Place Your Bets!

Brandy: I have set up a game website which will allow you to make your best guess on Baby Markey's birth stats... gender, date of birth, time of birth, weight and length! Once Baby Markey has arrived, I will input the actual birth stats, and the website calculates a winner based off of a point system. So, place your bets and let's see who will win! http://www.expectnet.com/logingame.php?game_name=BrandyMarkey

I have also added a Link on the bottom of the right column, which will direct you to the game page as well. Good Luck!

Email Please

Brandy: I am trying to get prepared for when the baby comes, and part of this will involve creating an email distribution list to let everyone know when Baby Markey has arrived. If you want to be notified via email, please leave a comment with your email address. It is a good idea to leave it in the following format so that it isn't picked up by programs scanning for email addresses so they can send you tons of junk mail. myemailaddress[at]gmail[dot]com
If you do not feel comfortable leaving your email address in a comment, then shoot me an email with your information. You can look under my blog profile and find my email address there. I have never gotten any weird messages from leaving my email address in a comment on a blog, but I am giving you an alternative just in case.
I will eventually post an entry on the blog announcing Baby Markey to the world, but that might take a while! I will also eventually post something on Facebook, which will also take a while. You also need to be my friend in order to see it! Giving up your email is the one and only way you will find out super soon when Baby Markey has made his/her grand entrance into the world.
Also, stay tuned to my blog because there will be some upcoming posts that will allow you to guess on some important "top secret" information! I will be posting the number of letters in Baby Markeys first and middle name so that you can make a comment with your best guess! I will also post a link to a website where you can guess on all of Baby Markey's birth information - date, time, sex, weight and length.
So, there are lots of exciting things coming up as Baby Markey's due date gets closer and closer. I am so excited and can hardly wait!

33 Weeks - 7 Weeks Left - 82.5% Cooked!

Brandy: Today marks the beginning of Week 33. It is really hard to believe that I only have 49 days to go! Baby Markey's nursery is pretty much done. I have washed and put away clothes, blankets, towels... pretty much everything! Our car seat bases are installed and we have an appointment to get them checked on 11/4. I am also about to make an appointment for us to attend an infant CPR class. I am child and adult CPR and AED certified, but not infant. We are halfway through our 8 week course of Bradley classes. Thursday will be class 5. We are all the way up to 2nd stage labor! So Thursday I get to learn about pushing the baby out, which is probably the only part I am truly nervous about. I am not nervous about the pain or the lack of pain medication as most people assume. The #1 thing that has me nervous is the thought of tearing. I will just leave it at that... no elaboration really needed!

I have been feeling pretty good for this stage of pregnancy. The exhaustion has slowly started to creep back into my life. I have good days, and then there are the days where crawling under my desk for a quick nap sounds SO GOOD. I will not try it though for fear that my infamous snoring will give my whereabouts away! In the past week, I have started waking up even more often than usual to pee in the middle of the night. I also drop things all the time, which is getting annoying because bending over to pick them up is getting increasingly harder! I continue to go to prenatal yoga every Saturday morning. That is "my time" and I relish it. I have started going to the chiropractor every week now instead of every 2 weeks. The baby is growing so quickly now that my body gets out of whack faster. Dr Durkee helps keep everything in check, and I truly heart her for that. My back has not been an issue at all since I have been seeing her on a regular basis. I would recommend seeing a chiropractor to any pregnant woman in a heartbeat. I feel like it is some little known secret, and I am happy to pass it along. Seriously, go try it out! Just find someone who is well versed in practicing on the pregnant body. So with all of that said, I feel like I have very little to complain about physically. Most of the things going on with me are very typical, and I honestly expected them. They pretty much come with the territory, and I know things could be so much worse. I am happy to be pregnant, and I love my Baby Bump!


