Today Today Today Today

Today is myMom's birthday. She's turning 57. I'm 32. When I'm 57 GV will be 24. If he waits as long to have kids as I did (plus thanks to IF it took a longer than average time to happen) then I will be 65 when I get my first grandchild. It's so weird to think that far in the future. My prayer is that both of us are still around in 2034.

Today is my 2nd Blogoversary. Yep! Two years ago today Dr. P and I came up with a plan to fight PCOS (which I didn't have) with weight loss (didn't happen) and clomid (which worked but 15 months later). My life is so different now. Even from a year ago. Sometimes it's still a bit surreal. Sometimes I just want to hug GV a little bit longer and harder than necessary because I still can't believe he's real and he's here and he's mine (ours). When will that feeling stop? Do I want it to?

Today the furniture people called and said that they're for sure delivering tomorrow. After 15 weeks it has arrived in the RIC and is on it's way to my house. Of course the owner of said furniture store called and tried to get me to make that first payment again before he would deliver the furniture. See I disputed the original charge with VISA after the third time they postponed my delivery date. I then conferenced the CC company who told him that he HAD to deliver the furniture before VISA would release the funds they seized. She very nicely explained that I was not holding onto the money, VISA was and that VISA would release only on proof of delivery. So anyways, GV will finally have a crib and dresser! And he only had to wait till he was 8 weeks old! As a side note the owner of the furniture store was the original owner of my house (it was built in 1992). Small world.

Today they put the FOR RENT sign on my house. That makes me a bit sad to think of moving out of this house. This is our first house. The house we chose together, the house we got engaged in (literally), got married in, struggled with TTC in and then welcomed GV home to.  Even though I gripe about this house sometimes, I don't want to leave.

So about the whole DH job situation, Kevin's last day on the job was July 30th. Fortunately about a week after we got back from Chicken's wedding (June 26th) a recruiter called Kevin and asked him if he would be interested in a job in Ta.mpa Bay (I don't think I've mentioned where in Florida I grew up but it's Tam.pa). Well the job is in St.P which is just across the bay.  So he said sure and a couple of phone interviews later they wanted him to travel down for a face to face interview on July 22nd.  He was only gone overnight (I did fine on my own with GV) and by Friday he had a verbal offer.  So we're moving. I'm excited to be moving back to family and friends. I wanted GV to grow up with family. But I'm not excited about going back to Florida. I don't like the heat, the humidity, the beach or the traffic. But I like having an income, I love my family and I really love that with the new salary Kevin is getting we can afford for me to stay home with GV. My goal is to start freelancing again when GV is about 6 months old.

This weekend is GV's baptism.  We decided to do it at the church we got married at here in RVA.  My grandfather (who is my confirmation sponsor) and Wiki are going to be the godparents. They along with my parents are coming up this weekend. On top of that Mum & Dad are here (till the 22nd) so we're going to have a full house! Well only during the day.  Gpa, Wiki, myMom and myDad are all staying at a hotel. Not a normal thing for my family (we usually cramp into the house no matter how many people) but we only have one bed at the moment (Kevin and I are sleeping on an air mattress) so we made an exception.

I promise the next update will come sooner. I'm still reading, mainly on my iph.one which doesn't lend itself to posting or commenting very well, so keep me updated too!

Sleepy Baby

So I finally got GV to sleep in his playpen without waking up.  The past few days he's been waking up almost as soon as I put him down to sleep. While I love that his favorite place to sleep is in my arms, I'm doing my back in from holding him. So I ordered a mei tai from BabyHawk. Now I'm chomping at the bit to get it.  I knew there were instructions here to make your own but considering that it's taken me 6 weeks and I'm no where near even at least half way done crocheting GV's blanket.  I think pulling out the sewing machine and going to the store for fabric would be just too much.

GV is doing fantastic.  His one month checkup was on Tuesday (5 weeks). He's now 24" tall - 98%tile, 11 lbs 14 oz - 90%tile and his head is 15.5" - 69%tile. He got his HepB shot too. That needle was huge! He did not enjoy it at all and let everyone know with a big wail. But he calmed down real quick with a big hug from me and some comforting words from Kevin. The ped noticed some stiffness in his neck when turning his head to the right, which is why he's more prone to look/rest his head to the left rather than right. She said it wasn't a big deal but we have to do a chin to shoulder stretch and an ear to shoulder stretch. He does not like the ear to shoulder stretch.

