38/39 week appointment

Well, 3 of you were half right.  Doc said I am 5-6 cm dilated!  He joked and said "when the baby comes out just bring it on in and we'll give you a birth certificate". We all got a good laugh.  The doc is pretty much surprised I haven't had the baby yet and is convinced it's going to come quick whenever it does decide to come.  He said we have two options:

option A: schedule an induction for tomorrow morning
option B: wait it out and go into labor naturally

I chose option B but Doc informed me that I could change my mind any time and to just call then head into the hospital.  We're weighing the pros and cons right now and trying to decide what is best for us.  I'll try to keep everyone updated.  If i am still pregnant on Tuesday I will go back to the doctor for one last check up.

So many emotions.....

How far along: 38 weeks 5 days
Total weight gain: 25 pounds
How much does baby weigh: I have absolutely no idea at this point.
Maternity clothes: same as last week.  all maternity clothes except for hoodies, PJ's, and undershirts
Stretch marks: I have a stretch mark between my belly button and the hole where my navel piercing was.  I also have a small new stretch mark coming out the top of my piercing hole.
Sleep: It's been pretty good this past week - surprisingly good, actually
Best moment this week: today - my last day of work for a while!!!!!!
Movement: Still pretty active
Food cravings: nothing really - i actually haven't had much of an appetite at all lately
Belly button in or out: out!
What I miss: i miss not being 9 months pregnant
What I'm looking forward to: being done with labor and recovery (in a nutshell, being done with the pain that's headed my way)
Milestone: making it this far without any complications!

Taken this morning @ 38 weeks 5 days

38 weeks 3 days

Today

My shirt barely covers my belly

37/38 week appointment

How dare you underestimate me and my cervix!  I laugh at all of you.  Ha.  Haha.  Hahaha.  The winner of my dilation poll is ME!  You were all wrong.  I am 4cm!!!!  Can I get a woot woot!  My weight and blood pressure are both very good.  The baby's heartbeat is strong.  Doc confirmed that the baby was very low.  He said I was about 50% effaced and 4cm dilated.  Basically what this means is: 

A.  Potentially it means nothing.  I could stay this way for weeks still.

or

B. If I have steady contractions or if my water breaks, I need to get to the hospital quickly.  Since I've already progressed so much they wouldn't send me home.  If anything they would break my water and administer a little pitocin if need be, to bring on hard labor.  I definitely want to stay as far away from pitocin as I can, so hopefully that won't be necessary.

(pictures taken this morning)

How far along: 37 weeks 5 days
Total weight gain: 25 pounds.  There were a few days earlier this week where I was unable to eat anything significant.  The food just wouldn't digest.  Couldn't digest.  It would sit at the top of my stomach until I threw it up (TMI, sorry).  I was miserable.  Absolutely miserable!  Then there was the heartburn it created......ugh.  This lasted from Sunday until about Wednesday night.  That's about when I noticed that the baby dropped.  Not only could I feel it in my pelvis and back, but I was able to eat decent-sized meals again.  ~~~~~ Ok, i went off on a tangent - basically I'm trying to explain why I didn't gain weight. 
How much does baby weigh: my doctor has not given me any indication as to how much the baby weighs. Your guess is as good as mine at this point.  The internet says a 37-38 week fetus is probably between 6-7lbs.
Maternity clothes: all maternity clothes except for hoodies, PJ's, and undershirts (as can be seen in the pictures above).  The pajamas I wear are Kevin's.
Stretch marks: my belly is still smooth - except for the protruding lump know as the umbilicus :-)
Sleep: ever-changing.  I've had a few rough nights but for the most part I sleep well.  I usually get up a couple times to potty and/or get comfortable.  I am sleeping with my head elevated these days to help ease the heartburn I sometimes experience.  I had a cold earlier in the week which didn't help my (or Kevin's) sleep, but overall I'm happy with how well I'm sleeping (for being so pregnant).
Best moment this week: oddly enough I'd say one of the best moment was on Sunday when I realized I was having braxton hicks contractions.  I used to always question if what I was feeling was BH or just the baby balling up - but on Sunday I was certain what I was feeling was BH.  I can say with confidence that I've been having them regularly all week.  For those of you who don't know: BH happen in all pregnant women, and they start very early on, but some women have a harder time feeling them than others.  They really don't mean anything in terms of when a woman will go into labor.  They are also known as "practice contractions".  They are basically a painless tightening of the uterus.  For more info on BH, click here. 
Another "best moment" came about an hour ago when the doc told me the baby's heartbeat is strong and that I'm 4cm.
Movement: Still very active.  They say most babies become less active toward the end since they run out of space to "play" - but not my little fetus.  Sure, it's out of room, but that's not stopping it from practicing its DDR moves.
Food cravings: nothing really.  I almost wish I had some strange cravings to report.
Belly button in or out: out!
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach.  Not having heartburn.  being able to get up from the couch/floor easily.  The cold - NOT!
What I'm looking forward to: spending my birthday with my family. 
Milestone: First internal exam

