Third Trimester!!

Three months left until the lil pierogie makes his appearance!

We had an appointment on Thursday and got the all clear to fly to TN on Friday. At the appointment, I was measuring two weeks ahead, so I will have a sonogram in a month to measure the little one (or big one, maybe??). I got my little bottle of orange ickiness to drink for my glucose test, and I will be having that done the Monday we get back from TN. Hopefully all will be well, and I will not have gestational diabetes - that would really put a cramp in my Fudge Round addiction lately.

We are at the point where we go in every 2 weeks instead of every 4. At my next appointment, they will be measuring the baby again, checking the heartbeat, and we will start talking about birth classes (which we have already signed up for) and labor (??!!!??!?). Now that I am back to work, it seems like time is flying by.

In other news...
My OTHER baby (the 6'4" one) is going to be 30 in one week. I am married to an old man ;).

26 weeks!

I am 26 weeks pregnant today, and my baby update said the baby is almost 2 lbs now! I was looking back in my pregnancy book and can't believe how much the little one has grown already. He went from looking like a little gummy bear to looking like a baby!

My doctor's appointment isn't until Thursday, but I wanted to post a nursery update! Our crib is all set up, and we finally picked up the changing table. It all looks beautiful together. I even have clothes in the changing table already. We need to get a mattress, but all of the "big" stuff is in there, so it makes me feel like we're ready (kind of??). We chose a Nautica sailboat theme for the bedding, and we have the comforter already. I am still looking for some kind of a sailboat picture to hang on the wall. Every once in awhile, one of us will just go in there and rock in the glider. It's kind of crazy that in about 3 months, we will have our baby in there!

In other news, I've been feeling pretty good! I haven't had too many problems (unless you count not being able to see my feet or get up from the couch or bed without a big production). My baby bump has grown (along with some other parts that were big enough to begin with!), and people have started commenting that I "look pregnant" now (thanks, I think??).

The only issue I've had is that I got sick the first week of school. I guess I caught a virus from the kids, and I had a pretty bad cough. Because of all the swine flu craziness going on, if we have symptoms, we are required to check in with our school nurse. When I did last Friday, I had a temp of 101, so I was given a mask and sent home. I decided to go right to the doctor just to be safe. He said he didn't THINK it was swine flu - very comforting. :) He said it was probably just a virus and to rest, but he gave me a prescription for a Z pack in case it got worse. By Sunday night, I thought I was going to have to head to Walgreens around midnight. I made it through the night and got my prescription filled on Monday. Within a few days I was feeling better. I still have a lingering cough, but it is nowhere near what it was. I actually had to sleep on the couch for a few days because every time I laid down, I would cough like crazy. I was worried that I was going to crack a rib, and the baby was going to shoot out from me coughing so hard. Luckily, I am still in one piece.

The baby has been kicking away, and my belly has been doing weird alien/gremlin motions which is fun to watch. Every once in awhile, he'll give me a kick that makes me stop and say Whoa! I like feeling him move though - it eases my mind to know that he's doing what he's supposed to, even if it is time for bed and he's having a dance party.

We have an appointment on Thursday, and hopefully we'll get the ok to head to TN on the 25th. Until then...



Just in case I turned into a piggy...



Our changing table! Thanks Nana!





The crib! Thanks Mema and Papa!

23 weeks

Tomorrow I will be 23 weeks. We had an appointment on Monday, and because I have been having some more bleeding, I was put on pelvic rest. No lifting over 10 pounds and stay off my feet as much as possible (that's easy as a first grade teacher, right?). Luckily, my administrators are extremely supportive, so I'm not worried about returning to school. That makes it so much easier!! My mom was here Sunday - Tuesday and was a huge help with helping me get my room ready and doing some cooking and cleaning for us while she was here. I was sad to see her go! It's nice to remember that I'M still someone's baby too. :)

I have been feeling pretty good, and I've been taking it really easy which means a lot of the day to day things have fallen to Stan. He has been great about helping me get things done even though he has to work all day in the stifling heat and then come home to a t0-do list from his wife. He has also had the pleasure of seeing me go from happy and laughing to bawling my eyes out in 0.3 seconds. The baby has been kicking up a storm, and Stan got to finally feel the baby from the outside. It was the neatest thing. I'm glad that he can finally feel him although it is quite different from what I feel.

