Wiegand Writes

Meg and I took a trip to babiesrus tonight. We went straight to customer service and were greeted by a young (20-something) cashier with pigtails. We explained the situation (we realized we had an obscene amount of 20% off coupons at home and wanted to put them towards our recent transactions) She had to check with the manager...apparently they can only use one coupon at a time. Meg and I waited as the manager tried to override the system. I told Meg she could go to the bathroom (she had expressed the need 5 minutes earlier in the car). She told me that the feeling went away. The cashier chimed in, "If you hold in your pee too long it can actually put you into labor...you should probably go." You should have seen Meg's face! She walked away...clearly annoyed. By the time Meg returned, the cashier was almost finished with the price adjustment. She proceeded to ask us if she could ask a juvenile question. I smiled and said, "Yea, ok." She said, "Have you ...

Meg called me on her way home from work (around 4:30). She told me she was having cramps. I asked her if she thought she was having contractions and of course she responded with, "I don't know. I've never had a contraction before." I wanted to call her a smart ass, but I knew this was my first shot at demonstrating my supportive, calm side. I told her to breathe and asked her to describe the pain. I then googled Braxton Hicks Contractions. Braxton Hicks Contractions occur when the muscles of the uterus tighten. They are essentially practice contractions. Meg's contractions occurred off and on for a little over an hour. Everything on the internet suggested that women (who are less than 37 weeks pregnant) should contact their doctor if they experience more than 4 contractions in one hour...we didn't listen. Instead, we took a slow stroll around the block, drank lots of water, took a warm shower, and then rested in bed. All is well.

Today was our 36 week OB appointment. The nursed checked Meg's weight and blood pressure before listening to Avery's heart beat. We waited for what seemed like an eternity for the doctor to come in...It was too long and I was unable to control myself...I decided to educate Meg about the Nuvaring (using the model, of course) The doctor walked in as I was struggling to put it back together! It was kind of embarrassing, but Meg's used to me by now! The doctor informed us that she needed to check Meg for Group B Strep (a common bacterium carried in the intestines) She told us that while GBS is usually harmless in adults it can cause complications during pregnancy and serious illness and infections in newborns. In order to perform the test, she needed to swab Meg's vagina and rectum (Meg didn't know about that part!)   If the results come back positive for the bacteria, the doctor will administer antibiotics (penicillin) during labor. No big deal! The doctor also...

I'm not proud to admit that I had a serious meltdown last night. I don't know what caused it. I just know that I couldn't get Avery's new blinds up and it freaked me out. I kept harping on the idea that Meg was going to go into labor and that I wouldn't have time to finish Avery's room. I then started crying about anything and everything. I am happy to announce that the blinds have been hung. I still need to hang the valance, but the crisis has been averted. More importantly, Avery is still snug in Meg's belly. So yea, all is well with the world again. I promised you that I would post pictures of the nursery when it was officially done. Meg still needs to decorate and put some finishing touches on it, but overall, we're just about there. We still need to hang maternity portraits (we're taking them this Saturday) and position Avery's life size teddy bear. The portraits will hang on both sides of the window and the bear will sit to the right ...

At 35 weeks, Avery is the size of a honeydew. She is 5.25 lbs and over 18 inches long! I can't believe that Wednesday marks 36 weeks...she's almost full term! Today Meg and I went to our childbirth class... We walked into the hospital around 12:45 and were greeted by one of the midwives from our OB office. As soon as Meg introduced herself, the midwife looked at me and said, "NO STRAWBERRIES!" lol, it's pretty bad when we have to call ahead to make sure places are safe for me! We signed in and took our seats. We had to wait for more couples to arrive (there was approximately 30 people there) before starting the hospital tour. There isn't much to say about the tour aside from the obvious...it's a brand new, state of the art hospital, and the labor and delivery section is absolutely amazing. Seriously, the rooms were gigantic! It'll be like staying in the Hilton! After the tour we headed back to the conference room (abou...

We have 30 days until Avery's expected due date and we have successfully crossed off the major items on our "to do" list...On Friday, we put a deposit down towards the adoption process and had our consult regarding the will and estate planning (we meet with our lawyer on April 6th to sign the documents) We also printed out the paperwork to submit to the social security office, so Meg can officially change her last name. The nursery is completely set up and is really coming together! (I'll post pictures when it's completely done) Meg has just about washed (and put away) all of Avery's linens and clothing, but there is still a lot of organizing that needs to be done. Whoever came up with the idea to size baby clothes must have been out of his/her mind. Some clothes say 0-3 months. Some say 3 months. Some say 6 months and others say 6-9 months. It will be a miracle if I dress Avery in the correct clothing! Today we had another baby shower (thrown by Meg's...

