38 weeks

This could be my last 2-week photo update which is just crazy! Of course you could still see me on here in 2 weeks because that's just how these things go....but to give you an update, as of last Thursday I am 80% effaced (that's how thin the cervix is - it needs to get to 100% for pushing out the baby) and the baby's head is in station -2 (which means his head is 2 cm away from the cervix. That part was weird when she told me she could feel his head...wait, there's really a baby in there?!?). Then she said, so you're basically ready for labor so if you want to be induced we can do that now. Um...no that's ok...I'll wait. So yeah, it could be now or it could be a few weeks from now. It doesn't really give you any kind of timeline other than that it's "ready". Well that was enough to get me thinking seriously about it, so last night we finally packed the baby bag (stuff that the baby will need at the hospital). I still have to think about the stuff that I want for me (any clothes you bring they tell you might get ruined/cut off of you) but I did update my ipod last night so I could get some "labor songs" downloaded on there. We also had our last shower on Sunday (my DH side of the family in Tucson) and Friday (with my friends from Phoenix) so after I did an inventory of the loot (and there was a lot!) I went to Babies r us and started buying things that we still need. Yesterday I got the swing we wanted (which is very awesome. My DH put it together last night and we tried it out. Well, no one was in the swing (the dog was spared this time) but we had the music going - including hooking it up to my ipod which was very cool. We can make whatever mix of songs we want for the baby and not get sick of the defaults on there) and today I am going to pick up the mattress for the crib (why am I doing these separate trips you ask? A. Have you seen my car?, and B. They have these 20% off a single item coupons that can only be used once per day. Speaking of, I am really bummed because Bed Bath and Beyond won't send me their store coupons to my PO box! Totally annoying because I'd like to buy some of our bedding from their sister store Buy Buy Baby because target and Babies R Us only carries it online. So I've been trying to convince my friends to give me theirs :)). We also get a 10% off your whole registry on a one-time shopping day, but I'm not sure if I want to save that until after the baby gets here. There are some little things we still need (a grooming kit, thermometer, cover for the changing pad, etc.) but I know there's probably other stuff we need that I'm not thinking of. Like we only have 1 newborn size short sleeve onsie (I know, with all of the clothes we got, how did this happen? And actually, that onsie was one that I had bought myself several months ago). But some people have told me that the 0-3 month size will work just as well (it's only slightly bigger) so I'm thinking I'm going to wait to see how big he is when he gets here to determine if we need more (because I think we have about 10 of the 0-3 month size). I think people are hesitant to buy the newborn size because they either think, a. everyone is buying you newborn stuff, or b. your baby is going to come out bigger than that to begin with (newborn size is about 5-8 lbs).

My other update is that I started having contractions. That started on Sunday, which was a little unfortunate because we had a meeting with my doula in the morning and then our shower in the afternoon so I felt like I couldn't give either my full attention because these contractions kept happening all day (kind of like you're about to get your period but a little more intense vice-grip squeeze). I had a few more during the night and then again yesterday but nothing regular. They have since pettered out - so it's hard to say if they are Braxton Hick contractions (the practice ones that don't do much of anything) or the early stages of labor (which can also go on for days to weeks but at least it's starting to open your cervix). I'll find out more when I go to my appointment on Friday. But either way, it's definitely gotten me panicked into getting my stuff together at work so that I can leave whenever is necessary. So my goal for this week is to get the materials together and sent off to the people who are covering my class. I'm really hoping to be able to teach up until Oct 6th (next Wednesday) so then I won't have to cancel or postpone any classes. So that just means a week and a day this baby needs to hold out!

That's it for now. I included a photo of Brad and I at the wedding. I was going to include a full length shot but for some reason the camera kept making my feet look really swollen :)

Back from the wedding of the year!

Got back late last night from NYC/Jersey (we actually did get to stop in mommentarily at ground zero and check out the new development and monument but most of the time was spent in New Jersey). The weather was perfect (only rained/stormed when we first got in) and everything turned out flawless! Ok, maybe it was a little crazy and rushed, and I'm sure the bride can recount everything that didn't go off exactly as planned, but no one is the wiser that's for sure. I will definitely be posting up some pics soon as my DH took over 300 of them. That's right - 300. He was the paparazzi, which is good practice for when the baby comes. The wedding was DIY all the way which was a first for me. There was so much to do to set up but it all turned out super cool. I was especially in love with the photo booth which I tried to do for my wedding, but was executed so much better for this one. The guys that ran the book literally printed off a series of 4 photos for you to keep, and an extra copy he pasted into a scrap book (complete with fun stickers) and you signed your message for the bride and groom right then and there. This was very fun and captured some very fun momments (including a few new matches made....). Of course the bride was stunning and I was super excited to have been there when she found THE dress.

My dress turned out well but I'll let you be the judge when you see the pics :) I am hoping to get a few more wears out of it before it won't be necesary (the extra panels that is. My MIL has offered to take those out and sew it back to normal so that I can wear it normally again - which I think I might do. Although I might wait a few months to see what my new post-baby size will be). Speaking of, as you know I've been getting away with wearing non-maternity wear for awhile now. Well, those times have ended. Everything is either starting to feel really tight or those huge maternity tops aren't so huge anymore. But not too much longer now (as everyone likes to remind me).

Remember how I mentioned doing photos pre-post baby? Here is the link to a friend of a friend of mine of the photos she did for new baby Matthew. http://emilypiraino.wordpress.com/

36 weeks

The belly is bigger and the hair is fluffier, although I don't think they're correlated (don't mind me, I just finished prepping my class tomorrow on correlations). I had my 36 week appointment today and everything looks good! The baby is still about the same size (26th percentile) and is weighing at about 5 lbs 9 ounces (plus whatever error. Man, I really can't get out of statistics mode). So at this rate (they are gaining about 1/2 pound a week) it looks like he'll be about 7 1/2 pounds if I go to full term. Ok, this still sounds like statistics so I need to switch gears....

