Thursday, August 30, 2012

39 weeks!

I presume that unless there is some BIG change at my appointment today, this will be my last weekly update post. As of Monday's appointment, they still wanted her out before 40 weeks.

It is absolutely crazy.

It really "hit" me again on Tuesday night. And since then I've been an emotional mess.I feel so unprepared. And yet, I'm strangely comforted by the fact that I have been totally unprepared for every single "big" decision Ryan and I have made. So I keep telling myself to breathe, and that we will figure this thing out too.


How far along: 39 weeks. That in itself seems crazy to me. I mean, just a month ago, I was almost sure I wouldn't make it this far. Induction was a constant possibility. Now I'm at 39....wow.
How big is baby: The size of a watermelon. 20 inches and 7.25 pounds! Or, I guess with this little one, more, since she was measuring 7lbs 8oz on Monday.
What I've done to prep for baby: Really, it has just been trying to get ourselves ready, in general, to have this baby. Trying to catch up on housework, etc. that I know I won't have time to do when E gets here. I get so tired so easily, though, that it is tough to get much done these days!
Best moment of the week: Seeing E at the ultrasound on Monday was pretty darn awesome. 
Food cravings: Being sick more often has stunk. Between being sick and being this close to "done" I am so unmotivated on the food side of things. Ryan and I have decided that we are just going to stick with what stays down for me right now, and try to get as many calories in as possible, and not worry TOO much about redundancy/eating packaged foods, etc. In fact, Ryan's words earlier this week were "If you want Papa Murphy's every night from now until when you deliver, I'm really okay with that." Love that guy!
Symptoms: Yes, my lovely rash is still there, and itches horribly. And just walking from one end of the house to the other takes a mammoth effort. But other than that, I'm feeling okay. 
Movement: Yesterday was a crazy movement day for her. Which of course made me cry because I am going to miss that soooo much! 
What I’m looking forward to: Meeting this little one!!!
Next appt: I have an appointment this afternoon to check up on her and schedule an eviction date. Yikes.

Monday, August 27, 2012

38.5

Well, I thought that I'd do a 38.5 post since then my next one wouldn't be so long.

We had a pretty nice weekend. VERY low key, but I won't complain about that. On Saturday I had some wonky blood pressure readings, so I tried to stay a bit low. Ryan finished putting together some of the baby stuff, like the swing. Well, he had a little help...


Sunday early morning was really bad. The itching from the rashes was uncontrollable, and the way Ellie was laying made it so I could only lay on one side. So I got VERY little sleep. On Sunday, getting ready for church, I felt out of breath and crummy. Breakfast ended up not staying down either. We got in the car to go to church and about halfway there, when I couldn't even carry on a conversation I was so out of breath just sitting, we decided that it would be a better idea just to go home. The out-of-breath feelings continued most of the day, unfortunately. So I stayed down, and Ryan finished up nursery stuff. Well, at least kinda...it was more study stuff. He moved the desk into the study and cleaned out a ton of junk in the study. He rocked...it looks amazing.

So without further adieu, here are some nursery pics.

The crib, bookshelf and part of her window.


The dresser, changing area, and shelving on the other side of the window.


Chair by the closet.


The most awesome big brother EVER who just cannot wait for this little sister to arrive! He hangs out in her room a lot. 

Sunday night unfortunately didn't go much better, and I ended up getting very sick...to the point where my throat is very, very swollen, even today.

This morning I had my weekly appointment for my NST. The nurse I've had the last couple times is quickly becoming one of my favorites. For some reason I get great blood pressure readings with her (122/80 today...how about THAT???) and she is able to get me comfy for my NST. So I relayed my concerns and she hooked me up to the monitors. The doctor came in awhile later and pronounced that Ellie was doing "exceptional" on her NST. Um, yup, now I'm really sure these doctors talk about me outside the practice. Use of words like "exceptional" equals one very happy mommy! She did an internal (1cm still....grrr....and 50-60% effaced. A nice way of saying...progress = NADA.) and we talked about my concerns. Basically, she wasn't too concerned about either, thinking they were just normal 38.5 week stuff. Okay, but I'm really worried about this getting sick thing. My weight was down at this appointment AGAIN. Like, down to the point where the entire pregnancy I've gained 2.5 pounds now. It just keeps dropping, and I'm worried it is effecting E. So, I convinced her to let me see my good friend Laurie for a quick growth scan.


