34 Weeks!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas......and I'm beginning to look a lot like a big fat whale! LOL. Man do I feel super pregnant tonight. I'm soooo uncomfortable. My back is aching something fierce this evening. It comes and goes. Some days i have no pain and others, like tonight, I'm wishing this baby to show up a bit early (fully cooked of course).

I had a really good (thorough) physical therapy session yesterday. It's funny how some of the therapists i work with go easy on me and others really push me. I like being pushed. I feel like my SPD isnt as noticeable after those hard appointments. It's also strange when you're there....almost everyone receiving therapy is so old and here i am, young and pregnant. It's very sweet though to see the older couples. Ya know, the ones you can tell have been married for way longer than i've even been alive. It just got me thinking about the different stages we go through in life....and how I'm about to enter a whole new chapter in my book of existence. I'm getting more and more nervous about entering this new chapter. I know Ryan is too. I mean how do you know if you're going to be a good parent? This baby isnt going to come with any instructions! I'm so opinionated and firm in my beliefs about things but who knows how I'm going to react when faced with raising a child? A child that i want to become a good, honest, and productive adult in society. And holy hell, how do i keep it sheltered from things like sexting or facebook? I guess with a lot of prayer and patience....At least thats what I'm telling myself :)

We're almost finished with the nursery. We need to hang a mirror, 2 pictures, and a couple shelves and then i think it's done...for now anyway. Oh and my mom re-covered our hideous glider cushions and they look great! thanks Mom! We also have our tree up and the Xmas decorations set out. I really love this time of year. But for some reason, It doesn't feel real or like it's actually the holiday season this year. maybe it's because im preoccupied with being pregnant or maybe it's because i'm just getting older. I'm obsessed with traditions...and the older i get, the more people seem to want to veer away from them. Well i wont have it! ;)-

Current pregnancy symptoms: Im getting to be tired again, kind of like in the 1st trimester. The baby is still having really strong fetal movement but not quite as often. This is normal according to the books. It's because it's running out of room in there. I can attest to that! I can hardly breathe sometimes due to a rouge foot in the ribs. LOL
Below is our 34 week photo and one from the Columbus Zoo's Wildlights. Enjoy!

30 Weeks!!!

Greetings from the Nugget and I :) It's been a while since my last post but we've been in getting ready for baby mode big time!

The most exciting event since my last post was my wonderful baby shower. It was beyond beautiful and so many people showed up. We received an array of lovely gifts that i cant thank you all enough for! We really feel like we're getting so close. And now we have all these cute baby items to stare at and really wish that the baby would hurry up and get here :) I especially want to thank all the people who came from out of town to celebrate with me. It means a lot that you would take the time and travel here to share in my special day!

Our check ups are now every 2 weeks (not sure if i already mentioned that) and they are going great. Everything looks to be right on track. We also took our Labor and Delivery class/hospital tour this weekend...Talk about a reality check! I have to say that the class was very informative and the tour really made us feel more prepared for what to do on the day i go into labor. we now know what to look for, where to park, and what floor we need to go to....pretty important stuff! LOL

Physical therapy and the chiropractor are also going well. My SPD symptoms are a little more under control but they haven't really gone anywhere. They wont leave me until i have the baby is what i'm told. But thanks to all my weekly appointments, i no longer feel like i wont be able to last. I walk ok for short distances with the help of my special belt and i don't feel like i'm as helpless as i used to :)

That's all for now. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! We'll be making our annual trip to Louisville to see family....super excited to show off the belly :) Below is my 30 week photo. Enjoy.

