39 weeks

How far along? 39 weeks

Doctor’s appointment:  We had our 39 week appointment yesterday.  Unfortunately I’ve made no progress in the last 3 weeks.  I MIGHT be just a fingertip dilated, but just barely.  Although it is still 1 week before my due date, at my first internal 3 weeks ago when she was already so low, I thought she would definitely be here by now.  More than the frustration of having made no progress, I am just very uncomfortable due to her low positioning.  However, she is healthy and happy as can be inside, and that is what is most important.   Dr. Serden will induce at 41 weeks, so she will definitely be here in less than 2 weeks! 

Symptoms:  BH contractions have been going strong since the weekend, nearly all day.  However, there is no pattern to them, so they are not “real contractions” yet.   We are told to call when they are 5 minutes apart, last 1 minute, for 1 hour.  I feel pretty good in the mornings, but by the afternoon I’m very sleepy and by the evening I am extremely uncomfortable.  Getting in and out of bed (which happens about 4-8 times per night) takes a huge amount of effort.   

Labor Signs:  None yet - just the BH contractions.

Weight gain/loss: +26 lbs

Maternity Clothes:  It’s in the 80’s here so I can actually wear some of the maternity sundresses that I didn’t think I would get to! 

Sleep? I’m still taking the sleeping pills every night, otherwise I would never sleep.  I still have to get up continuously to go to the bathroom.  I’m looking forward to my last day of work on Thursday so that I can start napping during the day. 

Best moment this week?  I had an amazing foot massage and then we went to Hatfield’s for a fancy date night. 

Movement: Movements are still very strong—I’m impressed since I really don’t think there’s much room in there. 

Food cravings/aversions:  Sam brought over my favorite vanilla cupcakes from Joan’s on Third!

Belly button in or out? Amazingly still flat, so I think it might actually never go out. 

Stretch marks?  From what I can see, just a few, but the varicose veins in my left leg are truly frightening. 

Exercise:   We normally get up at diligently at 5:45am on Tuesdays to go to spinning class, but after spinning on Saturday, I decided to retire the spinning shoes.  My legs were hitting my belly, and there’s enough pressure in my pelvic region without sitting on a bike for an hour.  I’m disappointed since I really wanted to do it “up until the end,” but I’m still proud that I was able to do it for as long as I did.  So now I’m just walking, walking, walking, and doing some prenatal yoga. 

What I miss? I really missed having wine when we were out to dinner over the weekend.  Although I know 1 glass would be fine, I’ve gone this long without any alcohol, what’s another week? 

What I am looking forward to? Tomorrow is my last day of work!  I’m trying to plan something fun for every day so that I can have something to look forward to when I wake up and she’s still not here. 

38 weeks

38 WEEK STATS:

Size of baby:  6lbs, 10 oz (though the doctor said this could be +/- 15%)

Labor watch:   I’m still 90% effaced, 0/+1 station, but 0cm dilated.   It is kind of discouraging that I’ve made no progress in the last 2 weeks, but the important thing is that everything looks very healthy—baby is in perfect position, amniotic fluid levels are great, blood pressure is excellent.   I have been having a ton of contractions, especially in the evenings, but apparently they don’t mean anything until they start coming in regular intervals.     

Total weight gain: +25 lbs

I feel ready!  Every day I wake up wondering if today is going to be our daughter’s birthday.  Everywhere I go, I wonder if it would be a good or bad place to go into labor (it’s almost always the later) and what my escape route would be in that case.    Brice does not leave me alone much, but when he does, he has his ringer on extra loud, and we aren’t venturing far from the house at all.  Although we are “on alert” we are still trying to really embrace, relax and enjoy this time.   I’m still working (1 more week), going to the gym, spinning (the whole spinning class cheers for me every  time I show up), cooking, taking Dakota on walks, driving (loving our new Prius that we picked up on Saturday), and a few weeks ago I stopped going to regular yoga and started going to pre-natal yoga which has been fantastic.   I’m really enjoying the long, deep stretches and breathing exercises that we are doing.   When I went several months ago, it was a little boring for me, but now I am much more challenged and getting a lot from it.   There is a Baby and Me Yoga class that I can do after with LL as well!   She’s definitely already practicing some yoga poses already. 