Baby Markey has been getting the hiccups almost every night lately. They usually last about 2-3 minutes and then stop just as suddenly as they started. This week the baby should be about 4 1/2 pounds and 19 1/2 inches long. At this point, it is just an average because all babies grow differently at this stage. Baby Markey should be putting on about a 1/2 pound each week now (give or take a little). This will slow down and possibly stop in the last few weeks of pregnancy as the baby runs out of room! We had a 3D/4D sonogram this morning. I will say that the pictures we got at 29 weeks were a lot better. At this point, there is not much room in there and it is much more difficult to get a good shot of the baby. If you are planning a 3D/4D sonogram, definitely try and get it done between 28 and 30 weeks. I am including a couple of pictures from this morning. You can see the difference for yourself if you go back and look at the pictures I posted at 29 weeks. In all of these Baby Markey is either sucking on its thumb or fist. And I noticed that it happens to be the left thumb/fist. Does this mean I am going to have a lefty? Anyone have any feedback on being left or right handed based on the thumb babies favor? It was totally cute to see this in live motion! It is good to know that the baby likes its thumb since we are not using a pacifier! I asked the technician if she could tell if the baby had hair. The answer is yes BUT it could be lanugo that has not shed yet. Hmmm... I guess I will just have to wait and see. Darnit! Waiting is SO HARD!

A Weekend of Organization

Brandy: This weekend was a long, busy one! Friday night we went to the state fair with a friend and his two daughters. It was fun, and I got in a lot of walking! Saturday morning I went to prenatal yoga, and then snuck in a nap when I got home. The rest of the day consisted of organizing everything from our shower last weekend. Brian put together the stroller too. We also hung pictures in the nursery and got the window valances up. Sunday we took a little shopping trip to get some of the things I wanted to help finish up the nursery. We also got the other car seat base for Brian's car. Babies R Us has some really good 15% off coupons going on now through the end of the month. While we were out we ate lunch on the patio at Chuy's. It was such a beautiful day! Once we got home, we got busy with the nursery again. I started doing Baby Markey's laundry and getting things put away. I got everything except for the clothes done (slings, towels, blankets, sheets, waterproof pads, changing pad covers, etc...) We also installed both of the car seat bases, the car mirror and the window shade. Now we just need to get the car seats inspected!! Did you know that 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly? SCARY!
Besides all of the nursery work this weekend, we also touched up screw holes and paint on 3 different areas of our ceiling from light fixtures changes. We have been procrastinating forever on that one! I am SO glad it is finally done.
We only have a few things left to do to get finished with the nursery. I still need to wash all of Baby Markey's clothes. They are separated by size and all of the tags/packaging has been removed. I am going to do one load each night this week and try and get it done by the weekend. I also have one more wall where I need to put up pictures. I am waiting on this wall until I get in Baby Markey's name in wooden wall letters. I want the name above the crib, but I am not sure it will fit there (since there are windows on both sides of the crib). So just to be safe, I left the pictures off of one wall in case I need to put those above the crib and put the name on the other wall for space reasons.
We still have a few items left on the registry that we need to get. We are working on those slowly, and waiting for sales and coupons. The big items we have left are the play yard, monitor, breast pump and bouncer. There are some small items too... All in time right? Easy enough if time isn't counting down! It will get done... it has to!

31 1/2 Week Checkup

Brandy: We just came from our prenatal checkup. We had to go a bit early because our midwife is at a conference next week in California. She promised to come back with lots of new books and videos for her lending library! Baby Markey is doing fantastic and so am I. My blood pressure was good. The baby's heartbeat was in the high 140's, and my fundal height was 31.5 cm - right on the money! We started talking about Vitamin K and the eye ointment after birth. I don't think I want any of that, but I am going to read up on it a bit more just to be certain. Dinah also gave me a sheet about the strep B testing. I don't have a problem testing for that since it has nothing to do with any medication for me or the baby. We will do that test at our 36 week check up. I also found out that Dinah does not like to do pelvic exams starting at 36 weeks like most physicians. She said they are uncomfortable and don't really predict much. If Baby Markey still has not appeared by 41 weeks, she will check me then. Of course, there will be checks once I go into labor as well. That is about it for now.

