Goodbye Ankles, Hello Week 33

I'd like to take a moment to remember the ankles that I once had.

Seriously, this week marks something new in the pregnancy process. The swelling of my ankles, feet, and toes has officially begun (edema, they call it...), and I have officially become extremely thankful that it is flip-flop season (and that I am allowed to wear flip-flops to school).

Chris and I took a tour of Northside Hospital tonight, and I am happy to report that we lasted for the ENTIRE tour.  Not a small feet, I mean, feat, considering the fact that my ankles/feet/toes started to resemble some sort of main course at a family BBQ...  All joking aside, it was very informative, and I feel great about having Baby Miller there.  Chris is still joking that he and Steve will be quite comfortable in the lobby while they wait for Dr. Joffe to come out and make the "It's a ____"  announcement.  Looks like I might want to start seriously considering a back-up for my supportive husband...

It's so hard to believe that this part of the journey is quickly coming to an end.  I still can't believe that we're having a baby soon, and I am so thankful that God has helped us make it this far.

Birthing School Dropouts...

Chris and I signed up for a "birthing" class that was offered at the hospital, and we devoted this past Saturday to learning all about the whole process. Some might say that we're quitters, because after 4 hours of the 8 hour class, we bolted. Don't get me wrong, we did it in a respectable manner, waiting until the lunch break to inform the instructor that I wasn't feeling well and we wouldn't be coming back. While some of you might think that this was a lie, I assure you it wasn't (totally). Chris and I were definitely both feeling a little "under the weather" after some of the things that the instructor shared with us. I seriously think that some things are better left unknown...

All that to say: Please pray for Chris and I both when the big day rolls around. While we did learn the "slow dance" relaxation/breathing method (which Chris and I both laughed through...), there is a slight chance that we may have missed something important. (I say slight not to discount the informative nature of the class, but more to make myself feel better about being a birthing school dropout.)

The Top 10 things we did learn:
1. Only one out of ten couples opt to not find out the sex of their baby before birth (we were the one couple...)
2. Don't go to the hospital until the 5-1-1 kicks in (5 minutes between contractions, 1 minute per contraction, for at least 1 hour)
3. Walk as much as possible once labor starts (unless it starts at night, then try to sleep- right.)
4. Don't let the nurses take the baby from you right away (as long as all is well). As it turns out, mothers produce a "love hormone" that triggers all sorts of crazy bonding stuff within the first few minutes after birth if the baby is in direct contact with the momma.
5. Have a backup for Chris (in case he DFOs- "done falls out")
6. Be prepared to wait- instant gratification is unknown in labor in delivery
7. Chris's role is to remember the acronym PURE once I go into labor. What the letters themselves mean is not as important as him simply remembering that, no matter what, I am right, he is wrong, and it's all his fault.
8. Be nice to the nurse.
9. Be prepared to wait. (This warrants a double entry, especially for the laughing couple that never came back after lunch...)
10. Bring things to engage ourselves in mindless activity. Puzzles anyone?

We're signed up for a hospital tour on Thursday night. We'll try to make it through the entire 50 minutes, I promise...

My First Mothers Day

Even though Baby Miller isn't here yet, I did get to celebrate my first Mothers Day this year, and it was very emotional- partly because EVERYTHING makes me cry these days, and partly because I started thinking about how amazing this whole process has been, and how much I wish my mom could be here to share it all with us. I have been (overly) blessed with stand-in moms, and I am so grateful for/to each of you for being here throughout this process. I know that my mom would be very happy with the support system that I have, and I know that she is enjoying every minute of this right along with me. So while this is all a little overwhelming at times, I like to remember one of my mom's favorite verses from Isaiah, and I like to think that even though Chris and I have no idea what we're doing (in the parenting department...), God's not going to let us mess this up.


Isaiah 41:10

So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. My powerful right hand will take good care of you. I always do what is right.

Our Little Cucumber Part 7

So our “Little Cucumber” is no longer a “Little Cucumber” this week Baby Miller weighs 3.75 pounds and is about the size of a LARGE JICAMA and is about 16.7 inches long. Allison will be gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to Baby Miller. In fact, the baby will gain a third to half of its birth weight during the next 7 weeks as Chris Baby Miller fattens up for survival outside the tummy. Baby Miller now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). The skin is becoming soft and smooth as our baby plumps up in preparation for birth (if only I had the excuse for plumping up for the birth).

