Week 36

~~Amanda

End of Week 36 Status:
Weight: 186 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Like a Stalk of Swiss Chard

Sebastian is 37 weeks this week, which means he has reached his final milestone before birth: He's full-term! Along with this accomplishment I experienced my first Braxton-Hicks contractions which were actually quite painful. Apparently I've been having them all along and have not been able to feel them. However, the other night I think I got a few especially strong ones which caused me to tense up in reaction to the pain. The good thing is, they are a sign that things are getting closer. As of today, Sebastian has 16 days left to cook before he's due.

Everyday I do a little more to prepare, organize things, clean, etc...yet I don't think I'll ever accomplish everything I want to have done before he shows up. To pass the anxious waiting time, I also started crocheting him a baby blanket this past week--SO HARD! I really hope it turns out halfway decent. It took me several do-overs to get to the point I am now. In any case, I don't expect it to be perfect. Homemade things are usually more charming when they aren't.

Family and friends have been such a blessing to us lately, as we have recieved countless items, from homemade hats and baby carriers to lots of clothes and books, and items they found useful when pregnant that I know will be an enormous aid for me over the next few months. We finally did the last of our shopping for baby items and once everything arrives next week we will have absolutely everything we wanted. Thank you to everyone for making that a reality for us!

Well, I'm going to go do some more crocheting, I will post a picture of the finished product when I am done.

Week 35

~~Amanda

End of Week 35 Status:
Weight: 182 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Crenshaw Melon

'Tis 36 weeks this week. Week 35 was fun. Andy and I had a short trip to Jamestown, where he picked up some books he'd been wanting and explored the exhibitions. Also, our friends moved up from South Carolina so we hung out with them some. Other than that, I have been busy putting the finishing touches on Sebastian's room, and assembling things like the swing, the monitor and the baby sound machine....it's making me very impatient.

Well, I'm going to keep this short and sweet, because I want to do some more laundry and there's nothing much new going on. No point in carrying on when my mind is stuck in one mode...I want to greet my baby:)

Week 34

~~Amanda

End of Week 34 Status:
Weight: 180 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Honeydew Melon

Well it's 35 weeks this week. Week 34 was filled with fun, as Sarah came down to visit from Philly, and we spent some quality time at the ocean and Back Bay Wildlife Refuge and making some delicious dishes to eat. We also had our baby shower this weekend and our friends all pitched in to give us the must-haves for Sebastian's arrival. We received many diapers (Emilie made one of her famous diaper cakes!) wipes, burp cloths, blankets, money, Fran bought the bedding set we wanted, and we also were given a few cute outfits. I'm so grateful for our friends, a lot of people get very impractical items at their showers, I feel very blessed that we probably won't have to buy a diaper for the first few months. The next day we went shopping for the things we put on the registry/shopping list and aside from a few unneeded things we have everything purchased that we will need for Tin-tin's coming.

I am having to adjust to Andy going back to school this week, but I dare not complain seeing as he will still get four-day weekends and it's only two days a week. How many parents can spend that much time together and at home? Not many, that's for sure. It will be a little more difficult in January when I go back two days a week and Andy goes back for the other three. We will be swapping Sebastian's care every other day, so we won't get to see as much of each other, nor have as much time as we are accustomed to for doing homework. I know we can make it work, however, and it is better than having to pay for and put Sebastian through Daycare.

Well, that's pretty much it for this week, lots of fun. Nothing exciting is happening for the next few weeks, so I might not write much....now it's time to sit and wait anxiously. Oh, and nest...I will be doing lots of nesting...

Week 33

~~Amanda

End of Week 33 Status:
Weight: 178 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Average Cantaloupe

It has been week 34 for almost a week now, so it's about time I get around to describing week 33. We had an awesome time on our vacation. Our last big hoorah as childless adults. It started off on Saturday with a relaxing slow-paced drive through the Outer Banks, or as locals call it "The OBX." We stayed in Buxton, NC for the first night, where we swam in the hotel pool and the ocean, which was only a short walk away. The beach was surprisingly uncrowded for the middle of August, and it was so refreshing to just relax the day away. We had breakfast at a charming Bed and Breakfast the next morning and headed off to explore the rest of the OBX--taking pictures in front of every lighthouse along the way.

