The Copacabana

I love you.

Things in the Cope household are going pretty good. Everyday is a little better than the day before as we are figuring things out. Taylor slept pretty well last night, she was just up to eat not to cry! So I feel pretty rested today. She has been eating very well and was already at 8 lbs 6 oz (3 oz over her birth weight) at her 2 week check up. She is a pretty good sleeper as well...most of the time. If we go for a drive, she is out like a light and would probably stay asleep for many hours, but I need to wake her to feed her. She likes to be held all the time, which makes my arms tired! Ironically, all the baby "stuff" that everyone told us we needed (swing, bouncy seat) she doesn't like, at least for right now. Who wants to sit in a swing when Mom can hold her?! Hopefully she will become a little more self sufficient and let me put her down so I can get a few things done. But for right now our house will remain dirty. :)

JT has been amazing. He is such a great father and helps me no matter what I need and what time of day (or night!) it is. He loves to hold her and just gaze at each other. He keeps saying that having a baby isn't as bad as everyone made it out to be (lack of sleep, constant crying etc.). I just think we have a pretty good baby. Don't get me wrong, she cries but not for hours on end like I have heard some parents tell their horror stories. We are learning everyday what comforts her (the washing machine!) and what really doesn't. The first few days at home were ROUGH as we really had no idea of what we were doing (and still sometimes don't). I was very emotional/hormonal, dealing with a newborn, and trying to recover physically from having a baby! But, like I said everyday is better than the last and I feel like I know so much more than I did this time last week. I am no pro at this, but it seems so much easier now.

We are slowly getting out of the house for little trips here and there, and go for evening drives every night just so I can get out of the house. We plan on going to Target today for a short trip, hopefully Taylor will cooperate and not scream. That is my fear that we will be out somewhere and she will just full out scream and we can't make her stop. I had to take her to the hospital yesterday for some routine blood work that the doctor's office apparently counld't do. She started fussing, but I eventually got her to stop, so that gives me hope if we are somewhere and she starts that again. JT keeps telling me, babies cry and everyone knows that so don't worry about it! I guess I just don't want to seem like a bad mom who can't get her baby to stop crying. So slowly but surely we are becoming part of society again. Can't believe she is almost 3 weeks old...seems like it's flown by but also seems like the longest 3 weeks of my life.

We hope everyone had a great Christmas! Ours was pretty low key and very different from what we are used to. We spent Christmas Eve and Day over at my parents house as I have gotten big time cabin fever and just need to get out of the house! Taylor's doctor told us to not really take her out much unless we had to, especially in crowds so I haven't been out of the house much at all. It was nice to go over there and just relax! Here are some pictures from Christmas Eve and Day. Enjoy!

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Taylor is now a week old. It has been the longest week but it also has flown by. We are just trying to figure everything out and get used to having a newborn in the house. Things are going great! I know I said I would post about the birth so here it goes...

After my doctor's appointment on Thursday my contractions picked back up and over the course of the afternoon and evening got more regular. At about 7:00 or 8:00 pm they were about 7-8 minutes apart and were very regular. We decided to head to the hospital when they were about 4-5 minutes apart, that was at midnight.

We get in the car, JT drove pretty fast. Thankfully we didn't have to deal with rush hour traffic on I-30! We check in at the triage unit where there was no one to be seen at the desk...are we in the right spot? Soon enough one of the nurses asks if we are checking in and took down some information. One of the questions she asked was my weight, I quickly said, "Now or before being pregnant?!" It just seemed like an unusual question while checking in, while in active labor. She said she wanted my weight now. Anyways, she then said that they were very busy and there must have been a bus full of pregnant people that they just let off! She showed us to our triage room, where it was nothing fancy with bright florescent lights. She hooked me up to two monitors, one to monitor my contractions and the other Taylor's heart rate. 2 HOURS LATER they determined that I could be admitted. The nurse talked to my doctor on the phone and said to admit me and that I could have an epidural if I wanted...which I did.

We got into our labor and delivery room with a much more comfortable bed and less harsh lighting. There they started to poke and prod me, giving me an IV, blood pressure cuff that would stay on for the entirety of labor and delivery and after, and a heart monitor that I wore on my finger. At this point I was dilated to about 4-5 cm and was ready to get the epidural. The contractions at this point weren't completely unbearable, but I wanted to try and rest some before I had to start pushing.

At 3:30 am I was given the epidural with little discomfort. It wasn't long after that I could not lift my legs! It was a strange feeling to say the least. JT and I both tried to get some sleep, he succeeded as he can sleep standing up if he had to. I on the other hand did not, who can sleep when they are about to have a baby! I did rest and dozed for a little bit. I started to feel nauseous and I could tell I was going to throw up. I yelled probably 3 times for JT to wake up to get the nurse because I was about to vomit. He ran out and him and the nurse came back in and gave me a plastic vomit bag JUST in time. I threw up quite a bit, they gave me some medicine in my IV and felt much better. The nurse said that it was either because my blood pressure was low (about 80/40) or it was from the epidural.