Part Time

Brandy: I recently found out that my request to work part time (when I return to work after maternity leave) was approved! I will be going down to a 4 day work week. I will typically have Wednesdays off, unless there is a business need for me to switch my day off that week. It is imperative that I remain flexible so that I don't get my part time revoked. Having Wednesdays off will break up the work week, and the number of days in a row Baby Markey has to go to the sitter. I love that Baby Markey will only be at the sitter two days, then home with mommy, and then at the sitter for another 2 days before the weekend rolls around. Wednesday is a great day off... it is right in the middle of the week. Plus, I will not miss many (or none) of our company scheduled holidays since those typically fall on Mondays or Fridays. I am very excited about this!!! Things are falling into place. We are getting ready for you Baby Markey!

Shower, I mean Party Update from Saturday

Brandy: We had our Dallas shower on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. It started at two, and I think the last person finally left around 7:30. It was definitely more like a party, which is exactly what I wanted. I couldn't partake in the alcoholic beverages, but I am glad everyone else enjoyed them! It was fun to see everyone and to show off what we have done so far with the nursery. It is not done yet, which is why I have not posted any pictures. I am only going to show off the final product!

Today I am 31 weeks. I have 63 days left, or 9 weeks. I can't believe how quickly time is going by. I know I keep saying that, but it keeps on sneaking by me! I am SO determined to get everything we need for Baby Markey purchased, set up and organized. I don't want to be that person who goes into labor with bags and boxes of stuff stacked in the nursery. We went to Babies R Us yesterday armed with coupons and started to purchase items we did not receive at our showers. The first thing on my list was the car seat, so we can get the installation inspected. We still need two more bases (for Brian and our sitter), but at least we have one! Those that know me well, know I am more of a type A personality. Pair that with time flying by, and this nesting urge from all the hormones... well you get the idea! Let's just say I want everything done NOW, and I am not being patient about it.

Shower Tomorrow

Brandy: For those of you in the Big D, don't forget that tomorrow is the shower here. It is at my house, and starts at 2 pm. There will be food and drinks... just bring yourselves!

Bradley Class # 2

Brandy: Last night we had our second Bradley class. We started out practicing relaxation and pain relief techniques for back labor. This included pelvic tilts and back massage with a frozen water bottle (which I loved). We also practiced assisted squatting. I am used to squatting solo in prenatal yoga, so it took a minute to adjust to getting help with this. Apparently they don't want you squatting solo in labor for safety since you are out of sorts. After that we watched a birth video of a lady with a posterior positioned baby who had bad back labor. It was nice to see the techniques and positions she used to handle her pain. We also started talking about our birthing plan. Part of our homework this week is to create the first draft, and it needs to be complete by class #6. We ended the evening by practicing mental relaxation techniques. The women got to pick out a place that would relax us and write down a bunch of details for our hubbies to walk us through visually. I chose a Buddhist temple (Wat Phrathat) located on Doi Suthep Mountain that we visited in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was such a place of peace. It is an outdoor temple with beautiful golden accents and ornate pictures carved into wood. You don't wear shoes in temples, so we were walking around barefoot, feeling the cool ground beneath our feet. There were Buddhist monks chanting, and they dipped beautiful flowers into water to splash on people kneeling in front of them. The monks take care of many homeless animals. They lie leisurely around the temple, sweet and sleeping. You are surrounded by cool mountain air, beautiful flowers and greenery. You can see the city of Chiang Mai, tiny and distant, at the bottom of the mountain. It feels like another world. It definitely did it's job to help me visualize a peaceful place and go into a deeply relaxed state. Then just like that, class was over and it was time to head home. I really enjoy class. I feel like it is helping Brian and I to become closer as we prepare for the birth of our first child.