27 Weeks!!!

It's time for another update! According to some "pregnancy experts" I've started my 3rd trimester....others say that it doesn't begin until your 28th week of gestation...so take your pick, either way, I'm in the home stretch :)

As most of you know through my facebook update, I've developed a condition called SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction). It is an extremely painful condition to have. Basically, the pregnancy hormone relaxin has relaxed the ligaments in my pelvic region too much, causing the bones in my pelvis to become unstable. This equals groin, lower back, and leg pain. As you can imagine, this makes walking....and well....any activity where i need to move my legs, not very fun. I had been experiencing worsening groin area pain for quite some time but when it started to make me cry, I decided to stop blowing it off. I'm now in physical therapy twice a week and seeing a chiropractor once a week. I also have a special belt to wear while I'm up and about. It helps to hold my pelvis more stable, hopefully, eventually cutting out some of my pain. So far, these therapies have been wonderful. I'm already seeing some improvement. SPD is normally cured with the delivery of the baby, so it's just one more reason to look forward to meeting our Nugget :)

The baby is moving all the time now. I havent quite figured out it's schedule yet but I'm working on it. You can pretty much count on middle of the night somersaults though. LOL

Halloween is right around the corner. I had planned on dressing up like Katherine Heigel from Knocked Up and attending a few parties but I'm re-thinking that since it's so hard to get around :( It is going to be the first Halloween in a LONG time that my girlfriends and I dont paint the town with awesome, usually revealing, outfits ;) There's always next year....who wants to babysit? haha

I hope you all are enjoying the beautiful colors of fall! Hopefully I'll see you soon....My baby shower is in a couple of weeks!!! I'm sooo excited :) See below: There's a baby in there! hehe

25 Weeks!!!

I cant believe another 2 weeks has gone by and that it's time for another update... As always I feel like there isn't much to say but I'm sure we can find something.

We had the most amazing Sunday this past weekend. We started off the day with breakfast at our favorite early morning eatery, First Watch. It was yummy as always. Then we headed up to Alexandria/Granville to spend time with our great friends Steven, Natalie, and their baby girl Adeline. We drove through the country looking at the leaves (which was strange since it was like 80 degrees out),got lunch at Brew's and custard at Whit's. I must say that watching them take care of their little girl is a real wake up call as to the journey we are about to embark on! Then it was back to Columbus for some baby shopping. Let me just say that almost every associate of Babies R Us on Sawmill road is clueless. LOL, luckily we were mainly looking and even more luckily, we're registered at Buy Buy Baby so hopefully no one will go through what we had to if you choose to buy our baby a gift :) Finally it was home for some Skyline (courtesy of Chef Ryan) and Dexter. Why cant every day be so great?

Yesterday the Nugget's dresser arrived and Ryan put it together.....It's ok....just a lot shorter than i expected it to be. I was going off of a picture and what i thought a measurement looked like. Stupid me. It still will do the job though...and there's a perfect little nook in the nursery for it to sit in :) Now I just have to get creative (with the help of Etsy.com of course) and finish the decorating. I know it probably seems like I'm jumping the gun a little and that we have plenty of time for all this but I'm a planner and I want to be able to relax knowing that everything is prepared. Plus holiday season is approaching so I'll have plenty more on my plate.

Well, that's all for now. Parenthood is on and it's the highlight of our Tuesday. Here's hoping you have a wonderful week! Love the Cox's

23 Weeks!!!

Hello everyone! It's update time again....

We had another appointment last week and everything still sounds and looks healthy. The heartbeats were between the mid 130s and 140s which the midwife said is what they like to hear. And I'm right on track with weight gain and keeping up my activity level :) Our next appointment should be a lot of the same except I'll have my glucose screening done (to see if I'm at a high risk for developing gestational diabetes).
We are all signed up for our Labor and Delivery class as well as an infant CPR and airway clearing class. They'll take place at the end of November and December. It's so hard to believe that a year ago, I couldn't get pregnant and now I'm already 6 months along! The baby is very active on a daily basis and 2 nights ago I woke up feeling the strangest sensation....I quickly figured out that the baby had it's first set of hiccups. LOL. Too cute!
We are still in love with our new house. Although I will say that the bigger I get, the harder and harder it's becoming to keep it clean. As of now I'm carrying around an extra 15lbs and it's crazy how much more difficult it has become to do things.
The weather has taken a turn for the chilly but today is gorgeous! Ryan, Luke, and I are joining our good friends Carrie, Caleb, and Samson in Worthington today for a dog festival! I'm super excited! I keep saying that this will be the only winter in history that I'm actually hoping will come sooner. I cant wait to meet our little one. The nursery will soon look even better because we ordered our dresser this morning :) Now we still need shelving, curtains, and decorations....It's all coming together though :)
Well that's all for now. Have a wonderful week everyone. We love you!

