29 Weeks and Doc Visit!

Well, one more week down! 29 weeks! I also had my last doctor appointment with my doc in Augusta today. The next one is scheduled with my new doc in Gainesville, FL! Crazy, huh?! Everything went very well. Got to listen to the heart beat again...she was at about 145 beats per minute today. Just perfect! She seriously runs from that doppler...it always takes them forever to find her! And once they get her....she moves away again! I guess she doesn't like to be bothered! We also did the glucose test today...where they check to make sure you aren't developing gestational diabetes (that's when you become diabetic during the pregnancy, but it goes away after birth). I had to fast from midnight last night until my appointment this morning. That's seriously stinks for me, because the second I'm awake, I'm STARVING!! Then, if I don't eat, my stomach feels really nauseous. So, it was a long morning...normally it wouldn't be so bad, but Patrick and I left Atlanta this morning at 5:45am for my 8:40am appointment in Augusta! So, I had to be awake for hours, drive to Augusta, have my regular appointment, AND have my blood drawn twice (an hour apart) before I could eat anything! Ugh! Not my style! :) But I made it! Then I treated myself to my favorite Mexican restaurant ever...Salsa's! So yummy!

Now I'll be visiting the doctor every 2 weeks, instead of monthly. Then, once I get to 36 weeks, I'll be going once weekly. It's getting close now!! I'm starting to get really excited! I wonder what she'll look like and how it will feel to hold her...and see Patrick hold her! :) (I'm especially excited about that)!! I just can't wait! :)

Since I'm a doctor now... ;)

...I've gone ahead and diagnosed myself with restless leg syndrome, or RLS! I just read about this in my 28 week pregnancy newsletter! I've been having a weird, and somewhat annoying, tingling in my left leg since about half way through my second trimester. It happens mostly at night...kinda feels like it's about to "fall asleep." RLS is described as a "tingling in your lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them...and it can make it hard to relax when you're settling in." They're not quite sure of the cause, but it is common among pregnant women. So, yipee! At least my body isn't just really weird. It's been happening for a while now, and I just figured it was some weird way that I was responding to pregnancy. I'm glad to know it's a bit more common! Of course, it seems to be worse when I sleep on my left side...which is precisely where I am supposed to be sleeping! So, who knows....guess I'll just continue to sleep sitting up....that is...when I actually do get some sleep...

Home Stretch!!!

Can you believe it...we made it to the THIRD TRIMESTER!!! 7 months! 28 weeks!! Baby K is about 2 1/2 pounds and about 14 inches long! She's getting SO STRONG..and big too! Check out that belly! It's growing full speed ahead now! :) She kicks so hard now and moves all over the place. I think she might be a soccer player! If you catch her at the right time, you can actually see my stomach moving and jumping all around! I love feeling her move! Sometimes other people can feel her, but usually I just feel her all to myself! :) She's most active after I eat and before I go to bed at night. She doesn't keep me awake at night...although all that peeing does! I get up about 3 -4 times a night now. Needless to say, I don't sleep very well...or at least for very long at a time...but, that's alright. I get to sleep in a little these days! :) Everything else is going pretty well. The only aches and pains that I have are my back and my feet! It only takes a few minutes of hunching over or picking heavy-ish stuff up for my back to feel pretty yucky. My feet...if I stand or walk for a long time...my heels want to fall off! But I think those are pretty normal things! So, overall...no complaints! Hope you all are doing well! I'll be back soon...

Hooter Hider

Yes, folks...that's what I said...Hooter Hider! It's actually the name for a real thing! It's for mom's who plan to nurse...it helps to cover the baby in public....they definitely didn't try to be socially acceptable as far as the name goes! :) It's a good idea, and I'm sure it's so helpful...but geez....it's pretty funny!

27 weeks!!

Hello, hello! Well, my first week as a doctor feels like....well, nothing! I feel no different! In fact, I've already forgotten several times that I've actually graduated from dental school! Still can't believe it! But, anyway....onto my 27 week story....

