Cooking a big baby

I am 33 weeks and 5 days, I am so thankful to have made it to this point with all the bumps along the way. I had my bi-weekly check up yesterday and the doctor measured me again. I am measuring at 36 cms which is a few weeks ahead of schedule. They noticed this about a month ago and sent us for the ultrasound then. The tech estimated her at 4.5 pounds, so I can only imagine she is larger than that now. The doctor suggested I start coming in once a week and we will keep an eye on her size. They also are concerned about the gestational diabetes playing a factor in her becoming a plump baby.

So pretty much at this point 1. Dr said if I go into labor they are not going to stop me and 2. depending on her size we may have to induce. Looking at a calendar if I am measuring 36 weeks now and ideally they would like me to get to 37 weeks according to my due date that brings us to November 20th. Thats about 4 weeks away. I can't even wrap my mind around it. The Mr. has been working late and we haven't even really had a chance to talk about it being I am asleep by the time he gets home and the mornings aren't time for serious conversation.

I feel like there is so much to do, I am excited and nervous and anxious at the same time. Her room is halfway there, we don't have a sitter lined up and if I have to be induced I most likely will also have an epidural. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I was just looking forward to at least trying to be as natural as possible.

My Gestational diabetes has been good, I submitted my weekly numbers to the counselor and she was pretty happy with them which is great. Thats another week I won't have to be on pills or shots.

I can definitely tell that she is running out of room, her movements are at some points sharp and I can feel every one of them.

But we are excited and its 9 pm which has pretty much been my bedtime and I am so sleepy. At least it is supposed to be a quiet weekend.

Reminiscing about the past

This weekend was great, Mr. Jerseysaur and I cuddled in bed and giggled every time baby girl kicked. We entered our third trimester, it is so surreal. The last time I remember laying there with him, saying nothing but smiling was when we found out we were pregnant (the first time). This made my mind go back to that place and I just wanted to share some thoughts I had a year ago, I was so broken.

How much strength do I really have?

So I have still been numb to this situation, not really having much thoughts or hopes about anything. We had another cycle and now we are in the middle of the third one since the miscarriage. My cycles still are not back on track, I am not ovulating at the right time. Its just annoying. Mr. had a really good fortune last night with our Chinese food, it said "When Love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece".

I started to get teary about that. I am emotional I want this badly.

I have been down in the dumps lately and having negative thoughts. I just want to be happy again.

...

I can sympathize with everyone reading this blog and the struggles you have had or are having. I just wish to impress upon you that YOU are important and your relationships with the ones you love will strengthen you.

Look outside yourself to find others to help you, scream, rant and rave. For me I would lay on the horn of my car and scream, it worked. Let it out if you need to. There is a secret network of fantastic women who have been there and are so willing to hold your hand.

35/35

Yesterday marked the 35th week of my pregnancy and 35 days to go! I cannot believe that I have come this far. It´s all very surreal for me. I´m doing pretty well for 35 weeks, I think. I feel pretty immobile sometimes, but that´s to be expected. Some days are better than others. Today my tailbone really hurts, but maybe it´s all that sitting I´ve been doing at the sewing table to try and get things finished for the little one.

My to-do list is still pretty long, but I´ve knocked off a good chunk of it. Mr. Lillysaur needs to help me clean out the last couple of boxes out of our little girl´s room, hang a couple of pictures on the wall and fix the roman shade in there. I still need to find a lamp for some extra light, get a baby monitor, replacement screw for the crib (yes, we´ve lost one) and move a comfortable chair in there.

I´ve made an appt. to get the car serviced and the locking clip for the carseat installed. I´ve started packing the diaper bag and I´ve packed my hospital bag. Must not forget to charge the camera so that it´s ready to go when the time comes. Oh, and we must get the insurance forms filled out, that is if the agent ever sends them...So many things.

My next Dr.´s appt. is on Monday. I´m anxious to see if anything has changed. She said she´d check my cervix, do an ultrasound, check for Strep B and hepatitis and do another non stress test.

I´ve started drinking red rasberry leaf tea as the midwife in our birthing class suggested, and it´s not the yummiest thing, but with a bit of honey it´s ok. I also bought some special oil to use for perineum massages. Another thing recommended by the midwife. If it helps and keeps me from having to have an episiotomy, then I´m all for it. But I must say that massaging the perineum is a bit weird and even uncomfortable if I follow all the directions that came with the oil.

I´m sure there´s more to report, but pregnancy dementia has kicked in, and I just can´t think what it was I wanted to say! If I remember, I´ll certainly come back and post. Maybe during one of my nightly bouts with insomnia.

14 Weeks Left to Go

I have reached my 26th week of pregnancy. My baby weighs about 1 1/3 pounds and has undergone a growth spurt in the last couple of weeks. This week marks a major milestone in development. His hearing system is now completely formed and over the next few weeks he'll become increasingly sensitive to sound. I've been trying to remind DS that "inside voices" are very important now and especially when the baby comes. "We don't want to scare Baby Brother!"

Being pregnant in the summer time has had it's fair share of challenges. Although I was pregnant w/ DS at the exact same time, I don't remember ever having to deal w/ the heat the way I have this time around. Most days I do what I can to avoid going outdoors altogether but w/ a busy three year old, that's not always possible!

My Dr. scolded me at my appointment yesterday telling me that I need to take it a little easier on myself and reminded me that I am not only responsible for my own health but the health of my baby. I have been experiencing some cramping which she believes is due not only to the heat but my running around like a crazy person! Staying off your feet is definitely easier said than done.

And after a very comfortable 2nd trimester, we are now back to feeling not so comfortable during the third! After a very busy week at our county fair last week, I spent an entire day in bed on Sunday recuperating. Bedtime is back to 8pm (if I make it that late), and the lawn has definitely seen it's better days! Picking up DS has become almost impossible and hanging out the wash requires the use of the big red wagon!

With only 14 weeks left to go, I plan to try harder to relax a bit and take in all the preparation that comes w/ getting a home "baby ready" once again. DS and I have plans to start sorting through baby clothes and washing the newborn duds. I am anxious to pick out some new crib bedding and a to finalize a decision on a name for Baby Brother! And as I've said before, I promise to do better w/ my blogging!

37 Weeks and the Countdown is ON!

Ok, last week I was so anxious and worried about what was going to take place this week, and I'm so happy to say that I have no reason to be alarmed anymore, or at least for the moment! The little man has turned back around and according to both my midwife and the ultrasound he is fairly firmly planted deep between my pelvic bones... HEAD DOWN! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! Thanks to everyone that commented on my last post and wished me good luck- it worked!

We are back on track and now I'm just trying to make it through the days and enjoy the little time left with this baby safe inside. I don't have a ton of time to enjoy it, but I'm really trying to save a couple of hours late at night to spend with my husband just relaxing. It's hard when there are visual reminders of the chaos our lives are in right now under my nose at every turn.

My husband is unfortunately not working very much right now as he is between jobs, and although I'm not worried about this being a long term thing, I am worried about the transition that will take place once the baby comes. It's fairly stressful being the main income when I could pop at any given time without notice. I take overtime when I can and try to stay calm about it all, but I keep thinking about the time it will take for my benefits to kick in and my husbands next job to pay him... Thankfully we have a great support system around us and I know that we won't starve, but you know.... I just don't want to think about this right now especially when I'm really starting to slow down and even though I love my job I would rather be able to work six hours a day if I need to than try to do ten... Ah well, what doesn't kill you, right?