We decided to call our parents at about 7:00 am to let them know that it was time and that we were at the hospital. We didn't want to call them in the middle of the night when I was still several hours away from delivering. My parents came up about an hour or so later, shortly after that my doctor came in to check me and break my water. I think at that point it was 9 am and I was 8 cm, so I was progressing pretty quickly. She broke my water and put me on pitocin to help things along. My doctor told me to get some sleep for a couple of hours so I could have energy to push. Even she thought that I was right around the corner to delivering. Wrong. I was stuck at 9 cm for HOURS and I was getting very frustrated and just wanted it all to be over with and Taylor to be here. I also started feeling the contractions, something I didn't think would happen. Come to find out towards the end of labor you start to feel pain as the epidural can't cover everything. No one told me that! But they could give me extra shots of pains meds, which I took. There was one very rough patch where I pretty much lost it. I was feeling pretty decent contractions (I was 10 cm) on the left side of my belly. They told me sometimes you have "hot spots" where the meds just don't cover, but I could have another shot of pain meds and see if that worked. It did, thank goodness. I was at 10 cm and they wanted me to "labor down" which just means they want the baby to descend further down so it would be less time that I would have to push.

Finally Taylor was in a good spot for me to start pushing. This was the part that freaked me out the most. They have these spot lights on the ceiling and I thought there would be 27 people in the room. At that point the spot lights didn't bother me anymore and it was just my labor nurse, Shannon, and another nurse Holly that were helping me push. It was just JT and I and them in the room until the very end, when they call my doctor and she delivers the baby. I pushed through about 5 or 6 contractions, my doctor came in and pushed through one more and Taylor Sara Cope was here! I couldn't believe it, she was finally here. I got to watch her being delivered, something didn't think I wanted to see but it was amazing to see this creature come into the world. JT cut the cord and all the nurses and doctor commented on how big she was and that she already had a double chin! Guess those extra cookies helped in that department.

JT was under strict orders (from me) to take lots of pictures when they took her to the baby bed in the room to do their tests and weigh her. He did an excellent job and was a very proud father. The whole labor and delivery experience was definitely not a cake walk even with the pain meds, but was worth it in the end now that we have such a happy, healthy and beautiful little girl in our lives. We love her so dearly.

She finally arrived on Friday December 12th at 4:11 pm! She was 8 lbs 3 oz and 20 inches long. I will post later on how the whole labor and delivery experience went, but here are some pictures in the meantime.

A lot has happened over the past few days, but at the same time nothing has happened. I started having contractions on Tuesday evening at about 8 pm and they continued throughout the night. I didn't sleep at all that night, but caught a little cat nap from 5:30 am to 7:30 am. When I woke up the contractions had pretty much stopped all together and I was pretty frustrated. All of that and still nothing. We decided to go into see the doctor on Wednesday to see if I had made any progress. The doctor had told me once that if I was contracting and it was during office hours to just come in and she will check me. So we decided to do that....and were there for 3 hours. We waiting for close to an hour (which isn't out of the ordinary even if you have an appt.) then the nurse came out to tell us that the doctor had to go deliver a baby but should be back in 20 minutes. Yeah right. We waiting probably close to another hour before getting called back. She checked my cervix and determined that I was 2 cm dilated. That's it?! All of those contractions the night before and only 2 cm? The doctor thought I would go into labor within 24 hours, so that's good. She then wanted to do a non-stress test on me and the baby to monitor the contractions and the baby's movement and heart rate. Taylor was apparently taking a nap through all of this drama because she wasn't moving around much. So they give me some juice to pep her up just a bit. It worked and the doctor was happy with the results. I asked if I needed to come back for my scheduled appt which was the next day (today) at 10 am. The nurse said to go ahead and come in assuming I wasn't in labor of course so we could do the sonogram that we had scheduled and the doctor could check me again. Once we left the doctor my contractions pretty much stopped all together and I could rest. I had been contracting for close to 24 hours with nothing much to show from it. We ate something, took a short walk, and went to bed at 7 pm. I didn't get up until 8:30 this morning! I feel so much better than I did yesterday because i was able to sleep.