I am headed back to work on Tuesday, the students come on the 31st, and I start my grad class on September 1st. Oh how I will miss my naps!! We are heading to PA over Labor Day weekend. The original plan was for us to go to the PSU game with my mom and Bud, but the doctor said no - too much walking. So Stan and Bud are off to the PSU game, and my mom and I will be left to our own devices (shopping).

Our next appointment is not until September 17th, and if all goes well during that one, we will be flying to TN to see Stan's dad and stepmom on September 25 for Stan's 30th birthday. I am looking forward to seeing Nashville, but I'm not sure how much I'll get to see since I can't walk that much. I am very much looking forward to floating in their pool though!

Nursery update - My dad is heading down Monday to help us install new carpet in the baby's room! We will be picking up the changing table we found on my school's classified next weekend, and we will finally be able to set up the crib!! It's coming along, and there are already clothes EVERYWHERE!!

I cannot figure out how to make the scanned pictures larger, but I thought I would attach a pic of the baby's big gender reveal and of his profile (19 weeks 4 days). :)

21 weeks

Well the second part of the scan was successful, and they got all of the pictures they needed. Toward the end, they needed one more scan of the heart and baby P fell asleep. The technician left and came back with juice and Oreos. Once I had that, he was bouncing around again. I've been telling everyone that he's just like his Mommy...he can be bribed with Oreos!!

I went to visit family in PA last week. It was a very successful trip. I got to have my chicken and waffles (YUM!!), and Mom and I did some shopping. I found some adorable outfits for next summer at 75% off! I couldn't resist...I will have to stay out of the baby clothes department!

We have been getting ready for the baby as much as we can before I have to go back to school. The room was already painted blue (a premonition from Daddy), but we've been looking into getting carpet in the baby's room. The carpet upstairs is original with the house, and it is quite worn and stained. We already received our first piece of furniture - a Dutailier glider - and it is the most wonderful chair I ever sat in. It is so comfortable! I saw it at Babies R Us and couldn't stop thinking about it. One of our family members so generously gifted it to us, and we were so excited!! I sit and rock in it a little each night. We also found a changing table from another teacher in the county, and our next mission is to find a matching crib. Everything seems to be coming along well. Even though I can't wait for the baby to come, I am really dreading the end of summer and just being able to relax all day long!

I have been feeling pretty good lately. I feel like I eat all the time, but I've only gained 6 lbs. so far. I'm sure that will change soon as the baby gets bigger (he's almost 1 lb now!). I definitely have a belly, and I've been feeling pretty tired after running errands or cleaning. I need to rest more, and I found out the hard way that doing all 4 sets of steps in the house at the same time is not the best idea right now. :) The baby has been moving a lot. Stan hasn't been able to feel him from the outside yet, but I feel like it is only a matter of time - the kicks are getting stronger. Sometimes I feel like he's trying to get out!

I belong to a group on babycenter.com called December 2009 babies. One of the threads was titled, "you know you're over 20 weeks pregnant when..." It was nice to hear that I'm not the only one who is getting up at 4am, needs a hand getting out of chairs, or is starting the dreaded "waddle."

Our next appointment is one week from today (8/17), and my mom will be here for that one. I will update again after the appointment!

It's a BOY!!!

We had our big ultrasound on Thursday. This ultrasound was to take scans of all parts of the baby to make sure it was developing properly. The technician was telling us what we were seeing as she was moving over all the parts of the baby. About 20 minutes into the scans, she said, "This is the leg, this is the other leg, and this is his pee pee! It's a boy!" We were really excited to finally know, and of course Stan was super excited to have his boy! We had always talked about wanting a boy first, but I had been dreaming that it was a girl, so I was actually surprised! Most of my friends have boys (sorry, Ali...I really thought Alex would have a little girl playmate), so it will be great that they can all play together! I have 4 other friends that are pregnant. 2 of them aren't going to find out until the baby comes, so we'll see if there are any girls in the mix very soon with the other 2!