21 Weeks!!!

I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger....I've had good some good excuses though! Not only have we packed and moved but we didnt have internet for a while after our move...After that, I'm just forgetful :)-

Since my last entry we've had a 19 week ultrasound that indicated that everything looked normal and healthy with our little Nugget. That made us feel great. We were relieved to know that I'm doing something right. LOL. We elected not to get any of the pre-screen blood work though. I dont trust the results of those most of the time and if something were to be wrong, It wouldn't change our minds about continuing the pregnancy. Some say that it would be nice to know so that you could "prepare" but knowing me, I would just stress big time until January.

Our new house is great! Lot's of room for us, our animal family, and soon, our little one. The nursery is painted and we've had some of the furniture delivered (thanks MOM and DAD!). Now I just have to get Ryan to put the stuff together! Oh and Luke loves his new back yard :) We've been playing fetch multiple times everyday. That coupled with the set of stairs he has to walk to get upstairs and we're hoping he might start to look a little slimmer.

I'm feeling the baby move more and more. At first it started with once every couple of days (back @ 18weeks) and now it's multiple times each day, mainly at night. Ryan actually got to feel a few kicks about a week ago. He was needless to say, very thrilled :) My belly is getting bigger and bigger with each day and my back is getting more and more sore, but it's still so exciting to know that our Nugget is just growing and growing.

That's all for now. I wont go so long next time before I give another update...Missing you all :) Lot's of love from the Cox's!

17 Weeks!!!

I cant believe that it's been 17 weeks! Time is flying by along with the summer. I kind of dont want the warm weather to end but the sooner it does, the closer I'll be to meeting my little one....A thought that is becoming more and more scary to me. That's normal though right? To be scared as hell to be a parent and have the responsibility of forming who this person will be? Just typing it out is giving me anxiety. LOL.
We had a great checkup last week. Our midwife was able to find the heartbeat of our little Nugget right away and it was a strong 142 beats per minute. Everyone has an opinion on what that heartbeat means...but to be honest I'm just overjoyed each time i hear it :)
More good news! We found a house to rent!!!! Our great friend Jennica is renting us her property. Not only is it in a great area but the house is huge. Perfect for starting our family in. Thanks Jenn! It really is a huge weight lifted off our chests. But now the weight of filling this great house with cute stuff begins. Ah, it's never ending :)-
Pregnancy symptoms of late: My belly is growing by the day. I've gained 7.5lbs so far and it seems to be all in my stomach so I'm feeling really good about my new baby body. Even though it is taking some getting used to...the ever changing figure in the mirror. I hear this normal though. I hope this update finds you all well. Love you!

15 Weeks!!!!

Hello Everyone! 
I thought I'd sneak in a quick blog since my work website is currently down....

Ryan and I bought our 1st baby item last week :) Ryan actually found a wonderful/like new baby glider for the nursery on Craigslist. We will need to recover it to match whatever room theme we decide to go with but it is the same brand as the glider we liked in the store that was close to $700 and the condition is practically perfect! Yay for saving tons of $$$$!

I really look forward to decorating the baby's room. We think we know the theme but until we're sure, I'll just say that it will involve baby animals. shocker right?! haha. I am however stressed about where this cool nursery will be. We are having a really hard time finding a house to rent. Our lease is up at the end of October and everywhere we've walked through just isnt a good fit for us. I'm really worried as to what we're going to do but we cant stay here so something just HAS to work out. Fingers crossed!