I promised you more baby shower pics... SURPRISE! Cutting the cake... Custom onesies from Avery's Aunt Trish...you know you want one!!! A must have book for diverse family libraries...(we also received the Different Dragon!) <3 LOVE <3

Most of our OB appointments have been relatively quick, but not today...we had to wait for over an hour! Avery was a good sport though. She was hiccuping and kicking away, so at least that kept us entertained! The doc said Meg looks perfect. She put on a few pounds and shows no sign of swelling. Her blood pressure is fantastic and she's measuring exactly where she needs to be. The technician said Avery is an active little girl (aka we have a few more weeks to get as much sleep as possible?!) We have reached the point in the pregnancy where we will begin our weekly OB appointments. Our next appointment is Tuesday, March 27th. At that appointment Meg will have to have the Strep B test done (similar to a pap smear). The doctor said it's not really a big deal if she tests positive, but it will determine whether or not she needs penicillin during labor. After the appointment Meg and I stopped at the mall to pick up some shorts...Old Navy was an epic fail, so we headed...

Let me just preface this blog by telling you that Meg edited the following poem to make it perfect for me. She is not the original author, but I absolutely love it! Avery's Choice Did you ever think, dear mom as you slowly watched me grow in all your dreams about me with big pink bows when you planned me out so well when you couldn't wait to have me there inside your arms and heart to dwell Did you ever think that maybe I was planning for you too And choosing for my very own a mom just like you A mom who is sweet and who will always hold me tight A tender, loving person who would be with me day and night? Did you ever think in all those days while I was growing too that as you planned a life for me I sought a life with you? And now as I grow each and every day I wonder if you knew while you were busy loving me I was choosing you.

Here are pics of Meg's 34 week belly! Avery is a cantaloupe! She is 4.75 lbs and almost 18 inches! Today was our "surprise" baby shower. I hate surprises, so I made it my mission to find out the official date. While some may say that I guessed all of the weekends prior to this weekend, I can ensure you that we knew! Before I get into the details, here is a picture of the inside of the invitation: It said, "A is for Avery and she's on her way. Join us in celebrating at a surprise baby shower honoring Megan and Jen." When we pulled up to the house, there were balloons hanging on the mailbox and pink bows all around the front porch. We were greeted by a pink wreath with a letter "A" in the center (It's now hanging on our front door!) When we walked into the house, it was unbelievably overwhelming (and we arrived before most of the guests!) The decorations were amazing! The theme was "ABC g...

Let me start by saying this has been the longest morning EVER! Meg woke me up at 6 am to tell me how excited she was (Today is our baby shower!) We had breakfast, caught up on our TV shows, and still had way too much time to kill. I took a nap. Meg filed some bills and we started getting ready around 10:00 knowing that we are permitted to arrive at my mom's house no earlier than 11:30. Well, it's currently 10:48 and I'm sitting here fully dressed, super anxious, and blogging! Meg looks beautiful (as always). Her belly is growing by the second. She has been suffering from some round ligament pain recently and has also become more tired. She's back to going to bed before 9 (just like when she first got pregnant). She wakes up often during the nights to use the bathroom and readjust (stupid leg pain), but overall is still sleeping well. Many of you have asked about contractions. To date, she has not had any braxton hicks contractions (knock on wood). Ok, well it...

As promised...here are the pictures of our 33 week pineapple (all 4+ lbs of her!)

This Wednesday marks 34 weeks. If you're like us, you're probably asking yourself, "Where did the time go?" and "What happened to weeks 32 and 33?" While I can't answer the first question (I still can't believe we're so close), I can tell you that Meg and I came down with the stomach bug and it temporarily threw us off of our game...our last OB appointment showed that Meg actually lost a pound...all was well with Avery though, so no worries. I managed to sneak a picture for week 32 despite being quarantined...Avery was a 3.75lb Jicama. Fortunately my mom told me that it was pronounced hick-a-ma before I went to the store and embarrassed myself by asking for a jick cama.  Get this though...while I learned how to pronounce jicama, I was still too embarrassed to ask where I could find one. SO...I made Megan. The guy pointed towards the vegetables and said they're usually over there. Meg just stood there confused (she realized that sh...