I am feeling a wide range of emotions. 

Excitement.   Of course, no emotion is greater than excitement and anticipation right now.  I find myself sitting in the finished nursery, imagining reading books to her, putting her down to sleep, picking out an outfit from the abundance of adorable clothes, watching her height creep up on the growth chart, playing with her toys.   I think about all the things that I want for her—most importantly, health and happiness.   I cannot wait to meet her and nurture her growth and development.   I cannot wait to see what kind of personality she will have.   I cannot wait to introduce her to our family and friends, who already love her so much.  I cannot wait to tell her how much we love her and that we will always take care of her. 

Self-doubt/Panic/Fear.   I do feel slightly panicked about labor and delivery.  Not knowing how or when it will happen gives me the most anxiety, especially for someone that is not used to having absolutely no control of a situation.  My only “birth plan” is to go in with an open mind and a common goal, which is to deliver a healthy baby.   Of course I have more long-term concerns about if I will be a good parent, how I will balance my career and being a mom, how we will raise a child to be good, kind and honest, etc.   However, I am most comforted knowing that Brice will be by my side every step of the way, and I have never doubted for a second that he will be the most amazing father.          

Nursery Reveal!

We spent most of the weekend putting the final touches on the nursery and bathroom.  We are so happy with how everything has turned out.  We put a lot of love and thought into every detail and so many generous and special gifts from so many people.  Now we just need the baby!  

First, some BEFORE pics...

Come on in...

My mom made this mobile from origami cranes: 

This shadowbox holds one of my dresses when I was a baby and also my first pair of shoes! 

My mom also made these basket liners and pillow cases: 

We love this hand made growth chart, although we are not holding our breath for our daughter to reach the 6ft mark! 

The bathroom....  We finally can make use of this gigantic bathroom!  The changing table station, diaper pail, hamper, bathing station, etc. will all go down in here.   Brice did all of the painting himself!  )

Behind the scenes: 

36 weeks

How Far Along: 36 weeks 

Size of Baby:  According to yesterday’s ultrasound, she is already 6lbs, 5oz.   I did not weigh much more than this when I was born! 

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  +24 lbs

Doctor’s visits:   We started our weekly appointments yesterday and I had my first internal exam.   Dr. Serden was very pleased with how everything looks.   From this point on, there are 3 key points that the doctor will measure:  dilation (0-10cm—0 means the cervix is closed, 10cm means fully dilated and ready to push), effacement (0-100%- this is the thickness of the cervix—needs to be 100% to push) and position/station of baby in my uterus as she travels down (-5 is baby floating, 0 is at the pelvis/top of birth canal, +5 is crowning).   The goal is to get to 10cm dilated, 100% effacement and +5 station.   Although this all sounds highly technical, and despite all of the advances in modern medicine, there is still no exact science to this to tell us when she will come.   I can walk around for weeks with varying degrees of dilation and effacement.   Nature will take its course, and she will come when she is good and ready (although I would likely be induced at 41 weeks if she is not here by then). 

I am currently 0cm dilated, however I am already 80-90% effaced and she is already in the +1 station—meaning she is already very, very low and rapidly thinning my cervix.  The doctor said that this did not necessarily mean an EARLY delivery, but it did bode well for an EASY delivery, which is great news (although “easy delivery” seems like an oxymoron to me).  Her low position is good and bad—it is good because she is already in great position for delivery and making her way down.  It also explains why my belly has looked smaller (although seems huge to me).  The bad is just the added discomfort to me of her bearing down on my pelvis and bladder.   Amniotic fluids and all of her measurements look fantastic.   The doctor is also very pleased with my blood pressure (114/72) and weight. 

Symptoms/Feelings: 

All things considered, I’m feeling good.  I’ve been told that the last month is the hardest, and it is definitely very hard and uncomfortable, but I am trying to stay positive, RELAX and enjoy every moment with Brice and Dakota before our next adventure begins!   We are having so much fun preparing for our baby—as we put away her books and toys, we talk about what it will be like to read stories to her at night or what occasion she might wear a certain dress.   But as busy as we are with these preparations (and many other less fun preparations, like filing taxes, handling electrical work, getting the carpets cleaned), we are also trying to make time for ourselves and go to nice dinners, go to spinning class together, hang out with friends, enjoy long walks with Dakota and watch movies.                  