belly picture fail

I had Kevin take this picture on Friday.   I was 36 weeks and 5 days pregnant (same day as my last doctor appointment).  Unfortunately I haven't gotten any good belly pictures during this pregnancy.  I never have the right lighting or the right backdrop or the right angle blah blah blah.  Oh well.  You get the idea.  I have a belly.  There's a baby inside it.

(yup, I'm wearing this shirt AGAIN)

34/35 week appointment with the obstetrician

Anyways, I had a routine OB visit yesterday.  short and sweet.  everything is right on track and lookin' good.     

Yesterday (34 weeks and 5 days pregnant)

(34 weeks pregnant with Trent)

How far along: 34 weeks 5 days
Total weight gain: 25 pounds
How much does baby weigh: getting close to 5 lbs
Maternity clothes: majority of the time
Stretch marks: nothing new, none on belly
Sleep: not too bad.  I get up to pee at least once a night and sometimes I have trouble falling back to sleep
Best moment this week: went out last night for one last date night before the new baby arrives
Movement: VERY active
Food cravings: nothing in particular
Belly button in or out: OUTTIE
What I miss: being able to comfortably shave my legs (good thing I don't shave very often, haha.  poor kevin)
what I'm looking forward to: Not really pregnancy related but i'm looking forward to daylight savings
Milestone: I felt the baby have hiccups for the first time...and second time....and third time....

32/33 week check up

How far along: 32 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain: 21 pounds
How much does baby weigh: almost 4 pounds
Maternity clothes: 95% maternity, 5% non maternity
Stretch marks: nothing new, none on belly
Sleep:  i have great nights and i have not so great nights.
Best moment this week: ordering cloth diapers
Movement: very active
Food cravings: nothing in particular
Belly button in or out: flush
What I miss: being able to lay on my back comfortably - i specifically miss this when I'm reading in bed
what I'm looking forward to: maternity leave, lol
Milestone: the baby is now head-down and likely to stay this way

Just got back from my check-up.  I was there for 90 minutes.  85 of those minutes were spent waiting.  It's a good thing I really like seeing that particular doctor.  I actually kind of enjoyed the wait - it gave me a chance to read more of the book I've been reading!  Now I'm almost done.  The doctor finally came in and we got right down to business.  My weight, urine & blood pressure looked good.  She said my belly measured 34cm.  The heartbeat ranged from 135-140bpm, which is good.  As I mentioned, the baby's head is down!  I gave her my short-term disability paperwork so they could start that and have it ready.  I will go back again in 2 weeks then I start going weekly.

baby pool reminder

This is a baby pool reminder.  You have 1 month to submit your guess.  You can submit your guess by clicking the "expect net" icon to the right.  Each guess you enter will cost you $1 (which you have to give Kevin or myself sometime in the next 2 months).  This is meant to be fun, but if you do not intend to pay, please do not participate. 

I will send out one last reminder a few days before I close the pool on February 28th!

(31 weeks & 5 days)

30 week check up

Got back from my 30 week check up a little while ago.  Normally I have 4:00pm appointments but today's was at 11.  Surprisingly, Kevin was able to join me, which made my day.  Unfortunately, we ended up waiting for well over an hour for the doctor.  I wouldn't mind the wait so much but the appointment itself literally takes 5 minutes, tops.  I wish she could have just popped in really quick, took care of me, then went to her longer appointments.  But whatever.  I got the results from the bloodwork I had done last weekend.  I passed my 1-hour glucose test!!!! Couldn't be happier.  I failed it last time and had to do the 3-hour glucose test as a result, which sucked!!  I'm so glad I don't have to do that again!  My bloodwork also showed that I am still/again anemic, so she is putting me on iron pills.  I bled alot when I gave birth to Trent (more than your average woman) because I was anemic.....she wants to avoid the excess bleeding this time. 