See her little face on the right? Yeah, it looks kinda creepy. But those CHEEKS! She was practicing sucking, which was really cute. We could see her lips going. Great news here too...she's still perfectly on schedule, and weighing in at an estimated 7 pounds 8 ounces. So basically, even though I can't keep anything down, she's fine, which is most important. So fine, in fact, that they won't give me an induction date until Thursday, when I have another appointment. I'm glad she's doing so well in there, but I am SO anxious for her to come out! I want to meet you, princess! Sigh. Until then, I'll be continuing with trying to evict her on my own, even though my tactics have been useless up until now.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

38 weeks

Lots to write about this week, since I haven't blogged since last week and it has been pretty darn hectic, particularly with baby stuff.

Last week, we left off Thursday with me feeling pretty positive about things. That changed a bit on Friday when I had some pain in my right rib cage. Now that is always one of those symptoms they ask about, particularly with my blood pressure drama, as it can be a pre-eclampsia sign. It wasn't horribly severe, but it was sharp, constant pains, so I called the doctor, to be safe. The nurse called back in about a half hour and I explained to her my concern. Her response? "Well, that doesn't sound like contractions..." Uh, no kidding. I didn't say it was contractions. I told her I was concerned about it being a pre-eclampsia sign. She told me she never heard of anything like that being associated with pre-eclampsia and wanted to know where I heard that. Ugh...from multiple doctors in your practice and the L&D nurses both times I had to go over there. She said again that she's never heard of that and told me she'd talk to one of the doctors to check. An hour goes by, then two...finally, I say forget this nurse and her incompetence, I'm going to go get checked out at L&D. So to make a very long story short, I got checked out, E was "absolutely textbook," my blood pressures were fine once I settled down, and all my bloodwork came back perfect. So overall a successful trip.

Then on Saturday was shower number 2 with my cheer kiddos. Again, everyone was incredibly generous and we got so much of the stuff we needed for this little one. And it was a blast with all the kids.

After the shower, we came home and did a "last pass" through our registries to make sure we had what we (think) we need for E since the time is quickly approaching. The UPS man hates me, I am quite certain. Boxes upon boxes of stuff keeps pouring in. You can no longer even get in my entryway. And we've started to assemble stuff, which makes some of this "real." I cannot get over seeing the carseat base in my car, or the stroller in my living room...it just seems so crazy!

I had my regular doctor appointment Monday, and honestly, I went into it thinking that there was NO WAY I could have 3 good appointments in a row. But, amazingly, this was the best one yet! Blood pressure was unbelievable (like 120s over 70s! Woot!), E stayed on the monitor for the NST nicely, and I didn't feel sick at all during it. She, of course, passed with flying colors. The only negative thing regarding the appointment is that we determined that the reason for me having such bad rash issues is because I have not only one type of rash, but two different types of rashes. The one that is all over my belly and arms won't go away until I deliver. Joy. So I will be sticking to my oatmeal baths and Sarna to get some relief. Oh, and I had my first internal check. Basically...nothing. 50% effaced and 1cm dilated. Looks like she'll be cooking longer. What a big change from a couple weeks ago, when induction was a constant possibility!



How far along: 38 weeks. We've been telling her all along that she can come anytime after her Daddy's birthday (which was Monday), so we're hoping she gets a move on. We are TOO excited to meet her!
How big is baby: The size of a pumpkin. 19.6 inches and 7 pounds! I definitely don't feel like I have a pumpkin in there! 
What I've done to prep for baby: Well, Ryan finished up painting the window in the nursery, so that is pretty much ready to go. We got the car seat installed and I started packing a hospital bag, finally. Truff is very ready for his baby sister to arrive too and spends a lot of time hanging out in the nursery.


Best moment of the week: E was AWESOME yesterday and kicked the crap out of me constantly. I needed that. Yesterday was a tough day.
Food cravings: The weather has been so nice that we've taken a couple cobra rides to Ritters. Although I have to skip the waffle cone and opt for a bowl, it is still darn tasty. And last night, Ryan made the most delicious lasagna ever, and it didn't end up spiking my blood sugar. I was SO, SO happy. I'm looking forward to having some for lunch. Yum1
Symptoms: The rash still stinks. I am still getting sick off and on too, which stinks, especially when I am trying desperately to gain weight. I was down another half pound this week, so a total weight gain of 5.5lbs. It is just so hard to do when I'm not so hungry, I'm limited as to what I can eat, and I am still getting sick a couple times a week after meals. 
Movement: Like I said, she was an absolute rockstar yesterday especially and I so appreciated it!
What I’m looking forward to: First, the pedicure I have scheduled in an hour ;). But most of all, little miss E making her appearance. Not that I think it will be soon, with my uninspiring 4-5 contractions per day, but I'm hopeful! I'd really like her to come before we get to the point where I have to be induced. 
Next appt: The usual NST on Monday. Although Ryan is really hoping that she'll come on Saturday, since that would be a cool date...as a year ago Saturday we brought home her big brother ;).