My feet and ankles have started the swell! I don't find it painful necessarily but it certainly looks strange! Other than being unable to get up sometimes from a laying down or sitting down position and the aggressive heartburn I actually feel better than I have in months! I feel a little more tired than usual especially when doing errands or packing or cleaning, but I could handle this for a bit longer!

The renovations are coming along very nicely and should be completed just in the nick of time provided the baby doesn't come early. I'm so proud and thankful to have such great friends (and husband) that helped us out with everything from plumbing to drywall! I will never be able to repay them, but they are in my thoughts every day! The house should be livable in about two and a half to three weeks and we are getting so excited to see it coming together from an empty shell.

We are going to start painting really soon and that means that I (haha, I mean my husband) can start moving our stuff into the house even if it's just in one room and kept in the boxes. I want to have our rental house as clean as possible so that our landlords can show it, and also so that the cleaning will be done before baby.

I still haven't quite made the connection that after I go into labour there will be an actual baby to take care of after. I am totally ready for the labour part of things and am actually kind of excited (in a sick way) to experience the challenge of this birth. However, then what?? I hope I naturally get that mothering instinct thing, but right now it just seems crazy that there will be a little person to take care of soon!

Anyway, I have an appointment tomorrow so I will update again soon :) Thanks again for all your kind words last time! I think they helped!

xoxo

The end is near?

So when I last left off, our midwife was telling us we had a big baby, and sent us in for a growth ultrasound for "size greater than dates". The ultrasound confirmed her suspicions, as much as it was able to. The tech was great at explaining to us that the weight measurement is just a guess, because they can't see fatty tissue, only bone. But all his bone measurements, including his skull, were measuring ahead as well. In sum, they put me at 15 days ahead of my due date, which would technically put me at 40 weeks...today.

There's a possibility that, had we chosen to go with a traditional hospital birth, we'd be talking to our doctor right now about inducing. Thankfully, we didn't go that route. We're delivering at a birth center, and that word hasn't even been brought up. Instead, they moved tomorrow's 38 week appointment from the afternoon to the morning, and they're going to "do some things" at said appointment to hopefully kick-start labor. Then send Mr. Citysaur and me home with some "homework".

Now, to most people, I've just been telling them that I'm not being induced, they're just going to do some voodoo magic on me. It's easier (and not TMI) to explain that way, especially to coworkers. But as this is a pregnancy blog, how about the real truth? I'm not 100%, because the midwife went over this rather quickly last week, but I believe the voodoo magic includes massaging the cervix and stripping the membranes. I'm not sure what else the midwife has up her sleeve, but I'm pretty sure I caught mention of those two at least.

So, perhaps Homer is right, and the end is near. I'm off work tomorrow, because after the appointment, we're supposed to go home and see if anything progresses. I was already 2 CM dilated as of last Thursday, so it's not totally out of the question that this could work. But even if it doesn't, I think it's likely he'll be coming some time in the next couple of weeks. It's still just a waiting game!

Today's post is brought to you by the number 4

Can you believe it? We only have 4 WEEKS TO GO! Just one month! Well, OK - I'm 32 weeks along, which means that technically we have two months. But if these boys stick to the average and make their debut at 36 weeks, that means we only have four short weeks to go!

It could be as as long as six weeks if the twins decide they'd like to be baked a while longer, but my doctor has informed me that he probably won't allow me to go past that, not only because of the stress on my body, but due to the gestational diabetes...so if we do make it to 38 weeks, I'd be looking at an induction. However, he also thinks it's fairly likely that I'll naturally go into labor before then, so right now we're just focusing on making it through the next month and hitting that 36 week goal.

There are a few reasons why we're trying to hang in there for the next month. First, after 35 weeks, your baby is basically done developing. Sure, they'll be smaller than a 40 week newborn, but for all intents and purposes everything is finished growing and the baby won't need to go to the NICU. The second reason is a bit more personal: the hospital in my little town will not take births before 36 weeks. If I go into labor before April 5 (Easter Monday), then I will need to call the maternity ward at my hospital to give them a heads up before I arrive, and they will then transfer me in an ambulance to an alternative hospital in another town about 45 minutes away. The maternity ward in this second hospital has a great reputation, so I'm not worried about that, but from a practical standpoint (such as ease of driving for Mr Bibliosaur) it would be preferable to stay in our town.

Some days - like today - it seems like it will be so easy to make it to 36 weeks. My Braxton Hicks contractions have significantly reduced since I stopped working (I didn't realize just how much stress simply going to work was putting on my body, but I was getting BH contractions all.the.time), I'm lying comfortably on the couch, most of my bodyparts aren't hurting, and I'm well rested. Other days, it seems like there is simply no way in the world that we can make it another month - when the pain in my hips is so bad that I can't sleep at night, when my stomach muscles are screaming for this strain to end, when my multitude of stretchmarks are growing as wide as my little finger because the babies have run out of room to grow upward or forward and are now stretching my belly and my skin sideways (and oh my god but those stretchmarks ITCH!).

So for now, I'm taking things the only way I can: one day at a time. Some days are easier, some days are harder, but every day is another step toward our goal. Wish me luck, and send some "stay in there for another 4 weeks" vibes!

Big Baby?

My midwife suspects that I'm growing a large baby. Hopefully not quite as large as the statue above, however.

Yesterday I had my 37-week check-up. According to some sources, I'm now officially full term. Other sources prefer to call that near term, and peg actual full term at 38 weeks. Either way you look at it, I'm pretty darn close to having this baby. And if you listen to my midwife, he's pretty much ready to come out!

Now, I do take this with a grain of salt, because any estimate of fetal size is a guess - perhaps an educated one, but still a guess. But yesterday at my appointment, after palpating my uterus rather extensively, the midwife told me she thinks Baby Ben is already approaching 8 lbs. We have a growth ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow afternoon - but again, I've heard plenty of stories of people who were told after an u/s they were going to have a large baby, and the baby ended up weighing 1-2 lbs less at birth than what they were told.

So, I'm staying calm and not getting up in arms about it. I'm going for the ultrasound, and am actually pretty excited about it. We've only had one other, and I honestly thought that would be it. So we're excited to get to see our son (and, you know, double check that he really is our son) one last time before delivery.

Due date is three weeks from today, and if this large baby thing is true, they'd like to see me go early rather than late. I wouldn't mind that either way, honestly. But since we're using a birth center, they won't be inducing any time soon. So it's still a waiting game, either way. Come on, (Big?) Ben! We want to meet you!

The countdown begins

Today I am 27 weeks pregnant, and officially in the third trimester.

Or possibly not, if you go by the calculations that the third tri starts at 28 weeks. I can't get a definite answer anywhere...some websites and books say 27 weeks, others say 28 (one even said 29!), but since my neatnik brain likes the idea of the 40 weeks divided into three even trimesters of 13.3 weeks, I'm going with 27 weeks.

I'm leaving work in just 4 weeks; although my maternity leave doesn't start until April 4, I've saved up enough vacation time and sick leave that I'm taking the entire month of March off as well - and honestly, it couldn't come a moment too soon, as simple things are getting more physically challenging every day. I'm looking forward to being able to potter around the house getting things organized and taking naps whenever I feel like it!