In other news, this is my first post from my new MBP! That's right, I got a Ma.cBook Pr.o! So exciting! It's my new mom gift. It was between that and a ip.hone 4. But since I'm not an early adopter type of Mac fan I went with the MBP.

Also some more exciting news: Kevin got a job offer! It's only a verbal offer but the letter is on it's way (hopefully!). Yes it means we're moving. Out of state. I don't want to jinx ourselves though so I'll write more about it on Monday since we should get the letter then.

One Month

Dear GV,

Today you are one month old. Wow! How did we get here? You are such a special baby. Your daddy and I love you so very much. You were worth the wait.

You've had a great and busy month.

• You started in the NICU but did so well that you came out in less than 24 hours. 
• When you came home both Dave and Les were infatuated with you. Dave watched over you and Les was unhappy with us anytime you fretted or cried.  
• You got your first bottle from Daddy at 4 days.  Mom & Nina went out during your 2pm feeding so Dad took care of you.
• Even though we had a rocky start to breastfeeding, you became a champion and it only took you 6 days to get back up to birth weight. 
• Your first road trip (to Florida for Chicken's wedding) was at 6 days. You were a great traveller!
• You met Chicklet for the first time at 8 days! She gave you a big hug!
• You rolled over at 9 days! All by yourself. Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, Nina and I were all there watching you do it.
• Your first party was at 10 days. Chicken & J's rehearsal dinner. You slept through the whole thing.
• Your second party was at 11 days. Chicken & J's wedding.  You and I had our first mother-son dance. I cried because I was so happy.
• First beach visit at 12 days. We only spent about 5 minutes there because you and your mommy got really hot.
• Second road trip at 13 days. Back home. Also, you pooped on your mommy. So much poop that it came out of your diaper. Ugh!
• Grandma and Grandpa arrived for their visit when you were 17 days old. Nina missed you so much that she came too.
• Your first 4th of July at 19 days. Grandma was so excited you had three(!) outfits to wear that day. You lost your umbilical cord today.
• You met your Uncle E at 20 days. You also went out to eat for the first time. You did great! Also you pooped on your Dad while he was feeding you. Ha! Ha!
• Because your ped was on vacation when you hit 2 weeks you didn't go for your 2 week checkup till you were 3 weeks old. You rocked the scale at 10lbs 1oz. Someone is a great nurser!
• That day you finally started using your gpants. Mommy wanted to get a picture of the g on your bum, but you didn't want to. So you rolled over. Again and again. About 6 or 7 times. 
• Your first bath was at 22 days. You liked it at first but then wanted to be dry again. Like now. We took way too long to pat you dry.
• Our first day on our own was at 29 days. Nina had gone home long ago, Grandma & Grandpa has left a few days earlier and Daddy went back to work. We had a great day and were very excited when Daddy came home for lunch and at the end of the day.

You are such a good baby. You only get upset when you're hungry.  Much like your dad. Also you don't like having your diaper changed at night. We're hoping that having a wipes warmer will make this a much more pleasant experience. You don't like being hot but you love being outdoors. You don't like being strapped into your car seat but love being swung while in your car seat. During the day you like to be awake after feedings for about an hour or so and then you're ready for a nap. You get the hiccups, a lot. "They" say they don't bug you, but they bug me. You don't like pacifiers. You have 8 and you don't like any of them. I think it's because you don't see the point of them.

Daddy and I love you so much. You are the best part of us.

Love,
Mommy
xxx

The Day Between

So I've been holding onto this post for the past week.  There are so many things that I want to write about but between all the stuff happening, my innate laziness and all our visitors this post is taking forever to finish.  So I will hit publish at the end of this moment of silence and we'll see what happens.