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Full Term! 37 weeks.

One more week down, and I am SO happy to report, another GREAT appointment. I'm really weirded out by the fact that I have now had two good appointments in a row. Especially since this last one was an NST and we all know how much I HATE NSTs. But, E cooperated this time, and we were able to get me in a comfy position and her heartbeat on the monitor with no big problems at all. She rocked it out, and with no drama, I was out of there pretty quick. So, on to the fun stuff:


How far along: 37 weeks...which mean she is officially considered FULL TERM. Yes, I got tears in my eyes as I typed that. 21 days until my due date, which means she'll be here in 14 or less. Tears, again. 
How big is baby: The size of a small watermelon. 19.1 inches and 6.5 pounds! And yes, I feel every last ounce these days. These last couple weeks are definitely not for whimps!
What I've done to prep for baby: I am trying desperately to finish up nursery stuff. I need to get curtains done and the bedskirt done (yeah, we won't talk about why these aren't done yet. Grrrrr). Neither of those projects is easy to tackle with a puppy who has been attached to my hip as of late, and a 37 week belly. Sigh. I guess I'll be tackling them in baby steps! 

Best moment of the week: Monday night we were working on cleaning up the house and I went into E's room to put something away. We're trying to teach Truff that he can go in E's room, but that it is a calm place. He got a little too hyper, so Ryan and I laid down on the carpet with him to get him to settle down. It ended up with us both laying on the floor, in tears, with the pup laying against my belly and getting kicked by E, talking about the past year, from how much Truff has helped us get through the past year to how excited we are for Ellie to arrive. 
Food cravings: Same old, same old. I could live on Papa Murphy's pizza and mint chocolate chip ice cream. 
Symptoms: This rash...grrr. It is getting lots better in certain areas, but it is spreading all over. Which drives me batty. I still want to tear off all my skin. I'm also having a lot more heartburn/reflux.That has been super fun to deal with!
Movement: Still lots of movement. I'm really going to miss feeling all these belly jumps when I have an outside baby!
What I’m looking forward to: Shower #2 this weekend (yay!) and then going on a final shopping trip to get the things we need for E. 
Next appt: NST on Monday, but again, so far only one appointment this week!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

36 weeks

Can't believe that I'm 36 weeks already. In my pregnancy app today, a little button appeared magically saying "Click here is baby has arrived." Whoa...now if that wasn't a big kick in the pants! Next week I'll be considered "full term." And let me tell you, while I'm happy that E is still in there, doing well and cooking away, I'm sooo ready to meet her. When I hit 37 weeks, I will be pulling out all the wives' tales to encourage this little girl to get moving!


How far along: 36 weeks! 28 days until my due date, which means she'll likely be here in 21 or less. I get all teary-eyed just thinking about it.
How big is baby: The size of a crenshaw melon. 18.5 inches and 6 pounds! Considering she was measuring 5 pounds 10 ounces on Monday, that's probably about right. I'm excited she's measuring right on track. 
What I've done to prep for baby: The nursery is almost done. We did the crib and decal this weekend, and it was incredibly emotional for me. 

I really just sat there and stared in disbelief, thinking back over all the times when I wasn't sure that I'd get to actually see this. 

I've been working at putting clothes away and just generally organizing the room too. Pretty much everything is washed and put away, and I've been picking up a few things here and there to fill in the gaps of what we need to get ready for her arrival. 
Best moment of the week: This one had Ryan and I BOTH in tears! This weekend, I decided I should put on a youtube video of a baby crying so Truff can "get used" to it. So Truff and Ryan were down on the floor playing, and I turn on the video. Immediately Truff stopped playing around, and  jumped up on the couch next to me, wanting to know exactly where that sound was coming from and how to "fix" it. He is going to be SUCH a good big brother!!!
Food cravings: The Papa Murphy's people now know us. Interestingly enough, though, my numbers are getting better after meals, and I don't have to watch what I eat nearly as much. Meals that would have spiked me two weeks ago are not giving me great readings. Of course, I freaked out about this at first, but the doctor reassured me that I should just enjoy it and up my carb intake a bit. Well, it is doctor's orders...
Symptoms: I still have the rash, despite getting meds for it. And the itching is killing me. I want to tear off all my skin. Other than that, I am starting to feel like a mallot has been taken to certain...ahem...parts of my body. Ouch.
Movement: She's still moving around, but I can tell she's cramped. She pushes up on my diaphram a lot, which is such a weird sensation. I feel like I'm going to pass out! And I hate that the constant itching is amking it harder for me to concentrate on feeling her. 
What I’m looking forward to: A mini-vaca to a friends' house this weekend, Hopefully getting some itch relief. Putting the final touches on the nursery. And of course, being one day closer to meeting my baby girl! 
Next appt: NST on Monday (ick)...but I got away with only ONE appointment this week...SCORE!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

A good appointment? Shocking...

I am so used to bad appointments these days, that a good one is something to write home about. So, since I actually had a good appointment, I will record it here.

I had a biophysical profile scheduled for yesterday. I love them. Not only are they an awesome check on the bean, I just love seeing her. Ryan came with to get a sneak peak too, since this will likely be one of the last times that we see her until her big arrival.

I gave Laurie a very hard time about being on vacation last week, when I had that horrendous NST that made me beg f a u/s. I told her no more vacations when I'm pregnant. She told me she could have just thrown on some scrubs over her swimsuit and popped in for me. Oh, Laurie, I like you. Don't tell me things like that. I am a special kind of crazy and would totally take you up on it.

Long story short, my BP still stinks. They don't even bother telling me what it is these days. The doctor wasn't too concerned though, even when I brought up how it had been going a little more crazy than normal. She also wasn't concerned about my blood sugar levels decreasing. So two big stresses off my plate. And it seems like they are backing off a little with the induction talk. Still not going past 39 weeks, but not as early as some would have made me believe.

E looks fantastic. Heart rate of 144 and she was snoozing away, practicing her breathing and everything. She's measuring 5 pounds, 10 ounces which is perfectly on track for my gestational age, and really impressive considering my gestational diabetes (yes, I'd like my gold star!) Fluid looked great and she got an 8/8 on her test. Ryan did get to experience her getting "buzzed" awake with the buzzer. She takes after her Daddy though...we had to "buzz" her three times before she was really "up." Looks like she likes the snooze button too.

AND...drumroll...she flipped! She's head down, and ready to go. I was really at peace with whatever needed to happen regarding delivery, but I'm definitely excited at the prospect of being able to avoid a c-section.

Not too many pics this time, but here is one cute one. She's practicing to be a point flier already...her little foot was up right next to her head.


Thursday, August 2, 2012

35/under 35

So today is a big milestone, know to many moms-to-be as 35/35. That is 35 weeks, 35 days to go. While awfully cutesy, I guess I get to be 35/ under 35. In particular more like under 28. Whoa.

It was a big week. The nursery is coming together and we are finally getting furniture assembled for it (yay!). I ordered most of our starter stuff for cloth diapering. Oh, and my favorite part of the week...I had my first shower this past Saturday. It was absolutely perfect. Lori and Janel really did an awesome job. The food was incredible and it was great to just hang out with so many people that I cared about in one room. Baby E got a TON of clothes (spoiled girl already!) plus some other cool stuff. I definitely have a weekend of organizing and washing ahead! Pete also organized a "guys shower" for Ryan. Such a cute idea, and he had a lot of fun.

Truff is not so sure about all the new stuff in the house.



How far along: 35 weeks!
How big is baby: The size of a honeydew melon. 18.2 inches and 5.5 pounds! It will be interesting to see how big she actually is on Monday.
What I've done to prep for baby: The nursery is getting there, and I'm looking forward to sorting through everything from the shower.
Best moment of the week: Two of them: First, my shower, of course. Then, getting my maternity pics back and them turning out awesome. I am so happy we did them! Oh, one more...I GRADUATED FROM MY ENDOCRINOLOGIST yesterday. He said I had great control of my numbers and he'll see me next pregnancy. Yay!
Food cravings: I could be a spokesperson for Papa Murphy's. Seriously. Their pizza is saving my sanity these days. Oh, and Ryan found a chocolate soy milk that tastes awesome, and has like 7g of protein and 5g of carbs per cup. Score!
Symptoms: My current psychosis centers around a rash I've been developing. Do not google pregnancy and rashes. No good can come of it.
Movement: You bet. Even had the doctor and nurses a little freaked out during her NST this week. They started out calling her "sweetie" but by the end of the ordeal, it was "spitfire."
What I’m looking forward to: Finishing the nursery and getting all her stuff sorted and put away. Yay!
Next appt: I have one in about an hour, and then a biophysical profile on Monday. 

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

It is AUGUST...and maternity pics

I woke up early this morning and almost immediately teared up. It is AUGUST. God willing, this month, I'll have a BABY.

Yup, I'm tearing up again.

I have so many things to write about in my weekly update tomorrow, since it was an AMAZING weekend, but for now I'll just share the link to the maternity pics we did this weekend. I am so, SO in love with them! Fair warning, though, there are bare belly pics in there. Proceed at your own risk!
https://picasaweb.google.com/115681368759478057151/MaternityPics?authkey=Gv1sRgCLTrhs73spC9gAE