That evening, after riding on several ferries and exploring the charming small-town offerings of Ocracoke, we arrived in Jacksonville, NC, at the McSherry's house. There, we got to meet their four-month-old son Aiden, their lovable cat Oscar, and just catch up with some pizza and TV commentary. The next day Rob let us play with Aiden, watch how to change a diaper, and learn how to hold him....an invaluable experience for both of us.

The next morning we were off to Charleston, SC. The drive wasn't as interesting this day, but we still managed to find a few winning locations along the way. I can't wait to rent a beach house some day at one of the spots we visited, Caswell Beach. We arrived in Charleston pretty late, and were lucky enough to find an Indian restaurant still open. So, we ran out to grab our food, and stayed in the rest of the night watching "Operacion Repo" on TruTV, ha!

Tuesday we spent the morning exploring Charleston, and it was HOT and HUMID! I was downing bottle after bottle of water to make sure Sebastian didn't feel any of the ill effects. The old buildings were beautiful and the waterfront walk was quite enjoyable. However, we both were looking forward to the highlight of our trip, arriving in Swannanoa, NC at my parents' new house. After a quick drive up to the mountains of NC, we finally arrived, and spent the rest of our trip being pampered and relaxing with my folks in their beautiful new home. Well, I was relaxing and being pampered...Andy enjoyed some "man time" with my dad assembling and moving all manner of things to get the house more comfortable for everyone. Mom and I picked out Sebastian's high chair as well, so that was an added bonus gift on top of the many things they gave us from their move.

All in all, the trip was amazing. I'm glad we got to explore some more before Sebastian arrived, we are big road trip lovers and with school starting up again and Sebastian being young, we probably won't get around to another one for at least a year.

Well, week 35 starts tomorrow, but I'll wait until after the baby shower on Saturday to fill you in on all the details of the past week. Here are a few select photos from the trip:

Week 32

~~Amanda

End of Week 32 Status:
Weight: 175 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Pineapple Doctor-measured Baby Size: 5lbs. 2 oz.

I accidentally deleted Week 31...oops! I didnt' write much anyways. I was at 174lbs. and I was too tired to write, so I wrote about a paragraph telling about what was coming up this past week. So without further adieu...

Week 33 is here and we have some great news! We went to our ultrasound appointment this morning and were told that the placenta has moved all the way out of the way. It needed to be at least 2 cm away from the opening of the cervix, and it is a whole 5 cm. Way to go Sebastian! (We are convinced he's been playing tug-of-war with his umbilical cord to aid in the placental movement.) We also got a few pictures back but he was being very uncooperative with the u/s tech, putting hands, knees, and all manner of body parts in front of his face, so they aren't good enought to really tell what you are looking at.

Thankfully, I did not get jokes from the doctor this time about having a 15-pound baby. He said Sebastian is right on track to be around 7-8 lbs. While the babycenter.com estimate for this week is "a little over four pounds," Sebastian's doc said he was about five pounds and two ounces. It's always a good day when we get to see the little guy, but today was even better. To celebrate the placenta moving, and partly for my birthday which is this Sunday, Andy bought us a new 40" flat screen TV. We got a really great deal. For someone with eyes like mine, this was cause for celebration. I can see the TV now!

Well, I have to finish the laundry, make some brownies, and pack for the trip tomorrow. Yay vacation!!! We'll be heading out to the Outer Banks tomorrow, and then to Jacksonville, Charleston, and Swannanoa, NC to my parents' new house. I'll tell you all about it next week.

Week 30

~~Amanda

End of Week 30 Status:
Weight: 173lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Four Navel Oranges

It is week 31. I have been busy wrapping up my summer semester at school, and Andy has been busy planning our trip, being Mr. Fix-it and playing Chef. We just had a taco night last night that was DElicious! In Sebastian news, we have lovingly ascribed to him the name Lumpy. This is because of the charming little lump shapes he likes to make on my belly. He's becoming more and more active every day (and especially every night).

