Everything I Could Want to Know about Obstetrics

Nope, baby is still not here yet.  Way too comfy in there, especially with a stubborn cervix blocking the way.

Thus, as a result, I now know more than I'd ever wanted to know about induction methods.  From cervical dilators to contraction stimulating drugs (ie, pitocin) to cervical balloon catheters, I can probably tell you almost as much as the nurses or doctors can.

I really wasn't planning on sharing this, but it's going to come out eventually, I guess.  I don't know why I haven't really wanted to tell too many people, since it's not really a big deal except that it makes me feel like my body is failing me in the whole childbirth process and I'm embarrassed for whatever reason.  I've been at the hospital since 7pm on Tuesday night (continuing for a very boring 72 hours) for labor induction, obviously with no luck.  My very stubborn cervix and the very comfortable baby have made trying multiple doses of 2 different cervical dilators and 2 days of pitocin unsuccessful. 

We thought s/he might end up being a Halloween baby, especially after we've spent the last 10 months talking about how we did NOT want baby to be born on Halloween (and frankly, we never realistically considered it because baby was due a whopping 11 days ago!).  I tried to come around to the idea of a Halloween baby - an easy theme for birthday parties! 

However, it being Halloween and pretty far into the evening with a still-unfavorable cervix, Craig & I are now looking at a November baby instead of an October baby.  But, hey, maybe that's ok because October's birthstones are opal (very hard to come by the natural form) or pink tourmaline (expensive and not really appropriate if it's a boy), whereas November's are topaz or citrine (both yellow and conveniently gender-neutral).  (Obviously, this is trivial, but it was something my mom made me look up to distract me during this long hospital stay.)

Our last resort before c-section is a balloon catheter, which will be placed within the next hour or so.  If that helps to dilate me by morning, then it's one more round of pitocin tomorrow to help initiate contractions.

So, for those of you still waiting, praying, and hoping, if tonight's balloon catheter is unsuccessful, we are probably going to end up scheduling a c-section within the next few days, since babies born after 42 weeks (which I hit on Monday) have a significantly higher risk of stillbirth.  We especially appreciate the prayers, since a c-section is a major surgery with significant recovery demands.  At this point, we are just wanting a healthy baby.  Craig has been wonderful and super-supportive with my desires regarding these medical decisions over the last few days, which has made this process a little smoother.

So, I hope there are no hard feelings that I didn't share this information with you on a more timely basis.  I'm hoping blogging about it will help me come to terms with this unexpected birth process both mentally and emotionally.  I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel - our beautiful new baby!  And the other thing that has kept me sane over the last few days is the curiosity of whether it's a he or a she!  That will be an exciting moment for sure!

41 Weeks

...and still cooking!

41 Weeks Pregnant

I was asked if I had any gut feeling on whether baby is a boy or girl, but I really don't.  I asked Craig the same question, and he said, "At this point, I'll take either one, as long as it gets the heck out of there!"  Haha!  It's cute to see him so impatient to meet our child!

Bags are packed and we're ready to go at a moment's notice.  I cleaned the house (again!) and got a few baby clothes ready to wash for when baby comes back home.  It's hard to know whether to have newborn stuff or 0-3 month size ready, since we don't know how much baby will weigh at birth.  Most of the newborn stuff says up to 8.5 lbs, and I'm sincerely hoping the baby isn't any bigger than that!

I created a playlist of music that should distract me from contractions once I go into labor.  Lots of "move music," as I call it.  I also downloaded a white noise app if I need something more "soothing" like beach sounds.  I have no idea whether I'll be a calm laborer or if I'll turn into something from the Exorcist like my mom said she did.

When we were in labor & delivery to see my doctor on Sunday, I was really pleased to see that the hospital still has crucifixes up in each room.  That should make a good focal point if I need it.  And I am also excited that I have my Babcia's gold "#1 Mom" pendant to wear after the birth.

My goal today (now that the vacuuming, mopping, & laundry are done!) is to relax and talk baby into packing his/her suitcase!