And I'm down to single digits in the weekly countdown to when these babies will be born - if they arrive at 36 weeks (which is the average for twins), that's only 9 weeks away! I feel like we still have so much to do, so much to prepare before they arrive. The nursery is nowhere near ready, the cloth diaper stash hasn't even begun...I know I still have plenty of time, but there's also part of me that's shrieking, "OMGholycrapweonlyhavetwomonths!!!!!!!!"

My goal is to get all - or at least most - of that stuff done by 32 weeks, which is only 5 weeks away. I think it's doable, considering that we already have all of our major items (cribs, carseats, stroller, etc.) ordered, so we mostly just need to start the actual process of setting up the nursery by painting and decorating, along with buying a few smaller odds and ends (for example, swaddling blankets, bottles, etc., plus the diaper stash). Does 32 weeks seem reasonable with an expectation of a 36 week due date?

It's so incredible to think that we could be meeting these babies in just over two months; I remember when this pregnancy first started, just making it to the 12 week mark seemed like an eternity...and now here I am, entering third tri and starting the countdown!

Thirty-Nine Weeks

Today I am thirty-nine weeks and one day pregnant and it's my last day of this pregnancy. I will be induced tomorrow at 5 a.m. and plan to meet our little girl tomorrow. Mr. Divasaur is adorable...he purchased 4 dozen birthday cupcakes in chocolate and vanilla to share with the staff at the hospital tomorrow. They are the same cupcakes I bought to announce my pregnancy at work! And he keeps singing the Happy Birthday Song. He's positively giddy. Several times today he's said, "honey...we're having a baby TOMORROW!"

I, on the other hand, am vacillating between calm composure and overwhelming anxiety. I am nervous about what could or could not happen tomorrow. To me. And to my baby. I am praying that everything happens the best way that it can. And trying to meditate and be positive. I have resting a lot and it's felt good to just cat nap when I need to sleep. Mr. Divasaur and I went to a movie and have eaten at a couple of our favorite restaurants. We've taking walks and given extra attention to our furbabies, who are super clingy right now. We've also updated our Birth Plan (to include that fact that I will now be induced), shopped for last minute baby things (Lanisoh, Soothies Gel Breast Pads and infant finger nail clippers), and finally packed our hospital bags. Yes, there's two. One with clothing and toiletries and the other with extras such as bath sheets, pillows, comfort measures (massage lotions, tools, etc.), camera, laptop, etc.

Here's what's in our bags:

Purse with ID, insurance card and epidural registration card

Clothing for me:
Sports bras and sarong (for L&D)
Fleece Robe
PJs (three pair of button front tops/drawstring pants)
Nursing Tanks
Socks
Crocs (for shower, walking the halls, etc.)
Uggs
velour hoodie/sweatsuit (one in pink; one in black)
Granny panties

Clothing for baby:
NB sized outfit with hat, socks, onesie, etc.
0-3 sized outfit with hat, socks, onesie, etc.
Bunting
Outfit for first photo (hospital photo)
Swaddling Blankets

Clothing for hubby:
Lounge clothes
Shoes
Socks
T-shirts
Underwear
Glasses & Contacts
Swim trunks (for assisting in shower)

Electronics:
Camera with charger and USB cord
Laptop with charger
Cell Phone with charger

Extras:
CDs for labor/post partum (or use laptop with AccuRadio.com)
Bath sheets (2 - one for me; one for DH)
Birthing Ball
Bath mat (for birthing ball and/or shower)
Snacks/drinks for mom, hubby & doula
Cupcakes for nurses/staff
Moby Wrap
Notebook/pen
Pillows (body pillow, king sized pillow and one smaller one)
Extra blanket for hubby
Change for vending machines/cash for cafeteria
Car seat
Birth plan (several copies)
Tennis balls and other massage tools/items
Massage lotion/oil
Essential oil (Grapefruit)
Hard candies
Breath mints
My Brest Friend Pillow
Travel Neck Pillow

Toiletries:
Glasses and contacts
Contact Solution
Lip Balm
Lotion
Make-up
Hair products
Hair clips and headbands, etc.
Lanisoh
Q-tips
Neti Pot
Vaseline
Tucks Pads
Eye drops
Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
Nail file/baby nail clippers for baby

We live 5 minutes from the hospital so if there's something I want and didn't pack, I'll send my mom back to get it. That said, I've packed with the possibility that I will have to stay 4 nights in case my induction leads to a c-section. I am hoping for a vaginal birth and to check out after 24 or 48 hours at the most. We shall see. DH plans to stay with us as long as we're in the hospital, even though I've told him that if he's not sleeping well that I'd prefer he go home and sleep in our bed and come back in the morning. Again we'll just have to play it all by ear.

So there you have it. I cannot believe that this time last year we had just decided that we were ready to start our family and now, a year later, we're preparing to meet our baby girl. It's amazing. And what a wild ride. While the end of my first pregnancy is near, I am sure that this is just the beginning of what will certainly be a life-changing journey.

Two months away...

I know I've been a bad 'Saur and haven't posted in a while. Truth be told, it's been difficult thinking of things to post about when everything's been going so well!

So what has been going on? How about a quick wrap-up of baby-related events...

Friday, my sister-in-law (who is 20 weeks pregnant) had her big ultrasound, and we found out she's having another baby girl!

We're so excited for them, and can't wait to meet our new niece, Macy, in June! And I know our 4-year-old niece, Haley, is going to be a wonderful Big Sister.

Yesterday was our first baby shower, hosted by three of my awesome girlfriends. I had such a great time, laughing, visiting, and opening presents. Mr. Citysaur got to come along, and he enjoyed it as well. We got a lot of great stuff, including tons of oh-so-adorable baby boy clothes. I don't have any pictures to share because one of the hostesses was going to town with her super-fancy Nikon camera, so I didn't even bother getting my camera out. I'll just wait for her pictures!

Today is January 24...which means we're exactly two months away from our due date of March 24! Because things don't exactly line up months-to-weeks, I won't be 32 weeks/8 months pregnant until Wednesday...but the reality of being only two months away from the due date is definitely hitting me today!

We still have lots of baby stuff to get done - like painting the nursery (hoping to get that done next weekend), deciding whose insurance he's going to go on, installing the carseat, and packing a bag for the birth center. We still have two Bradley birth classes left. And likely, two more showers to go. I know my mom and aunt are throwing us one in March (I'll be 38 weeks at that shower...hope the baby stays put until after then!)...and there's a good chance I'll get one at work too.

I have a feeling things are going to go fast from now until this baby comes...so I'm just buckling down and getting ready for the ride!

Also, I'm sending out lots of luck and good labor vibes to Divasaur for her induction tomorrow! I know it's not the birth experience you were hoping for, D, but I'm so excited that you'll be meeting Libby in about a day!

Thirty-Eight Weeks

This is my thirty-eighth and last week of pregnancy. I will be induced on Monday morning at 5 a.m. at 39w2d. I cannot believe that the end is almost near. I decided to start my maternity leave this week and it's been a real blessing. I've been able to rest and relax, take care of little last minute to-do items like scheduling our baby's first doctor's appointment, her first photo shoot, get her books and toys organized, bottles sanitized, etc. We've installed the baby monitor in her crib (we went with the AngelCare Movement and Sound Monitor) and the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper (original size) next to our bed. She'll nap in the crib and sleep nights in our room in the co-sleeper. I also managed to hit up some local consignment stores and scored a brand-new, in the package, activity playmat for $13 as well as some cute cotton sleepers, and adorable Amy Coe knit cap and booties for very little money. Score!