Not much else has been going on this week, it has thankfully been slow, except for the weather being crazy with what seems like a scary thunderstorm complete with tornado warning each afternoon. We came home to a neighbor's tree strewn across our driveway one day this week; we were blessed that the truck was not parked there at the time. After growing up in trailer homes in Minnesota and Iowa, where air-raid drills sounded at the sight of tornadoes, I am terrified of them. So...I have to force myself to remain calm and just pray every time we get a warning.

Sebastian got a package of gifties from his Granny Schwartz today. Among them was the softest teddy bear I've ever felt, and it has lavender inside its tummy to help babies sleep, it's soooo sweet. He also got a rattle and I got a mommy sack with music stuff on. I will post pictures of the tree and the bear from Granny below.

That's about it for this week; I hope the next few are this easy. We have our Childbirth Prep Class on Saturday so you'll hear all about that next week. Toodaloo!

Week 29

~~Amanda

End of Week 29 Status:
Weight: 170 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Head of Cabbage

It has been week 30 for a few days now, but I wanted to finish my research paper before devoting time to the blog this week. It's finally done! I forgot to mention last week, but we once again got some great news from Josh and Shelly....they're expecting again and their little one is due in March. Yay! I'm glad Sebastian gets to have a cousin the same age as him.

I am finally in the home stretch of this summer semester, which has officially worn me out with the mega research paper in my upper-level Modern Architecture class, and the packing of three months worth of French and the history of Asia into one month. It feels good to make up for some of the credits I will be missing out on to have the baby this fall though.

We started mapping out our mini-vacation for the 14th to the 21st of August. So far we have the possibility of hitting the Outer Banks, Charleston, Savannah and the NC mountains. Not sure what order as of yet though. We also plan on taking my baby belly to the Asheboro Zoo for one of the days on the way back (or there if we got to the mountains first). Seeing as it's hurricane season, weather will have a lot to do with it.

I think the pregnancy heat wave has officially rolled in. Despite the fact that my hair is at this very moment soaking wet, and our house is a comfortable (to Andy anyways) 73 degrees, it feels like a Sauna in here to me. Welcome back the endless water bottles, frequent naps and trips to the head. I still feel very energetic, healthy, and mobile for now though. No swelling or severe back aches. I'm definitely glad I've been putting myself through a prenatal exercise regimen this whole time.

I'm kind of excited because I get to meet a midwife for my next appointment, and hopefully if I like her, I can keep her the rest of the time. I hate having a different doctor everytime I go to the hospital, it's annoying! The last guy I saw didn't speak English well at all, and I had to really try not to laugh at his pronunciation of words like "placenta" and "cervix" which sounded more like pkhlacyentia and syervishka.

Hmm...what else? Oh yea, we finished the last room of the house- the study...crown moulding was not a fun idea, but it looks nice. I'll post a picture below. Well, that's it for now, see y'all next week.

Week 28

~~Amanda

End of Week 28 Status:
Weight: 169 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Chinese Cabbage

Well, week 29 has arrived, and 28 was a week filled with work. We finished repainting the living room, steam cleaned the carpets in the whole house, and picked up some furniture from consignment shops so we have a place to relax now. It's sooo nice having a comfy space again. The house will be a work in progress for another year probably, but finishing the living room makes the rest of it seem like less of a chore. The last big project is repainting the study, which we'll probably start sometime this week.

Other than housework, I've been trying to maintain my French homework load and write this 20-page research paper on the Roman Art Museum in Merida, Spain. I am just taking things in stride so I don't freak out. I don't know what I'll do with myself in August when I no longer have all these projects going on. At the moment we have plans to make a trip to the Outer Banks and then to my parents new house in Swannanoa, NC. I have all of my parenting and birthing classes scattered on weekends throughout August so we're only going to have about a week to travel, but I am looking forward to it.

Well, I suppose I'll post some pictures of the living room progress. I don't have very many before pictures, but all you really need to see is the color change and fixed baseboards/door trims to see what we did. I'm so glad I don't have to look at poo brown on my walls anymore, haha.

Before Pictures:

After Pictures - We still have lots of family pictures to hang:

Like the one on top of the TV...it needs to be hung and it needs company:

And the ones on the fireplace...look at our pretty new tablecloth!