Here's the new movie of all the baby bump pictures!

Doctor, Doctor

Sorry, I couldn't resist titling this post after the Thompson Twins' popular song!  I remember dancing to it with a broom on my parent's deck when I was young.  By that time, it was way past its release date (1984, if you're curious), but I remember it clearly on a tape with a lot of other great songs, like Toto's "Rosanna" and Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue."  Something is definitely wrong with you if the lyrics from one of these songs doesn't get in your head now, haha!

Today is officially 41 weeks.  We headed in for another ultrasound and exam.  There have been no changes in how I'm feeling as of yet - still feeling baby move regularly & not feeling any contractions (that I know of).  I'm still a happy, though progressively more impatient, pregnant woman.

We passed the time this morning with grocery shopping and putting together a few early Christmas gifts from baby's Babcia - a toy chest and footstool.  (Though, the footstool probably won't be used for a long while yet!  Luckily, it tucks nicely into the toy chest until we need it.)

Cute little footstool for baby!

The beautiful toy chest!

The ultrasound went well:  baby still has plenty of amniotic fluid, is showing signs of fetal breathing, and is moving around well.  His/her head is nicely engaged in my pelvis.  Status quo from last week.  The ultrasound tech clued us in a little cool fact about baby - s/he has a ton of hair on his/her head!  We even got to see it waving around on the ultrasound screen.  Don't let the peaceful picture below fool you - s/he was moving around like crazy in there!

Baby's cute little face & hand/arm at 41 weeks.

As for my stubborn cervix, the doctor today agreed with my usual doctor that it is still quite stubbornly not dilated.  There's nothing new they (or I) can do at this point if labor doesn't start on its own except consider induction with a cervical dilating gel overnight followed by a pitocin IV to start contractions.  I'm so not eager to go that route.  So, in the meantime, we'll let you know when there's new news to share.

40 + 6

Yep, 6 days overdue now.  Baby must be pretty darn comfy in there!  We had a doctor appointment this morning for another nonstress test and exam.  I went into it pretty anxious, considering both the doctor and my husband (as well as many family members & friends apparently) are inclined to induce labor at this point.  I had 5 days of acupuncture treatments and tried a lot of the previously-mentioned mythical natural induction methods over the last week, without success.

I've cleaned just about everything (well, except the garage!) and there isn't a single thing I still need to do for the baby's arrival here at the house.  I've been trying to relax and think positively about baby's arrival in hopes that will help move things along.  I've almost gone the route of turning off my cell phone to stop hearing "Have you had the baby yet?," but I know that's just people being excited.  I'm excited to meet our little one too, but frankly, it's becoming a lot of pressure on me to produce this child that is apparently still happy in the womb.  This link has absolutely the best response to this question!

I'm sure everyone is eagerly anticipating the results of the doctor appointment to see what the next steps are, so I won't continue to be suspenseful!  Baby passed the nonstress test just fine (and it was, as always, fun to hear his/her heartbeat chugging along).  Apparently I also had a contraction during the test, but it wasn't anything I was aware of, so that's interesting. 

However, I am still not dilated at all (which received a "Yours is the most stubborn cervix" comment from the doctor).  So, I am getting scheduled for another ultrasound and exam (with another doctor since mine will be off) tomorrow.  I know my doctor is eager to induce me because it's getting pretty late in the game (as noted by his comment "If you were my daughter or wife, you'd have already had the baby"), but I managed to hold him off for a few more days to see if things progress on their own (provided baby continues to do well). 

[On a side note, I don't want it to seem like I dislike my doctor - he is really great!  He is very informative and empathetic, and he always takes whatever time is needed to answer my questions.  This being my first pregnancy, I'm just a little (or more than a little!) anxious and I'm finding it hard to trust his medical opinion as the be-all-and-end-all even though I know he's the expert here.]

So, we are just hoping and praying that the baby decides it's time already and makes his/her entry into the world soon.