Health/Exercise:  It was a great decision to retire from running—the Round Ligament Pain has noticeably decreased.  I’m still walking (every day), going on the elliptical (1x/week), spinning (2x/week) and going to yoga (1-3x/week).   I’ve been using some of the prenatal workout DVDs at home, which aren’t very challenging, but still good. 

Eating has become more difficult.  My appetite has actually decreased, and I just don’t have very much room in my stomach anymore as all of my internal organs are a bit smashed.  I am having small meals and snacking throughout the day.  Overeating at this point is extremely painful.    

Preparations/accomplishments: 

We’ve been so productive! 

-          We took our hospital tour last week.   After seeing where we would be checking in, all of the hospital equipment, women in labor, and, best of all, the nursery, everything became a whole lot more real.   I am not sure if the tour added to my excitement or my anxiety…. Probably a bit of both.

-          We had our infant car seat installed.   It is so strange to look in the backseat and see a carseat there!   We would not be released from the hospital without it, so I’m relieved we took care of it. 

-          We put together 2 strollers—our awesome BOB Revolution jogging stroller (and infant car seat attachment so that we can use it right away, rather than wait the 6 months that is suggested without the infant car seat) and the Snap N Go, which is a stroller frame that the car seat snaps into.  Brilliant!   We also cleaned out the front closet to store these strollers. 

-          On the advice of the dog trainer, we started putting together a lot of the toys/equipment so that Dakota can start getting used to their sounds and presence.  We put together the Sleeper/Rocker, Cradle Swing and activity mat.   Dakota has shown no interest whatsoever in any of these, however she is dying to get her paws on the Sleep Sheep and Manhattan Whoozit toy.  Interesting… 

-          We registered for Cord Blood Banking.   After a lot of discussion and research, we went with StemCyte for a variety of reasons.   We hope that we will never have to use it.    

-          We started using and got our first lesson on our SLR camera!   We also got a small video camera and started using it as well.   I’m so impressed with the camera.   Even in the automatic mode and just point-and-shooting, the quality of pictures is noticeably better.  

-          A lot of progress has been made in the nursery and bathroom, but I am waiting until everything is complete so that I can post pictures of the final product.    

-          Our good friends, Darren and Benita, just had a baby in November.  They had us over to watch and participate in Rylan’s whole evening routine, since reading and hearing about what to do is entirely different from actually doing it.   We got to participate in 2 diaper changes, activity mat time, rolling over, bath time, bottle feeding, burping, bed time, and of course, 1 full blown melt down.   Fortunately, not even the meltdown scared us. 

Shower!

We had another AMAZING shower, hosted by “aunties” Angie, Joanne, Victoria, Stephanie and “great auntie” Barbara.  It was absolutely amazing—the theme was books and candy (obviously, these girls know me well).   There was an incredible candy bar with all pink, red and white candies, there were nursery rhymes everywhere, centerpieces were made from baby books and flowers….  The food was delicious (I was too busy devouring it to take any pictures of it), especially the carrot cake and red velvet cake cupcakes (again, these girls know me well) that Angie made from scratch.   We received so many incredibly generous and thoughtful gifts.   We feel so loved and supported as we embark on this incredible journey!   

Pre-shower pics at our house:

The candy bar!  I actually saw it from a block away as we were pulling up and was just praying it was for my shower! 

The amazing hostesses:  Barbara, Victoria, Stephanie, Angie and Joanne

Grandmas! 

Aunt Erin

Grandmas and Aunts:

The crew:

YUM! 

The grandpas! 

Our BOB stroller!!!  Yes, Brice is super excited!

35/35

Today marks 35 weeks in/ 35 DAYS left! 

34 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 weeks 

Size of Baby:  Almost 5 lbs

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  +23 lbs

Doctor’s visits:   We had an appointment yesterday and everything is “picture perfect.”  Her weight, measurements and position are all exactly as they should be.  Our next appointment is in 2 weeks, at which point internal exams start to check for dilation and effacement on a weekly basis.   

