Yep, I'm just waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Probably borderline impatient but not quite there yet. It's really hard to have everything ready for this baby to arrive and not know when she'll show up. I know I have less than 2 weeks to go till my due date and I know I have a for sure deadline set-up on the 16th if she's not here by then but that seems soooooo far away. I get up every morning wondering if this could be the day. I think of what it would be like if my water broke while at work - I totally wouldn't be embarrassed cause that would be my ticket out. :) I analyze her movements and contractions that I have but they still are really random, don't hurt, and don't last but a few seconds. Even with all this, I can't make anything happen any faster so I'll just have to be content enough to wait.
Being so close to the end, I notice now how people will analyze my belly. One day I've dropped some, the next, maybe not so much. "You've gotten bigger since last week," and then someone else tells me she's going to be a small baby cause I'm not that big. I think it's funny to hear everyone's thoughts on my belly and how it usually turns into the focus of conversation. It's also fun to have patients ask my nurse if I'm still here or if I've had the baby. Those who were coming back for a return appointment around my due date I would tell them I may or may not see them next time so it's nice to hear them ask about me and wish me the best.
I go back to the doctor tomorrow so we'll see how things are. I've already set up my appointments through my due date so that makes it seem closer to the end. I've sort of packed a hospital bag but need to finish it up and actually have it ready instead of sitting in my closet with just a couple pairs of clothes. It would probably be nice to throw in some deodorant and toothpaste and toothbrush so I can be half way presentable while in the hospital. Also, I think I'll put the car seat in the car sometime this week. I've had the base in for a couple weeks but I think I'll go for the whole thing now. Jason's parents are going to visit his sister and her family in Dallas this weekend for the long weekend and I sure hope baby girl doesn't ruin their plans by making an early arrival. I'm sure they wouldn't mind too much but they are celebrating my nephew's 3rd birthday and I don't want to take that away from him. Only time will tell...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Progress
I had my weekly check up today and to my surprise I've actually made some progress. I figured I hadn't done much to move towards labor but when he checked me today, he said I was a good 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced (last week was 50% and closed). So, that was encouraging that she won't stay in forever and she might actually come around her due date. He figures I'll be at least 2cm by next week. With 2 weeks left to go hopefully she'll continue to make her way into our world! Other fun facts about our visit today - she is head down, he wanted to feel her head and boy did it take some effort (ouch) but he confirmed head down; BP was 105/60 (yay); her heart rate was in the 140's (awesome); and I weighed in at a hefty 148 (23 lb weight gain so far). I may see the 150's before it's all over but hopefully not for long! I go back next week of course and I look forward to what we find then.
Here are the pictuers of her room. We still have a few random things that have to be moved out but it's pretty much done.
This is her crib (obviously) and on the wall in the box I plan to paint a monogram of her initials once we finally decide on what they'll be
I think I may want a small table between the crib and day bed so that I can put a lamp and the monitor on. That may be my mission this weekend. I was excited to keep the day bed in the room so that when company comes, we can use it and the trundle for guests but as an added bonus, I can use it if needed on long nights.
The dresser has the changing pad on it. It's not as big as some dressers but we were able to get it for the room but also put a small cabinet with baskets in the closet to use for clothes/accessory storage. On the left side of the bathroom door there is Jason's shelf of decorations. It has her John Deere dish set and tractor on it.
This is the valance I made! I'm quite proud of it even though I'm sure it's probably one of the easiest things you can make. We had our crib bedding made so I had the lady who made it order me an extra yard of fabric so I could use it for the valance. The green border was some of the scraps she had left so I was glad to use that too.
We are in the process of putting a ceiling fan in the room. I don't think there's anything wrong with running a ceiling fan in a baby's room but I guess I'll double check with the pediatrician once she arrives. Either way, it'll be up to use if needed.
Now all we need is our sweet baby to bring home to her room! This waiting game is probably the hardest of all - We're ready to meet her!!!
Here are the pictuers of her room. We still have a few random things that have to be moved out but it's pretty much done.
This is her crib (obviously) and on the wall in the box I plan to paint a monogram of her initials once we finally decide on what they'll be
I think I may want a small table between the crib and day bed so that I can put a lamp and the monitor on. That may be my mission this weekend. I was excited to keep the day bed in the room so that when company comes, we can use it and the trundle for guests but as an added bonus, I can use it if needed on long nights.