• First, GV is a fantastic baby.  According to sources he looks exactly like me.  He has Kevin's ears though. Pointy Spock ears.  He also has Kevin's wrinkled forehead.  But he has my eyes and nose.
• The gdiapers are going okay.  We used the tiny gpants once we got home from the hospital but then switched to disposables on the way down to Florida and while in Florida. Then it was just easier to stay on them (myMom bought a huge box that we still haven't gone through yet) but finally decided to save them for trips out and about since it's easier.  Now we're using size small little gpants. A couple of leaks and but at least we haven't had poo leaks like we've had with the the 'sposies.
• Breastfeeding is going great. I have a post coming about it.
• We had our first ped appt the day after we came home from the hospital and GV was doing great.  He has a blocked tear duct on his right eye.  He weighed in at 8lbs 6 oz.  She thought it was the lowest he'd get. She also wants us to time feedings during the day to about 2-2.5 hours apart and feedings at night to 4 hours apart.  We often had to wake him up for his day feedings and magically we had to wake him up a couple of times for his night feedings.
• Our second ped appt was at 6 days (Monday).  She wanted us to come in on Tuesday but because we were going down to Florida we had to do Monday.  GV was up to 8lbs 10oz. His birth weight! Also we got prescribed something for his eye. Putting that in was painful, not for GV, for us.
• The trip down to Florida (Monday-Tuesday) went well.  Originally Wiki was going to fly back down to Florida on the Saturday but she didn't so that she could drive down with us.  We had to stop every two and a half hours to feed GV but he did well. We stopped in SC overnight and Kevin had a job interview that morning. It went well (we think) but we're not sure what's going to come of it. Right now there's not actually a position, but they're interested in Kevin. We got to Florida around 1am.  After a quick feeding GV got to spend some time with his grandparents.
• I had my first tear filled meltdown when we started the drive down to Florida. Everytime we got into the car I was really freaked out about how GV's chin would rest on his chest. I thought for sure he would stop breathing and worse I would be sitting right next to him and not know till it was too late.  I tried explaining my concern to Kevin and Wiki but the weren't as concerned as I was and so I burst into tears before we even got out of RVA. But I texted Chicken and she had the same fears I did so she told me to use receiving blankets to prop up his head.  I could breathe after doing that.
• I seriously thought there was going to be a throw down between myDad, myMom & Wiki over who would hold GV first after feedings.

Okay fretting. More later.

Hello My Son, part two

When GV was born he didn't give out that lusty cry (he was making noise though).  They cleaned him up while he was on me and then after a short while moved him to the baby station the check him over.  Because he wasn't giving that lusty cry they were concerned that he wasn't clearing the fluid out of his lungs and fully opening the air sacs in his lungs.  They still couldn't get him to cry out and the decision was made to NICU. Meanwhile Dr. P was seeing to me (2nd degree tear). They eventually let Wiki back into the room (she left when I started pushing) so we all got to see him until they took him away.

In the NICU they gave GV an IV and started him on antibiotics.  Apparently when they stuck him he gave the yell but because they started the IV they had to finish it up. Which is messed up because they gave him the IV because he wouldn't cry out.

Around 4pm they transferred me to the postpartum room but we got to stop by the NICU first. GV was so precious and little in that special bed but then you'd look at the other babies next to him and he was a giant compared to them. We weren't allowed to hold him then but they said when he got moved to the other NICU room then we would get to hold him. We were told that we could visit with him whenever we wanted but that at 9pm he would have a feeding.

We went to the room and updated family and made phone calls and such. Also the postpartum nurse brought the hospital breast pump so that I could start pumping since I couldn't breastfeed right away.  The amount I got was pathetic considering I had those things on my boops for 15 minutes.  But they said it was a good amount.  The NICU nurse had said to send anything down and they would add it to the formula he would be getting at 9pm.  When Wiki dropped it off they had already moved him down to the other room.  We went down for his feeding (we missed it by a few minutes) but I finally got to hold him.  He was so quiet and with such huge eyes. Kevin got to hold him afterwards. Wiki went home after the visit and the NICU nurse said that I should pump for the next feeding but then we would try to get him to latch and nurse for a bit after his midnight feeding.

