We leave on Thursday for the move to Rio until Belle is born so right now I am trying to figure out what I am going to need and what she will need. Good thing I only have five outfits that fit me right now so that won't be hard to determine what goes but Belle on the other hand.... oh no.
It's just a little frustrating because I have no idea when she is coming or what will happen after she is here. I know mom, I "can't plan everything" but I really want too!
As of right now we have two options for living arrangements. Option 1 is a staff house that Nate's company uses for people who come into town for work. Option 2 is house sitting for a friend for a month.
I think we are leaning toward house sitting just because the staff house is so bare and doesn't even have internet. What would I do all day??? The insanity :)
Right now my friends here in Macae are planning to visit me while I am in Rio. We are planning a Harry Potter marathon movie day and then going to see the new release in the theaters! Nate's just happy he doesn't have to tag along this time.... not that he watches the movie anyway because last time he actually started snoring in the theater. Ahhhh. goood times.
Off to stare blankly at my closet and suitcases.
Tchau,
Sara
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
37 Weeks
Belle now claims the full term title! I feel so blessed to have made it this far without any complications and I pray that I end the pregnancy the same. The past week has brought on a whole new set of problems. It's like I all of the sudden realized I was pregnant over night.
To start off I can no longer wear my wedding ring. The swelling is starting to increase at a daily rate and I am hopeful that it stays clear of my legs! My hips now feel that they are breaking apart after a long walk or a day spent on my feet. The joints in my hands ache during the night and I find it very difficult to sleep longer than a hour or two at a time. I now understand why pregnant women waddle and it isn't because of the extra weight but because it feels like I rode a horse all day.
Belle still is active as ever and her favorite move is still the stretch where her butt pokes on one side of my belly and both of her feet on the other side. Last night she nestled up in my ribs and I swear I have an internal bruise. Now that my hips hurt quite a bit, rolling over in bed gives me a pretty good workout but only when she will let me switch sides.
Here's the photo for the week. I think that now the changes will be minimal even thought I feel the weight more than ever. The one thing I will be looking for is for her to drop but I assume that I will feel it more than see it. Apparently when it happens you can breath so much easier than before! Good for me because I get winded walking up the stairs! Nate continues to laugh at me and make sounds when I get off the couch that resemble a large truck backing up. Of course this makes us both laugh and makes me have to pee even more.
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| 37 Weeks! |
Anytime now! The guesses so far on when it will happen are the following:
1. My friends here say in 1 1/2 weeks to 2 weeks.
2. My mom thinks I will go overdue. August 8th
3. I say I will go on my due date just because everything has been going so great for me :)
What do you all say? What about the height and weight?
I say 7lbs 8oz and 21in.... and no one else has guessed so I am the only one on this poll!
Tchau,
Sara
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Antimofo
Today Nate has been cleaning out all the airconditioners in the house while I have been organizing this and that. Of course I have to take a break to fill you all in on our Sunday fun day. Besides, the amount of weight I am caring in front really is starting to get to me! Ahhh. Back to cleaning!
Tchau,
Sara
PS- Nate used the ladder and all was good. No bent aluminum just yet!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Weight Limit!
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Tchau,
Sara
Friday, July 8, 2011
Pediatrician
I should have written this yesterday but I seriously didn't have time! Imagine that my friends. A day filled with a hair cut (roughly 2hrs) then grocery shopping and lunch with friends. Not to mention catching up on laundry and cooking dinner.
Back to the subject. Tuesday after my appointment with Dr. J we walked to our appointment with our Pedi hoping to get in an out before rush hour traffic hit. We should have known in advance that appointment times don't really mean anything but after waiting for 40 min Nate left to get the car out of parking and get me a snack. I guess I should mention that the receptionist refused to let us leave or reschedule our appointment by saying, "he is almost ready". LIAR.
Finally, my time to meet with the Pedi comes and I find myself talking to a man that's probably 5'9" and has a smaller frame than I do. His personality and over confidence spilled into every word that exited his mouth. The only time I got a word in was when he was trying to find the English word for something.
He started the meeting off by asking me about my plans for childhood which I was able to utter off one sentence and then the lecturing began. The conversation then led into breastfeeding where he proceeded to mimic the act with his hand and non-existant breast... I laughed deep inside!