We went in for our 10 am appt. where my contractions started picking up again while in the waiting room. Nothing too bad though. After only waiting 30 minutes the sonogram guy calls us back. He does the sonogram where everything looks great, heart rate, amniotic fluid, size, etc. He then puts me on the non stress test again. This time Taylor was awake and moving around a lot more. I had 2 pretty good contractions, the bigger of the 2 I barely even felt. Which is weird because I was feeling them more yesterday when they weren't as big. The nurse and the doctor both commented on how I was having some pretty good contractions. The doctor then checked my cervix again and determined I was 3 cm! I am so confused because between the time that she checked me yesterday and today I hardly had any contractions. The doctor said that she was kind of shocked that I wasn't in active labor for how far along that I am with a first baby. She said 3 cm is usually 12-18 hours of labor for a first time mom! And she said that it's good because that is less time that I have to progress in the hospital in a lot of pain. And I am thinking, less time to be in labor before I can get that epidural! She said that every page she got last night she thought was me. Good to know that she is thinking about me :) We talked again about induction and I told her I was fine with going over to the hospital right now. We talked about it and since I have made a pretty good bit of progress now that its going to happen at any time. AND we found out that my doctor is the one on call this weekend, that puts me way more at ease to go ahead and just wait. So that's where we stand now. Hopefully the next post will be about Taylor's arrival.

It's Saturday evening at 8:40 pm and still pregnant. Yesterday was my due date that came and went and looks like today isn't the day either. I thought something was going on, I felt bad on and off all day today but unfortunately feel fine now. I want to deliver her as soon as I can, but for also want to wait until next week. I asked what doctor was on-call this weekend and it was a male doctor that I had never met or even heard of. As much as I want Taylor to arrive, still part of me really wants my doctor to deliver her. For obvious reasons, she knows me, I am comfortable with her, and she has been there since the beginning. Of course, I am sure that I won't care at the time who is delivering her, but right now I care and will care after she is born too. So, we wait.

Tomorrow is my due date, and still pregnant. I had my weekly doctors appt. this morning where she determined that I had made no progress since last week :( I am a bit disappointed but still hopeful that it will happen soon. The doctor asked me if I wanted to set up an induction for Monday, decided not to do that, at least not now. So, we made an appt. for next Thursday, but my doctor thinks I will go into labor before then. So far, she has been right so hopefully she continues that streak. She says that my cervix is ready, and we just need the contractions to start!

I think every group of friends/co-workers that we have, there is a Baby Cope baby pool. It cracks me up. I know a lot of people picked December 2nd, WRONG. :) Not one person picked the actual due date, which I suppose to my guess by default. Anyone else want to take a guess, leave a comment and we will see who is right.

We are hoping that Taylor makes her appearance very soon, I know I am getting anxious about it.

Still pregnant. I have been not working for a week now, and it's glorious! I feel like I get more accomplished throughout the day and not behind once I get to the weekend. I have been running errands, birthday shopping for JT, getting last minute baby stuff and it feels good! While I was working, we would have to cram everything we needed to get done on Saturday and Sunday.

I went to Walmart yesterday to try and take back a few baby gifts that I had double of and do the weekly grocery shopping too. I walk in with my paper bag of things to return and the "welcome center" lady stopped me before I could head over to customer service in an Asian accent, "you going to return?" I replied with an obvious "yes". She then proceeded to motion for me to come to her told me to set the bag on the ground....easier said than done, lady. She then took every item out and scanned it and put a yellow sticker on them. I am thinking, is she going to return it all for me right here? Surely not. So after 5 or 10 minutes of me just watching her do this, she puts them all back in my bag, put it on the ground on goes "OK". Then pointed at the bag....is she really not going to pick it up for me? So I did my best to get into the pregnant lady position with my legs wide apart and my butt in the air to try and lean over to pick this bag up. No help from the "welcome center" lady. Thanks. I asked, "OK, now what?" SHe said, "Go customer service". Are you serious? That's where i was headed in the first place. Ugh. So, I go there, wait in line, then the customer service lady, who talked like she was deaf, scanned each item like the welcome center lady did! Ugh again. So we determine that only a few items were theirs and I got a gift card for $20, better than nothing. I then did the grocery shopping. Now, without being 9 months pregnant grocery shopping at Walmart is a beatdown for me....I don't know what i was thinking. My back started to hurt and just felt like crap and thought, Lord I hope I don't go into labor at Walmart. Can you imagine JT getting a call from some hick assistant manager of Walmart, "Yeah, uh, sir, we think we got your wife here, and she's in labor...you want us to do somethin' wit her?" I got all the grocery items and decided to take a browse through the baby clothes section. I picked a $10 3-piece outfit for Taylor. I was pretty hot, with a backache, and just not comfortable. Then the store got darker. I thought "oh gosh, am I passing out?" "am I going into labor?". I wasn't feeling well so didn't have the energy to figure out if it was the lights, or just the section I was in. I kept walking. About a minute later it gets brighter again. This old lady walking next to me looked at me and I thought she was going to ask if I was OK, I had no idea what my face looked like. But, instead she looked at me and said, "Oh, I thought I was going crazy with the lights dimming!". I replied very relieved with, "Oh, I thought it was me!" I proceeded to get a few more items and check out. When I got home, of course I had to unload and put away the groceries which took all of my energy. I then collapsed on the couch for a good 30 minutes trying to recover. Decided I probably needed to eat something, so I made a turkey sandwich a grabbed the whole bag of Doritos I had just bought. I ate probably half of the bag. It was awesome. I spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch. Who knew that a trip to Walmart would be so draining....I am so ready to not be pregnant anymore.