Baby boy Palczewski is already taking after his father and being stubborn. :) The technician couldn't get all the scans she needed because he wouldn't turn around, so I have to go back on Wednesday to finish the ultrasound. She needed a few more scans of the heart, his profile and some random things (right hand, left foot, etc.). He definitely left no doubt in our minds that he was a boy though! Since they couldn't get a picture of his profile yet, she sent us home with a picture of his umm....display. :) The doctor said that everything they got a chance to see looks great, and he is right on track as far as size and weight.

Now it's time to shop! We promptly called all the grandparents to let them know that they would be having a grandson. Yesterday when I spoke with my mom, she was already standing in the baby department of Boscovs.

Our next big "event" will be agreeing on a name. I've already been through a whole baby name book, and we haven't even found ONE that we agree on, so I guess it's good that we still have over 4 months to figure it out!

As many of you know, the relief that I posted about in the last post was short-lived. I ended up getting sick again the next day and also two days later. I would love to say that I've been feeling better since then, but I'm afraid that will jinx it, so I won't say it. I have definitely noticed that I can't be late with meals or I just feel absolutely horrible. I go from wanting to eat everything to not feeling like eating at all to just having to eat ANYTHING so that something is in my stomach if I wait too long.

Our next regular appointment is on August 17, and my mom will be here to get to hear the heartbeat at this one, so that is exciting. I will post more when I have updates!

Finally! Relief!!

We headed to the beach on July 2, and all was well...until dinnertime. I got the worst headache and got sick at dinner. I had to leave dinner early and go lie down while everyone else went to watch the kids on rides. Finally, after a few hours, I felt better. Ever since then, I've been feeling better (I'm knocking on wood as I write this). It was right around 16 weeks, which meant I had 10 weeks of feeling very yucky 24/7. It was not fun, but hopefully it is in the past for good!

The beach was great. We got a chance to go to Cape May, Wildwood, Atlantic City, Ocean City, and of course Sea Isle where we were staying. We discovered The Lobster House in Cape May (thanks Stan Jr.), and Stan was in all his glory with his 3 lb. lobster. We did a lot of walking which I found out is not as easy when you're 4 months pregnant. My baby bump has developed, and I have this one picture from vacation that shows it.

On the baby front, we had an appointment today. We got to hear the heartbeat again, and the Dr. said she could hear the baby moving around. She said I should be able to feel the baby moving. I definitely feel things, but I can't say for sure if that is what it is or not. We have our anatomy ultrasound on July 23rd, and we will find out if we're having a boy or a girl (hopefully, if baby cooperates). We are getting a little anxious to find out. We want to start picking some things out and start fighting about names. :) I will post again once we know!! The downside of the appointment was that she wanted to check my proteins so I have to collect my urine for 24 hours. I was sent home from the lab with a giant orange bucket and instructions on how to collect and return. Pregnancy just keeps getting better!


P.S. As I was writing this and loading the picture, I'm pretty sure that I felt the baby move. It was a quick flutter. Very exciting!! :)

It's almost beach time!

A lot of people have been asking how I've been feeling, so I thought I would post before we head off to the beach on Thursday. I've been feeling better, but the sickness definitely isn't gone. I have good times of day and not so good times, and I found out the hard way that I should not go too long without eating. I am still down about 2 lbs. overall (I'm assuming I'll make up for that another time), but my belly is definitely changing.

Stan has been absolutely fantastic. I'm going on 9 weeks of not feeling good, and he is definitely a trooper. If I get hungry for something in particular, he will stop for it on his way home from a full day of work or even go back out to get it after he gets home. He doesn't even run away when I'm throwing up (like I do when he's sick). :) He has been extremely understanding of all the weird things that have been happening to my body, and he still tells me all the time that he loves me which is the most important.

On Thursday, we are headed to Sea Isle City for 10 days. Although I love it there in our quaint little beach house, it has no air conditioning, and I'm wondering what that will do for the nausea. Hopefully all will be well, and I can enjoy our vacation without incident. Thanks for all your thoughts and well wishes. I'll be thrilled to post again once the sickness is over. Our next appointment is July 13 when we get back, so I'll update then!