Pet picture Coasters! Aerwyn, Harley, Ivan and Tito:

Week 27

~~Amanda

End of Week 27 Status:
Weight: 166 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Chinese Cabbage 15.5 inches long, 3 pounds(official hospital measurement)

WOOHOO! It's the THIRD TRIMESTER this week, and week 27 was pretty blah. I've mostly been involved with schoolwork the whole week, and there haven't been many exciting happenings.

We did have an appointment yesterday to see if my marginal previa had improved at all, so we got to see little Sebastian snoozing. Good news is the placenta did move about a centimeter and is now looking as though it will be out of the way by the time for delivery. However, to make sure, we have to go back again on August 14th. The doctor also told us that we were on track to have a 15-pound baby, hahaha...he, of course, was joking. But Sebastian is larger than the average baby boy at this point by about 3/4lbs. This is not all that surprising, since Andy was close to 11 lbs, and I was close to 9. I'd rather not think about it honestly...haha.

Anyhoo, here is the ultrasound photo from yesterday as well as the pictures I promised of the baby things we purchased and the curtains and what not we put up:

Week 26

~~Amanda

End of Week 26 Status: Weight: 165 lbs. Estimated Baby Size: A Head of Cauliflower 14.5 inches long, almost 2 pounds.

It's Week 27 and Fourth of July weekend! We acquired many exciting nursery items this week as well as a travel system (stroller, car seat, carrier combo). We now have a crib, a froggie wall organizer, a froggie stuffed animal, a cute fluffy baby book, and a rocker/glider as well. Having all these things will probably make me even more impatient to greet Sebastian, but we were given such great deals on the pieces we bought that we couldn't pass them up. The froggie stuff and cute book were gifts from my parents, but the crib and stroller we purchased from local families off of Craigslist. They are both really nice and I spent a while yesterday scrubbing, disinfecting and machinewashing all of their parts. The glider Andy splurged on a little bit in Fredericksburg on his way home from Quantico; he's the best! I'm sure Sebastian and I will make great use of it during naps and nursing time.

After a hectic Friday of pure research for me and taxiing Marines to Quantico for Andy, we were gifted with the oppurtunity to relax in the sun with our friends. Stacey and Curtis invited us over to grill and swim in their pool for the fourth, and another group of friends had us over for shrimp, crabs, and steak after that. Mmmm, cheeseburgers, watermelon, steak and dessert all day long! I loved the pool, I didn't have to concentrate on keeping my balance at all, and I think Sebastian enjoyed the experience as well. We didn't get a chance to catch fireworks this year, but we saw a few being fired locally when we got home. Apparently our neighbors made a trip to North Carolina in preparation for Independence Day.

Next week is the beginning of the last and final trimester! I'm almost scared at the prospect that Sebastian will be allowed three more months to grow, he seems so huge as it is! If he truly is only two pounds as babycenter.com claims, however, then I suppose it is definitely for the best. I just can't imagine my belly can stretch much further. Sebastian has grown strong enough to kick on all sides of my belly at once...and has grown accustomed to having dance parties when I go to bed at night. He has also developed a special affinity for my rib cage, kidneys, and stamping on my bladder at random. It's a pretty interesting ride, but I love it.

Right-o! I'm off to exercise, and attempt to reassemble the millions of pieces I had to take apart to machine-wash all the parts of the stroller yesterday. I will take more pictures of the new things next week when I have them assembled. See you then!

Week 25

~~Amanda

End of Week 25 Status: Weight: 163 lbs. Estimated Baby Size: An English Hothouse Cucumber 14 inches long, 1 and 2/3 pounds.

It's been week 26 for a few days now, but I wanted to finish painting the nursery before I made a post. I have a video of it attached to the bottom of this post. I've never had so much fun painting before...I just built upon the mural that was already in the room when we moved in...but transformed it into a boy's theme. I added froggies, owls, and a turtle. I also got inspired to start the registry this week. I wasn't expecting it to be so much fun. I am pretty sure we will end up buying most of it, but it's fun to have a shopping list and imagine playing with all the stuff when Sebastian gets here.