Time to vent...Let's see...how do I put this?....Not everyone wants to find out what they're having before they have it!!! I am amazed at the lack of cute unisex anything! You'd think the stores would realize the need for clothing that isnt pink, blue, or yellow. I've looked everywhere multiple times and all i see is crap... with the exception of Baby Gap. Hopefully they'll continue to have great sales so I can actually afford their $50 newborn outfits. LOL


Pregnancy symptoms: Well I was so lucky to not have morning sickness....I think I'm making up for it with my almost daily headaches. They are so terrible that it's hard to see sometimes. They also make me feel nauseous so it's not fun at all. My midwife called me in a prescription for Fioricet which really seems to help but I try to take them only when absolutely necessary because I still don't want my nugget having anything he/she doesn't need. 
Also, my belly is really starting to change. Depending on what I'm wearing, I look more pregnant than other times but there is definitely growth since even last week :) I'm not in maternity wear yet but I certainly have few options from my former closet to choose from. I'm trying to prevent/minimize any stretch marks with a wonderful product called Mama Mio recommended to me by my great friend Stephanie Dezern. We'll see if it works! 


Well I hope all is well with everyone. It's time for me to eat some lunch :)

13 Weeks!!!

Wow, today was very eventful!! As most of you have read by now on my facebook page, we rescued 4 newborn bunnies this afternoon. I had gotten back from work and was in the process of letting Luke out to go potty. I saw some movement on our patio out of the corner of my eye. It turns out there were 2 baby bunnies hiding near our back door! Upon walking in the grassy area out back, I almost stepped in the burrow that housed 2 more babies. Unfortunately there was another bunny that had been torn to shreds right outside the hole. I came to the conclusion that a lawnmower had it's way with the precious bunnies this morning. One of the ones we found was missing half of its ears...almost like they had been chopped off :(. Overall it turned out to be a blessing that I found them though. They are now safe and sound. Thank God!!!

Onto baby news..We had our 12 week appointment with the midwife last week and everything is going well. She couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler so we had to get an ultrasound (bonus!) which showed the heart and the nugget of course. Just fabulous! My clothes are getting tighter and tighter but I'm convinced that it's still due to my sluggish digestive system. I guess technically it's showing because it's all due to the baby but really the Nugget is just barely peeking over my pubic bone this week so for everyone who sees me and thinks its the baby....it's not....but i cant wait until it is :)!!!! I'm really excited for the day when I can feel our little booger. LOL. I feel like I've been pregnant for a lifetime already and I still have 6 months to go. I need to practice that whole patience thing. I've NEVER hoped for winter time in my life so this is a first. Speaking of weather, if you aren't in Columbus, it's like a sauna right now. Today's heat index was 107, add to that humidity, and it just plain stinks!!!

That's all for now. I hope everyone is great and staying cool. We love you!

 PS- The Nugget is facebook official so feel free to tell anyone and everyone. HaHa

11 Weeks!!!

Sorry it's been so long since my last update....my bad. I guess I do have the 4th of July festivities as an excuse for some of my laziness but still, I should have been more on top of things.

Lets see...we had a great holiday with a wonderful cookout at my boss's house and we topped off the weekend with a concert by Smokey Robinson and some really great fireworks in Dublin.  Oops, wait a few minutes. It's time for our nightly walk. Be right back :)     

OK, fast forward 30 mins and I'm back. I've been walking multiple times a day to try and stay in some sort of shape but it just doesnt feel like it's working. I was told last week that i looked like i was showing. Seeing as how the baby was the size of a tube of lipstick last week i know it's not baby showing :( I'm just so bloated and retaining a lot of water. Now i'm not complaining but it is a strange thing to feel so heavy and to see my body changing in so many ways this early on.

I almost forgot to give a shout out to our two closest "couple" friends who recently had their own little bundles of joy. Congrats to the Dezern family and the Baldwin family. I'm sure that one day, depending on what we end up having that an arranged marriage will be set up either with Wyatt Dezern or Adeline Baldwin. LOL. We love you guys and cant wait to watch our kids grow together!