Hello My Son

On Monday morning, June 14th, around 3:15am I woke up with a bad AF-type cramp.  It passed after a few minutes and I fell back asleep. Then about 30 minutes later I had another one. That was the pattern for the day.  A cramp every 30-45 minutes, nothing bad, just uncomfortable.  So I was looking forward to my OB appt & NST because I thought for sure I would be more dilated or something. I even warned Kevin that I might be calling him after my appt and having him meet me at the hospital.

My appt was at 1pm. Dr. P was at the hospital with a delivery so I saw the on call OB instead. He was horrible. Let's just say that he wasn't the gentlest of doctors when doing the cervical check. I was still at less than 1 cm. The NST was okay. GV didn't really move that much but I had a couple of cramps while hooked up on the machine so I was able to see those and his reaction to them.  Afterwards Wiki and I went to a couple of stores and then met Kevin back at the house for a late dinner. Before dinner, around 7pm, the cramps started to get more frequent and hurt a bit more. They were about four to five minutes apart. Wiki wanted me to call the OB but I wanted to wait. Since I hadn't had any Braxton-Hicks, I wanted to make sure these weren't them.  I knew eating/drinking and lying down could help relieve them so we had dinner and afterwards I laid down on the couch. They slowed to around 8 minutes apart.  But then the cramps changed to contractions. The pain was low (under the belly) but then would move around to my lower back. Plus they went to being 3-4 minutes apart. So finally around 10pm I called the OB. It was the same OB I saw in the morning. Grrr. But he did say that I should go in to the hospital. Kevin finished off the hospital bag and then we got in his car while Wiki drove my car.

Somehow my purse ended up in my car with Wiki so when we got to the hospital they wouldn't do anything because I didn't have my ID or insurance card. Kevin kept explaining to them that my sister had my stuff and the lady kept saying that I needed it before I could go to L&D. They accused Kevin of "freaking out" which he got really annoyed about. Finally Wiki showed up right when the L&D nurse did so she told them she was taking me back while Wiki finished off my registration.  What was especially annoying was that I had pre-registered and gone in on Friday to finish off my registration (in case of induction) and they still wouldn't let me in until they saw my ID and insurance card and asked me tons of questions which I had already answered multiple times.

I finally made it to the room around 10:45pm. I got the first cervical check around 11:20pm and was 1-2 cm. They told me since I had made progress since my appt that afternoon that the on call OB said I could have an epidural as soon as I wanted.  The pain wasn't that bad so I told them not yet.  It wasn't that I didn't want an epidural, it's just that I had a fear of them sticking something in my spine. I knew the pain was going to have to be bad enough that the fear was negated.  Anyways they gave me something that took the edge off but around 1am it wore off and I was ready for the epidural.

They let Kevin stay in the room with me but made Wiki leave.  They did the first part of the epidural (where I think they numb you up) and then when the anesthesiologist tried to do the second part I got a shooting pain that wrapped around my left lower back. I yelled.  They tried getting me to explain the pain and I couldn't very well.  So he tried again and I yelled in pain again with the eyes watering up.  He asked me if I had any back injuries and I told him no. He tried once more and this time it was more of a scream with tears falling.  So finally he decided to try a different location. I didn't feel a thing this time.  Later while I was thinking about it, I do have this thing with my back sometimes.  If I'm sitting and I stretch sometimes I'll trigger a pinched nerve in my back (pain on the left side). So I think he found it. If I have more kids I'll have to find out which vertebrae they should not touch!

Shortly after the epidural (1:30am) they checked me again and I was 3-4 cm.  At this point they told us we could get some sleep since we were just waiting for the dilation to happen on it's own. With the epidural in this was possible so we sent Wiki home and Kevin coverted the couch to a bed and settled in. The nurse came back around 3am for another check and I was at 5.5 cm.  Then when the on call OB showed up at 6am they checked me again (boy was I glad for the epidural when he had to check me) and I was at 6 cm and GV was at -1 position.  They decided to break the sac to help aid in dilation (figuring the pressure of GV on the cervix would help). Right after they broke the bag though I got hit with a sudden wave of nausea and my dinner came back out.  It was the first time I lost any meal during this entire pregnancy.