The dresser has the changing pad on it. It's not as big as some dressers but we were able to get it for the room but also put a small cabinet with baskets in the closet to use for clothes/accessory storage. On the left side of the bathroom door there is Jason's shelf of decorations. It has her John Deere dish set and tractor on it.
This is the valance I made! I'm quite proud of it even though I'm sure it's probably one of the easiest things you can make. We had our crib bedding made so I had the lady who made it order me an extra yard of fabric so I could use it for the valance. The green border was some of the scraps she had left so I was glad to use that too.
We are in the process of putting a ceiling fan in the room. I don't think there's anything wrong with running a ceiling fan in a baby's room but I guess I'll double check with the pediatrician once she arrives. Either way, it'll be up to use if needed.
Now all we need is our sweet baby to bring home to her room! This waiting game is probably the hardest of all - We're ready to meet her!!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
37 Weeks 4 days
How far along: 37 Weeks 4 days - 17 days until my due date!
Total Weight Gain: As of my last check up - 21 pounds
Maternity clothes: Always except for elastic gym shorts and t-shirts. My t-shirts are even getting tight. May have to move up to Jason's shirts before too long.
Stretch marks: Not that I can see! :)
Symptoms: Hands swelling at night while I sleep. I'm sure they are kinda swollen in the day too but nothing like at night. It causes me to have trigger digits of my index fingers (where they "catch" when I bend them down and will "pop" when I straighten them out) and will occasionally get some carpal tunnel type numbness. This morning I couldn't feel the button on my alarm when it went off because my finger was numb. But, these symptoms resolve within a few minutes of getting up and so they are somewhat bearable.
Most recent Doctor’s Appt: It was good. I found out I'm Group B negative so no extra antibiotics needed at delivery and he also checked me for the first time. I'm still closed but about 50% effaced. Blood pressure remained low and baby's heartrate was in the 130's.
Best Moment Last Week: I got my massage that Jason and my parents gave me for my birthday! It was quite nice but they never last long enough!
Movement: She's a mover and a shaker...especially at 10:30pm still. She also has been getting the hiccups more often it seems but I can tell she's head down because of where I feel them.
Food Cravings: Nothing in particular. It all sounds good
Belly Button in or out: It sure is trying to become an outie but can't make the commitment so it stays kinda flat.
What I Miss: Running still. I'm looking forward to using the jogging stroller that one of my doctors that I work with gave to us once baby girl arrives. Also, the weather will be cooler so it'll be nice to run.
What am I looking forward to: Baby girl's arrival and finally deciding on a name. We have our name narrowed to 2-3 options (it's the same 3 names in different combinations) but we can't make the decision. Also, since all the showers are done, the room is ready, we're ready, all we have to do is wait so that's what I'm looking forward too!
Milestones: Reaching full term, finishing her room, and installing the car seat base in the car. I haven't put the actual car seat in yet but the base is in.
How is Daddy?: Wonderful. He looks forward to playing with our baby girl instead of just my belly. Although, she can keep him pretty entertained with all her acrobatics he can see from outside.
I took pictures of the baby's room so I'll share those next time.
37 Weeks
Total Weight Gain: As of my last check up - 21 pounds
Maternity clothes: Always except for elastic gym shorts and t-shirts. My t-shirts are even getting tight. May have to move up to Jason's shirts before too long.
Stretch marks: Not that I can see! :)
Symptoms: Hands swelling at night while I sleep. I'm sure they are kinda swollen in the day too but nothing like at night. It causes me to have trigger digits of my index fingers (where they "catch" when I bend them down and will "pop" when I straighten them out) and will occasionally get some carpal tunnel type numbness. This morning I couldn't feel the button on my alarm when it went off because my finger was numb. But, these symptoms resolve within a few minutes of getting up and so they are somewhat bearable.
Most recent Doctor’s Appt: It was good. I found out I'm Group B negative so no extra antibiotics needed at delivery and he also checked me for the first time. I'm still closed but about 50% effaced. Blood pressure remained low and baby's heartrate was in the 130's.
Best Moment Last Week: I got my massage that Jason and my parents gave me for my birthday! It was quite nice but they never last long enough!
Movement: She's a mover and a shaker...especially at 10:30pm still. She also has been getting the hiccups more often it seems but I can tell she's head down because of where I feel them.