Gracious Father, Your Word, spoken in love, created the human family 

and Your Son, conceived in love, restored it to Your friendship. 

Hear my prayers as I await the birth of our child. 

Calm my fears when I am anxious.
Watch over and support me 

and bring our child into this world safely and in good health, 

so that, as members of Your family, we may praise You and glorify You 

through Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever. 

Amen.

(Adapted from http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/pregnant.htm)

A Still-Pregnant Pincushion

Today will be my 4th day straight of acupuncture treatments to try to get this baby moving out (thanks Emily!).  I feel like a real-life pincushion (not that the needles hurt, just that it's literally what I look like when I'm having a treatment!).  My anxiety about needing medical induction is rising, with opinions coming at me from both medical and personal avenues.  (I never realized how the question "Have you had the baby yet?" would make someone who is overdue feel.  Not that I don't understand and commiserate with everyone who is excited; it's just a lot of pressure and guilt when your body hasn't yet pushed out the cute little bundle of joy that everyone is eager to meet.  And the pregnancy hormones don't make it any easier to cope with this issue of wondering why baby hasn't yet arrived.)

Both of my parents are of the mind that, as my dad put it, "The pear only falls from the tree when it is fully ripened."  I'd like to stand by that philosophy, but there are medical reasons why an induction could be necessary in the next week or two.  The doctor is keeping a close eye on how the baby is doing with regular nonstress tests (the next of which is scheduled for Sunday), so I'm really feeling that, as long as baby is doing ok, there's no medical need for induction as of yet.  Even he says that labor doesn't start until the baby produces a specific hormone from the adrenal glands, but he still recommends induction after a week past the due date.  I'm trying to stick by my guns that if baby is fine, I don't want to be induced unless it's medically necessary, but that is very difficult when there aren't too many people around that agree.  I know the risks to both me & baby increase as time continues, but a lot of my research has shown that first-time mothers don't tend to give birth until 41 weeks naturally anyway and that one medical intervention (like a cervical dilator medication) can lead to others (check out this Mayo Clinic website on induction risks).  At least I'll get to have a quiet prayerful hour at church to contemplate things right before going for my next exam on Sunday morning.

Anyway, enough talk about my nervousness about medical interventions.  I have been a cleaning fanatic this week; no, not because of any increased energy on my end but more because I'm bored being home from work with no baby to attend to.  In the last few days, I've changed out the summer clothes for winter items in our closet & dressers, cleaned & reorganized the fridge & freezer (I couldn't believe how gross it was after only 6 months since the last cleaning!), and washed a few of baby's things.  Our niece made beautiful slipcovers (thanks Justine!) for this nursing pillow (similar to the Boppy type) that I got online for free.  (I'm so glad she is putting my sewing machine to good use!  I am pretty crafty, but I never could get used to the sewing machine!  So much for following in the footsteps of having a seamstress as a grandmother and a father who had a stint as a tailor!)

Justine picked out some pretty cool fabric patterns!

If it ever stops raining, I intend to get out and walk today.  Walking is supposed to be another natural inducer of labor - something about gravity helping pull baby down further into the birth canal.  I think I'll make it productive & wander down the street to CVS to pick up the last book of stamps that I'll need for the baby announcements.

I also tried a yoga labor-inducing dance on YouTube for giggles.  I'm sure I looked ridiculous!  I did, however, find a pretty decent 10 minute pregnancy meditation soundtrack that helped relax me.  Here's to happy thoughts about baby's impending arrival, whatever method that takes.

Any Baby Yet?

See, this delay in the baby's arrival just makes me think even more that Craig paid off the doctor and ultrasound techs to show me pictures and play me heartbeats from some other woman's pregnancy, and that I'm just terribly fat, haha!  Which would mean all the baby movements I have been feeling were just gas!