Well, there's no real story here...nothing significant has happened this week. Only thing is that she's kicking pretty hard now. Supposedly, she's should be kicking no less than 10 times every 2 hours! If she moves less than that, I'm supposed to contact my doctor! That's some serious moving! She should be about 2 lbs now...although, my gut is that she's slightly smaller than that...just based on her size at the last 2 ultrasounds. As you can see, I'm still growing...still looking pregnant! I'm so glad I'm over the that-girl-is-letting-her-fat-hang-out stage! :)

This pic is debuting one of my new maternity outfits! I had to break down and get a pregnant wardrobe! This is one of my new pairs of jeans and a maternity shirt. Most of the stuff that I bought will be suitable to wear for many months after delivery...I'm planning ahead! There's no actual picture of my belly this time because the camera battery decided to die before we had a chance to take it...and I didn't feel like charging it and doing it again! So, this is what I've got! Hope you are all doing well! One more week and I'll officially be in my THIRD trimester!! Can't believe it's almost here! ....

You can call me Doctor!

So, I am officially Doctor Kindregan!!! WOW! That's pretty freaking cool! Graduation day was Friday, May 11th! It was pretty fantastic. The day was full of activities! We had the Hooding Ceremony in the morning (this is when we were presented with our hood- you know the sash thing that you get when you graduate)! If you have a family member who is a dentist, they were allowed to "Hood" you (instead of the dean). So, my Dad hooded me- which was really nice and really special! The the actual graduation was in the afternoon (that's when you get the DIPLOMA and are pronounced a DOCTOR)! The day was great, but very busy and a bit overwheliming....so much so that I didn't really have time to be sad or really think about the fact that dental school is actually over. Well, Saturday morning came around, and it hit me. Of course, Patrick had already left for Alpharetta with the Uhaul, and it was just me by myself in our Augusta house...sobbing! I couldn't stop! It just hit me that I probably wouldn't be seeing many (most) of the people that I've really grown to love over the past 4 years. My classmates and I really share a unique bond unlike any I've had before...and it was just a little sad to think about it being all over...all at once. We'll head back to Augusta a few more times, so that will at least give me a chance to go by the school and say goodbye to some of my favorite faculty. I know that I will still see those of my friends that I was really close to...but still, we had such a wonderful class, and I will really miss seeing such wonderful people everyday. So, anyway, congrats to us! Four hard years are over...just like that! ....it still doesn't feel quite right! But, I'm sure I'll get used to it sometime soon... :)

3 Year Anniversary!

So, today was our 3 year anniversary! Married for 3, together for 8!! Can you believe it? We spent most of the day packing the house up....then, at the last minute...this will shock many of you....we went to Salsa's for dinner. Yes, that's what I said...Mexican for our anniversary dinner. But I just kept thinking....we've only got 2 more nights of possible Salsa's time! So, that's what we did...pretty romantic, huh?!

On a slightly more ....romantic note.... Patrick had some really beautiful flowers delivered to the house for me. He also went to a great gallery in downtown Augusta and bought me a beautiful, handmade necklace. He did a really good job! :) So, we're off to walk the doggies...and more packing... here's to three years together! Happy Anniversary, Patrick!

It finally popped!!

Well, there's no denying it now...I'm definitely pregnant and definitely showing! All this tummy just kinda popped up in the last 2 weeks! It's about TIME is what I say!! 26 weeks!! 6 1/2 months!! I think people who don't know me may actually think that I'm pregnant instead of just a little chubby! The magic jeans are still hanging in there...although, Patrick accidentally washed them (in his defense, however, they were in the dirty laundry bin), so I think they may only be magical for the next week or so! :) I can't button them anymore, but I figured out a way to rig them...and it actually works pretty well. One of my girlfriends taught me this little trick...I can use a rubber band and loop it around the button, through the button hole, and back around the button. This way, it's a little stretchy and gives a lot more! Check out the picture at the bottom! Pretty creative, huh?! :) But, when I sit down, I basically have to unbutton and unzip the jeans...otherwise, Baby K is too squished! So, maybe they are losing a little magic.... sad....