Food Cravings: Nothing in particular. It all sounds good
Belly Button in or out: It sure is trying to become an outie but can't make the commitment so it stays kinda flat.
What I Miss: Running still. I'm looking forward to using the jogging stroller that one of my doctors that I work with gave to us once baby girl arrives. Also, the weather will be cooler so it'll be nice to run.
What am I looking forward to: Baby girl's arrival and finally deciding on a name. We have our name narrowed to 2-3 options (it's the same 3 names in different combinations) but we can't make the decision. Also, since all the showers are done, the room is ready, we're ready, all we have to do is wait so that's what I'm looking forward too!
Milestones: Reaching full term, finishing her room, and installing the car seat base in the car. I haven't put the actual car seat in yet but the base is in.
How is Daddy?: Wonderful. He looks forward to playing with our baby girl instead of just my belly. Although, she can keep him pretty entertained with all her acrobatics he can see from outside.
I took pictures of the baby's room so I'll share those next time.
37 Weeks
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Bump Update
It's been a few weeks since my Bump Progression post so I thought I'd give an update with my most recent bump pictures. I've been doing weekly pictures for these last few weeks so there isn't as much difference between the pictures but she sure is getting big in there! I have a check up this afternoon and we'll see if she's making any progress to joining us in this world or see if she's planning on staying cozy in there for a while longer. For whatever reason, I feel like she's going to spend as much time as she can in there and I'll go past my due date. If that happens, my doctor said he doesn't like for his patients to go more than a week over their due date so I may pick my day to be induced (about a week after) so that we have it scheduled. He said there have been times that if he didn't schedule, patients would be bumped on their induction day because they wouldn't have room in the hospital. That still can happen but would be less likely if we plan now. Hopefully those plans will never come into play and baby girl will arrive when she's suppose to but it's good to have a back up plan.
I'll give another update after my appointment today and I plan to put up pictures of her room soon. It's a lot closer to being done so hopefully I'll get pictures soon! Now, the belly pics:
32 Weeks
34 Weeks
35 Weeks
36 Weeks
I'll give another update after my appointment today and I plan to put up pictures of her room soon. It's a lot closer to being done so hopefully I'll get pictures soon! Now, the belly pics:
32 Weeks
34 Weeks
35 Weeks
36 Weeks
Friday, August 13, 2010
Ready!.....or not....
Ready or not kind of sums up my thoughts about baby girl arriving in the next few weeks. On one hand I'm ready to meet her, ready for her to meet her wonderful loving, supportive family, and ready to spend some time (off work :) )with her. On the other, I feel like I'm pretty unprepared for her to arrive. I'm unsure that I'll know what to do or how to do it. I wonder how I'll embrace the mother role - people say that the instinct just kicks in... sure hope that's true because it doesn't seem to have come along yet. But I also know there are many people out there that will help out and give advice whenever I need it. I know we have all the "supplies" we need for her arrival - probably way more than what we need - but actually imagining her in her room, in her car seat, in our lives seems unreal. I think about when I go into labor and make the calls to the family that we're going to the hospital and even the trials that labor will bring but it's hard to imagine us coming home with our sweet baby girl. I'm sure all first timers have these same thoughts and worries, and I'd almost be worried if they didn't, but for the planning, A-type personality person that I am, I don't like not knowing what to expect. I guess being so close to the end brings up all the what ifs and worries that you may have thought of before but pushed to the back because you had time then to figure it all out. Well, now those things are all coming back and it's only a matter of days before she arrives.
Whether it be tomorrow (hopefully not) or a couple weeks from now, when she makes her grand arrival I'm sure just getting to see her and hold her helps put these things at ease. Deep down I am ready for our baby and can't wait for my parents, in-laws, brother, cousins, etc to meet her too. Just on the surface I keep thinking of all the things we need to finish - like picking a name. People keep asking me what it'll be and I honestly don't know. We're not keeping it a secret or waiting to see what she looks like before we decide, it's just that we can't agree on a name. We've narrowed it down to a couple of choices, it's just a matter of picking which combination of names we like the best. We're also taking into consideration ways the name could be made fun of. That may seem silly to some but I don't want my child coming home from school crying because she's being picked on because of her name. I know that kids will find any and every way to make fun of someone (regardless of their name) if they really want to so I probably shouldn't place as much emphasis on that but it's something we think about. Its just hard deciding on what name you are going to give a person for the rest of their life. Hopefully we'll find a resolution soon.