Aside from being anemic, everything looked great.  The baby was very active when she was checking my belly.  The heartbeat was constantly changing but on average it was about 150bpm.  I'm measuring right on schedule @ 31cm.  The baby was transverse (or, lying sideways across my stomach).  Head to my left.  Feet to my right.  Completely normal for 30 weeks.  She said by 35 weeks the baby will probably decide if it's going to be head-down or breech and stay that way (although the baby couldnt always change its mind either way). 

She went into more detail about the pubic pain I was experiencing last week, which I found very helpful.  I also got to ask her a few of the questions I had concerning Group B Strep and it's effects on my ability to move around and labor in the tub when the time comes.  I wasn't going to get into the details of Group B Strep (or GBS) but here's a quick breakdown.  If you test positive for GBP your doctor will want to administer penicillin after you check into the hospital but before you give birth.  I was GBS positive with Trent and they put the penicillin right into my IV.  I was afraid the IV would make it impossible for me to labor in the tub or walk around freely, but she assured me that there are other ways of administering the penicillin and that I will be more than welcome to walk around or labor in the tub (assuming everything else is fine, of course). 

How far along: 30 weeks 4 days (picture is from yesterday)
Total weight gain: 22 pounds
How much does baby weigh: approx 3 pounds
Maternity clothes: still 90% maternity, 10% non maternity
Stretch marks: somedays it looks like i have new marks all across my back, other days they are gone.
Sleep:  great.  i usually get up to pee once a night
Best moment this week: straightened up the nursery and made it look fairly presentable
Movement:  i feel alot of body parts these days.  an elbow poking out here, a knee there.  of course I never know which body part it is exactly.  Like clockwork at 8pm the baby practices it's breakdancing skills.
Food cravings:  nothing in particular
Belly button in or out:  its pretty much flush right now, but after i eat a big meal it sticks out some
What I miss: being able to lay on my back comfortably
what I'm looking forward to: working on the nursery more this weekend
Milestone: I think passing my glucose test counts
 
Here is some additional information on what the fetus is up to - from babycenter.com
 

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

I'm in the 3rd trimester! 28 week check up

I had my 28 week check up yesterday. It went pretty good. I thought the doctor was going to be upset with me for not getting my glucose test done yet (I haven't had time, what with California and then I got sick...) but he actually didn't care. He told me to get the lab work done whenever I started feeling better. He commented a couple times about the fact that I recently lost some weight, but he understands that it's because I've been sick and he told me to make sure I'm drinking plenty of fluids. Aside from that, the baby is looking great. I'm measuring right on schedule, my blood pressure is good, the heartbeat is strong (140-ish)! Now I start going to the doctor every two weeks!!! ahhh, it's crazy!

Yeah, I know I look like trailer trash. Go ahead and say something about it....go ahead, see if I care.

How far along: 28 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: Right now I'm only up 14 pounds, but that's temporary. I recently lost some weight because of a stomach virus. I'm sure I'll make up for the weight loss by this weekend. Then I'll probably be up 18-20 lbs.
How much does baby weigh: approx 2.5 pounds
Maternity clothes: I'm wearing 90% maternity, 10% non maternity
Stretch marks: None on my belly. I just have the left over ones from Trent everywhere else.
Sleep: better than the last time i filled out this survey, that's for sure. Right now I'm sleeping pretty good. I usually wake up only once to use the bathroom, sometimes not at all.
Best moment this week: reuniting Aunt Lauren and Trent
Movement: i feel the baby all the time.
Food cravings: just recently I've been wanting orange juice and (separately) banana oatmeal with banana slices in it.
Belly button in or out: still an innie
What I miss: warm weather - but that's not pregnancy related, I just really miss it!!!
what I'm looking forward to: still hopefully passing my one-hour glucose test.
Milestone: 3rd trimester! And we started painting the nursery!!