My husband has been off this week too (since we initially thought yesterday would be our induction date) and we've been enjoying sleeping in, taking daily walks together and just enjoying our remaining days of couple time without a baby.

Unfortunately, this week has also brought some added stress from family issues. They say that life changing events like weddings, funerals and births tend to bring out the worst in some family members. And I can attest, it's true. This week has stirred up drama with our mothers. And it's hit me extra hard, I think, because I am about to become a mother myself.

Without getting into the big, gory details, it boils down to this: both my DH and I are adult children of alcoholics/addicts. And even though our mother's are sober (technically, that is...they don't drink alcohol anymore), they both continue to exhibit dysfunctional behavior that affects their mental, physical and emotional health. And their actions (or sometimes lack of action) continues to negatively impact us.

I don't know why I am surprised that just as we are preparing to become parents, a huge life step, they have both come up with ways to pull the attention towards them and yet again, put us in the position of having to parent our parents. My husband and I are doing our best to cope, draw clear boundaries and not get too sucked into their dramas. It's tough though and it's really making me take stock of my own wishes for parenting our children.

In the back of my mind I have always known that becoming a mother would stir this stuff up. I guess I just didn't anticipate that it would be at the same time I am bringing my baby into this world. So my husband and I are talking, talking, talking and if need be, I plan to meet with a counselor. The last thing I want is to have these feelings, along with everything that comes along with being a new mother, to overwhelm me and lead to depression or emotional shut down. Thankfully, I am off work for several weeks and will have the time to do whatever to takes to manage all of this stuff.

That said, in addition to all of this emotional turmoil, I am waffling between feeling excited to meet our little girl and anxious that we're not ready. I am pretty sure this is normal. With all of this time off, I have re-read La Leche League's "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" and re-worked our birth plan to include the issues that induction brings. I have spent time visualizing how I hope our birth goes and am also mentally prepared for what may happen...like a c-section. At the end of the day, I know none of it is really in my control and that as long as Libby and I are healthy and safe that is all that really matters.

According to BabyCenter, here's what's happening this week:

image source

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

image source

Induction Rescheduled

I've just returned from my appointment with the OB/GYN...she's agreed to reschedule our induction to next Monday. So January 25th it will be...5 a.m. Unless Libby decides between now and then to debut on her own (I am so praying for that)! I am so glad I asked if there was any risk in waiting. If I hadn't I am sure I'd still be on schedule to induce this Wednesday even though my cervix is only 2 cm.

Since my blood sugars are good she's comfortable with delaying the induction. And, Libby measured 7 lbs. 2 oz. today whereas last week we were told 7 lbs. 8 oz. so obviously this is not an exact science (sort of frustrating, really) and I would just love to give her as much time as possible, in case the measurements are really off. No need to bring a preemie into this world for less than pressing reasons.

With delaying 5 days (from this Wednesday to next Monday) I will not need cervical softening (Cervidil or Cytotec), so we'll just start with a low dose of Pitocin and then she'll break my water. Again, more interventions than I had hoped for, but certainly less to start with than if we tried to do it this week. She has also turned sunny-side up (again) so I have week to get her turn over. I see lots of pelvic rocking and hanging my belly in my future.

That said, I've already started my maternity leave (as of today) and considered going back into work this week, but honestly I am beat! I am not sleeping well and I am just going to take this week to prepare for labor and delivery and bringing home our baby girl.

Thirty-Seven Weeks

I am actually 38 weeks pregnant today, but I hadn't done my 37 week post yet. And in 4 days (or less) I won't be pregnant anymore. I cannot believe it. This last 4-5 weeks have just flown by! And oddly enough, she may just decide to come on her own. On Friday I lost my mucus plug and had my bloody show. I have been feeling more and more pressure down low and have had 3-4 contractions and hour for 1-2 hours. So maybe I will be able to avoid my induction after all? Only time will tell for sure.

This past week I have wrapped up things at my office in anticipation of my maternity leave beginning. It's weird to think I'll be off for 10 weeks! The last time I had that length of time off was the summer break of my freshman year in high school! So...that'll be strange. Of course, I'll be busy figuring out all the things that new mothers need to figure out. I have been feeling overwhelmed by some of that! I mean, I know I am prepared. But at the same time I have that feeling I used to get right before final exams in college...knowing I had studied and was prepared and yet, I still had a nagging thought in my head, "I hope I am ready."

The good news is, mothering is a process...and I know I will just have to learn along the way. I have recently read "The No Cry Sleep-Solution" and "The Baby Whisperer" and have realized that I just need to pick and chose what works for me, my husband and most of all, our daughter. There is no one way to do this!

I am also a multi-tasker so I have been really talking to myself about being okay with "just" being there for my baby. Breast-feeding and not doing anything else (reading, talking on the phone, watching TV, etc.). Napping often. I want to take these first weeks to just get to know my baby and for her to get to know me. I'll never have this time again. So I plan to embrace it. And cry if I need to...and ask my DH and mom for help. And let my DH figure things out for himself too. I've already promised him that he will not hear "you're not doing it right" out of my mouth. I want him to feel empowered as a dad to learn about his daughter the same way I need to learn about her. Thankfully, he's taking two weeks off of work to be home. He'll have school a few hours a week, but otherwise, we'll all be home together. And our furbabies will need to adjust too and I want to be sure give them the attention they'll be needing as well. So these next few days are about getting ready to bring the baby home.

According to BabyCenter, here's what's happening this week:

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Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

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Delivery Date Scheduled

Wow. It's here. We know when we're going to have our baby girl. I just got back from my weekly appt. and the baby is measuring 7 lbs. 8 oz. (up from 6 lbs. 3 oz. last week). Having gestational diabetes that requires insulin to control it has prompted my doctor to go ahead and schedule us for an induction for next Wednesday, 01.20.10.

I am feeling very overwhelmed...just returned from my OB appt. and have scheduled an induction for next Wednesday 01.20.10. Baby is measuring 7 lbs. 8 oz. today (up from 6 lbs. 3 oz. last week) and is doing well, but my doc doesn't want me to go past 39 weeks because she's afraid the baby will get too big and that with my insulin-dependent gestational diabetes that my placenta is aging faster than someone who doesn't have GD and use insulin.

My next appt. is on Monday morning to assess the situation...today I was still just 1finger dialated (well she said 1.5 fingers now...and it hurt like heck...I pray that the baby coming out hurts less than the doctor's hand being shoved in!) and my cervix was thick. No wonder, I am only 37 weeks, 4 days and with only 5% of first babies come by their EDD, it's very early for me still. At that point we'll discuss the induction process. We'll check my cervix again (and see if there's been any progress). I am hoping I am a candidate for Cervidil, rather than Cytotec, but right now my doc is leaning towards Cytotec. I'd prefer neither, but I really feel that cervadil is the lesser of two evils. So on Monday, I'll be making my wishes known about that. I am also worried because my Bishop's Score right now is not favorable for an induction, which can mean that in all likelihood it will progress to a c-section. I am trying to stay positive and keep my eye on the prize...finally holding Libby in my arms.

That said, I am having very mixed emotions. I am thrilled to know that we'll be meeting our daughter very, very soon. But I am very upset that my natural birth plan is completely unraveling. I know when I got the GD dx that this could be a consideration but now that it's here I am feeling very sad that my body will not be allowed to go into labor and birth my baby on it's own. I am also very afraid of what could potentially go wrong, especially with all of the medical interventions that are being planned.