Other than tha, I'm happy to say I finished another course at ODU this week, just took a final on Friday and it went well. The appointment on Wednesday was pretty noneventful other than having to drink a glucose drink and wait around in the waiting room for an hour so they could draw my blood. Boring...but worth it to know if I have gestational diabetes or not.

Here's the nursery:

That's it for this week, my next class starts on Monday...French II, I hope it's not too much work...I'm looking forward to a little more time for non-school related activities. Okie dokie, that's it for this week, Ciao.

BABY REGISTRY!!!

This was a lot of fun to make:

http://www.myregistry.com/public/Amanda-Andrew-Schwartz

Week 24

~~Amanda

End of Week 24 Status: Weight: 161 lbs. Estimated Baby Size: Average Ruttabaga 13.5 inches long, 1.5 pounds.

Well, 'tis week 25, and we had some first-time-mom-cluelessness-driven excitement in week 24. I was sitting in class on Monday and all of a sudden my entire lower abdomen seemed to seize up. I couldn't move for about 10 minutes. The pain diminished to the point where I felt mobile by the end of class, and by the time I got home, I was curious and concerned as to what could be causing the discomfort. My mom and I snoofed around online for some explanations and we decided it was most likely round ligament pain. However, most of the sites said that the pain would subside in about 30 minutes if it was RLP.

Itching for a little bit of RnR, Andy and I went out to get some pizza, freshmade Ice Cream, and catch a movie. We saw Angels and Demons, and it was quite good. However, seeing as it was now about seven hours since the initial pains had developed and they were still persisting, we decided to be safe and go to the hospital to make sure Sebastian was okay.

After what seemed like hours of neglect in a hospital bed, we finally were allowed to leave with the diagnosis of none other than round ligament pains....big surprise. At least now I know what they feel like, and I don't have to worry anymore. We also were granted the gift of seeing Sebastian again, which made the idleness less excrutiating. I've since found that as long as I exercise every day, the pains occur very infrequently. I can't say the same for my middle back. It aches almost constantly all day long...I'm guessing this is because it is countering the weight of the baby from the front. In any case, I will live.

Andy let me record him doing the jazz version of the Opus de Sebastian, which he is calling "The Sebastian Swing." So here it is, a little rusty but he was on the spot and not fully prepared:

That's it for this week, I have an appointment on Wednesday and I should have some pics of the nursery next week so stay tuned.

Week 23

~~Amanda

End of Week 23 Status:
Weight: 159 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Ear of Corn nearly a foot long, 4 more ounces since last week.

C'est la semaine 24. Nothing much to report for this week, everything has been pretty quiet. We are looking forward to our weekend of relaxation. I plan to do as little homework as possible and just enjoy the nice weather we are expected to have.

I may start to de-girlify the baby room. The last owner had a baby girl named Lily whose name is all over the room as well as pink flowers and butterflies. My mom gave me the idea of frogs, so I may put some little frogs, and just add blue sky to cover up the spots with the butterflies. I dont want to go overly boy because we plan to sell the house in three years and I would prefer it to be more gender neutral.

The bird who laid eggs in our hanging plant in early spring has just become a proud parent of some punk chicks. They have little mohawks, so cute! I will post a picture. Hmm, what else...Andy has been working on a jazz rendition of the Opus de Sebastian which is coming along nicely, I will post that when it's ready as well. Well I guess that's about it, Sebastian is doing well and moving a lot...and we are happy.

Week 22

~~Amanda

End of Week 22 Status:
Weight: 157 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Large Mango 11 inches long, just over a pound.

It is week 23. According to babycenter.com, Sebastian (yes, we've settled on the name) can hear music and feel me dancing now. Not so much in honor of this landmark as by coincidence, Andy wrote an Opus in honor of him this past week. I will post it to the end of this blog. It is perfect, and we both hum it all day long...Sebastian should have it memorized by the time he arrives. Each morning we sit down at the piano and Andy plays it, then I go through piano books and pick out songs I want to hear, providing Sebastian and us with some musical entertainment to start the day.

Other than that I've been extremely busy with school everyday...my second class picked up, and it seems I will have to master Modern Architecture alongside learning the history of Asia in one month. At least they are both very interesting subjects, I can't say I mind all of the reading anyways, it is rather relaxing.