40 Weeks Pregnant

No, I don't really think that, but I am not the most patient person in the world and waiting for our little one to make his/her debut is somewhat tedious, especially now that I'm on maternity leave.  The house is officially spotless - the windows & curtains are washed, the floors are vacuumed & mopped, my craft closet is reorganized, all the laundry that could be done is finished and put away.  I think all that's left is to empty the refrigerator, wipe it down, and reorganize the groceries.  (Frankly, I would rather wash windows at five other houses than do that!)

So for everyone watching and waiting (and blowing up my phone daily like it's Grand Central Station), there is no news yet and yes, we'll be letting you know when there is, so you don't have to worry!  I truly am grateful for all the caring calls & texts, but I promise we won't be waiting any longer than we absolutely need to in order to spread the good news about baby's arrival.  (Grandparents get first dibs though!)

I started seeing my friend Emily for acupuncture again as of Tuesday; there are some papers out there that talk about acupuncture for labor induction, but nothing conclusive.  I like having an hour to be totally "unplugged" from the world when the needles are in, so it wasn't really a hard decision for me to try it (especially when I had such great luck with it regulating my cycle over a year ago).  I have daily appointments scheduled through Saturday and am hoping it helps the process a little.

This morning we had a LONG appointment at the doctor's office.  First was a non-stress test to check on the baby's heartbeat during his/her movements.  A fairly boring test, in my opinion, as I just laid there strapped to a monitor for 20 minutes and pressed a button when the baby moved.  The test looks for an increase in baby's heartrate when s/he moves, which is exactly what we saw with our little one.  The nurse even put Craig to work holding the fetal monitor pressed against my belly in the correct position.  I was pretty excited when I could see the heartrate increase in number just before I felt the baby kick!

Then we had a 40-week ultrasound to check the baby's growth and the level of amniotic fluid remaining (this is called a biophysical profile).  I was really nervous we would accidentally see the sex of the baby (well, we've waiting 40+ weeks and I didn't want anything to ruin the surprise at the very end!), but it was fun to see the baby again (though it would be better in-person!).  Baby wasn't too cooperative and was positioned so low that the face pictures (below) aren't spectacular and the tech wasn't able to get a profile view.

Baby at 40+ weeks

A little camera shy!

 Finally, we rounded out the morning with an appointment with the doctor to get all the results and see if there was any need to think induction at this point in time.  As it turns out, my cervix is still not dilated at all, so I'm heading back to the doctor on Sunday after church to get another nonstress test and an exam.  The doctor hopes that I won't still be pregnant by then (us too!) , as things can happen quickly at any time, but if things are still closed up by Sunday, we will have to have the induction talk.

Honestly, I would prefer to deliver by the end of this week, but I keep reading about one medical intervention (induction, for example) leading to others (like C-sections), so I prefer we wait him/her out if we can.  I read somewhere that anxiety about labor & delivery can keep your body from relaxing enough to actually get labor started, so I'm trying to remember that God will guide me through this process and I only have to rely on Him.

Due Date is Today!

I think both Craig & I can admit that the arrival of our due date is a little bittersweet:  baby has not arrived yet, and we've been anticipating this date for 40 weeks!  I'll be trying a few natural induction methods (with little real proof behind them) today like acupressure points and walking, in addition to several weeks of eating 6 dried dates a day (supposedly containing a chemical similar to oxytocin).

We worked on the "honey-do-list" over the weekend and got the mirror (Thanks Deb!) and alphabet thing hung up in the baby's room.  It's finally looking complete now!  (Craig also hung additional towel hooks in the bathroom, fixed our coat hook rack in the back entry, and replaced the headlights & highbeams in the Saab.  Whew!  Busy guy!)

Finally added the mirror!

The alphabet thing is covered in glass & hung up.

 I found a cute picture online and we tried to mimic it, with pretty decent results (though it was cold outside while we were taking photos!).  I think my "pumpkin" still beats Craig's!