Dr. P came in around 10am and I was at 7-8 cm.  The nurse was guessing that I'd deliver before noon. But then the infection came.  I got the shakes real bad and my temperature started rising.  GV's heartbeat shot up above the normal range.  They gave me oxygen hoping to bring his heartbeat back down but it wasn't doing anything.  So they gave me some antibiotics and kept a close watch on GV.  They also started talking about possibly having to do a c-section because of the infection but when they checked me again just before noon, I was at 9.75 cm but with an anterior lip. By this time Dr. P was around. They needed the lip to go away before I could start pushing. So we waited a bit and after about half an hour it was gone so I could start pushing. But then GV turned from being face down so Dr. P had to help him reposition. But in less than an hour GV was born. They placed him on me and Kevin and I got to say hello to our son. He was born at 1:20pm, 8 lbs 10 oz and 22.5 inches.

Down but not out

GV is in his playard, being quiet, but not sleeping.  He got the hiccups right after his feeding which woke him up from his feeding induced nap.  He's gotten rid of them but now he'll be lying there awake most of the interval between feedings.  At least he's not crying. Okay, now he's starting to make noise...

Last night was actually one of the best nights we've had since we got back home from Florida. He woke up to nurse, nursed and then went back to bed twice.  With at least three hours between feedings. Then after the third one he stayed up a bit. Kevin has been great about getting up and seeing if he can get him to go back down before waking me up. Kevin has been great about a lot of things. But more on that later.

Okay you can't tell but there was an hour break there because GV started fussing a lot.  So I had to take him upstairs to his swing. But I did manage to get his room back in order.  Since his birth we've just been dumping everything in his room. It stayed a mess because we're not really using his room yet. Once we get his furniture in (still not around!) then we'll start using the room more.

And it's time for his next feeding. Gotta go wake him up now. Well get him up, I can hear him stirring. Can I just tell you how much I love this kid? A lot!

GV is here

Admitted

We're in the hospital, hooked to the machines, contemplating an
epidural. GV is on his way!!

Wiki Weekend

First, GV is still in. He is one day late.

This weekend was pretty low key. Friday we watched the world c.up game then went to lunch. Cousin E left afterward and Wiki and I went to my appt at the hospital.  I had to fill out some forms, answer some questions and then give some blood. They are all ready for me on Tuesday. Afterwards we did a bit of shopping and running errands.

Saturday was more wor.ld cup games and of course the England vs. USA game. Big game in the house.  Kevin thought it was going to be a England over USA 5-0. Wiki was hoping for USA over England 2-1 and I thought it would be a 1-1 tie. Then when England scored in the first 4 minutes, Wiki and I got a bit worried. But we were able to come back. Maybe next time we'll get the win. We finished out the night with a visit to Col.dstone.

Yesterday we went to church (after catching some more world cu.p games) and then hung out here. I'm sure it's gotta be pretty boring for Wiki (who's an always-on-the-go kind of gal) but she's been holding up. 

Today I've been up sporadically since 3 am with menstrual type cramps.  They could be labor pains but I'm not sure.  I've got an appointment at 1 so they can tell me then.  myDad is excited because today is the day he picked in the baby pool.

Wiki has landed

Wiki is on her way to RIC now (probably after stopping for food though). She flew in Norfolk because Southw.est doesn't fly here. My cousin who lives in Va Beach (who I very rarely see) is driving her into town because Kevin wasn't too comfortable with me driving out to get her (around a 2 hour trip each way).  Luckily my cousin was actually free this afternoon.

I still haven't cleared out the office yet.  Maybe she can sleep in GV's room for tonight. I did clean the kitchen floors though! Which was the one thing Kevin asked me to do. He mentioned vacuuming but then didn't bring the vacuum downstairs (it's really heavy and I'm not so good walking downstairs when I'm not pregnant) this morning. So I'll just wait till he gets home or do it tomorrow.

I also managed to finish addressing the birth announcements. I had them preship the envelopes. I also ordered 5 extra in case of really bad mistakes (I believe in white-out as long as you get the name bit right) but somehow my order of 55 + 5 turned into 67. Yeah, not sure about their math. But I'm going to have to order more because of myDad's side of the family. I'm sending it to his brothers and sisters (plus my cousins who actually live on their own) and aunts and uncles but not his cousins. It was still a lot though.