Maybe some of you are asking what in the heck is a Jicama? Well so was I. Google shows 387,000 pages dedicated to the ROOT (there are some people that have way to much time on their hands to be writing the Intra-web like that) and on Sally Bernstein’s website she provides a description of the root as "A stranger in the produce section...a lumpy, odd-looking creature…inert-looking blob… humble…homely in appearance”. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would say any of those things about a baby? I am dumb but even I know where to draw the line (yes, I am still learning how to do that). I do not think I have ever eaten Jicama but if you really are what you eat... then I am sticking with nice big STEAK (preferably from Kevin Rathbun Steakhouse, if anyone would like to take me I am available most every night) not some dumb “homely in appearance” looking root.

On a side note... (yes, I know that all my bloggings/posts on this here Intra-web are filled with side notes...Thank you so much for pointing that out!!!). Anyway, as some of you may have realized, this past Sunday was Mother's Day, and I experienced my first (Expecting) Mother’s Day. I like to think that some things take a bit of practice and that is what this first Mother’s Day was for me, a practice of sorts. Learning that this holiday was/is for expecting Mothers as well as established ones, is something that would have been good to know ahead of time (way sooner than Sunday would have been good. Allison if you read this...I am just writing a funny story I heard two weeks ago while shopping for your Mother's Day gifts). However, I may have pulled it out at the last second but I will most likely NOT get nominated for any Husband of the Year awards (good thing this was a trial run My Wife is so understanding). I think next year the execution will be much better and I am not expecting much a LOT for Father’s Day.

Back next week with another episode of As the World Turns “Our Little Cucumber”...

Has it really been 31 weeks?

Wow.  We've just finished 31 weeks, and even though we didn't find out we were pregnant until I was 7 weeks along, I feel like it's been a long haul. I think that has something to do with the fact that this week has proven to be a little difficult for this pregnant lady. Take for instance, it's 3:26 in the afternoon, and I'm not sure how I am going to stay awake for the next 15 minutes (let alone make it until I get to go home at 5...). Or there's the fact that I seem to have "lost" my right ankle somewhere.  I keep trying to remind myself what a great pregnancy I've had (aside from the scares at the doctor's office), and I'm trying to keep a grateful attitude for that. Check back in with me on that in, say, 2 weeks.... Or tomorrow. Baby steps.

This week was a very exciting week for Chris and I because we got to see Baby Chris, I mean, Baby Miller in 4D. What an amazing experience! Susan, the tech that did the ultrasound, was so great, and she had us laughing the whole time. It seemed as though our little peanut didn't want to have any part in having his/her picture taken, so Susan had to get creative... As it turns out, you can make a baby move by shaking from side to side, walking, and doing lunges (great idea, Chris). In the end we got some super cute shots of our little star, and I think we may have even convinced Chris that there is, in fact, a baby in there!

On a not so fun note, I learned on Monday that going to the dentist on an empty stomach while pregnant is not a good idea... No more cleanings for me until after July 3rd. Long after July 3rd..

With 8 weeks left, we're trying to prepare as best we can for what lies ahead! Keep praying, and keep telling me how great I look. :)

Baby Miller in Star Wars...it will be an adventure!

Certain things amaze me and one of them is the imagination and creativity of people. For example, George Lucas with his creation of Star Wars and the characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO and R2-D2, Chewbacca, and Darth Vader. In addition, my wife and her ability to paint and draw things that just come to her (where as I have to trace anything for it to turn out well).

Anyway, this past Sunday, Allison and I got to experience something that I still have not really wrapped my head around yet. We were able to see our baby through technology. It was an amazing thing to see. I am still not sure it was real (both Allison and the Tech said it was, so I guess I believe them even though it could still be from a Galaxy far, far away). Enjoy the slide show below; I know Allison and I are blown away every time we look at the pictures.

Our Little Cucumber Part 6

Week 31 is now here and Baby Miller measures over 16 inches long. SHIM (She/Him) weighs about 3.3 pounds which is about like carrying four navel oranges (and is what the Intraweb says our baby is like this week). The little guy/gal is heading into a growth spurt. SHIM can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out (I have been doing a lot of that over the years) as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. SHIM is probably MOST definitely moving a lot too (so much so that last weekend at Church Allison got punched/kicked so hard that she actually came up off the pew. It was like in the movies where the superhero hits someone and they go flying across the room...how cool is it that we are going to have a Superhero or will it be a Villain maybe we could even have a Superhero Team like the X-Men (I am a bit of a mutant) or Fantastic Four (Allison is pretty and fantastic) ...Sorry, I think I got off into one of my daydreams (but maybe we could add Wolverine to the name list and maybe Baby Miller will come out with some crazy facial hair)). While I have been having dreams of adding a Superhero to the family, Allison has been having trouble sleeping because our baby kicks and does somersaults that keep her up (or it could be my snoring- Right, like I snore). The kicks, hits, and somersaults are all good as they are a sign that our baby is active and healthy (or it means that our Baby will be the Villain versus the Superhero...).