will be flying high in my front yard, the newspaper, and any other place I can get my hands on. Just image the lady as me...blonde hair tied in a pony tail, no makeup, big old pregnant belly, a few stretch marks here and there... black bags under her eyes, swollen feet, and maybe have a bit of an attitude. That would be me... Reception Desk: Check my bed.. I tend to live there when I'm home...

As I'm no longer able to sit on the couch, or in chairs, without having the aches and pains of pregnancy become overbearing, the bedroom has become my best friend... I'm seriously considering paying the extra $15/month to extend our cable down to the bedroom from the living room... Watching the same movies over and over tend to get a bit boring... but at least I get some sleep due to the boredom that overcomes me. 

Nothing has really changed from last week. Accept the amount of pain. Today was my last final. EVER. So it is all free sailing from here on out. Time to get to work and make some money before Baby Punt makes the debut. I'm more than happy to spend less time at my desk studying and get to work in the lab where I am more comfortable and have the ability to move around and stand up and stretch instead of being hunched over a desk staring endlessly at scribbles and scratches from my genetics notebook. Saturday is graduation and I am really looking forward to seeing our families. Even though not everyone will be there, I am still excited none the less. It feels so good to be DONE with school. Come January 4th I will have that one sheet of paper that says "Graduated" on it! :) 

As week 26 will come and go... eventually... the belly seems to be getting larger and larger. I have officially been told that I'm carrying a perfect basketball under my clothes. Ugh. On the bright side... my friends know better than to rub on the belly. My motto... "If you didn't put it there, don't touch it." ... :) I mean, family is a little different, but still, having random people who you hardly remember their names coming up and rubbing your belly is a little odd. :) Anyways, I suppose I better get off to work. :) Ta Ta For Now! 

25 Down, 15 To Go!

15 weeks.... EEK!

I can't believe the time has flow so fast, but yet seems to slowly crawl by. This last week seems to have taken on the slow crawl of a snail on the scorching sidewalks of California.

Speaking of scorching... did someone turn up the heat?? ugh. ... Yes. Pregnancy hot flashes at their finest! I am now a walking furnace. It was 60 degrees outside yesterday... and I was sweating my butt off. I do know one thing... I am SO glad I am not 6 months pregnant in the middle of the summer! Bravo to my friends who suffered through that! I would have never survived!

We had a Dr's appointment last Wednesday, but it wasn't much. The heart beat of our little kicker was at 141, which is normal for this stage. The doctor thought it was hilarious because she couldn't get the doppler to pick up the heart beat because the stinker kept kicking it away... eventually we found the beat though. We found out that the baby is laying completely on the right side of my tummy. When I laid down on the exam table I looked like a bloated cow because the right side of my tummy was about 2 inches bigger than the left side due to the baby being on that side. The doctor said everything is normal and that I will start becoming more and more tired as we near the end. I'm to the point where sleep is starting to be a huge blessing. I know, I better get used to it... :)

We also discovered that the aches that I was getting in my lower right abdomen was not braxton hicks contractions like I thought it was... It's actually my round ligament again. Earlier in my pregnancy I had these pains but they had spread across the entire length of my belly, now it's only on the right side. The doctor said this is mainly because that is where the baby is, which is causing the right side to stretch more than the left side these days. These spasms hurt and can usually force me to sit or lie down and stretch.  I also have found that rubbing the spot helps the spasm relax and I can usually rub it away. Since I'm not supposed to be taking any pain meds to help with these aches and pains I have been  getting by with a little massaging of the painful area.... what I would give for a proper massage these days (if only I could lay on my belly....) ... I wonder if they make pregnancy massage tables with a big hole in the middle... like where your head goes...???.... pregnancy brain. My doctor suggested for me to start drinking more water. She believes this can also help with muscle pains, but I just feel like it makes me need to use "the little scientists room" every 20 minutes.

The clinic also set us up for my glucose test. This will actually occur at our next appointment (shortly after Christmas). They will be able to then tell me if gestational diabetes is occurring or not. I have to drink this "orange" flavored crap... yes that's exactly how the nurse explained it, before I go in next time and then they will have to perform the glucose test. ... not looking forward to drinking that crap!

We are also to the dreaded (literally) stretch mark stage as well. Yes. I am gaining stretch marks. The initiation of stretching has started to occur right around my belt line on both sides of my stomach. Ugh. You have no idea HOW dreadful that makes me feel. To top that off... my Linea Nigra line has began to show as well. This is that dark line that forms underneath your belly button... I am seriously starting to feel like an oompa-loompa with all these discoloration and malformations. NOT excited for this...

One of the best feelings so far though is the ability to feel each movement that occurs in there. It does get annoying at times, like when you are trying to fall asleep... but it still cracks me up. I can now see when mini me's head rubs against the right side of my belly. I can also see where the feet are when they get shoved and kicked against me... It is quite entertaining at times. :) I rarely watch what is on TV because I am always too busy watching my belly bounce up and down like Tigger. :) It's hard to believe that in 15 weeks (or sooner... maybe later) we will be able to see the little twerp. I'm starting to get anxious for finding a job and figuring out what we're going to do after graduation. I am excited to be starting a new chapter in our lives... we are definitely excited!

Welp-- I better head off to class here! Hope everyone is having a good December so far! 11 days till graduation! :-D