As I have posted, DH and I attended Bradley Birth Classes and have hired our instructor to be our doula (she's certified and also an RN). All of this has been in preparation to go totally unmedicated with little or no interventions. Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 28 weeks and then starting insulin at 30 weeks have been a total game changer. Now, my focus is trying to avoid a c-section and I am trying to mentally prepare for an induction and most likely, the need for an epidural and of course, the possibility that all of it can end up in a c-section.

So on Monday I'll have more details...will we use Cytotec or Cervidil to ripen my cervix? Will I need to go in on Tuesday night or can I just go in on Wednesday? What I do know is this...my labor and delivery will involve the use of Pitocin, which I really, really, really didn't not want to have to do. So now, I am mentally preparing for all of this and also changing my goal from going naturally to now, just trying to deliver vaginally so that I don't end up with a c-section. Again, I know c-sections happen everyday and that they aren't the end of the world, but I really don't want one at all. I also want to be sure that even if my delivery doesn't go as I wished that post-partum does. This means breastfeeding right away and having baby in my room at all times. If she has blood sugar issues I want them to test her for them in our room. And if she needs glucose supplementation I don't want them administering it with a bottle.

At the end of the day, I am mainly focusing on the fact that by this time next week I will be a mommy and finally be holding my precious baby girl in my arms. The rest? I guess I am just going to have to suck it up and deal. I pray that everything goes as well as it possibly can go and that there are no complications for me or for her. Positive vibes are welcomed!

Baby Chocosaur!

I've been a really delinquent Pregosaur... I had my baby in November but things have been so busy for us, adjusting to life with a newborn, that I've been meaning to blog about her birth but just never got around to it. So, without further ado, here's how our little baby Chocosaur made her entrance into this world...

On November 6th (39 weeks, 2 days) I had an Ob appointment and my cervix was "soft" but I still wasn't dilated. We discussed a possible induction on either November 12th (40 weeks, 1 day) or November 16th (40 weeks, 5 days) because the doctor did not want me going beyond 41 weeks. She had me come back on the 10th and based on that visit, we were going to decide what to do. On the 10th I went in and she told me that I was now a fingertip dilated but the baby hadn't dropped all the way.

Honestly, there was a lot of temptation to go ahead and schedule the induction for the 12th because at that point I was just done being pregnant. I was huge and uncomfortable, had trouble sleeping, and I was just eager to meet my little one! That said, I really wanted what was best for the baby so I put my feelings aside and we decided that we would try to give her at least a little more time before inducing. The nurses had already scheduled us for a November 12th induction at the hospital to hold a spot, but we simply rescheduled it for November 16th, hoping the baby would come in her own time before then.

Later that night after my appointment, I started having contractions. I always wondered during my pregnancy how I would know when I was having real contractions. I had heard that real contractions are painful, and that "you'll just know." I hate to also say it, but you really do "just know" when you start feeling them because they are very intense and mild to moderately painful.

My contractions were coming 5 minutes apart and lasted for 90 minutes. (The doctor had said to call if they lasted for longer than 60 minutes, but given how many contractions I had in the past, I thought I would give it more time.) So when I finally hit the 90 minute mark I figured I should call the doctor and let her know. Of course as soon as I went to grab the phone, the contractions started to go away. I was still having them, but at sporadic intervals...every 6-10 minutes with no clear pattern of progression. So I decided to just wait it out until morning to call. When I called, they said just to come in to get checked so we came in as a walk in appointment. The office was packed and we waited for over an hour to be seen. I was still having contractions at this point, but only every 10-15 minutes or so. After a long wait, I was put in an exam room and the doctor finally came in and checked me - I was still just a fingertip dilated - nothing had changed from the previous day. So they sent me home to wait some more. I was so sure that they were going to say I was at least 2 cm dilated, but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

So I went home and went about my day as usual. Around 6pm, I started having contractions again. Again, these were very sporadic, but there was a definite period of time where they were 5 minutes apart for at least an hour. But again, they tapered off and started coming in different time intervals again so I decided to just sit through them. Before going to bed, I showed Mr. Chocosaur the log I was keeping of contractions that night and asked him if he thought I should call the doctor again - he said no, since they were all over the place like the were the previous night. So I went to bed, or tried to get some sleep at least. I never did fall asleep - I had been having trouble falling asleep for quite some time from just being so big and uncomfortable. Add some contractions to the mix and I knew I wasn't going to get much sleep. Then the contractions started to become more painful. I had stopped timing them but they suddenly felt like they were pretty frequent so I started timing them again. This time, they were coming every 2 minutes. Because they were so intense and coming so close together, I decided to call the on-call doctor to find out if I should come in or if I should see if these last for at least an hour (at this point they had only been coming for about 15 minutes). The on-call doctor told me to go drink a bunch of water and get hydrated, then wait and see if they would continue to last for a full hour. If they did, he wanted me to call back and then they would have to go in to the hospital. This was at around 11:30pm on the 11th. I got off the phone with him and then proceeded to go downstairs to get some water. At the bottom of the stairs, I felt a small gush. Nothing huge, in fact it felt very similar to other points in the pregnancy where some discharge would come out. In the past, I had thought my water was breaking but went to the bathroom to check, only find it was normal pregnancy discharge. So this time, when I went to check, I was actually surprised to see that underwear wet with no discharge present - and when I wiped, it was bright red blood. It was a small amount of fluid though, so I wasn't sure if this was actually my water breaking or if it was "bloody show."

So I called the doctor back and told him I wasn't sure if my water broke or if it was bloody show - he didn't really answer my question. He simply said, "Well, if your water broke, you should go in." I was a little annoyed by this but was glad that it was late enough in the night that I was pretty sure he wasn't going to be doing my delivery. So, I went and got my hospital bag, packed up the last of the toiletries that I had held off on packing, and we were at the hospital by about 12:30am (about 1 hour after my water broke). When I went to the admissions desk, they recognized my name and asked, "Weren't you supposed to be here tonight for an induction?" I smiled and told her that I was, but that we had decided to reschedule the induction to give the baby more time to come on her own.

Once I was admitted, a nurse came in to check on me. I was still just a fingertip dilated (I couldn't believe it!) and the nurse wasn't sure if my water actually broke or not because she said she had trouble feeling my bag of waters. She said it could have also been the bloody show, but couldn't say for sure. But they went ahead and hooked me up to a fetal monitor and a contraction monitor, took some blood, and started my IV. The nurse told me to get ready for a very long night, because first time moms tend to have very long labors. At this point, Mr. Chocosaur and my mom decided to go home and get some sleep and return in the morning. Before leaving, my hubby told me to try and get some rest - I told him there was no way I was getting any sleep while I was having painful contractions every 2 minutes!!

The nurse told me that I could get the epidural at any time I wanted it. I asked her how much it would slow down the labor and she said it would slow it down some, but not a lot. The nurse also informed me that if your water breaks, the contractions tend to be much stronger than if it has not. I tried really hard to deal with the pain for as long as possible, but with the contractions coming every 2 minutes and hours of labor ahead of me, I finally asked for the epidural around 3:30am. The nurse told me she'd just call and wake up the anesthesiologist and I'd feel better in no time. It didn't make me feel great that he'd be tapping into my spine minutes after waking up, but what choice did I have?