Our "pumpkin pic"

I'm not sure what I'm going to do to entertain myself until the baby is born, now that I'm off from work on maternity leave.  I was thinking to tackle washing all of the curtains and windows in the house today, plus work on an online course that I'll be teaching.  There are the usual grocery shopping, cleaning, & laundry tasks that I normally do throughout the week, but that's not really fun stuff.  And one can only binge-watch so much NetFlix!  Hopefully the baby doesn't keep us waiting too long.  Craig has been talking to my belly and telling the baby that s/he'd better get a move on since s/he's getting evicted this week!  It's really quite funny to listen to him!

Everything at home is ready for baby's arrival, but I am beginning to feel petrified about labor.  Not really the contractions or pain part; more like when's it going to happen.  The planner in me is having a tough time not knowing a specific date & time!  (Ok, who am I kidding?  I'm a little nervous about the pain too, but as Chelsea said in comforting me, "Women have been doing this for a long time!  Just remember that your body knows what it's doing!")  I have to remember that this is all in God's hands and that He never gives us things we can't handle.

Due Date Around the Corner!

Wow, neither Craig nor I can believe that this baby is due in just a couple of days!  I guess we'll see about that in reality though, because the doctor declared there was no dilation action happening yet at our appointment on Thursday.  Now, that doesn't mean that baby can't come anytime; he just felt s/he was not planning to arrive Thursday night, haha!  I guess that's ok with me anyway, since I planned to work my last day on Friday and since my mother somehow came down with a head cold earlier this week and is still recovering.  Craig won't let her anywhere near me or baby until she is 100% better (which she is coming close to very quickly at least!), and I am hoping she will be in the delivery room with us.

In other news at the appointment, we listened to the baby's heartbeat again.  The doc declared, "It sounds like s/he is comfy in there!"  We talked about next steps if I make it to my next appointment on the 22nd still pregnant, but he said that 85% of women go into labor naturally by or on their due date, so he thinks he won't see me then.  Plus, I told him Monday looks good for delivery, since he's the doc on call anyway!

I got a few surprises from my students this week.  A group of them got together and bought baby some hats/mittens, a cute footed pajama with a moose on it, and a little tiger blankie.  Then, the following day, another student gave me a set of two taggies blankets that she actually sewed herself!  It was so sweet of them all, very touching!

Gifts from some of my students

Handmade blankies from another student

 In other news, we finally got the baby monitor working (Thanks Mike!) and tested it out.  It's pretty cool because you can hear what the baby is doing and turn on a microphone to talk to the baby in response.  (We tested this out with me doing the "Wahhh!"-ing from in the baby's room and Craig doing the "Shush"-ing from our room.)  Here's a picture of how great the camera is in night-vision!  It is even more impressive in the light.

Craig mounted the camera in perfect position over the crib.

We can even pan/tilt the camera to see elsewhere in the baby's room, so beware all you houseguests, haha!  It's pretty inconspicuous mounted in the corner behind the door.  Craig made it so that we can access it from our living room TV, his Nook, and both of our cell phones (from both our home WiFi connection and from anywhere).

Our excitement is building; we can't wait to meet our new addition!

39 Weeks!

This week is supposed to mark my last week of pregnancy, but a lot of my online research has showed that first-time moms tend to go past their due date.  I haven't had signs of impending labor except a few Braxton-Hicks contractions that were more uncomfortable than usual and a feeling that baby's head is WAAAAAAY down in my pelvis (it feels funny when I bend down & stand back up).

39 Weeks Pregnant

I've been nesting a little more than usual (Craig is even noticing).  I hung a few picture frames up at the bottom of the stairs - one big frame for our family picture, a frame for baby's first hand- & footprints (Thanks Barbara!), and a frame for baby's monthly pictures over the first year (Thanks Jill!).  I also hung a little cross (direct from Jerusalem made from olive wood from the Mount of Olives & blessed by our parish priest) over baby's crib (and put on some crib guards to prevent baby from using the crib rails as a chew toy - a recommendation from my brother).