Other things I feel like I have to get done now (even if I don't need to) include deciding on child care once I go back to work, getting her health insurance (which is kinda important but I know whatever you decide for insurance, it's retroactive to the date of birth), having everything in order at home (nesting), bags packed for the hospital, lists of names and numbers for people we'll need to call when she arrives, getting all of my thank you notes out now, deciding on when or if we'll induce if she comes late, and the list goes on. Everything will get done at some point and everything will be fine...I just like to have everything lined out and planned before it all happens.
Sorry I've rambled on in this post...just my thoughts over the last couple of days. My appointment on Wednesday went well. All of the normal stuff was still normal - baby's heart rate was in the 150's, he checked for position and feels like she's head down, had my Group B strep test (wonderful...), and went over what to do if labor occurs. Next week I'll get my test results and he'll check me for the first time. We're getting closer and closer and believe it or not....I'm ready! :)
Whether it be tomorrow (hopefully not) or a couple weeks from now, when she makes her grand arrival I'm sure just getting to see her and hold her helps put these things at ease. Deep down I am ready for our baby and can't wait for my parents, in-laws, brother, cousins, etc to meet her too. Just on the surface I keep thinking of all the things we need to finish - like picking a name. People keep asking me what it'll be and I honestly don't know. We're not keeping it a secret or waiting to see what she looks like before we decide, it's just that we can't agree on a name. We've narrowed it down to a couple of choices, it's just a matter of picking which combination of names we like the best. We're also taking into consideration ways the name could be made fun of. That may seem silly to some but I don't want my child coming home from school crying because she's being picked on because of her name. I know that kids will find any and every way to make fun of someone (regardless of their name) if they really want to so I probably shouldn't place as much emphasis on that but it's something we think about. Its just hard deciding on what name you are going to give a person for the rest of their life. Hopefully we'll find a resolution soon.
Other things I feel like I have to get done now (even if I don't need to) include deciding on child care once I go back to work, getting her health insurance (which is kinda important but I know whatever you decide for insurance, it's retroactive to the date of birth), having everything in order at home (nesting), bags packed for the hospital, lists of names and numbers for people we'll need to call when she arrives, getting all of my thank you notes out now, deciding on when or if we'll induce if she comes late, and the list goes on. Everything will get done at some point and everything will be fine...I just like to have everything lined out and planned before it all happens.
Sorry I've rambled on in this post...just my thoughts over the last couple of days. My appointment on Wednesday went well. All of the normal stuff was still normal - baby's heart rate was in the 150's, he checked for position and feels like she's head down, had my Group B strep test (wonderful...), and went over what to do if labor occurs. Next week I'll get my test results and he'll check me for the first time. We're getting closer and closer and believe it or not....I'm ready! :)
Monday, August 9, 2010
Blessed!
We had a full weekend of fun, family and showers! It all started with my baby shower given by my co-workers on Friday afternoon. We received many cute outfits and things for the nursery and had some yummy cupcakes. On Saturday, we had a shower for friends and family hosted by my cousins, sister-in-law, and family friend. We got a lot of baby gear including the pack-n-play, high chair, baby "backpack" carrier, monitor, crib mattress as well as clothes and toys. Then, to conclude the weekend, we had a shower hosted by the ladies at church. We received many wonderful gifts and money that will be used to help pay for the bedding we had made.
It is just incredible the love and support we have from our family and friends! The baby's room went from a room with a crib and a few supplies to overflowing with all things baby and running out of places to put them. My parents were here for the showers and my mom and I had a good time going through everything and ooohing and aaahing over the cute gifts again. Now, I just need to get them all put away, take a few things back that are duplicates, and wait for baby to get here. In the mean time, I have an abundace of Thank You notes to write so I better get to it. Here's a slide show of a few of the pictures from the weekend!
It is just incredible the love and support we have from our family and friends! The baby's room went from a room with a crib and a few supplies to overflowing with all things baby and running out of places to put them. My parents were here for the showers and my mom and I had a good time going through everything and ooohing and aaahing over the cute gifts again. Now, I just need to get them all put away, take a few things back that are duplicates, and wait for baby to get here. In the mean time, I have an abundace of Thank You notes to write so I better get to it. Here's a slide show of a few of the pictures from the weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)