The anesthesiologist came quickly and then they had me sit up in bed with my legs dangling over the edge. I always thought that epidurals were administered while you were laying on your side (like a spinal tap) but I guess not. I was terrified about what it would feel like but it wasn't too bad. The worst part was having to sit still while he was doing it even though I was having contractions. They don't pause while you have the contractions, they just keep going. The nurse told me to lean over the edge of the bed with my back hunched over and cross my arms and breathe through the contractions but they were so painful I had to take my arms and brace her shoulders to get through it. The lidocaine stung a bit going in and when he went to give me the epidural I could still feel it going in! I screamed and he stopped; then he casually said, "I guess we're going to need some more lidocaine." After the second injection of lidocaine I did not feel any pain as he inserted it, but I did feel some pressure. There was another brief moment of pain as he did things. I have no idea what all he did but at one point he said, "You're going to feel a back cramp now, totally normal," and when I yelped he said, "good, that's what we want." Ha! Shortly thereafter, the drugs started to kick in and all the pain from the contractions was gone... it was wonderful. I could still feel slight pressure from each contraction, but all the pain was gone. This was around 3:45am. From then on, I was able to doze in and out of sleep. I wasn't ever able to get any really good sleep, as the nurse kept coming in to check on me, adjust my monitors, etc. Plus the blood pressure cuff was checking my blood pressure every 10 or 15 minutes and it would wake me up.

Around 6am the nurse called my Ob who was thankfully on-call that day - this is why we had scheduled the induction on the 12th in the first place. She wanted to go ahead and augment my labor with pitocin because once your water breaks, you need to deliver within 24 hours or else the risk of infection gets really high. So the nurse came in around 6:30am and checked my cervix one more time before starting the pitocin. I was 2 cm dilated (finally), so at least I was progressing a little bit. At this point, the pad they had put under me was soaked and there was meconium in it so the nurse said that it was definitely my water that had broken and wasn't just bloody show earlier. I was a little worried at this point due to the meconium being in the amniotic fluid - the whole reason we had discussed induction was to decrease the risk of meconium aspiration which goes up after 41 weeks. There was nothing we could do about it though, except wait and see.

So they started the pitocin in my IV - I couldn't really feel any difference in the contractions but from there on out, I was happy to see that I was progressing exactly as I should be. By 7:30am I was 3cm dilated and 80% effaced. By 10am I was 4cm dilated and 90% effaced. By noon I was 6cm dilated and 100% effaced but the baby had not totally dropped so the Ob was concerned about that. If she didn't drop, I wouldn't be able to deliver her vaginally. Furthermore, the doctor felt like the baby might be tilted a bit to where part of her head was face up. She said that babies that are "sunny side up" are more difficult to deliver so she wanted to try and reposition me to see if we get the baby to turn. So they had me labor on my side, with my leg elevated straight out in a stirrup. By 2pm I was 10cm dilated and the baby had dropped completely and turned over on her back - laboring on my side had worked! I was so relieved to hear this. The doctor said we could go ahead and start actively pushing so the nurse started setting everything up. She wheeled in a table and set it up with tools to assist in delivery (vacuum, forceps, etc) as well as instruments for an emergency c-section if needed. By 2:30pm the nurse let me go ahead and start pushing.

At this point I was thinking to myself that having a baby wasn't all that bad. I had painful contractions from about 11:15pm to 3:45am but after I had the epidural, the laboring had been a breeze. Don't get me wrong, the contractions were painful enough that I was desperate to get the epidural as soon as they would let me (we had to wait on the bloodwork results and for me to get enough IV fluids), but I could take them. Well, we tried pushing for about 15 minutes but I didn't "know" what muscles to use to push since I couldn't feel anything down there thanks to the wonderful epidural. Even though I knew this was normal, it kind of bothered me because I thought child birth was supposed to be "natural" and that I would just "know" how to push my baby out!

At that point, they decided that we'd have to turn off the epidural so that I could feel again and push more effectively. So we waited about 10-15 minutes for the epidural to wear off. This was the point where I gained an utmost respect for those moms who choose to labor med-free. The pain from the contractions was SO painful... I would even go as far as calling them unbearably painful!!! I expected pain, but not THAT kind of pain. It was so painful that I was crying - actually sobbing - with each contraction. This was not the labor that I had envisioned for myself.

In any case, the plan worked because once I could feel again, I was able to push more effectively. "More" being the key word - I was pushing, but not pushing hard enough for the baby to advance through the birth canal. Nonetheless, the nurse and doctor kept encouraging me and pushing me to keep going. At one point the nurse tried to tell me how she could see the baby's hair and that I just needed to push "a little harder" so she could come out. In order to try to get her to progress more with each push, they used a special technique with me while I was pushing. They said that if I lean over and hunch over my belly while pushing, it would help compress my belly and apply more pressure to get her to come out faster. So they took a bed sheet and had me hold onto it and they would pull me forward with each contraction/push (there was no way I was staying in that position on my own through that much pain!). They also elevated my legs and pulled them outward in order to get my pelvis to open up as much as possible.

So I pushed...and pushed...and pushed... my hospital gown was soaked in tears ...the contractions were coming every 1.5-2 minutes so I was pretty much sobbing non-stop. Nothing helped. Holding my husband's hand, trying to focus on meeting my baby, taking deep breaths, etc.... none of that helped with the pain. After about an hour and half of this, after I thought I was going to die of pain, they decided to turn the epidural back on a little bit to see if that helped. I am not sure why they didn't do this in the first place (I guess they thought I needed to feel everything in order to figure out which muscles to use...and with partial numbness I would have trouble doing so?) but once I had some pain relief, I felt much better and was able to push harder. In fact, the doctor said that those pushes were the strongest and most effective pushes I had made since we had started.

At 5:00pm, after I had been pushing for about 2 hours and 15 minutes, the doctor stopped everything and said we needed to reassess the situation. She said that with first time moms, if the baby isn't out after 2 hours of pushing, it probably isn't going to come out. She said that after 2 hours, the third hour of trying usually isn't very effective because the mom is just so worn out. She then stated that we could continue to try, and if I could just get the baby out a little bit further, she could try to pull her out with either a vacuum or forceps. However, she said that she herself had had a forceps delivery and as a mother she would not recommend that because the recovery is hard on both mom and baby. She also reached in to feel the baby and unfortunately she had turned back over and was sunny side up again, which was one more factor that was going to make it harder to deliver her vaginally.

She then turned to us and asked us what we wanted to do. Mr. Chocosaur turned to me and asked me what I wanted to do. At this point, I was SO worn out and tired of hurting that I did not have the energy to even think about this (they even put an oxygen mask on me to help me get through the contractions). I told him that we could do whatever he wanted to do and that I didn't care anymore! He said it wasn't his decision, but mine... we asked the doctor what the likelihood was of continuing like this and delivering the baby okay - she said about 20%. So then we both kind of decided that we would just go ahead with the c-section. This was at 5:04pm and I remember looking at the clock and asking the doctor, "So this means I'll have my baby and this will be over with before 6:00, right?" My doctor smiled at me and said, "Oh yes, definitely. It won't take long at all." To which I replied, "Great... can I have some more drugs now?" Everyone in the room burst out laughing at this comment and the doctor said, "Yes, we'll get you taken care of."