Okay I gotta get back to cleaning.

Appointments and Plans

Today was my 39w appt. Weight was down 3 lbs but Dr. P is not worried about it because the past two weeks I've had some swelling of the feet/ankles/hands and this week not so much.  Next was doppler time! The nurse was able to find his heartbeat pretty fast. 136bpm.  Everything else is looking good. Dr. P did another cervical check and the good news is that I'm no longer closed.  I'm not quite to 1cm, but at least it's open now.

We also talked about next week. The plan is that on Monday I'm going to go in for an NST to make sure that everything is okay with GV. Then Tuesday evening I'll go into the hospital to start the induction process (she mentioned gel) with the hope that I'll deliver on Wednesday. She said that if everything was okay on Monday and I didn't want to induce we could wait until the week after but that in her opinion it was better to induce between 40 and 41 weeks.

Kevin has been talking to GV nightly, reminding him that he's suppose to be coming out now. His preference is that GV is born by Wednesday night, that way we might be home in time for the start of the World Cup. And deffo by the England v. USA game.

BTW, work called me again today. Again a quick fix. 2 for 2 so far!

Two Phone Calls

So the first was from work. They called around 4 pm. Apparently Cupcake couldn't get my printer to work. As soon as he was describing the problem to me I knew what was up and was able to tell him how to fix it in a matter of minutes. But I did give him flak about not being able to get through an entire day w/o calling me.  Even though I told him he could call me. It was still funny.

A few minutes later I got another call. This time from the hospital.  Apparently my OB has scheduled me for an induction on the 16th.  At my 38w appt, Dr. P said that she didn't want me going past 41 weeks. Since I hit 41w on a Sunday she would schedule it for the week before on a day when she was on call.  I guess that day is Wednesday. Anyways, they told me I'd be coming in Tuesday evening.  Plus I have to  come in for a bloodwork & paperwork appt on Friday. So I guess I know GV will be here in a week & a half at the latest!

I'm not sure how I feel about induction. I know it can work but everyone I know who's been induced has ended up with a c-section.  I really don't want a c-section.

Updating...

So I am still here, still pregnant and impatient for GV to make his appearance.  People ask me if I'm ready to not be pregnant and really the answer is no.  Not that I loved being pregnant, but physically, it hasn't been a huge adjustment for me.  I didn't have any of the yucky symptoms that usually come, I've only gained 16 lbs and I'm still just as mobile & agile (with a few extra pains). Mentally it's been a tough nine months. The anxiety and worry have been hard to deal with. Especially since normally I'm a positive happy-go-lucky kind of person.  But I've only flipped out so much that I had to call the doctor once. Since then I've been able to talk myself down from the ledge.

So a few changes:

• I'm now on maternity leave.  Friday was my last day of work!  Because of Kevin's job situation I don't know if I'm going back.  I haven't decided if I want to be a SAHM, WAHM or what.  For now we need the insurance coverage so as far as work knows I'm coming back.
• We have decided to do hybrid diapers. This is where you use an outer cloth with a disposable insert.  The inserts are all natural so you can compost them (or flush them down the toilet). The brand we're using is gdiapers.  They are seriously the cutest thing ever.  I managed to score an awesome deal with ama.zon for earth day so I have about a 4 month supply sitting in GV's room.
• His furniture has still not shown up.  Officially they said 10-14 weeks, unofficially she said it'd be more like 6-8 weeks, but I was hoping it would be here by now. Yesterday was the 6 week mark.
• I finished organizing the kid's room yesterday! It no longer has stuff piled everywhere. I managed to find most everything a spot. Don't know how long this organization is going to last but I'm hoping a little while at least.
• The office is still is a disaster zone but at least everything that is suppose to be in there is actually in there. I have until Friday to actually get everything put away.
• Why Friday? Cause that's when Wiki is coming! She's heading up here for a week and a half.  Hopefully GV will show up earlier during her visit.

Okay, that's it for now. I'll post more later.

37 Weeks

How far along: 37 Weeks 1 Day
Total weight gain/loss: +15 lbs.
Stretch marks: Yes.
Belly Button: In
Maternity clothes: I got some new yoga pants. I really want shorts, but I guess capris will do.
Sleep: Over the weekend I actually managed to stay up until midnight (thanks to movie watching and the Los.t finale) and slept like old times. Maybe I should rethink the whole "going to bed earlier because sleeping has been crap" theory.
Food cravings/aversions: Cantaloupe. At the store. Not so much when we get home with it though.
Gender: Boy!
Movement: My OB wants me to do kick counts in these final weeks. Kick counts stress me out. Really stress me out.
Best moment this week: The nurse finding the baby's heartbeat right away on the doppler.
What I miss: Is it possible to miss coaching because I know it's going to end soon?
I am looking forward to: Ultrasound!! I'm pretty sure the baby is back in the correct position. Hopefully it stays that way until birth!
Weekly Wisdom: As the length of time between OB appts decreases, the anxiety experienced during the time between OB appts increases proportionately. How did I make it 4 weeks between appts for so long?
Milestones: Full term!! Any day now!

36w OB appt

Back to early morning appts. At my 34w appt, I decided to try doing a later time and it was horrible. I had to wait in the various waiting rooms forever!!  Have I mentioned that I hate waiting?  Anyways this appt, I went back to the 8am slot. Everything checked out. My weight has stayed the same, but Dr. P isn't concerned about that. They have me as +17 lbs so far. BP was fine, no contractions yet and urine test came back normal.

A normal appt except for the fact that I had a sheet around me from the waist down. Yep at 36 weeks we start checking the cervix. I also had my strep B test. Before she did the check I mentioned to her that I thought GV was breech again. I then had to explain that I can feel the difference in his positions because he's either kicking my bladder or shoving his feet under my ribs. Dr. P was hoping he was punching my bladder but that still doesn't explain the ribs being left alone. So she checked. And while she wouldn't confirm that he wasn't head down she didn't seem to think he was. So she wants to do another ultrasound next week (btw, I'm at weekly appts now!) before my 37w appt. Then she mentioned the whole c-section thing. I really don't want one. I've never had major surgery or hospital stays so far and I'd like to keep it that way.

Kevin has been getting a lot of meetings and training appts - in preparation for the outsourcing - in the mornings lately so I knew I had to make the appt in the afternoon if I wanted him to go. So next Thursday expect pictures!

36 Weeks

This is from yesterday. All caught up now!

How far along: 36 Weeks 3 Days
Total weight gain/loss: +14.5 lbs. It took me four days to remember to weigh myself in the morning before my shower so the weight might be a little off. But still, down half a pound since last week. Arg!
Stretch marks: Yes. We might get pregnancy photos done this or next Sunday. I'm not planning on any bare belly shots, but if we do I'm photoshoping those suckers out! I don't need these photos to be that accurate.
Belly Button: In
Maternity clothes: I've given up on some of the pants because they just won't stay up. But I've still got a good selection left. Also I'm amazed that my $10 walma.rt track pants that I got years ago would adjust so well to having a baby bump. Who'd have thought?
Sleep: The tossing and turning is not as much as it use to be. Now it's just fighting being hot all the time.
Food cravings/aversions: I keep smelling pancakes and syrup in the mornings...Maybe that's a sign?
Gender: Boy!
Movement: It's become more stretching and pushing rather than kicking and punching. But occasionally the baby gets a good punch/kick in.
Best moment this week: Two surprises in one week! Dave getting cake on her b-day and the baby shower the agility ladies threw for us on Monday.
What I miss: Nothing this week
I am looking forward to: OB appt this week! That's right! Heartbeat on doppler time again! Breastfeeding class on Thursday. Also Kevin is going to a Daddy Bootcamp this weekend.
Weekly Wisdom: Somehow visiting a hospital and going on a tour of Labor & Delivery makes it more real.
Milestones: 90% downloaded finally! Only four weeks to go! Less than a month!

35 Weeks

This is dated May 11, 2010.

How far along: 35 Weeks 2 Days
Total weight gain/loss: +15 lbs. I read in the "What to Expect" book and in the Mayo's that weight gain should slow down or even stop in the final month.  But then other women tell me that their weight exploded in that last month.  So we'll have to see what happens. At this point I'm just gonna eat what I want. As long as I get my protein, calcium, & vitamin in everyday I'm not going to worry about it.
Stretch marks: Yes. There might be more now. Still only in the one area.
Belly Button: Still in. I don't think it's going to come out.
Maternity clothes: My selection of T-shirts that still fit me has been going down. I'm now rotating through about 5 or 6 of them.
Sleep: Okay-ish. Only 5 more weeks!
Food cravings/aversions: Ice cream. But I let Kevin pick it out. Surprisingly he didn't choose chocolate chocolate chocolate. He went with vanilla chocolate chocolate.
Gender: Boy!
Movement: So the little feet have found a great nook under my ribcage. Ouch!
Best moment this week: Getting our diapers from Ama.zon! They are sooooo cute! Also of course hearing the baby's heartbeat on the doppler.
What I miss: A reliable car! Well I guess my car is back to being reliable now that it's got a new battery and tires.
I am looking forward to: Dave turning 10 on the 12th! Also we have our hospital tour this week.
Weekly Wisdom: Pepperoni Pizza Puffs are not enough to fill up on! They're an appetizer at most.
Milestones: Mostly everything is washed and put away!

34 Weeks

This is dated May 3, 2010.

How far along: 34 Weeks 1 Day
Total weight gain/loss: +15 lbs. I was a bit freaked out about last weeks weight gain since it wasn't one to begin with so I might have gone a little crazy with the food. But it puts me back on track.
Stretch marks: So I've accepted those 5 red marks as stretch marks.  What is weird is that it's on the one part of the belly that isn't rock hard or stretched like the top of my belly is.  I'd have expected SM there if anywhere.
Belly Button: Still in.
Maternity clothes: Nothing new.
Sleep: I've discovered that if I put the L-shaped pillow by my feet Les sleeps on Kevin's side of the bed. Score! Gonna have to use this one sparingly though or I'll have an upset husband and dog on my hands. Also an upset me when my hips start acting up again.
Food cravings/aversions: IHOP for dinner last night! Yum-O!
Gender: Boy!
Movement: I freaked out a bit on Friday about the absense of kicks and punches so my wonderful OB office let me come in for a non-stress test (NST). And the baby passed with flying colors! So I've accepted that the moves are just different now.
Best moment this week: The baby defying me at the NST and totally kicking up a storm. Yes even those knowing grins when I told the NP that the baby wasn't moving half an hour ago!
What I miss: Seeing Dave at agility. Apparently she did well (but didn't Q), best performances she's given in a while now.
I am looking forward to: OB appt this week so I'll get to hear the baby on the doppler again! Plus we're finally meeting with pediatricians in the afternoon. Half day at work! Woo hoo!
Weekly Wisdom: You usually have more things for the baby than you think you do.
Milestones: 85% downloaded! Almost to full term

33 Weeks

This is dated April 26, 2010. I know it's a bit late but I've got to catch up. And I'm totally using this as today's post.

How far along: 33 Weeks 1 Day
Total weight gain/loss: +12.6 lbs. Down almost a pound from last week. I weighed myself multiple times and couldn't get a number to come up the same twice so I just averaged.
Stretch marks: Those red marks are still there. If it was just a skin irritation (I've got very sensitive skin) then I would imagine they would be gone by now...
Belly Button: Still in.
Maternity clothes: Nothing new.
Sleep: It's getting better. Slowly.
Food cravings/aversions: None.
Gender: Boy! We're starting to call him by name now. Although since for the past 7 months we've been calling him by other nicknames it's a bit weird coming off the tongue.
Movement: Yes! Lots! There's even interaction when I push on my belly.
Best moment this week: Seeing the baby again! The ultrasound was awesome! Also having the new carpet installed! It's so nice!
What I miss: Being able to finish a meal in one go.
I am looking forward to: Agility trial this weekend! Dave is competing again but only on Friday when I'm not there. Maybe this will help keep her focused on her human in the ring and not freak out about her human not in the ring.
Weekly Wisdom: New paint and carpet makes any room look awesome. You don't even need to put anything else in there!
Milestones: More baby books!