I have my next appointment on Thursday, assuming I don't go into labor before that. Be looking for more updates!

We just got back from my weekly doctor's appointment where I had made progress! I am 70% effaced and 1 cm dilated. Before the doctor checked me, she warned me by saying that a lot of time with first babies that she doesn't see any progress until after the due date. She just wanted to prepare me if I hadn't progressed any, but I had! Her prediction is still that I will deliver around the due date, maybe 1 or 2 days after. So, we wait.

Last night I thought I was going into labor as I felt some pain and tightening in my lower abdomen, which came every 7-8 minutes for about an hour. So, I decided to finish packing my bag and told JT that it wouldn't be a bad idea to pack his too. He looks at me with wide eyes and says, "....Really?" Once I got up and started to move around, the "contractions" went away. After talking to the nurse today, we determined they were just Braxton Hicks contractions (false labor). Those can be tricky! The nurse did tell me when they are real contractions that you feel them in your back and they wrap around to your front and it feels like someone is tightening a belt around you. Can't wait for that.

We go back next Thursday, one day before the due date...assuming we haven't had her yet! Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Still pregnant. I had my weekly doctor's visit this morning, where nothing really noteworthy happened. I haven't made any progress since 2 weeks ago, but the baby's head is lower, so that's good. I saw a different doctor today as mine was at the hospital with her really sick little one. The new doctor determined that nothing had really progressed since last week and to just be patient. I mean, I wasn't hoping for them to tell me to rush over to the hospital stat, but I was hoping for some progress. Looks like Taylor will come around her due date still! I go back next Wednesday late morning, let's hope something is going on then!

We plan on sending out a mass text message to let people know that the show is on the road and we are at the hospital, and then again after Taylor is born. I am not sure who all really reads this anymore, but if you are and would like to be on the text list submit a comment to this post and I will make sure I have your phone number.

I must start this out by saying that I am writing this from Taylor's room in the AWESOME glider, I love it.

Yesterday was my weekly check-up with the doctor, and am now 37 weeks. Seriously, where has the time gone? Everything is still going great: blood pressure, weight, Taylor's heartbeat (142 beats per minute), everything. The doctor made another estimation on how big Taylor is right now and to my liking she said right now she thinks she is 5 1/2 maybe 6 lbs. I was quick to tell her that last week she thought Taylor was 6 1/2 lbs. She quickly replied with "I can change my mind and I really don't think she is going to be a big baby." Music to my ears.

The doctor then checked me for dilation...have not made any progress since last week. Bummer. Doctor still think that I will go up to my due date, which is really fine with me since that is what we have been planning on this whole time...I mean, it is a due date. Anyways, I go back again next week to see if I have made any progress at all. The doctor said that now we just wait on me as everything is in order, and even sent my chart over to the hospital for when I go into labor. So, now we wait.

37 week picture

I had my weekly doctor appointment this morning, all is still going well. She checked my cervix and determined that I was 50% effaced, but not dialated any yet. Taylor's head is still pretty high, and the doc thought that I would go pretty close to my due date. She also estimated that Taylor weighs about 6.5 pounds right now and that she could be an 8 lb baby! This was surprising since last time I went the doc thought that Taylor would be an average sized baby...is 8 lb average sized now? It doesn't really matter how big or small she is as long as she is healthy.

My fatigue level has sky rocketed this past week. I have been going to bed around 9:00 every night, if not before. I guess that's why carrying around a 6.5 lb baby will do to you!

I am looking forward to being athletic again. Not neccessarily going out and playing volleyball or softball, but just the ability to do things again. I told JT just strap 30 pounds to you and try and do things, you just can't physically do them anymore. It's a strange feeling. I keep harping back to this but, getting off the couch for me is now an "athletic event" because it takes so much effort and energy. Just merely walking or even running would be nice, but I will keep using it as my excuse for as long as I can :)

Last weekend we had a great time visiting with JT's family down in Wheelock. We got LOTS of great stuff for Taylor. Now I just need to wash all the clothes and put them away because her room now looks like a bomb went off. I will try and get that done this weekend so we can actually go in there and walk around instead of tip toeing around things. It was a great time and we greatly appreciate everything that everyone did to make it special.

Only 2 more weeks at work...that's 10 days. Yes, I am counting down. Things are winding down for me and I have been training my replacement so she knows what the heck is going on.