Despite the fact that the he treated me as a person with no knowledge, I am very glad that he is thorough with his patients. Based on the conversation we had I gather that not very many people are educated with basic health care.
Finally we started talking about day of life one for Belle. He will be attending my deliver and be in the room while I labor along with Dr. J! Crazy huh? Two doctors in the room with me plus what ever other staff needs to be there. When she is born she will be able to breastfeed immediately and then the will get her cleaned and checked out. In the US it is standard for every baby to get Vitamin K shot and Erythromycin to the eyes within 1hr of birth. Here, Belle will be getting the Vitamin K shot but Brazil does not have Erythromycin ointment, they use Silver Nitrate which can cause chemical conjunctivitis, so she won't be getting any eye ointment.
Reasoning why this is ok. Based on my prenatal care I do not have any infection present that can be transferred to Belle during birth. The reasoning the US does this routinely is based on number of people without prenatal care having infection and the potential risk it poses for the baby which include potential blindness. The blanket coverage reduces chances of infection and lawsuits with no discomfort to the infant.
All in all I believe that the Pedi will be great for us. He gave us all of his contact numbers and encouraged us to call anytime we have concerns for Belle no matter the time.
Then the time came for me to pay the receptionist. Keep in mind we had just payed Dr. J and thought surely this visit wouldn't cost more than one with her. Oh, how wrong was I? Nate had to bring me more money because remember most doctors don't take credit/debit cards. (I think it has to do with tax evasion.) As I am on the phone with Nate discussing the dilemma he instructed me to barter and throw in a few choice words. I calmly told him yes I would and then hung up the phone while laughing because there's zero chance I am going to fight with the receptionist before Belle is born when she is just doing her job.
Nate's anger about the situation still rests deep inside. He claims that he will be calling the Pedi at all hours of the night when ever he wants! Ahhhh. Love his passion but in the end we still pay nothing because insurance reimburses us 100% it's just the upfront cost that hurts. I can't imagine what he charges for being at my delivery which once again we will have to pay with cash..... dreading that day.
So now we are all ready to go and all of our ducks are in a row!
Tchau,
Sara
Back to the subject. Tuesday after my appointment with Dr. J we walked to our appointment with our Pedi hoping to get in an out before rush hour traffic hit. We should have known in advance that appointment times don't really mean anything but after waiting for 40 min Nate left to get the car out of parking and get me a snack. I guess I should mention that the receptionist refused to let us leave or reschedule our appointment by saying, "he is almost ready". LIAR.
Finally, my time to meet with the Pedi comes and I find myself talking to a man that's probably 5'9" and has a smaller frame than I do. His personality and over confidence spilled into every word that exited his mouth. The only time I got a word in was when he was trying to find the English word for something.
He started the meeting off by asking me about my plans for childhood which I was able to utter off one sentence and then the lecturing began. The conversation then led into breastfeeding where he proceeded to mimic the act with his hand and non-existant breast... I laughed deep inside!
Despite the fact that the he treated me as a person with no knowledge, I am very glad that he is thorough with his patients. Based on the conversation we had I gather that not very many people are educated with basic health care.
Finally we started talking about day of life one for Belle. He will be attending my deliver and be in the room while I labor along with Dr. J! Crazy huh? Two doctors in the room with me plus what ever other staff needs to be there. When she is born she will be able to breastfeed immediately and then the will get her cleaned and checked out. In the US it is standard for every baby to get Vitamin K shot and Erythromycin to the eyes within 1hr of birth. Here, Belle will be getting the Vitamin K shot but Brazil does not have Erythromycin ointment, they use Silver Nitrate which can cause chemical conjunctivitis, so she won't be getting any eye ointment.
Reasoning why this is ok. Based on my prenatal care I do not have any infection present that can be transferred to Belle during birth. The reasoning the US does this routinely is based on number of people without prenatal care having infection and the potential risk it poses for the baby which include potential blindness. The blanket coverage reduces chances of infection and lawsuits with no discomfort to the infant.
All in all I believe that the Pedi will be great for us. He gave us all of his contact numbers and encouraged us to call anytime we have concerns for Belle no matter the time.
