Dana Daily

Yikes, according to pregnancycenter.com, here's some discomforts I could be experiencing: Fatigue, leaking breasts, pregnancy pains, constipation,  heartburn , insomnia, shortness of breath, cramps in your legs,  vaginal discharge , nosebleeds, hemorrhoids,  varicose veins , mood swings, stretch marks, contractions, and sometimes—even at this late stage—nausea. The baby may already have moved toward the pelvis in preparation for birth. I am happy to report that fatigue as a result of insomnia and mood swings are about the only symptoms I'm experiencing. I have stretch marks of course, but that's nothing new. It's hard to tell which, if any, are new. Chances are most of these are from my pregnancy with Emmy. The heartburn that caused me so many issues with both Sarah and Emmy isn't as bad this time. I experience it from time-to-time, but I can still eat a pretty normal and diet and drink whatever I want without suffering. In those moments when it does hit a cou...

I'll just warn you now that I didn't take any pictures this year. I couldn't get into the chaos. Maybe it's because I'm tired. I haven't slept well in months, although last night was particularly bad. However, I think it's more than that. I felt a little pensive this Christmas, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I think I'm just content. Sal and I have a normal marriage and a normal life together. We have the same last name and the same address. It's never dull and every day is a learning experience, but it's comfortable too. The gifts are nice, but at the end of the day, I have everything I ever could have wanted. A great husband, two daughters who I love more than words can say, and a baby on the way. I live a charmed life for sure. Among a few other gifts, Sal gave me a one hour massage gift certificate. I think he liked the shop vac I gave him. I guess we both decided to choose practical gifts this year. The girls seemed to...

As I put the finishing touches on our plans for Christmas Day, here is some fun news about the baby's development this week. Baby's Development At 15 inches and weighing between three and three and one-half pounds, your baby is over half the size he or she will be at birth. As baby fat continues to accumulate, your baby will gain weight much more quickly in these last two months. The digestive tract and lungs are almost mature, and the lungs are able to inflate properly at this point, producing surfactant to help prevent the collapse of the lungs after birth. The ears are fully developed, and your baby is listening to everything it can hear inside the womb. Babies at this stage can hear Mom’s breathing  and heartbeat, they can hear music, and they can hear the voices of others. At this stage, very loud noises or events such as a rock concerts should be avoided! The toenails and fingernails are fully formed, and the baby can even scratch itself in the womb. Amniotic fluid...

I saw Dr. Rock this morning since Dr. Badway is on vacation this week. My blood pressure and the baby's heart rates were good. I will need to have the whooping cough vaccine to provide some protection to the baby until s/he is old enough to be vaccinated against it. However, I'm still on antibiotics for my sinus infection so I need to wait. The nurse scheduled me for a c-section on Saturday, February 21, but we'll have to see how that holds up when I see Dr. Badway at my next appointment in January. I'd like to wait that long if possible, but I'm not sure that's what he feels is in our best interests.

I've been fighting some sinus issue for the last month, but in an attempt to avoid a prescription I have been trying to ignore it and just deal. Most days I feel okay. Not right, but okay. Not in pain, just stuffy. Well, my ear started bothering me last week. At first I thought it was a just a thing, and would go away in time, but then it started to be really annoying. I suspected that perhaps I was working on an ear infection, but it wasn't painful so I didn't know. Sal went for a haircut and I decided to walk a couple doors down to Walgreen's. I didn't really want to see a nurse practitioner during pregnancy, in lieu of a doctor, but I figured an ear infection is easy enough to diagnose, if in fact that's what I had. She took one look in my left ear and told me there was a lot of fluid behind the drum and my ear was bright red. She seemed amazed that I wasn't howling in pain. I can honestly say that I had no pain. The sensations I felt were annoying a...