Well, back to enjoying my weekend, Andy and I have been playing Trivial Pursuit and Yahtzee everyday, and we are quite addicted.

Week 21

~~Amanda

End of Week 21 Status:
Weight: 155 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Spaghetti Squash 11 inches long, just under a pound.

We are at 22 weeks this week, and week 21 has been fun! We started off the week pondering names, since we now know that it's a boy. So far the most popular have been Sebastien or Vincent Lawrence Schwartz. Lawrence is definitely the middle name, but the first name is still up in the air. Sooo, despite the protest of some, Gorthar is still our little boy's title for now. Speaking of Gorthar, he has grown quite strong. We can actual see him moving if we watch my belly now. So amazing!

The week was really just about settling some more into the house and spending time with family. I have been thrift shopping for maternity clothes, as I am now incapable of wearing my normal clothes any longer. I start school back up on Monday and will be at it until my birthday in August. I really only have about seven shirts that fit me now, so I'm hoping I will find some more so I don't have to repeat them over and over again during school. However, there are worse things I could deal with.

I also had to schedule a follow-up ultrasound this week because I apparently have a marginal placenta previa they want to keep an eye on. In 90% of cases, the placenta will fix itself by the due date, so I'm not too terribly concerned. They have given me some restrictions and told me to come back mid-July at 28 weeks to see if it is corrected. If not, I may have to have a C-section.

Other than that, I have just been catching up on the homework for my online Modern Architecture class. Pretty interesting stuff. I will be quite busy this summer. Just as well considering I can't really enjoy the weather as hot as it is. Well, hmm....I guess that's all for now. My cousin got married today, so congratulations Megan and Rock! I wish I could have been there. Love you!

Week 20

~~Amanda

End of Week 20 Status:
Weight: 154 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Carrot 10.5 inches long, 3/4 of a pound

Well it's 21 weeks this week, and week 20 has been awesome! We are having a BOY!!! So, the Schwartz continuum remains in full force. In fact it appears that this is boy season, as everyone I know that's having or had a baby this year has had boys.

Andy and I are right now considering the name Sebastian Lawrence, but who knows if it will stick or not. We finally got around to having our housewarming this weekend, which was a lot of fun. It would have been a lot more fun if the men hadn't got a call from the ROTC unit saying they screwed up their schedule and they had three hours instead of two days to get to the unit fully prepared to leave for OCS. Needless to say chaos and anger ensued shortly thereafter.

After a painful and sleepy goodbye around midnight, Andy was off to OCS. The good thing was, my mother arrived the next day to cheer me up.

A day or so after she arrived, Andy phoned letting us know that he would be home shortly. Apparently they check whether you've been to medical for anything in the past six months...which he has for a rotater cuff injury. When they sent him to a specialist to do some resistance tests, his arm did not pass the test. Poor Andy will have to go back next year.

The positive side to all of this is, there is a lot more that needs to be done this summer, and next year I will have Sebastian to keep me company so I'm not so lonely...so it may all be for the better. I would rather he didn't permanently injure his shoulder at OCS and ruin his career...best to just get it fixed now. Now, I am very impatiently awaiting his return....I miss you ANDY!!!!

Other than that...my brother and Shelly came down to visit on a spur of the moment decision...so Josh has been doing fix-it things for me in Andy's absence. Thanks Josh!

Well, they are all still here, so I will stop being anti-social and go tend to my visitors...

Talk to you next week, here are the ultrasound pics:

Week 19

~~Amanda

End of Week 19 Status:
Weight: 153 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Bell Pepper 10 inches long, 10.5 ounces

We reached 20 weeks this past week, halfway there! Not a lot has changed since last week, and we continue to improve the house one project at a time. I am just trying to contain my excitement for finding out the sex of the baby this week and finally getting to use a definite pronoun.

Well, there isn't much to say...we did find out that the vermin living in our attic was in fact a squirrel living in the overhang of our roof, not our attic. So that was a funny discovery. I will post pics of the new improvements we made to the house...stay tuned on Thursday for the revealing of the baby's sex!

Main Bathroom - Before & After:

Guest Bedroom - Before & After: