Pregnancy stats

Week: 30
Baby's fundal height: 30 cm
Baby's heartbeat: 152 bpm (active)
 
Blood pressure: 114/68
Weight gain: 18 lbs.
Belly button: in
Stretch marks: 1
Swelling: none
Heartburn: none
Other side effects: calf cramps
Overall comfort:  good*

Edit: As the day has worn on, actually, I feel kind of run down right now.  I felt like this last Saturday at the wedding too, but assumed it was just from all the traveling.  I hope this isn't a sign of what the next 10 weeks will be like.

Who needs sleep, anyway?

Every time I go through a major life change, my sleep schedule goes right out the window, and being pregnant has been no different.  Last night was probably one of the worst nights sleep-wise.  I've been up since 1:30 a.m.  Luckily, I still managed to stay on track at work today (thanks to some coffee, which I'm trying to avoid as much as possible).

Another side effect of this pregnancy is I get charley horses in my calves a few times a week now!  They've been bad since the I've tried increasing my potassium and calcium intake (both can supposedly contribute to the cramps), but no luck.

Regardless, I can't complain.  The baby is measuring well, and every test so far has shown we are both healthy.  ::Fingers crossed things stay that way::

A backup plan

Since receiving less-than-reassuring information about the state health care issues, I've been trying to read up on inductions.  Most of the information I've received through books, the Internet and talking to others has made me very wary of induction.  My doctor, though, was open to considering induction.  She said every measurement and ultrasound since the beginning of my pregnancy has been on target with my due date and she is not afraid that my due date could be off.  As long as I am dilated at 39 weeks, she is willing to induce on or after September 26 if that is what I decide, and she has induced many women who went on to deliver vaginally, without an epidural.  She said inductions cannot be scheduled more than 10 days in advance, so this gives me plenty of time to see how things progress before making a decision.  I like her no-nonsense approach and the fact that she takes the time to provide me with scientific-based reasoning behind her answers; it helps me put the things I read into perspective. 

Last week, I called my state representative's office.  They told me a decision regarding the insurance should be announced in early August, so at least I will have plenty of time to prepare.  I also did receive a call back from a staff member in the Department of Health and Human Services, who pointed me to a couple of bills that apply to my situation.  I am still hoping I will not need to be induced, but it's nice to know I have options and will not be backed into making a decision at the last minute that I could regret.

Loose Ends

I haven't had any major news recently, just lots of little updates.  Ok, they're not little to me, but I doubt anyone else would get too excited about them.

The health insurance debacle is still yet to be resolved.  The good news is, an insurance carrier HAS to cover my delivery.  The bad news is, the out of pocket costs may be more than I can afford to pay.  Basically, if I go into labor at 11:59 p.m. or earlier on September 28, I am covered by my current, awesome, health insurance plan.  If I go into labor at 12 a.m. on September 29 or later, there is a chance I will be defaulted into a much, much more expensive plan.  Of course, this is all assuming the State does not just sign a senate bill to extend the current plans for another two years, but there is a very, very good chance the governor will follow through with his current plan to desk veto that Bill (he has already announced publicly that he will do this).  If that happens, the House and Senate do not intend to extend the emergency coverage past its current extension.  My due date is October 3.  Induction carries several risks.  Both hospitals in my area refuse to induce prior to 39 weeks without a medically-necessary reason because of those risks, and I am very appreciative of this policy.  I called the State Department of Health and Human Services today, and spoke with a very empathetic employee who passed along my information to "higher ups" who are supposed to be calling me back.  At my next appointment, I also plan to check with my doctor to weigh the risks of inducing at 11:59 p.m. on September 28. 

Jamie and I started our first baby-related class--a breastfeeding class.  I was really excited for this class.  Breastfeeding is important to me because of the multitude of benefits it provides to the baby, and I wanted to be as prepared as possible so I don't run into any issues, which is very common.  Sadly, the class was a giant waste of time.  The first hour was spent listening to the instructor's soapbox about how great breastfeeding is.  All of this info was covered in the first 20 or so pages of So That's What They're For.  And, the instructor made most of her points in the first 10 minutes, and spent the next 50 rambling.  Hello, I signed up for the class!  You're preaching to the choir!  Make with the info already!  I hope the other classes are more informative and less preachy.

Speaking of food, I'm currently looking for easy-to-freeze recipes to make things easier after the birth.  I came across this awesome blog, and I can't wait to try some of these recipes out: http://karainthekitchen.com/.

I also bought some gifts for my mom and Jamie's mom, and I'm putting together gift baskets for our shower hostesses!

It isn't hormones

...or maybe it is, but that's not  a bad thing.  Lately, I tend to notice things in the moment more often than I did before.  Ya know the saying "hindsight is 20/20"?  Throughout my life, I've felt like this statement seems to mock me more times than I'd like to admit.  I cannot count the number of times I've thought of the perfect come back 20 seconds AFTER a conversation was over. I feel like I see things more clearly, which is good.  Now I just need to come up with a game plan.

Raising a shopaholic!

Garage sales are amazing! I don't know why I never noticed before, but you really can score lots of amazing, brand new or nearly new finds when it comes to baby stuff at garage sales. One of the first things I found was an $80 baby gate on sale for $10. I knew this was a steal because I shopped for baby gates when I was first house training our dog, Annie, several years ago. I also knew this was a steal because another shopper actually tried to take the gate out of my hand! Lol, after that, I was hooked.  Here's Annie, mystified by all of these new things.

I found lots of deals.  I wasn't really keeping track of what I bought or how much I already had; I was just buying any new or nearly new outfits I thought were cute and storing them all in the basement.  Since the nursery is really coming together, a few nights ago, I bought a few packs of kid hangers from Target and decided to wash and hang up all of the clothing (except onesies, which will go in a drawer).  Holy crap!  I bought a ton of stuff!  Jamie was surprised when I told him I was able to wash all of it in two loads of laundry, until he looked into the dryer and saw just how many outfits two loads of baby laundry actually is.  Here's the haul, minus onesies, including lots of hand-me-downs from our nieces.  The adorable bright pink tutu on the right is a swimsuit from Jamie's other mom, Linda.  I can't wait for our little one to try it out next summer.

This is one of my favorite outfits, from Jamie's mom.  So cute!