I feel like I've dropped, and others have since pointed it out. I didn't know you could drop this early, but I guess anything's possible. I need to read up on this because I really do need to make it to at least the middle of February with this pregnancy. My blood pressure was 120/70 at my doctor's appointment last week. It doesn't seem high, but it still made me nervous because I had undiagnosed preeclampsia in the past, but also because normal for me is typically 110 or 112, never higher than 117. Anyway, I asked our company nurse to take it yesterday just so I could see where I was and it was 120/68. Since it's virtually the same as last week's reading, I'm going to assume everything's okay. The nurse reassured me that it is. Sal and I are looking forward to the hospital tour on Saturday. I thought maybe it would ease his mind, and I know I can use a refresher. I imagine there have been a few changes in the last six years since Emmy was...

My diaper bag has arrived!! I love it even more in person. It has a million pockets, some with zippers, and it's deep. It's everything I wanted / need. I love the fabrics I chose too. Since it's a little hard to see, the outside is a dark gray / charcoal, and the inside is the pretty paisley print. I should spray it with ScotchGuard, and may talk to the woman who's reupholstering our rocking chair about that. Just a reminder - this was purchased from Etsy seller "BagEnvy." There was a slight mix-up in shipping, but she fixed it right away and issued a small credit for the inconvenience. That works for me.

It wasn't that many weeks ago that I was clicking ahead on the pregnancycorner website, and dreaming of being 29 weeks along. Here I am. Baby's Development: During the twenty-ninth week, your baby’s kicks and punches may be so hard that they take your breath away, and they may cause severe pain. The movements and kicks are happening frequently at this point, which are goods signs that the baby is doing well.  Sometimes these kicks and movements can cause rib pain, pelvic pain, and unintentional loss of urine. This high activity does not usually last throughout the pregnancy and will become less frequent as the baby grows and has more limited space to move around. Your baby is continuing to grow, weighing close to three pounds and stretching to over a foot long. You may notice that this growth is causing increased hunger, as your baby uses most of the nutrients you consume to grow more. You may feel like you need to eat again after a meal, but fight this temptat...

This was my first appointment with my doctor since my follow-up ultrasound right before Thanksgiving. We received great news at that ultrasound - the placenta had moved so only the tip is near the cervix. I couldn't wait to hear what my doctor had to say. Dr. Badway was so pleased, and told me that he won't plan on delivering until 39 weeks. That's anywhere from February 18 to February 25. As long as nothing else pops up, I'll have a full-term baby. Happy dance. My blood pressure was slightly elevated, 120/70, but no one seems concerned. I plan to have the nurse at work take my BP every few days, just to monitor it. I had preeclampsia once (with Sarah).  I do not want it again, or at least I don't want it to go undiagnosed if I do have it. I rarely think to ask the baby's heart rate at these appointments, but I remembered today. It's right around 130, well within the normal range, but far below where the girls' ever were. I'm calling boy. I...

Two years ago, Sal made the best decision of his life by proposing to me. Then I made the best decision of mine by saying yes. I can't believe it's only been two years. It feels like we've been together forever, in all the right ways.

My poor aunt broke her leg late tonight while taking the dog out. I found the perfect card to cheer her up.

Hello, Third Trimester. My skin is so dry and soooo itchy. I think it's a combination of hot showers, an electric blanket (on the lowest setting, but still), and just normal changes that come with being pregnant. I want to sit in a bath of lotion in the worst way. I had to settle for rubbing myself down with Gold Bond Eczema lotion, which I already had on hand because it helps Sarah's winter skin so well. I'm also trying shorter, cooler showers, and I shut the blanket off after the sheets get warm. So sad. I almost always wake up with heartburn. I find as soon as my stomach is full, the heartburn goes away. Compared to what I had to deal with when I was pregnant with the girls, I can manage this. I've started browsing birth announcements, and we found a photographer to take newborn pictures. I researched dozens of photographers to find someone local that would come to our home, and provides all images electronically for an affordable price. I think we found on...

You look as good today at 44, as you did yesterday at 43. I love you sooooo much! The girls gave him a box of Jelly Bellys that he loves. I bought him the Art of Shaving kit in Sandlewood, that he also loves. I think I surprised him most by giving him a "Rush" clock. It was a little unique, I thought. He had to work, but the girls and I enjoyed his birthday at home.