We are just plugging right along! My next appt. is next Thursday and we will see if I have made any progress.

Only 5 weeks to go. Ready or not. All is still going very well on the homefront, I am feeling surprisingly well for being so pregnant. The one new occurence that has happened as of late is my emotional state. Last weekend I cried three different times for really no apparent reason. I have always been a pretty emotional person (I am female, afterall) but since being married to a military man, I think I have developed a thicker skin in some aspects. I won't go into the details of what initiated the cry-fests, but the last one takes the cake. JT and I were just talking about all the changes that are about to occur in our lives and how I am still a little apprehensive yet still excited about it all...then start the waterworks. I begin crying for really no reason, I mean I really was fine! And I kept saying through my tears, "I swear I am OK!". The weirdest feeling. I am sure JT was thinking, "Oh yeah, that's what it means when you cry...that you're fine!". I would read about pregnant women that just started crying for no reason and thought, they are dumb, that's for SURE not going to happen to me. Wrong. I am really not in control of my body anymore, and apparently not of my emotions either.

I am now finding myself getting up about 3 times a night to go to the bathroom, which is not fun as I almost knocked myself out on the cabinent we have hung in the bathroom the other night. I may have to get up 3 times to use the bathroom, but I am sure not going to turn on the light and blind myself too.

Moving around is definitely gotten more difficult too. Walking is not so bad and merely sitting at my desk at work is fine. But, when I get home and plop my fat butt on the couch, it takes more than a miracle from God to get me off that thing. I s-t-r-u-g-g-l-e to change positions while lying down which is usually accompained by a series of groans.

The last thing that I have noticed as of late is my fingers swell up from time to time. So much that it hurts to try and take my wedding ring off...JT would pipe in here and say, "why are you trying to take it off? That means you're single, you know?". Pipe down, JT. Anyways. I can feel when they swell up and they look like little, red sausages...definitely not a look I am going for. It's only every once in a while and not for very long. Luckily, I haven't had my feet and ankles swell up at all. I hear stories of women who completely grow out of their shoes while pregnant. I have enough trouble trying to find clothes that cover me up, thank goodness I don't have to find new shoes too!

I go back to the doctor next Friday, and really looking forward to it. She will check my cervix and make her best estimation as to when I will deliver: early/on time/late. I have a feeling I will be late since I am really not that big (so peole tell me) and the last appointment I was measuring a week behind. Let's hope I don't deliver TOO late.

This weekend JT and I will be making our last roadtrip as a family of two when we go visit his family. After this, I am not supposed to leave the area in case I do go into labor. His gracious family is throwing us not one, but TWO showers! One for the ladies at their church and one for the whole family! It should be a great time and we are both looking forward to it.

Enjoy this week's pregnancy cartoon!

Our glider finally came in after 3 months! We got a message from the grumpy old man that works in the furniture department of Babies R Us (yes, I remember what his voice sounds like) first telling us our guard rails are in...? Then the next message was him correcting himself saying that our GLIDER was in. We have learned that the workers at Babies R Us aren't the smartest. Anyways...

So we went down to the store and picked it up. I, of course, was distracted by the Christmas onesies that they have strategically displayed right inside the front doors for us moms and moms-to-be. I then remembered that when we registered that they were out of the "gift boxes" (I put that in quotes because come to find out these "gift boxes" are just full of coupons...I'd hardly call that a gift) and were told to come back and ask for one later. I am always up for free stuff, so I waddled my way over to the counter to pick up mine. The lady then tells me that there is a $5 off coupon for a purchase of $25 or more. Sweet! Even MORE of a reason to get a Christmas outfit for Taylor. I pick out a red one that says "Baby's First Christmas" with snowmen and reindeer on it (I think) for Christmas day, then one with long sleeves and footies for her to wear to bed on Christmas eve! So cute. I add up the price in my head and it doesn't quite equal $25, so I picked a pink polka dot onesie with long sleeves (something we are lacking) and add that to my purchase. When I get up to the counter, I remembered that I had some money on a gift card from my Grandma! Sweet! So I ended up only paying $8 for the three cute outfits. That's my kind of shopping.

We get the glider in the car and head off to our breastfeeding class we had scheduled that afternoon at the hospital. The class was good, learned some things, watched some videos and were out of there pretty quick. Funny side story: The video doesn't hold anything back as there are mutliple close up shots of this woman's breast, I mean come on, it is a breastfeeding class. I could tell that JT was uncomfortable so I lean over and whisper, "Is this making you uncomfortable?" he quickly replies, "Yes! I am starring at another women's boob with my wife right next to me!!!".

We called Jon to see if he could help JT get the rather large box out of the car (my weight limit to lift is 40 lbs) and help out it together since they had gotten a very similar glider. Jon met us at the house and they got it together in no time! I took pictures to document the event since we had waited so long to get it. It was worth the wait, as it's so comfortable!







Thanks to JT and Jon for putting it together, it rocks! :)

I had my 34 week appointment this morning and all is going just perfectly. Blood pressure, weight gain, urine is all good. The doctor measured my belly and said that I was measuring at 33 weeks, which is just fine, not too big and not too small. I did ask about the size of the baby and if she thought the baby was going to be big, she said there is no indication of the baby being big and she expects her to be very average sized. I go back in another 2 weeks where she will start to check my cervix. She said after she does that she can best determine when she thinks I will deliver; early or late. So, that should be interesting to see what she thinks. I will be 36 weeks by then and will start going every week after that, we're getting close!

I am feeling pretty good overall. My only real complaint is fatigue is starting to set back in. Only not like the first trimester where I felt like I was in a constant coma if I laid down. Just feel rundown and can't really seem to wake up in the morning. Sleeping is getting more and more difficult as I can't roll over as easily...or at all. Beached whale! And now I am getting up to go the bathroom 2 or 3 times a night, guess I will have to get used to those nightly up and downs, huh? I am not to that "get this baby outta me" stage yet where I am just completely uncomfortable, but I am sure my time will come and I will get there.

Here are some updated pictures of the nursery (still a work in progress and STILL waiting on our Cadillac glider to come in) and pictures we took last night of me. And of course had to include yet another pregnancy cartoon that is so very true.

This past Saturday my mom's friends through me a wonderful baby shower! It was such a great time, with good food and good company. I can't thank everyone enough for all that they did. Here are some pictures from the great day!



A stool with Taylor's name on it, thanks Lorraine!


Taylor got several embroidered items!


A Baby Mozart DVD, Taylor will be a genius!


Kara and I


Thank you to all the ladies who hosted, it was wonderful!

Not too much newsy things going on in the Cope world. I have finished painting everything that I wanted to paint! Finally! That included the room, dresser, side table and shelf to go above the crib...not to mention staining a new dresser for JT and I that required 3 coats. No more painting!

I go back to the doctor next week as my appointments are now every 2 weeks instead of every 4. I think once I hit 36 weeks I go every week.

Our company softball tournament is on Monday, and I am pretty upset that I can't play. Last year I was a manager of a team and we ended up losing the first two games and were out of it. People keep asking me if I am going to be a DH or something, I tell them I can't even run, or bend over for a grounder...I can't play. It's OK though, I will sleep in, go out to lunch and who knows what else and still get paid for that day :)

This Saturday is my baby shower that I am really excited about! Excited to see all my friends and catch up on what is going on. Not to mention the cupcakes that they ordered from the Cupcake Cottage :) Those alone have me excited.

I am feeling pretty good these days, my only complaint is trying to get comfortable at night. Once I am asleep, I am asleep, but it's the trying to get to sleep that's the hard part. Work is really slowing down for me because it's the off season and I have an "intern" that will fill in for me once I have Taylor. So pretty much anything that I would have to do for work, is given to him. Thus, my days are spent surfing the internet and chatting with people in the office. I counted today and have 26 days of work left. :) It's getting close and I can't wait!

I had my 32 week appointment this morning that had just a small scare. They always take a urine sample, weigh me, take my blood pressure and listen to Taylor's heartbeat. After the nurse took my blood pressure she asks if I have had trouble with my blood pressure in the past. I told her no, that it's usually pretty low. I asked what it was today...she said, "I don't want to tell you and have you get worked up because I am going to take it again in a minute". So I am thinking, how high is it?! So, I lay down and we listen to Taylor's heartbeat that was a strong 140 beats per minute this time and she tells me to stay laying down and she is going to take my blood pressure that way. Trying to remain calm and not have my blood pressure go up, she takes it again. She says, "perfectly normal! 110/70". Thank goodness. She said the first time it was 150/90...YIKES! She thought she must have had the cuff too tight the first time...and I do remember thinking, how tight is she going to pump this sucker up? All is going very well and even got a compliment from the doctor on my weight gain, she said, "your weight gain is fabulous". YES! I am guessing the 6 cookies I have had over the past two days (3 last night and 3 the night before) haven't quite settled onto my thighs just yet. The doctor also measured my belly to make sure the baby is the right size and she said all looks good and that I am not too big and not too small...which translates into the baby being too big or too small. She also felt down low and said the baby was head down, I said, "I could've told you that as she keeps kicking me in the ribs". She said, "yes they tend to do that at this point". Good to see the doctor has a sense of humor. :)

Here are some updated pictures from this morning and also another pregnancy cartoon.







This should pretty much sum up how all pregnant women feel about those skinny minnies out there. Just take your skinny jeans and get outta here! :)

On my last post I ended with wanting to leave some of the labor and delivery to the unknown. Maybe I shouldn't have run across this...



YIKES!

I keep reading on how the baby is supposed to get baby hiccups and that I am supposed to feel them. I hadn't felt anything and just thought, well I guess Taylor just isn't getting them. Boy was I wrong, the past three nights she has gotten them and I can definitely feel them! The first time I noticed them I was desperately trying to get comfortable in bed (a nightly occurrence as of late) and felt a small repeative movement right in the middle of my belly. I thought "what is she doing, just moving one finger or something?". Then I remembered the famous baby hiccups and sure enough that is what it was! I think it's the cutest thing and it makes her seem like a baby rather than just a big belly that I have. If that makes sense. So now, the past three nights she had gotten them while I am trying to go to sleep. The cuteness of it is wearing off (but not quite all the way just yet) as I just want to sleep. I think last night was the first time that I have thought, "I just want this pregnancy to be over with". I am starting to get more and more uncomfortable and ready to just be able to move around again without a major struggle! I have less than two months until the due date...some days it feels like right around the corner and some days it feels like an eternity away.

On Saturday we had our Prepared Childbirth Class, in a word it was... interesting. We learned a lot and glad we went. JT and I both said that we feel more comfortable about what happens while in labor. We watched a lot of videos (saw lots of babies coming out of mama's!), learned different ways to cope with the pain/breathing techniques, and got a tour of the hospital. I still really have no idea what labor is going to be like for me and how it's going to feel. I think I would rather leave some of that to the unknown...

Since I am WELL into this pregnancy and there is definitely no doubt that I am with child, this is how the majority of my conversations go with acquaintances (especially at work):

Me getting onto an elevator/in the breakroom/working out/etc.

Acquaintance: "So, when are you due?"
Me: "December 5th"
---pause while they think of their next question---

Acquaintance: "Is it a boy or a girl?"
Me: "Girl"
---another pause---

Acquaintance: "Do you have any names picked out?"
Me: "Yes, Taylor"
Acquaintance: "Aww, that's cute"
---end of converstation and start of awkward silence---

And this is how 95% of my conversations go as of late. That exact same conversation happened twice today already. I think I should start wearing a sign or something like this...

I just found out today that two more of my friends are pregnant! I think I know more people that are pregnant, than aren't! It's really pretty crazy. I guess we are at that age where we are all having babies, but it's pretty nuts that it's all around the same time. I will admit that caring for an infant does freak me out a little, knowing that I have LOTS of friends going through the same thing puts me at ease. I know I will have other people to call or chat with when I feel overwhelmed with it all...which I am sure will happen more times than not. I am so happy and excited for EVERYONE that has a little one on the way. Some fun and exciting times are ahead of us all. Bring it on.

I am 30 weeks along as of today, which means only 10 weeks left until Taylor gets here! I know I keep saying it, but I just can't believe how fast everything is going by. I told J.T. last night that I was getting scared about having a baby to take care of! It's a scary thought but J.T. assured me that we will be OK. Just a little pre-game jitters I guess. I am trying to think about what a combination of J.T. and I would look like, act like, or be like. Of course we don't care what she looks like or anything...but sure hoping that she is athletic! If not, I won't know what to do. I know next to nothing about hair, makeup and all that goes with it. Guess I will just have to learn! She will definitely have the athletic genes, let's just hope he wants to use them. :)

I have started to feel more tired lately. My doctor said it should kick in about now and will continue until the end. Which I take to mean "the end of time" since once a baby is born you are tired and sleeping in is a thing of the past. I do love my sleep, so I am trying to take advantage of the quiet house now before Taylor arrives :) I am getting excited about what's to come and the way our lives will change. Everyone tells me how much our lives will change, I am just looking forward as to how. No one tells you exactly how it will change, and am excited to find out. Someone did describe it to me as there will be just a lot more of everything. A lot more love, a lot more worry, a lot more good times, bad times and amazing times. I thought that was such a neat way to describe it and has stuck in my head since he told me. If this is the case, I can't wait.

We have had a name picked out for our daughter since before I was even pregnant. J.T. actually thought of it one day, we both really liked it and it's stuck! Her name will be Taylor (still thinking on a middle name) Cope. I have hesitated to post it on the blog since that's kind of announcing it to the world and just wasn't ready to fully committ to it...even though we weren't considering any other name for her. I like the name because it's not too girly but is very cute. I can picture a spunky, blonde little girl named Taylor running around and it makes me smile.

A friend from work reminded me that I haven't posted a belly picture since I was 21 weeks. I kept forgetting to take one, until last night! Here I am at 28 weeks along (over 6 months) in the nursery along with some update nursery shots...it's coming right along!