Once the epidural was back on fully, I felt SO much better. The anesthesiologist came in and gave me some additional drugs, then checked to make sure I was completely numb up to my chest. By 5:24pm they were wheeling me over to the operating room. I remember being so cold from being exposed during the labor, plus all the cold IV fluids that they were giving me (I think I had received at least 2-3 liters by then!). I was shivering uncontrollably even though they put blankets on me. I am not sure if it was the drugs or just the sheer exhaustion of having been up for so long and having labored for so long, but the rest of the evening was a bit of a blur to me...

I remember them transferring me from the hospital bed to the operating room table and the nurse anesthetist talking to me and giving me drugs. I was still shivering uncontrollably at this point - I remember wishing I could warm up so I could feel a little more relaxed (even my teeth were chattering). I am not even sure exactly when they started but I remember thinking to myself that they weren't even waiting for my husband before making the initial incision. I heard them ask for someone to go get him, but I think they started cutting immediately thereafter. Once he was by my head, I asked him what the burning smell was and he told me it was the cautery they were using. I remember thinking to myself, "great, I can smell myself burning." Minutes later, at 5:42pm, they pulled her from my belly and I could hear her crying immediately. The first thing my Ob said was, "Oh she is just beautiful! So beautiful." Before taking her to get cleaned up and everything, they brought her by for me to see her and I immediately started crying. Mr. Chocosaur asked me what was wrong and I told him, "Nothing's wrong. I'm just so happy she is here and this is all over now." After that, they cleaned her up, weighed her, and I heard them give her an apgar score of 8 and then 9. She was 7 pounds, 4.4 ounces and 20 inches long.

My Ob actually told me that once they were in there, she could see that my pelvis was too small and that's why she wasn't progressing when I was pushing. She said I could have pushed until I was blue in the face, but my baby was not coming out except via c-section. She said that my pelvic outlet (which she could feel on her internal exams) was big enough, but my pelvic inlet (which she couldn't see until they opened me up) was way too small for her head to fit through. I just thought to myself, "Well, that would have been nice to know 24 hours ago!!"

After the surgery was done they wheeled me back to labor and delivery so I could recover and spend some time with her before she went to the nursery for her first bath. I remember feeling so groggy during this time that I don't even remember trying to breast feed her. I remember them undressing her so we could have some skin to skin contact before breast feeding, but that's it. Still, I remember how great it felt to finally have her snuggled up against me! I just looked at her and could not believe that this tiny little perfect baby was mine! It was a wonderful ending to very very long ordeal...

I know this is a very, very long post, but I always enjoyed reading other women's birth stories so I hope some of Pregosaur's readers have enjoyed reading mine. I suppose this will be my last post to this blog, as I am no longer a "Pregosaur." Life with a newborn has been crazy exhausting, stressful, and amazingly wonderful all at the same time. I'm not quite ready to transition over to Littlesaur just yet (don't know where I'd find the time!), but maybe someday when baby Chocosaur is a little older! It's been a pleasure being a contributor to this blog, and I wish nothing but the best to all the other Pregosaurs and readers of this blog as everyone makes their journey to motherhood!

Thirty-Six Weeks

Well, sort of...let me explain.

Way back in week seven, after my first u/s at the doctor's I was told that my EDD was 02.02.10. I had been charting and knew my exact ovulation date and conception date and calculated the EDD to be 01.30.10, but since the doc said 02.02.10 I went with it.

Well, last week at my NST the nurse said, oh you're getting close...January 30th will be here soon. I just smiled and nodded and thought, "Hmmm. Why does my chart say 01.30.10?" So this week at the OB's I asked. Turns out that even though that first u/s said 02.02.10 she decided it was close enough to my original calculation of 01.30.10 based upon my TTC chart that she kept it. News to me! And to Mr. Divasaur! Granted it only moves our EDD up three days but somehow, at least psychologically speaking, it has made a big impact because it now means that we're having our baby THIS month! Mr. Divasaur's eyes got big like saucers and after we left the OB appt. he was giddy with excitement. It had hit him!

And we are ready. The car seat has been installed. My coworkers threw me a shower today and this weekend I'll do a final load of baby laundry (with lots of cuteness acquired from today's party). We met with our doula tonight to go over our birth plan. And I had another NST which Libby passed with flying colors. My GD is under control (although I've had to increase my dosage of insulin to stay on top of my numbers...but that is to be expected the closer an insulin-dependent GD mama gets to her due date). Next week I get another internal exam to check for any progress (I declined the internal this week). And I am sure I'll continue to feel crampy and contractions as the days and weeks come to pass. I am feeling BIG. And uncomfortable and ready to have my daughter in my arms. I have a big meeting at work at the end of next week and then, mentally, I will be done with work. I may start working from home in week 38 and 39...we shall see. Sitting at my desk all day has become uncomfortable and causes my ankles to swell, even though I have my feet propped up on a step stool.

My coworkers threw me a baby shower, which was really sweet since I had't expected to have one. My assistant decorated my office and set up a card table with a cake and favors. People dropped by during the lunch hour and I opened their gifts and then had them displayed for the others to come by and oogle (a tradition in our office, I guess. It's very Southern!) I was sad that I wasn't going to get to have a shower, with all of my closest friends and family living 1500 miles away, but the ladies I work with went above and beyond to make it happen. It was so nice of them and they were quite generous...Libby got a bunch of cute clothes, some great books, coxy blankets and some fun toys.

So I am in the final stretch. Libby measured 6 lbs. 3 oz. this week. According to BabyCenter, here's what's up in there:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

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Luckysaur- Week 29

Hello all! It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything. Mr. Luckysaur and I were in St. Louis with his family over the holidays and I'm just getting into the groove of being back. I had a week and a half off for Christmas. It was really nice being off, but it's actually nice to get back in the swing of things too. Mr. Luckysaur and I had a few days back here before we had to get back to work which was wonderful. We got a lot of things done in Sophie's room. Her dresser/changing table needed an extra coat of paint, since the previously brown top was still showing through the white paint. Mr. Luckysaur worked on that project while I unearthed the pile of stuff that we've been accumulating for Sophie. I took off tags off of clothes and blankets and put it all away. We also painted a side table in the room bright red, which looks so cute. I guess nesting had started kind of early in the Luckysaur household, but it feels so good to get some of this stuff done.

Sophie, as well as Mr. Luckysaur and I, did well this Christmas. Sophie got quite a few clothes (she's going to be one stylin' little girl), books, and a sippie cup with her name on it. Mr. Luckysaur and I decided to go together and get a new camera for each other for Christmas this year. We got the Canon T1i DSLR camera and a lens so that we can get some good (hopefully!) shots of the little one when she arrives. We've been testing it out on the dogs. I think they're ready for Sophie to arrive just so that they don't have to have any more pictures taken of them. Haha! Mr. Luckysaur and I got money from Granny and Papa (my parents) to go towards an upholstered recliner/glider that we've been eyeing to rock our little girl in. We promtly went out and bought it after opening our card with the money in it. I made Mr. Luckysaur take a picture of me in the chair. Ahhhh...so comfy!



I had my doctor's appointment on Monday, which included the dreaded 1 hour glucose tolerance test. The drink actually wasn't as bad as I thought (and heard) it was going to be. It tasted like flat Sunkist. I usually like Sunkist (not flat) so it really didn't bother me that much. I got a call today with my results...135. Apparently this is the high end of normal, so I get to go back for the 3 hour glucose test as well. I'm hoping that it will come back normal. I'm dreading the thought of a diabetic diet or insulin for the remainder of this pregnancy, but I'm trying to stay positive. I don't go back until the 28th for that, but I'll keep you updated as I know more.