I got my doctor's note for the plane (just in case) although the midwife I saw today said it was "none of their business" when I was due so she wouldn't write down my due date because "pregnant women can fly on airplanes". So needless to say, she doesn't have any concerns about me flying! She also said my iron level was really high (a good thing) which I was shocked at since in my non-preggo state I feel like I boarder on anemia (must be all those prenatal vitamins and extra B12 pills). But she said it was a good thing especially for breast feeding (apparently you can't have too much iron). I also know that he is facing head down - which is the good way to come out. Lately my gall stones (or whatever they are) have been a lot better and I haven't had that sciatic pain in weeks so I'm pretty excited since I know this wedding will be c.r.a.z.y (crazy fun of course...but crazy). My dress got tailored back in so it doesn't look so tent like and I have a couple different shoe options.

We also got our ac fixed today! Yeah....it was broken for 3 long days and nights. Luckily it has cooled off in the evenings so we could keep the doors open (but screen doors shut) and have the fans going. It was manageable....and interesting. I learned that there are donkeys, roosters, and one annoying and neglected dog in our neighborhood. But 5K later, we have a nice cool house. We also have been busy with other house projects. I don't know if it's nesting so much as panicking that we thought we had a lot more time to get all this stuff done (it really annoys me when people keep pointing out that next week I'll be considered "full term". Not. helping.).

We took a preparation for childbirth class on the weekend which was basically a 3-week course condensed into one super long day. It was good though. I think we learned a lot and it made me less apprehensive about a lot of things (I guess information is power....plus after you watch those graphic videos 3 or 4 times it starts to dampen your stress response). We also hung out with our friends that recently had a baby (he was one week on Saturday) so we got to practice holding him and watching him pee in the air when his diaper came off (they did not have the pee pee tee pee's).

Something I realized I have to make a decision on is should we get newborn pics? You know the ones they take a couple days after they're born? And what about couple photos with the belly (i.e., before the birth)? I was originally thinking no but I saw someone's the other day and they actually looked pretty cute. Plus I have this stretch-mark free belly that people tell me also may not last (depending how much longer I'm pregnant and how big he gets). Thoughts? We did decide to get photos done with our wedding photographer at christmas - but he'll be about 2 1/2 months by then so obviously not the same as newborn photos.

We leave for Newark on Thursday morning and won't be back until late Sunday night so I'll be offline for awhile. I'll let you know if anything dramatic happens!

34 weeks

Technically I'm 35 weeks today but the photo is at my 34 week mark (it's been a long week!). We got back from Sioux Falls last week and then I had a mild preeclampsia scare. Well not really. I had one symptom of it (this sharp pain in my ribs on the right side, which apparently is where your liver is) but it was enough that my doctor wanted me to be tested for it. So that's where I spent Thursday evening, in the Phoenix hopsital, contemplating what I would do if they made me have this baby (that's the only cure for preeclampsia....and if you don't do it, you could die). I mean, I was pretty sure I didn't have it (because there are a lot of symptoms and I only had the one) but after a few hours I started second guessing myself (did I really not have any headaches, am I really not seeing stars...?). Turns out, I have gall stones (women, pregnancy, and those approaching 40 are the highest risk group for gall stones...I prefer to think of myself as in the first two categories). So the good news is it won't kill me (literally the doctors words), the bad news is is there really isn't anything they can do about it (and it should go away once I give birth). But now that I know what it is it really doesn't bother me as much. It's weird how pain is like that. Also, my feet are no longer swollen like they were - so that's good. That means real shoes for the wedding (I got a back up pair of green flip flops at target for $2.50!). Speaking of, my MIL got my altered dress back to me. As predicted, the bottom part flared out like an a-line skirt. Not only was it not cut straight down but it actually continued to get wider at the bottom. wtf. Luckily my husband was there to help me convince her to take it back in. We got a compromise on it (and after a few jokes of my knees not getting any bigger) so we'll see how it looks when I get it back again. But in any case, the dress fits and looks good (I just don't want to have the hoola hoop bottom....that is SO 19th century). And I actually think it didn't make me look AS pregnant (well to me anyway).

I saw my doctor on Friday and I was so sad to here he is retiring! Like literally his last day is next Friday (which would be my normal appt but I have to re-schedule since I'll be at the wedding). It just is really unusual to see the same doctor all the time (since most doctors are part of clinics they usually rotate around so you see a different one all the time) but I get too because he's the only one that comes up to Casa Grande to do "outreach" (I still find that term hilarious....like I'm one of his pregnant teens). And he tolerated my lack of cooperation with them whenever they wanted to run their "routine" tests. So yeah...I'm a little sad. But I guess my pregnant time is almost over anyway, and the doctor who will ultimately deliver the baby will be there all of ten minutes (or so I've heard).

I decided to hire a doula and gave her the down payment on Saturday. I'm excited about it because she has so much experience in the hospitals and it'll be nice to have someone always there that can suggest different things to make me feel comfortable. My other pregnant friend (who was 6 weeks ahead of me) had her baby on Friday. I visited her in the hospital on Saturday and it was awesome. Both to see the baby, but also to check out first-hand where I will be in approx 5 weeks. I even got to listen to the breastfeeding lesson the lactation consultant gave during my visit. Plus she had a pretty good birth story so I wasn't too scarred (not that it was easy...she definitely didn't downplay the pain...but that at the end she had the baby and everything was fine).