We ordered this rug last week and it already came in, I am really happy with it. You can see a lot of baby clothes on the changing table that we have already gotten! Part of me wants to put them away in the dresser, and part of me just wants to leave them out because they are just so darn cute. I think I'll leave them out for a little longer. :)

With my growing belly I am in need of XL tshirts for working out and just lounging around in. Most of my tshirts (and I have a ton) are large, and those just aren't cuttin' it anymore. I could wear those but really need more wiggle room...I have never been a fan of uber tight shirts to workout in. I've got a couple of XL that I have kept on a steady rotation. But this morning I had to ask JT in a pathetic voice "Do you have any x-large t shirts I can use?". He starts pulling some out and holding them up to me, settling on one of his old Centenary Tennis shirts that has seen better days...actually all of his tshirts have seen better days. So, that's what I wore today for my workout.

Lately, all my workouts consist of is walking uphill for 30 minutes (varying the hilly-ness and speed) or lifting light weights. It's weird to me that people think that I am weird for still working out. Like my doctor told me, you're pregnant not disabled (I had asked her if I could still play golf after a co-worker told me that I probably shouldn't). I can get around just fine and feel somewhat normal most of the time, so why shouldn't I get some exercise? I don't want to loose my stength or endurance, especially come delivery time.

Things around the Cope home are going to change dramatically come December, so I guess I should start small with changing my workout wardrobe. Not quite the same, huh?

I am almost 28 weeks along now, with nothing really noteworthy to report. I am feeling pretty good overall except the occasional back ache and cramping. All is well on the homefront!

We had a baby shower at our house for our good friends Mari and Dustin on Sunday. We had a great turnout and some good food! There was 4 of us girls that helped host it, everyone brought something different...so we had a lot of food/drinks to choose from. Tara made an incredible diaper cake from cloth diapers! They got a lot of good loot for the little one on the way. They are expecting a boy in early November...

Or so we thought. I got a text message yesterday after work that Mari's water broke at 2:00 in the morning. They had been at the hospital all day trying to stop the labor and make sure the baby was OK. They gave her several doses of steroids to help the baby's lungs to develop and to stop the labor. She is a good two months early and baby weighs 3 pounds 5 ounces as of now. All is going well now and now it's just a waiting game. Mari will stay in the hospital until she has the little guy, which could be days or weeks. There is no doubt that he will be early though, just don't know how early. I went up to the hospital last night and everyone is doing fine. Please keep Mari, Dustin and baby boy Phillips in your prayers!

Here are some pictures from the shower on Sunday, it was a great time!

I still can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going by! Tomorrow is the first day of my 3rd trimester! Things in the Cope household is going well, still just getting things ready for the baby's arrival. We had the pipes in our backyard replaced last week as we found out the pipes are the original ones that have been there since 1945 and they needed to be replaced. They also had to replace the gas water heater line as well...and that meant NO HOT WATER... for a WEEK! Taking cold showers got old, real fast. I am just glad we did that before the baby arrives and not after! We would have to drive to someone's house and mooch off them for hot water. I can just see myself peering in the door of my parents house saying softly, "Mommy..."

I have been feeling pretty good. My lower back has started to hurt, but that could be because I was painting our old dresser for the baby and contorted my body to reach the bottom. J.T. made some comment on my back hurting I told him to "strap some extra weight around his belly and see how good his back feels". He stopped talking after that.

I am pretty sure I have had Braxton Hicks contractions too, let me tell you those are FUN (note the sarcasm). BH contractions are considered "false labor" and the cause is really unknown, but they are your body's way of getting ready for real labor. They don't have a pattern and usually go away fairly quickly.

Another thing I am trying to get used to is not being able to get my lazy butt off the couch as easily as before. J.T. just laughs (and helps...sometimes) when he sees me struggling to squirm off - usually to go to the bathroom. Ahh, the joys of pregnancy :)

I feel her kicking me more and more each day, which is just awesome. She also kicked J.T. when he gave my stomach a zerbert! Not sure if that was attitude she is already giving or a love tap for her Daddy. You decide.

We have decided that we will not be painting another room for a long time...especially not while pregnant. Here are pictures of the nursery all painted!





Below is a picture from this past weekend at a wedding we went to in the botanical gardens. I am 25 weeks along now!

We have been painting for the past two evenings after work. After two coats her room looks great! I plan on taking the tape off the walls tonight and seeing how it all looks, hopefully there won't be too many touch-up spots. Here are a few pictures of the painting, the crib, and gifts that JT got from work! They threw him a small shower at lunch that was FULL of pink stuff. :) I told him, ready or not, here comes the pink.







The picture explains it all. We were pretty tired of painting, and it's not that big of a room! JT was painting right above the base boards and I told him we were done. Well, he immediately stopped and took a little cat nap. Professional painter will not be the next career for either of us.