Week 29 has brought on a few new aches and pains as well as my third cold in as many months, but for the most part I'm still chugging along and doing pretty good. Sophie's definately growing and her kicks have gotten more regular and a bit stronger. I had a feeling that she was transverse just by where I was feeling her kicks and jabs. My nurse practioner comfirmed that she is indeed transverse for the time being. She told me that they don't worry about position until week 36 though. She's still got a little while to figure out that she needs to be vertical and not horizontal. For now, I'm going to enjoy the fact that she's not pressing on my bladder or kicking me in the ribs. I'm sure my time will be coming for those things.

Last, but not least...Here's our week 29 picture.

A letter to my unborn daughter

Dear Elizabeth,

Today is the first day of 2010 which means that Daddy and I will be meeting you very soon. We are so excited and cannot wait to hold you in our arms and study your face. Will you have Daddy's nose? Only time will tell is for sure.

It was just a year ago that we were asking ourselves, "are we ready to become parents?" And here we are, just weeks away from meeting you, our first child. Thank you so much for choosing us to be your parents.

We promise to always love you unconditionally, just as you are, no matter what. We will always do our best to be the best we can be so that you may thrive and flourish to become the best that you can be. We won't always be perfect or right, but I promise you that we'll always do the very best that we can do in that moment and when we know better, we'll do better. Always.

You are being named after your Grandma Debra and your Granny Judie...two of the strongest and giving women we know. They both have overcome many obstacles and much adversity in their lives and we hope you'll learn from their wisdom and life's experiences. Elizabeth is Grandma Debra's middle name and Joan is Granny Judie's middle name. We're calling you Libby for short, but if or when you decide you'd prefer a different nickname or none at all (like Daddy) we'll respect your choice, one-hundred percent.

You are our first baby, our first child. We will learn to be good parents from you. And we will teach you everything we know about being a good person - loving freely, respecting diversity and appreciating all that this life has to offer you.

I'll be a little sad when your birthday finally comes - just for a fleeting moment though - because I will no longer have you all just to myself. Your little flips and kicks and wiggles. But I'll be so happy to have you here to hold and to share your fingers and toes with Daddy and everyone else who already loves you so much.

Please never doubt how much you were wanted or how much you are already so loved. From the moment we knew about you, we were overwhelmed with love for you. Even before that, we wanted you with fierce passion and we were so happy that it didn't take you long to find us. I am pretty sure that you're the best birthday present Daddy has ever received. And you're a treasure to me. You are the only person in this world who knows what my heartbeat sounds like from the inside. It's amazing to know that I am giving you life. Thank you for this privilege, I will treasure it always.

We love you sweet little girl and cannot wait until you arrive. Stay safe until you're ready and when you are...Daddy and I will be waiting with open arms.

Love,
Mommy

Thirty-Five Weeks

and thirty-five days to go! Wow. And of course, I am thirty-five years old.

I am feeling ready to have this baby. I swear I have gotten bigger in just one week! I have my first internal exam today with the OB/GYN (honestly I'd like to decline it as I really don't see the point. Most midwives don't do internal exams until 40 weeks or more). I will also have my Group B Strep test. It's just my luck that I'll have it. I'll know soon enough.

Update: Just got back from the OB...baby is measuring exactly 6 lbs and has flipped over to a head down anterior position. YAY! I hope she stays that way until it's time for her debut. Oh, and I am 1 centimeter dialted. I'll tell you the internal exam is not fun...it hurt. My OB said, "now's the time to try out your Bradley Method breathing." Nice. I sure hope that giving birth doesn't hurt in the same way that the internal did. She said "some pressure" and I felt "immense pinching." I mean, I know giving birth will hurt, but it seems that letting something out is far less traumatic than having something shoved in....yikes!

I have been sleeping better this last week, thank goodness. I am not sure why that is, but I am so grateful. I was having horrible hip pains (especially from sleeping on my side) and have done a little research on how to stretch so that the pain can be minimized. So a few times a day and especially before bed, I stretch my hips, hamstrings and groin muscles. It has helped a lot.

I met with my endocrinologist last week for my four week follow-up appointment since being put on insulin. She said I am doing very well and that typically, in the last month of pregnancy, the insulin dosage will need to be increased as the placenta continues to pump out hormones that override the pancreas. So I am increasing my evening dosage of insulin by two units to see if that will help my fasting numbers (which have always been the issue from the start). Also, if my after dinner numbers continue to rise (I had a few high ones last week, but I chalk it up to the holidays) then we might need to add a fast acting insulin injection before that meal. I hope to avoid that though but eating really cleanly now that Christmas has passed. I did really well, in all honesty, but I did sample some sweets at work that I probably should have just avoided all together.

Speaking of Christmas, we had a freak blizzard here (second one in history) and were literally snowed in on Christmas Eve. We had to cancel our Christmas Day plans with my in-laws. So it was just me and my hubby and our furbabies camped out at home. We watched Julie and Julia and The Hangover. My husband also finally finished assembling the crib and we got the nursery into some semblance of order.

Remember my inspiration board?

Here are some photos of our progress:

View of the nursery from the doorway.

Simply Shabby Chic (from Target) Pillow and Banners...to decorate the crib.
When the baby sleeps in there we'll take the pillow out though.

I still need to add more accessories to this shelf. The dress in the middle and two to the right of it were mine when I was a baby. The other two were awesome consignment sale finds!

This lamp was in my room when I was a toddler. I made a new lampshade for it to coordinate with the colors in the nursery. The lamp was a vintage shop find by my mom when I was just 2 years old, so it's got to be at least 45-50 years old by now.

These are shelves from IKEA that we've had for at least 10 years! The baskets had red and yellow striped liners so I made new ones to match the lamp shade. The Care Bears are new except for the dark blue one which was mine when I was a child...vintage! You can tell he's different because he has real hair and the others don't.

Swivel/Rocker/Recliner we scored for $50 on Craigslist. The day bed is 25 years old and real enameled iron with brass finials, also found on Craigslist. We still need to get a proper quilt for it (I like this one from Target's Simply Shabby Chic line) and add the pop up trundle and a dust ruffle.

Bigger view of the room. Not pictured...Mr. Divasaur's "study" corner which is to the right of the daybed.

Diaper stash and supplies and a second-hand Lionsheart Wipes Warmer I got for $6.

Our multi-functional crib with lots of storage.
Still awaiting the arrival of the properly sized changing pad for the top of the drawers.
Best of all it will convert to a single youth bed with a nightstand when the baby is ready to transition out of the crib.

I still need to add the wall decals (tree, birds and woodland animals) as well as hang the bird mobile.
So it's still a work in progress...


Wall letters that I made with supplies from the local craft store.
I decoupaged scrapbook paper onto the balsa wood letters and then attached them to twine
with mini clothes-line clips (hot glued in the back for extra security).
I still plan to add some bird decals to the clothesline.

Mr. Divasaur proud of the hard work he did putting our crib together by hand.

I hope to have all of the final touches done soon and that way we're totally set for Libby's arrival. Speaking of which, I have this weird feeling she's coming early. I cannot really say why though. The date of January 19th keeps popping up in my dreams, etc. We shall see. I know she's getting bigger, I can feel it.

According to BabyCenter, here's what's going on in there this week:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.