The "Wall of Baby" at the bottom of the stairs

Baby's crib complete with crib rail wraps and cross on the wall

I overdid it a little on Monday.  Craig & I were both off for the Columbus Day holiday, so we trekked to WalMart to get new pillows, to the auto store to pick up new headlight bulbs (feels like we're doing this a little too frequently for the Saab...), and to the grocery store to stock up on fresh food for the week.  We took a 2-hour break for lunch & a rest, but I still felt exhausted by the end of the day.  I was worried this all would bring on labor, but a little R&R helped and I felt better by late evening.

I am eagerly anticipating our doctor appointment this week.  We'll get to find out if I'm dilated at all, not that that means anything definite because women can be dilated for WEEKS before labor.  But, I'm curious!  (As is everyone else who has been calling & texting to check in!  Part of me really wants to say something cheeky in response like, "Oh, we had the baby a few days ago and returned home last night, so you can come over now if you want to meet the little one."  Craig would prefer to respond with a fake call to come visit the newborn at the hospital, with a follow-up call about 30 minutes later when everyone is driving on their way to say "False alarm!"  Because really, like we would hold back on announcing the news to our close friends & family, haha!  We all just have to be patient and let the baby come on his/her own time.  I just personally hope it will be after my last few days at work this week.)

We're on a mission to get the baby monitor (Thanks May & Hannah!) installed this week, but this has not been without its mishaps, like having to restart our entire router system back to factory default settings.  I'm sure you can imagine how frustrating that was, and it was not the first attempt we made to figure this out!  Hopefully we will have better luck trying again today with the "alternative" steps in the user manual and possibly the help of our tech-saavy nephew.  At least we know how to get things back to reset mode if we have to do it again, haha!  (And I am always willing to use the can & string communication methods of childhood, if we have to resort to that!)

On a whim, I made a 30-some second video of the progression of my weekly pregnancy pictures.  It came out kind of cool!  Can't wait to add either the 40 week picture or me holding the baby!

Commence Single-Digit Countdown!

I hope you are all as excited as Craig & I are!  The baby is due in a mere 9 days but s/he could arrive any time!  Craig & I are happy to be enjoying a last 3-day holiday weekend together pre-baby, but we're still eagerly awaiting our little one.

I still am not ready mentally, but as baby's Godmother Chelsea said last week as a pep talk, "You obviously won't be the worst mother there ever was!"  (She was not implying anything negative of course; it was so funny in the moment and something that she had kept telling herself before the birth of her first.)  She followed with a comment about how I'm going to be a great mom, which I hope will prove to be the truth!

This weekend I took out some of the small items that will need to be sterilized prior to baby's use - bottles & nipples (thanks Chelsea, Ella, & Olivia!) and parts for my breast pumps.  I ran them through the dishwasher but they're not getting sterilized just yet because I don't want them to get dusty or anything prior to use.  It was great to be able to get them corralled into a dishwasher basket (thanks Emily!).

My way to remember how to assemble these complicated bottles!

Load #1 through the dishwasher...

Load #2 through the dishwasher...

We also installed the car seat base into my car so it's ready to bring home baby.  The car seat will stay in the house until Craig comes to pick baby & me up from the hospital.  (It turns out that it's recommended to discard & replace any car seat that has been in an auto accident, so we're not jinxing it by putting that in early too.)  This is a picture of the seat on the base in the car, because frankly the base is just not cute on its own!

After a YouTube video, I was able to install the base all by myself!

I also installed the car seat organizer (Thanks Missee!) and added a few odds & ends for baby (Thanks April & Molly for the taggies toys!).

The car seat organizer in place.

Filled with goodies for baby!

 I have been inundated with texts and calls of "Any sign of baby yet?" lately.  It doesn't bother me at all (unlike other moms that post on a message board I check online); I am happy that others are as excited as we are for baby's arrival!  I promise that a picture & birth stats will be on here as soon as I can tear myself away from our new bundle of joy.  Speaking of birth stats, don't forget to post your hunches here by clicking on "Enter New Hunches!"  The password to our page is "babylatour" (with no space or caps).  Currently, the majority of you are saying that baby will be a blue-eyed, blonde- or brown-haired, girl!

A Baker's Dozen!

Wow, time is FLYING this month!  There are only 13 days left until my due date.  Baby can arrive at any time!

38 Weeks Pregnant

At this week's doctor's appointment, I got my flu shot and we listened to baby's heartbeat again.  All seems well - normal heartbeat & rate, normal positioning, and no signs of impending labor.

Our next appointment is on the 16th for 39 weeks; I'll get an exam to check for dilation and signs of impending labor.  The doctor also set me up with my post-due date appointment for the 22nd (as he put it, "if you're still pregnant by then") for a non-stress test (to check baby's movement & heartrate), an ultrasound (to check the level of amniotic fluid), and an exam (to check for dilation).  I like seeing the baby on ultrasound, but it would be so much better to see the baby in person before then!

I decided to confirm with work that I'll start maternity leave on the 20th, even if baby hasn't arrived yet.  I've just been getting overtired and probably overdoing it with everything, including work.  Some of my coworkers are surprised I've made it through this far, but really, how could I justify not working when I felt fine?  Now, being so large, even a little physical activity tires me out easily.  (You should see me huff & puff after vacuuming!)  Lately, I've been enjoying the occasional 1 and 1/2 hour nap and still passing out in bed by 10pm.  Next week is a short week for Columbus day, so I only have a few work days left to go.

The cats seem to be getting anxious about me, so I wonder if they can sense that there's a baby in my belly.  Apollo particularly has been climbing all over me and laying across my belly.  Sometimes the baby even kicks him!

Someone's comfortable!

Apollo's new sleeping spot - right across my belly!

I found a really cute book & stuffed "animal" pair for Craig & the baby to share.  It's a stuffed excavator and a book called "Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site" (which happened to be on the NY Times Bestseller List!).  It's a really cute book and I can't wait to take a picture of Craig reading it to the baby.

My recent purchase for Daddy & baby to share!

And now some unfortunate (but definitely not life-threatening) news this week:  I accidentally went over my phone's data allowance by uploading pictures to DropBox to clear my phone to hold more pictures for when baby arrives.  My data doesn't reset until the beginning of November, so I won't even be able to send pictures of the baby when s/he's born!  (Luckily, I can still call & text (but can't send pictures via text) and am able to do internet things like e-mail when my phone is on a WiFi connection at least.)  Craig will definitely be the go-to guy for first baby pics now.  Oh, well; I guess it will give me more time to bond with our new little addition!

Feet, Frozen Food, & a False Alarm

I am so thankful this week for several things:

First, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law & family gave me gift certificates to my favorite spa for my birthday, and I was able to indulge in a much-needed pedicure.  (I never thought I would say this, but it's really hard to reach my feet right now!)  I thoroughly enjoyed the foot soak (though it didn't really help with the tree-trunk-style swelling I am experiencing when I am on my feet all day at work) and chose a pretty fall green polish.  It was great to relax and get a little pampering!

Happier swollen feet!

Mom and I banged out a good half-dozen (or maybe more?) recipes to freeze for dinners once Craig & I are alone with baby in December and may not want (or be awake enough!) to cook.  I have also made an additional five recipes this week to add to the stash.  Craig found us a great used freezer that we literally STUFFED with food.  It was supposed to be for breastmilk storage, but for now it's being put to good use.  So definitely thanks to Mom for a marathon 2-day cooking session (plus a 2-hour BJ's Wholesale Club shopping trip!) last weekend.  I felt our gargantuan efforts warranted a picture:

Our little 2x2x4' freezer STUFFED to the brim!

