Health & Free Living

This past Wednesday, November 25 at 10:30pm, Edmund David Niesluchowski was born. He was 6 lbs 4.5 oz and 18 inches long. He's perfect! So, here's how it all went (warning, some of you might hate me after reading this :) ): Wednesday at 11:30am I had my first weekly appointment (36 weeks and 5 days). I got to my appointment and found out my regular doctor had a family emergency and so I was with a different associate. Bummer, but what can you do? I meet with the doctor and she does an exam. Disbelief and shock was on her face as she told me that I was six centimeters dialated. Since the physicians' offices are connected to the hospital, she had me sent to Labor and Delivery. I was in shock and couldn't stop shaking. "Are you sure?" I kept asking. "Can I please go home?" (my mom was 6 centimeters dialated with me for six weeks). She pretty much looked at me, smiled, and said, "You're going home with a baby." What?! In Labor and Delivery ...

With only 38 days left to go, my pregnancy continues to go well. I'm tired, but can't complain too much. The baby does love to move onto my sciatic nerve once in awhile when I'm sleeping, but that's just more annoying that anything else. I expect the aches and pain. Not much swelling, however, I have managed to cash in on a weird pregnancy side effect... I've developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from pregnancy. I had never heard of that happening, but I guess it is actually quite common. The extra fluid from pregnancy gets in the wrist joint and pushes on the nerve. I haven't really swollen much, but I have noticed my knuckles getting a little bigger. This just started a few days ago and has made sleep difficult (on top of getting up to pee every two hours). I found, however, a brace yesterday to wear to bed and it helped tons. I was able to somewhat sleep through the night without my fingers going numb and pain radiating into my elbow. Woo hoo! My right hand is the...

Well, I had another ultrasound this past Wednesday to check on the growth of baby Nski and he is doing great! All his measurements were perfect and he weighs 4lbs 10oz. I also made sure that they checked again to see if he is a boy and they pointed out everything to me. It's a boy. Whew! It also looks like my due date is still correct (was kind of hoping it would move up. Oh well). It's amazing the difference you can see between a 21 weeks and an almost 33 weeks ultrasound. The ultrasound wand was right on his face and so far, I think he looks like his daddy, but we'll see if that's true when he's born. I also got to see his heart, bladder, stomach, kidneys, etc. I'm so thankful to God that my baby boy is doing so well. The body is amazing -- it will feed and protect a child before the mother, so even when I forget to eat, etc. my boy is still healthy and growing. Despite my faults and weaknesses, God is creating a beautiful boy within me. :) In other news...onl...

Wow, I can't believe I'm at 32 weeks. It is going by quickly, although I'm getting impatient. I'm hoping the little guy decides to come a week early. :) I know, first children are often late, however, both my mom and sister were early with their firsts... Walter took a "Boot Camp for New Dads" class this past Saturday and we had our Maternity Unit tour on Tuesday. It was so much fun and I think it's finally hitting Walter that the baby will be here before we know it. As women, we have months in which we watch our body changes, etc. and think about the baby, but I don't think it hits the men until later. :) We still don't have a name. The list is at 15 right now, so we really need to narrow things down. I picked out my top 5 and now I need to have Walter do the same and then we can compare lists. Obviously, with the last name Niesluchowski, we have to have a simple first name and one that won't be ridiculed or tough to spell. I had my first baby...

Okay, I guess it's time to report in. Didn't really have much to say for awhile, but since I'm now in my third trimester... Baby boy Nski is doing great! He's moving all over the place and at my last appointment, his heartbeat was at 130bpm. I'm feeling great, although suffering through a cold right now. Ugh. I've also developed Achilles Tendinitis in my right foot. NOT FUN. Of course, I am horrible about letting it rest. So, I run one day (yep, still running and desparately need some new workout clothes) and then can hardly walk, so I go for a walk (still hobbling) the next day. Take a day off and repeat the cycle. I know, I need help. :) In August, my sister helped me register at Babies 'R Us. It was so much fun! I also have a registry on Amazon.com, since you can find almost anything on Amazon these days. :) My brother-in-law finished painting the baby's room this past week (he's an AWESOME painter -- if anyone needs a painter...) and the baby...

Yesterday morning, I had my 21 week ultrasound. It was awesome and I'm so glad Walter got to be there too. :) The baby is perfect! You might not know, but I have a partial seizure disorder and am on seizure medication (have to stay on it while pregnant). Because of this, the doctor was looking for some specific things with the baby -- spine, heart, and lips (a side effect can be a cleft lip). The spine looks great, I could easily see the four chambers of the heart working -- which was SO COOL -- and the lips are perfect. Yea! He does want me to come in for another ultrasound at 32 weeks, just to keep track of the baby's growth -- positive side: get another ultrasound! The doctor was also very encouraging regarding my medicine. The medicine I'm on, Lamictal, has very few side effects for me (which I knew) AND low fetal side effects. Whew! I had to switch neurologists during my pregnancy (insurance issues) and he made me worry, etc. (In general, I'm finding that neurologi...