24 week check up, etc

I went to the doctor for my 24 week check up on Tuesday evening. It was the first time both Kevin and Trent were in attendance, so it was a little extra special, even though Trent wanted only to crawl around the floor (ew). We all got to hear the baby's heartbeat - which is always the highlight for Kevin and myself - then the doctor confirmed that the ultrasound we had done 3-ish weeks ago looked normal. Before the end of the appointment I asked the doctor if he had any advice or recommendations for me regarding the plane ride I'll be taking in a few weeks. He simply told me to get up and walk around often during the flight, and also to rest often when I'm sightseeing in CA (the zoo, etc).

As soon as we get back from our vacation I have to go to the lab for my one-hour glucose test. A lot of women complain about this test, but having already experienced it once I know it's not all that bad. Not bad at all, actually. It's just a little inconvenient if anything. I'll probably do exactly what I did last year: show up to LabCorp right when they open, bright and early, on a Saturday morning. I'll be one of the first patients in, and I'll be out of there in just over an hour. I'll blog more about it when the time comes.

How far along: 24 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain: I think I'm up to 16 pounds or so.
How much does baby weigh: approx 1lb
Maternity clothes: I'm wearing 85% maternity, 15% non maternity
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: Not too great. I wake up several times to pee. Most nights I wake up several more times, just because. Once in a while I have a hard time getting to sleep because my legs and/or back aches
Best moment this week: last night I had lasagna for dinner and did not have heartburn afterwards!!!! yay!!!!
Movement: I feel the baby quite a bit every day now. i love it
Food cravings: ?? i really don't know.
Belly button in or out: Innie still, but it's on the verge of becoming flush
What I miss: NOT peeing myself
what I'm looking forward to: hopefully passing my one-hour glucose test!
Pregnancy perk: not having to shave as often. my hair is growing slower
Milestone: viability (for the record, this is not a milestone I like to celebrate. I don't want to birth this baby until it is AT LEAST 38 weeks along)

Not a great shot, but here I am @ 24 weeks 3 days.

Here I am 24 weeks pregnant with Trent

compare (good idea Julie)

The picture on the left is from this pregnancy. I was 22 weeks and 1 day

The picture on the right is from my last pregnancy. I was 22 weeks and 6 days

first belly pic with BBJ

Photo was taken a week ago when I was 22 weeks pregnant. Like how I cleverly positioned the camera to cover my face?! It had been a very long day :-p

2 days overdue

In two hours I will be on my way to the dr office for yet another appointment. Im very anxious to see what the dr has to say this time.

For the most part im feeling really good physically. Getting up is not easy, nor is bending down, however im generally in no pain and am not overly annoyed with the pregnancy yet. Last night was the exception however. I had a lot of lower back pain and cramping. Every night I wake up every two hours to pee (seriously. its like clockwork) but im not really bothered by it because it only takes a minute and i fall right back to sleep. Outside of the first 4(ish) months of my pregnancy I really enjoyed the entire process and felt that pregnancy and I went well together. I go on a certain baby chat board daily and realize how lucky I am to have had such an "easy" pregnancy. Some of those girls complain by week 30 that they 'just cant take it any more'.

Mentally I am done. Im ready. Let's get this baby out of there. This has been the longest 9 months ever!!!!

I will blog again sometime after dinner tonight with an update from the dr.

No matter what Kevin and I will be parents by the end of this week and we can not be happier about it!!

go phillies

Today is Phillies day at work. The bosses decided to make today a casual-dress day so we could all wear our Phillies gear! I'm wearing a blue shirt with a red undershirt (which you cant really see), a red zip-up hoodie & Kevin's Phillies hat. I am 27weeks and 5 days pregnant today.



p.s. i just had a cup of hot chocolate for the first time this season. yummmmmmm. note to self: add whipped cream to shopping list!

im full term today!!!!!

Weeks 37-Delivery (Month 9): Watermelon

At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.

the final countdown

*go ahead and sing it - you know you want to*

I'm 36 weeks today. Only 4 weeks remaining. That's 28 days. Less than 1 month. How exciting. Here's a picture I took of myself this morning. The quality is absolutely terrible but you get the idea.

This weekend we're going to a company picnic which I'm looking forward to. Its very family oriented and the weather is supposed to be amazing so it should be a good time!

strike a pose

last weekend my dear friend, alicia, took photos of our little family. I am 30 weeks pregnant in these photos. here are some of my favs:

this one is my absolute favorite!

Let me know if you're interested in seeing the entire album. There's just over 250 photos total.