Lastly, I have to give a huge thank you shout-out to Craig for being so caring on Thursday.  I woke up feeling a little "off" - my belly felt odd and I wasn't sure if baby was going to be making an early appearance!  Craig was concerned and asked me if I thought it was "time."  To which I amusingly responded, "How am I supposed to know?  This is my first time!"  He left for work with orders to keep his phone close by, and I proceeded to go about getting ready for work as well.  After a little breakfast, things calmed down and I felt much better, but Craig texted me to check in at lunch time and make sure all was ok, which was very sweet!

Such a caring Papa Bear!

It's so hard to believe the countdown to baby is at less than 20 days now!  The little labor "scare" on Thursday made me realize that, while everything is ready for baby at home, *I* am certainly not mentally prepared for baby to arrive at any moment!  I am definitely praying for strength to emotionally make it through this transition to motherhood.  I know in my heart that whenever baby does make his/her debut, I will be ready, but it's admittedly a little frightening to me that this little life will be in our hands.

The following excerpt was taken from the book "Prayers for the Mother-to-Be" by Angela Thomas:

"Dear God of Abundance,

You know my fears even before I speak them, but still, I lay them before You. I am overwhelmed by how much I don’t know, and I feel wholly inadequate for the task of parenting. 
...
Speak deeply into my spirit; mentoring my decisions, teaching me to be a mother. I rest in Your assurance to provide beyond what I can give. I take heart in knowing that Your knowledge is complete. I can quit worrying because You promise to be what I can’t. Because confidence is mine through Christ and because You are more than adequate in all things, I pray in Your great name. 

Amen."

3 Weeks to Go!

Craig and I are finding it hard to believe that baby can arrive any time now, since we've hit the 37 week mark.  Even the doctor & nurse were saying "any time now" at our appointment this week!  The doctor ok'd our birth preferences and added them to my medical record.  We're hoping Craig will have the opportunity to be the one to announce the sex of the baby to all in the room (since he was so patient with my desire to be surprised) and of course to cut the umbilical cord.  I'm going to try to have a natural birth, though since my Group B Strep test results came back positive (no cause for concern for me personally, but it is possible the baby could acquire an infection during delivery), I will at least have to have IV antibiotics during labor to protect the baby.  This week I'm feeling good overall, just large and slow-moving.

37 Weeks Pregnant

Baby is measuring at the normal size for this week of gestation, so we're still on track for a "normal" weight baby.  We listened to the heartbeat again (which was particularly reassuring for me, since I got stuck pretty hard with a doorknob in the belly earlier in the day and was concerned).  No flu shot this week because they ran out of them, but that's on the schedule for next week's appointment.

My coworkers threw me a surprise baby shower this week!  It was really sweet and unexpected.  There was a cute cake with a rubber ducky on it and a HUGE basket of gifts.  I was quite moved, to be honest.  I especially loved the yellow & gray neutral blankets they gave me - a few with cute animals on them of course!

The cake from my work baby shower

The generous gift basket from my coworkers!

I was able to "convince" Craig to put together the rocker/swing (thanks Zio Pino & Zio Pina!) for the baby.  Let me just say that I am truly blessed to have a construction-saavy husband, because the directions for these various baby furniture pieces are NOT easy by any means!  You have to read *each and every step* to figure out what to put together at what point or you'd have to go back and take things apart to get it right.  Luckily, Craig doesn't take baby items lightly and made sure everything was constructed properly and as per the directions.  The rocker/swing is beautiful and works great; we can't wait to have the baby in it!

Baby's 2-in-1 rocker swing

I took care of assembling the car seat (thanks Ella, Dorothy, & Natalia!) & accessories (which did not include needing to assemble the car seat itself - so happy for 1-piece in-the-box things!).  I added the warm bundle wrap (thanks Janet & Jeff!), a carseat canopy, and the sun shield for when the seat is waiting in the car on sunny days (thanks Missee!).  The car seat will hang out in a corner of baby's room until it's ready for use, but at least it's all ready to go!  I have hopes that we can install one of the bases in my car this weekend.

Baby has a warm bunting for the winter

The carseat canopy to "hide" the baby.

The sun shield to protect the seat from getting too hot in the car.