Sorry there isn't more pregnancy related news to share. My symptoms haven't changed too much. I'm still tired and like i said earlier....growing a gut...I'm just super excited for the time when i know what it's coming from! Oh and I'll try to post again this week. It will be the big 12 week mark and we'll have had another checkup. I cant wait to hear the heartbeat again!!!! We love you all!!

9 Weeks!!!!

Hello everyone- Well we've made it to 9 weeks! The Nugget is officially a fetus. We've graduated from the embryo (alien) phase :)-

We had our 1st appointment with our midwife yesterday. Yes, I said midwife. We've chosen to go this route for many reasons and after much education/research on the state of OB care in our country today. I wont get too preachy on you but I would encourage anyone who finds themselves to be with child to do their homework on every option they have! Okay, that's all you'll have to hear about that. Haha

The appointment went well. She went over a lot of stuff with us....most of which I already knew, but it was informative nonetheless. Our next appointment is in 3 weeks (I'll be 12weeks along) and after that they'll come at 4 week intervals until later in the preganancy. Hopefully on our next visit we'll be able to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler. We tried this time but we didnt hear anything. That's totally normal though since your doctor/midwife usually cant pick anything up until you're 10-12 weeks along. This week Nugget will grow to be 1 inch long and it looks more and more human each day :) Yay!

Overall, I'm feeling pretty great. I'm still very tired and new this week....I'm super bloated :(. I'm just so excited that I haven't been experiencing any morning sickness....some headaches, yes. But no time in front of the toilet. Thank God!

Well, until next time :) We love you!

7 Weeks, 2 Days: Ultrasound Day!!!!

Time sure does want to creep by slowly when you're anticipating something so exciting.... I thought today would never come! But alas, it did and we got to see our "Chicken Nugget's" (as we are affectionately calling it) heartbeat! A strong 144 beats per minute! The doctor said that everything looks great and the pregnancy seems really healthy :)

It never ceases to amaze me that this is all a true miracle. I mean something the size of a blueberry is growing inside of me and it has a heartbeat, a forming brain, and multiple growing internal organs! I've been reading all the week by week updates from different pregnancy websites so that I know what's going on inside my belly. That has been one of the most fun parts about this so far. Besides feeling so tired and a little moody, I cant really "feel" anything yet, ya know? It's the only time in my life you'll hear me say that I just wanna get fat already. HaHa.

Ryan was so cute at the doctor today. His face just lit up when he saw our little nugget. I think that it all started to feel real to him. He's also been so understanding with my needing to nap all the time and when, on the rare occasion, I'm not the nicest... I think he knows that my body isn't mine anymore. He even let me nap today while he took Luke to the dog park. Thanks babe!

Below is my weekly belly shot and of course the first fuzzy, black and white picture of our baby. Enjoy! We love you!

6 Weeks!!!

It may come as a surprise to a lot of you but Ryan and I have been trying to turn our twosome into a family for almost a year now. Thankfully, last October we were referred to the wonderful people at Ohio Reproductive Medicine. And whether it was performing exploratory surgery on me in January or just answering some silly question we came up with, they are the reason we have finally reached our goal. We can never thank them enough!

It's really hard to believe that we're actually pregnant! It doesn't feel real yet....I guess when you've gone through infertility, you never think it's really going to happen for you. But with continued prayer and patience, it did!
At this point, hardly anyone knows the news yet. Just know that if I haven't been hanging out a lot, it's not because I'm a boring loser. LOL, I'm just adjusting to this onslaught of hormones.   

Thanks for tuning in. Hopefully you'll find my updates to be a fun way to feel connected to our joy! We love you!
 

Symptoms: I'm so tired! I can barely keep my eyes open....even after I've taken a nap :) Supposedly, morning sickness kicks in right about now. Maybe I'll be lucky though and it will skip me!