It's hard to believe that I am already 20 weeks and halfway there! My uterus has moved up to my bellybutton and I am definitely starting to show more now. I wore my first maternity shirt last week (that I bought in Texas). So much fun! I'm already so excited for our precious child. Walter and I went crib/baby's room shopping this past weekend and found exactly what we wanted. :) It was so much fun. This coming Thursday is our ultrasound. Woohoo! Finally. We have been planning to find out the sex of the baby, but now we're thinking about waiting. Why? I realize that the way we want to decorate the room and the bedding we found are all gender neutral (not a pink person myself, so that was out of the picture for a girl's room). Who knows? Well see what we decide come Thursday morning. Now, I'm starting to figure out childbirth classes. My friend introduced me to the Bradley Method -- an approach to natural childbirth. I am looking to start taking classes using that...

Just got back last night from Texas. I flew to Fort Worth on Wednesday for our Premier Designs National Rally. It was so much fun! They introduced the new jewelry line and new catalogs on Thursday. Woo hoo! On Saturday, I flew from Fort Worth to Houston to visit my friend, Brooke. We had SO MUCH FUN!! Even if we haven't seen each other in a while, the conversation is easy and it seems like no time has passed. I'm so blessed to have her as my friend. We did a variety of things together and went maternity clothes shopping. Yea!! Other than my BellaBand, I bought my first maternity clothes. :) My trip was great, but it was a long time to be away from my husband. I missed Walter SO MUCH and it is so nice to be with him again. He needs to come with me to Texas next time. :) So, I'm 18 weeks and five days today. My ultrasound is in two weeks from tomorrow (August 6th). I've posted a picture that I took a few days ago. It is really hard to take a picture with your phone while ...

Had another doctor's appointment last week and everything went well. The baby's heartbeat was at 142 and I'm doing great with blood pressure and weight gain. I was all excited to schedule my ultrasound that day, but found out that I had to wait to hear from the hospital. Because of my seizure disorder, I have to have a Level 2 ultrasound so that they can get a really good look at the spine. Not fun to hear, but I will have really good pictures. :) I finally talked to the hospital yesterday and my ultrasound is scheduled for Thursday, August 6th at 7:45am (for this ultrasound, they wait until I'm 21 weeks). I am SO excited and impatient -- I want to know if baby Nski is a boy or girl! I can't believe I have THREE MORE WEEKS until I find out. Walter was in DC this past Friday-Monday with our church high school youth group. Everyone had a great time, but it is great to have him home. Of course, I leave tomorrow for Texas. I'll be in Fort Worth, TX on Wednesday-Satu...

I love being pregnant, however, I didn't expect my sleep to get altered this much already...I need some advice. This side sleeping thing is a real drag. I prefer to sleep on my back, hands folded on my chest, and not move. I easily fall asleep and remain comfortable that way. Well, as this pregnancy progresses, I have to sleep on my side. My hips and shoulders hurt when I sleep on my side. I don't know where to put my arms. I don't like having my face stuffed in my pillow. Blah, blah, blah. Thankfully, my doctor did say that I can somewhat lay on my back -- just put a pillow under one side of me so my body is angled a little bit. That does help me to fall asleep, but I still have to adjust during the night. (Of course, I have the additional fun of having to go to the bathroom at least once -- many times twice -- a night...what in the world will it be like towards the end of my pregnancy?! I'll have to bring a pillow to the bathroom with me! Ha!) Thankfully, I don't ...

I'm 14 weeks and 3 days today and STILL waiting to see a pregnancy bump. I mean, I can totally see my body change and there is a little something there, but with clothes on, it is hard to see anything and no one would know I'm pregnant. My friend, Nikki, is due only three days before me and she has the cutest pregnancy bump! Oh well, it will be here soon, I'm sure. It's funny how you feel during the beginning weeks of the second trimester -- I find that my fatigue isn't so bad, etc., but you can't feel the baby move, etc., so now I can't wait until my appointment on July 8th so I can hear the heartbeat again. Maybe I should buy one of those at home ones so I can worry less. It's finally summer in Chicago. Yea!! 90s and humid this week -- makes for some good thunderstorms which I LOVE (but scares the dog half to death -- poor girl). I'm not a real dress girl, but I so want to get a couple of cute sundresses. They would be so nice and cool and easy to ...