Our New Bedtime Routine

Brandy: Brian and I have a new routine at bedtime. He picks out a book from Baby Markey's collection and reads to my belly. This will help our little one recognize his voice. Then when this is done, he rubs lotion on my belly. I read that at this point in pregnancy, the baby can feel it when you rub/stroke your belly. They find it soothing. So both Baby Markey and I benefit from this!

Other updates: the nursery is painted and it looks great! I will post pics once it is all put together. I also had my first prenatal massage last night. It was great! I really don't know what I waited so long for. The lady I am using works in a medical spa, and has evening and weekend hours. It is $65 for an hour long massage, or you can pay $150 for three 1 hour sessions. Not too bad!

Week 30 Prenatal Visit

Brandy: I had my 30 week check up this morning. My glucose test for gestational diabetes was normal. My blood pressure was good. Baby Markey's heartbeat was strong, and my fundal height was 30 cm! Brian stayed home for today's appointment because we have painters at the house painting the nursery. I can't wait to get home and see what the nursery looks like! I plan on trying to get it somewhat put together this week since Saturday is the shower at our house (today is the final day to RSVP). I know people are going to want to peek in and see the progress. I am not sure how much will be done by then, but I will try! I have my first prenatal massage tonight. I can't wait!!!!

Bradley Classes

Brandy: Last night was our first Bradley class. We are going every Thursday night from 7 - 9:30 for 8 weeks. It was really fun. There are 8 couples in the class, and not one of them is delivering in a hospital. It is really nice to be in an environment where people understand our birthing choices. I don't pass judgement on the way that any of my friends or family chose to birth their children, so it is a little hurtful when people decide to pass judgement on me. I really don't know what they think it will solve. Maybe they think they are helping by expressing their opinions, but I do not think people realize how the things they say come across. That being said, I am very happy with our decision to birth Baby Markey outside of a hospital. Just a few facts for you... the cesarean rate in the US is a whopping 30% (give or take a little - it depends on where you look). This percentage is double the 15% recommended by the World Health Organization. The fun fact is that only 1 % of performed c-sections are considered a medical emergency. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of c-sections that are medically necessary. The point is that only a very small percentage (1% of the 30% of sections) are a true emergency. You do the math... Having a baby out of a hospital is not as dangerous as everyone assumes. Think of all of the diseases and germs in a hospital. How many times have you heard of someone getting an unrelated infection after being in a hospital? It happens quite a bit. We are conditioned as a society to rely on doctor's and modern medicine. How many times has our relied-on medical society had to retract certain practices, procedures or medicine because of negative results? What did women do before there was an OB on every corner? They had babies outside of hospitals, and their bodies did what they were supposed to do. They did not always have a hospital to turn to if something did not go smoothly, but I DO have that option. My midwife is absolutely wonderful. She will be monitoring me very closely. If there is any sign of something wrong with me or the baby, she will advise me to go to the hospital. And guess what??? I will go, very willingly... I am not so stuck on the idea of staying out of the hospital that I would even remotely jeopardize the health of my baby or myself. So to all of you who passed judgement on our birthing decision, even if you kept it to yourself, do you think there is any possibility that you are being closed-minded? Just some food for thought...
On to other things, I really cannot believe that October is already upon us and that we started our birthing classes already. Seriously, as of this upcoming Monday, I only have 10 weeks left! Time is flying by. I feel like there is so much more to do. I think once I get the nursery put together I will feel a little more at ease. I also need to wash everything and get it organized and put away. I am waiting to do all of the laundry until we have our second shower on the 10th.
We have someone coming by the house tomorrow morning at 11 to give us a quote to paint the nursery. Brian and I have tried to paint ourselves in the past, and the outcome is not pretty. Trust me, this way is much better for our well being... not to mention the quality of the job! As soon as I get the nursery together, I will make sure to post pictures. The end is nearing!

I Need Help With Paint

Brandy: We are getting ready to paint the nursery really soon. Can anyone recommend a good low or zero VOC paint? I want something non-toxic and low odor. Thanks!