Then the time came for me to pay the receptionist. Keep in mind we had just payed Dr. J and thought surely this visit wouldn't cost more than one with her. Oh, how wrong was I? Nate had to bring me more money because remember most doctors don't take credit/debit cards. (I think it has to do with tax evasion.) As I am on the phone with Nate discussing the dilemma he instructed me to barter and throw in a few choice words. I calmly told him yes I would and then hung up the phone while laughing because there's zero chance I am going to fight with the receptionist before Belle is born when she is just doing her job.
Nate's anger about the situation still rests deep inside. He claims that he will be calling the Pedi at all hours of the night when ever he wants! Ahhhh. Love his passion but in the end we still pay nothing because insurance reimburses us 100% it's just the upfront cost that hurts. I can't imagine what he charges for being at my delivery which once again we will have to pay with cash..... dreading that day.
So now we are all ready to go and all of our ducks are in a row!
Tchau,
Sara
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Mexican Surprise
Now all I need is refried beans, guacamole and sour cream! Those three are easy to make though :)
Tchau,
Sara
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Photoshop Elements Magic!
Lately I have been playing around with my camera and I think I have most of the settings down! I have my favorites for certain scenery and favorites for portraits. When I bought the camera I also bought a small version of Photoshop called Photoshop Elements. It ended up being about 1/10 of the price you pay for the full program. Since I have never worked with Photoshop or any other program similar, not only did I have to learn the new camera but also this program to edit and perfect my photos.
I found a few neat tricks this week that I want to show you. Below you will see a series of photographs of a women. All the same photo but with different techniques used in PSE (photoshop elements). I didn't take the photo used in the example.
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| Example of PSE techniques. |
I thought that they all looked so different and unique that I wanted to experiment with some of the photos I have taken. Below is a series that I edited.... not all of the techniques but just a few to see what it possible.
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| Original Photo |
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| Using a color burst and clarity. |
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| Using a vintage and color boost. |
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| Using a 70's look. |
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| Using the Heartland editing. |
I had so much fun with these and I can't wait to take some creative photography of Belle when she gets here! If I have time in between everything else that I will be required to do :) I already have a few ideas of photos I want to take with her so I really do hope that I have the energy to do it all.
Until she gets here I will just keep getting familiar with everything that way I don't have to learn too much when she is here. One thing I already learned is that when editing in PSE you have to save the photos as a JPG or you can't post it to blogger. One extra step in the saving process will get you there but if you don't pay attention then PSE won't do it for you and you have to save again.
Off to go clean and organize some random things in the house. I have already completed the spice drawer and the bag that holds all the little amenities we get from hotels..... what next? hhmmmm.
Tchau,
Sara
36 Week Apt
Things went great yesterday with Dr. J so she placed herself on the positive list once again. For once she didn't mention weight and focused on other things. Everything looks great- Blood pressure, Belle's overall growth and no problems!
All of my concerns and questions about Belle dropping and being quite were false. She is sitting as high as ever and Dr. J says she's not going anywhere any time soon. When I asked her if I was dilated at all and she responded with not even a little bit.... darn! Nate's pretty happy with that result :)
We now have to see her once a week but that won't be a problem because we move down into the company staff house next week anyway. My next apt is scheduled for Thursday in the afternoon so I am guessing that we will pack up all our stuff and it will be the last drive to Rio until Belle is born! One good thing about the weekly appointments is that we only have to pay Dr. J once a month. Her fees is 400R a visit and so once a week could be dangerous if she required it. Basically the next 3 weeks are free! (well they are all free because of insurance but we don't have to pay up front and then wait for the re-imbursement transfer)
We talked about our hospital options. We have three locations that we can possibly deliver at and depending on the time I go into labor will determine where I go. Middle of the night I can go to the location that is close to our staff apartment but during rush hour I might have to reconsider to one closer to her office. Of course if I need to get to the hospital immediately she has visiting doctors for each hospital that will deliver if needed. I'm honestly not worried about it.
Life is good.
Things to do this week per Dr. J's orders. I already dropped off the GBS, group b strep, sample at the lab and the results will be ready Saturday. Remember- if I am negative then NO antibiotics during labor and if I am positive then I will require a 4hr infusion of Penicillin ever 4 hours of labor. As long as Belle is safe then I am not worried! Also take note that I am responsible for bringing my sample to the appropriate lab and this goes for urine test too. Next on the list is more blood and urine samples to be taken. I need to get another CBC, Urine culture, and test again for Toxoplasmosis.