The other thing about running the half-marathon this past Sunday is that I was 12 weeks pregnant. What?! Yep, you heard me. I'm now thirteen weeks pregnant. SURPRISE!! :) Walter and I are super excited and the baby is due December 18th (my birthday is December 13th!). Obviously, we didn't want to completely announce it until the end of my first trimester, when the risk of a miscarriage is reduced. I feel great and haven't had much morning sickness (just felt a little 'ugh' once in a while). I just had an INCREDIBLE amount of fatigue -- getting out of bed seemed to take everything out of me. So, if I've seemed a little bit out of it the past couple of months, that's why. Walter has been great, even though I've been too tired to even clean the house. :) Thankfully, I have started to feel TONS better this week. Gotta go to bed, but I'll post more later! :)

I am so incredibly proud of my sister! This past Sunday, my sister and I ran a half marathon in Chicago. This was a huge accomplishment for my sister. She had never really run before and decided three months ago to make this her goal (most people start with a 5k, but us Veermans like to take on a real challenge :) ). We signed up for the race and I created a training plan for her. I know it was difficult at times for her, but she persevered through the training -- even threw up after one of her runs. Now that's a champion! Oh yeah, did I mention that she just delivered her third child only six months ago! We got up EARLY Sunday morning and headed to the city. Kara was incredibly excited and nervous. She had worked so hard and had so many people rooting for her... I decided to run beside her the whole race and I'm so glad I did. I told here there was no way in he** I was going to let her quit and knew that I would drag her to the finish if I had to. :) I found myself tearing up ...

Yes, the DWTS finale was Tuesday and the American Idol finale on Wednesday, so you might have wondered why I have written yet. Well, it's pretty much that I've been trying to process things and calm down, etc. :) On a positive note, let's start with Dancing With the Stars. I was expecting Giles to win, so it was a surprise that Shawn won. Pretty cool -- I voted for her. Here's the deal: she brought it during the freestyle routine. Past shows have proven that often the person who does the best freestyle routine wins. The best example is when Drew Lachey won DWTS (I can't remember what season -- 2?). Drew and Stacy were the best two dancers. Stacy's freestyle was pathetic and Drew's freestyle is still one of my favorite dances. Drew won. Kudos to Shawn. She did an amazing job -- especially for begin only 17. You can tell she's a competitor and can handle criticism -- she always kept her composure. Now onto American Idol... Ugh, America, you've let me d...

I got to watch the Dancing with the Stars finale last night!! Woo hoo!! Everyone really did a great job and Shawn, Giles, and Melissa are definitely the three that should be there. So, last night... I agree with everything the judges said. In the freestyle, Shawn was amazing. Her dance was fun, had a lot of tricks but also a lot of dancing. They were really in sync. Melissa was a disappointment. VERY disjointed and un-entertaining. Even the audience thought so (if you listen, the response was A LOT less than the response to Shawn and Mark's dance). Here's what is really disappointing: Tony is a great professional dancer, but he bombs in the finals. He had Stacy Keebler in the finals and she did one of the most boring freestyle routines and it didn't highlight her talent at all. And he did the same thing with Melissa. Gotta blame that on the professional. I think that Shawn should be above Melissa not just because of the freestyle dance (Shawn got a perfect score), but becua...

This is the first year that I've followed American Idol. I started to get into it some last year -- watched most of the stuff through YouTube -- mainly because I really liked David Cook. I refused to watch AI for years but finally gave in. I have really enjoyed the season. Adam Lambert is by far the best one and so amazing to watch. It seems like most people either love him or hate him, and this is what I have to say: There is no denying that he is the best vocalist, musician, and performer in this competition. Some people thinks he is cocky, but I think he's confident. He's been able to come out and have great performances EVERY NIGHT. Plus, whether or not you think he's cocky, whether or not you believe he is gay, HE IS THE BEST MUSICIAN! He deserves to win. I think all three of the contestants really brought their A game this past week. Danny's "You Are So Beautiful" moved me to tears -- especially on the results show when I kept picturing him singing i...

That's it! I can't do it! I can't seem to keep up with this blog thing. I mean, how could I have not updated on all the AWESOME things that have been happening in my life. Time flies!! Guess I need to play catch-up...AGAIN. Walter and I went on our Caribbean cruise the end of February (flew home on our wedding anniversary -- March 2nd). I can't believe we've been married two years. I am so blessed to have married my best friend. Everything is better when I'm with him. :) Anyways, back to the cruise. We left out of San Juan, Puerto Rico and went to Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Dominica, and St. Thomas then back to San Juan. It was AWESOME and Grenada was my favorite -- the people are SO nice and we had the best tour guide ever. I also enjoyed St. Thomas where Walter and I rented a scooter and went all over the island. We got to see everything! I now only work part-time for my dad at Livingstone -- Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. It's been great. We've been st...

I know, I know...I never posted a picture of that haircut (going again tomorrow to get it cut and highlighted -- yes, I admit that my hair color is partially fake). Not gonna promise to post a pic -- if you're on facebook, you can see photos of me there. :) I keep talking about doing better about blogging, but still I suck. Maybe it's because I don't have much to write about. Maybe I'm just lazy. Or maybe I have too much to write about (yeah, that's not it). I guess once I have kids I'll do better. :) No, I'm not pregnant. That I will post on here right away. :) My 30th birthday (December 13th) was AWESOME! Walter and my friends threw me a surprise party the end of November (Scavenger hunt -- Chicago Cubs and Bears theme -- ROCK ON!). My sister is amazing -- she went around town hiding clues THREE DAYS AFTER HAVING A BABY! That's incredible. Maybe one day I'll be as cool as her. ;) The day of my birthday was busy but great -- lunch with the fam at E...