Maternity Clothes:   Oh yes, and even started wearing maternity panties, which were given to me as a joke, and fortunately I’m still able to find the humor in them.  I decided awhile ago that if I can’t laugh at some of the strange and/or unpleasant things, it was going to be a very long road. 

Movement:  She’s going to be a boxer or yogi.   At first, movements felt like small pops.  Now, we can really feel and see her whole body moving around and stretching.     

Symptoms: 

The Good:  I internally feel the pregnancy “glow” that everyone talks about—I’ve never felt more happy or excited in my life.   I’m afraid to say this as it will probably come back to bite me, but SO FAR, I’ve not had swelling, heartburn or stretch marks.  I’ve definitely had some bad days and meltdowns, but for the most part I’m feeling great! 

The Bad:  Varicose veins, Round Ligament Pain, breathlessness, increased heart rate after eating, trouble sleeping even with sleeping pills, frequent trips to the bathroom, and just an overall lack of being able to get very comfortable.  

The Ugly:   Too ugly to post on a blog.      

What I Miss:  I miss people looking at my face when I talk to them or walk by.   However, I am grateful to be getting special treatment from strangers who open doors for me, let me cut the line, return my grocery cart for me, etc. 

Health/Exercise:  I’ve decided to hang up my running shoes.  I so enjoy starting the day out with a jog with Brice and Dakota through the neighborhood, but my round ligament pain is noticeably worse on those days.  For someone who has been running on a regular basis since high school, it is hard to imagine giving it up, but I also realize the importance of listening to my body.  I honestly never thought I could still be running this far into the 3^rd trimester, so I do feel good about what I have been able to do.  I probably will not run again for 3 months, since typically doctors don’t sign off on rigorous exercise until 6 weeks post-partum.  Fortunately, yoga and spinning are still on the table, and although challenging, are not adding to my discomfort.   And of course, I will still go on walks with Dakota. 

Belly button In or Out:   Almost out

Cravings/Aversions:  Girl Scout Cookies!  We ordered from a neighborhood girl several weeks ago, and they have not arrived yet.  I hope this 5 year old didn’t scam us!   As for aversions, I’ve developed an extremely strong aversion to BBQ sauce.  The smell made me gag when we made BBQ chicken the other night.            

Preparations/accomplishments:  

-       We attended our Infant CPR class.  It was very interesting and informative, although scary at the same time to imagine so many emergency situations.  We hope to never use the skills that we learned. 

-       We’ve made major progress on the nursery and bathroom and hope to get delivery of our couch this week.  I’m hoping to have everything set up and ready to go by mid-March and I’ll post pictures when it’s all done. 

-       We’ve started the process of looking for another car.  The lease on my car is up in May, which is perfect timing since my convertible sports car days are over, at least for the next 15 years or so.   We’d really like to get a hybrid or fuel efficient car and test drove the Prius last weekend.  We are going to look at the Honda Insight this weekend. 

-       We spoke to a dog trainer about what we can do to start acclimating Dakota to life with a baby.  She was very helpful and gave us lots of great trips such as:

1.      Starting to play sounds of a baby crying so that Dakota is used to the sound.  I actually thing this should apply to all of us. 

2.      When we come home from the hospital, give Dakota a chance to greet us (she will be excited to see us after not having seen us for a few days), then have Dakota and the baby meet each other outside and then all walk in together. 

3.      Keep a toy box for Dakota’s toys and a toy box for the baby’s toys and train both of them to only take from their respective box.  I understand this in theory, but am skeptical about how this will work in practice. 

4.      Start setting up the crib, Pack n Play, other moving/noise-making equipment now so that Dakota gets used to their existence and noises. 

5.      Establish boundaries with Dakota so that she doesn’t crowd me while I’m trying to move around or jump on me while I’m holding the baby.  I’m really not concerned about this—Dakota is very respectful and rarely jumps. 

6.      Maintain a calm and peaceful environment around the baby.  Dakota is very sensitive and will immediately sense our stress and be on edge herself. 

7.      Dakota is as much part of our family as the baby will be, so it goes without saying that we should not neglect Dakota, but try to maintain her walking and eating schedules so that her normal life isn’t disrupted. 

We are really excited about seeing how Dakota reacts to her little sister and imagine them becoming the best of friends!