So happy once again that she is testing for Toxoplasmosis because that's been the one thing that kind of freaks me out by living in Brazil. I worry because you can acquire it anywhere! (Remember it's the one that in the US is only transmitted via cat poop :) )
All of my concerns and questions about Belle dropping and being quite were false. She is sitting as high as ever and Dr. J says she's not going anywhere any time soon. When I asked her if I was dilated at all and she responded with not even a little bit.... darn! Nate's pretty happy with that result :)
We now have to see her once a week but that won't be a problem because we move down into the company staff house next week anyway. My next apt is scheduled for Thursday in the afternoon so I am guessing that we will pack up all our stuff and it will be the last drive to Rio until Belle is born! One good thing about the weekly appointments is that we only have to pay Dr. J once a month. Her fees is 400R a visit and so once a week could be dangerous if she required it. Basically the next 3 weeks are free! (well they are all free because of insurance but we don't have to pay up front and then wait for the re-imbursement transfer)
We talked about our hospital options. We have three locations that we can possibly deliver at and depending on the time I go into labor will determine where I go. Middle of the night I can go to the location that is close to our staff apartment but during rush hour I might have to reconsider to one closer to her office. Of course if I need to get to the hospital immediately she has visiting doctors for each hospital that will deliver if needed. I'm honestly not worried about it.
Life is good.
Things to do this week per Dr. J's orders. I already dropped off the GBS, group b strep, sample at the lab and the results will be ready Saturday. Remember- if I am negative then NO antibiotics during labor and if I am positive then I will require a 4hr infusion of Penicillin ever 4 hours of labor. As long as Belle is safe then I am not worried! Also take note that I am responsible for bringing my sample to the appropriate lab and this goes for urine test too. Next on the list is more blood and urine samples to be taken. I need to get another CBC, Urine culture, and test again for Toxoplasmosis.
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| 36 wks 3days or 9 months! |
Later I will write about our new pediatrician because he deserves a blog post of his own. Until then I hope everyone is enjoying the summer because it's like 70 here and I am cold if I am not in the sun. The picture above was taken after a walk so that's why I have a tank top on and not a long sleeve!
Tchau,
Sara
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Doc apt today!!
I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was check the mirror... have I dropped? Maybe a little or maybe my mind is playing games with me. Then during breakfast I swear Belle was quite but I must be fooling myself.
I want her to be here so bad now that I keep thinking that she is preparing for next week. Nate thinks of course that would make sense for us to spend this time in Rio to go home to Macae only to have to return over the weekend. I honestly think she will be overdue but I can't help imagining her here now.
At the Dr. J's office today I am hoping that she tells me that I am already starting to dilate. Crazy you ask? Well that means that I would have progressed without feeling a thing! That would help my psyche out with the whole natural birth thing.
Anyway wish us luck on the appointments- I really hope that we love our pedi!!
Tchau,
Sara
Monday, July 4, 2011
Pineapple, Mango and Papaya... O MY!!!
Just caught onto the rumor that pineapple, mango and papaya are considered natural remedies for labor induction. It really weirds me out because all I have been craving is fruit these days. Each morning I wake up and eat the following: Pineapple, mango, papaya, watermelon and yogurt. Even at my mid-day meals I have been getting pineapple juice with mint.
Keep in mind that all of these fruits and fruit juices are fresh which is exactly what the wives tale instructs. Apparently the enzyme bromelain, present in these fruits, causes an anti-inflammatory response and also act to slow clotting and is believed to help soften connective tissues in the lady parts.....
Back in the day the Indigenous people of the America's used pineapple to terminate unwanted pregnancies as well as other several other medical purposes. You can go to this link if you really are interested in the other properties of the enzyme Bromelain.
So much for Nate telling me to just sit down to avoid labor :) Just because of this information doesn't mean I am going to stop eating these fruits. I am a big believer in listening to your body and what it wants. Everything happens for a reason even if we don't always know that reason.
When Belle is ready to come she will come and I doubt that I have control over the situation!!
Still in a tiny bit of shock over the random news!
Tchau,
Sara
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