So, everything is going relatively well. I am starting to get a little uncomfortable, though. Such a perfect pregnancy so far, I figured the aches and pains would come sometime! I've had a HORRIBLE time trying to sleep well lately. I have now taken over all of the pillows on the entire bed...including all of Patrick's. I am so tired of sleeping on my side, and my collar bone gets so squished from having to lay that way....all I want to do is sleep on my back. And sometimes I do for a few minutes, but then I start to feel guilty like I'm depriving my baby of air! That can't be good. So, I pile up all the pillows like a recliner and sleep that way. It's definitely the most comfortable way to sleep for me. My other complaint is a pain I have in my lower right abdomen. My doc said that it's most likely my ligament stretching (the one that's around the uterus). But, to me, if feels quite sharp and like it's a strained muscle. It only hurts when I move or use my right leg (which...you know...I kinda do a lot...walking and all). So, for the last 2 weeks, I've been pretty much uncomfortable when I move around. At first, I just figured I'd strained a muscle and that it would heal up...but it's been 2 weeks now...so, I'm thinking that's just how it is. Ugh. BUT, other than those things, everything is going well. OH! Except for my freaking allergies (or pregnancy stuffy nose)...it's killin me!! At night is, by far, the worst! So, I'm really loving my Benadryl lately. Don't worry...it's totally okay to take Benadryl while pregnant. I checked! So, that's about all. Stay tuned for more...

Latest doctor appointment...

Well, everything still seems to be going perfectly! I had another doctor's appointment today; just my regular monthly checkup. My blood pressure is still ultra low (which is normal for me), I've gained 12 pounds, and my stomach growth is consistent with my gestational age! (which I was a little worried about). So, all you people who think I'm not showing enough...I am!! People have been asking me lately why I'm not "showing" more ...then they started asking if everything was alright. You worry about everything along the way when you're pregnant, but when people start asking you things like that, it makes your worry more! But, apparently, everything is just right! Baby K's heart rate was 157 beats per minute. She keeps going up and down! The nurse said she kept moving away from her...so, she had to keep re-finding the heartbeat. But it sounded strong and... perfect. :) The normal range at this point is anywhere between 120 and 160. So, she's right on track! So, overall the appointment was uneventful...which is always a relief!! I'll only have one more appointment with this doctor in Augusta before I have to start with the doctor in Gainesville. I'm sad that I have to switch, but I can't be driving from Gainesville to Augusta until the due date! So, I've got to. Well, that's about it! Our little girl is doing perfectly....but we already knew she was perfect... :)

25 weeks!

Here we are...one more week down! Not too much has changed. Pretty much everything is going well. However, I have been sneezing like CRAZY and been super stuffy at night! Apparently, this happens to people who are "with child"...the increased blood volume decreases the space available in your nose. That paired with the increased mucus (snot!) production...not good!! Lovely. I've been taking Benadryl like crazy! Patrick also got me some of those really attractive Breath Right Strips to wear at night...and they work pretty well too. Let me tell you, I'm super cute when it comes to bedtime! :)

I've got a doctor's appointment for this Thursday, so I'm going to make sure that it's still alright that I'm taking the Benadryl pretty regularly. Every other time I have asked her, she said it was fine. So, we'll see! Baby K still kicks me a ton...I love it. I don't like it when she goes too long without kicking...I get nervous! So, everything seems to be going just fine...still no headway on the name, though! I'm still working on Patrick... :)

NO MORE DENTAL SCHOOL!!!

So, I'm officially DONE with dental school!!! I finished my last patient today! I finally cemented that last bridge!!! :) I have NO OTHER patients, no other procedures, no NOTHING!!! I checked with everything, and I am cleared for graduation!! No more finals, no more tests, no more practicals, no more competencies, no more requirements, no more DENTAL SCHOOL!!! I CANNOT believe that graduation is just around the corner!! Next Friday!! Then I'm free forever! Yahoooooooo!!!!!!!!!