Update: Week 38

I am really dragging this week. Yesterday was my weekly doctor appointment. I've dilated another centimeter to 4cm, and I am 90% effaced. And the baby has dropped a few centimeters, according to the doctor's measurements, but I can't tell because I've had more difficultly breathing this week than ever. But I guess that makes sense, I'm exhausted, she's only getting bigger, and even if she is moving down some she is still taking up a lot of room.

But without contractions these little steps of progress it don't mean a whole lot! Basically the baby could arrive tomorrow or any time over the next two weeks, meaning that we could go past the due date. We are just waiting on whatever it is that triggers labor to happen. Funny that we still don't know exactly what that is with all the advances in science and medicine.

But it is good in way because the dilation is progress that I won't have to make during labor when I'm contracting. So it's kind of a little head start for me. But it doesn't necessarily mean that labor will be shorter or anything. Also, it's good that she is dropping, because if you start contracting and the baby is still high, then you basically have to wait for the contractions to move her down that much further. So again, it's a little head start that she's moving down before labor starts.

So we are just waiting. My next appointment is the 19th, and then after that if she is still not here, I'll see my doctor again on the 24th. At that point, we'll discuss options for if I do go past the due date (25th). She's already said that she will want to induce within 7 days. So at my appointment on the 24th we'll discuss when I would want to come in for inducement. But hopefully that won't be necessary, and she will arrive by the end of this weekend!

I wish this was my last week of work, but I've said that I would work until the 21st. I am just so tired, went to bed last night at 8pm!

Baby Face

A couple of nights ago I dreamt that I saw our baby's face. She was so tiny! A cute round face with round cheeks, lots of dark hair, the deepest blue eyes, and a sweet smile on her lips! Well soon I guess we'll find out exactly what she looks like! Two weeks and one day until Christmas and the due date, but I really hope and believe that she arrives by this weekend!

Update: Week 37

The baby is now officially full-term! Had my weekly appointment yesterday. Everything is great, my doctor says that I'm having a text-book normal pregnancy. I've dilated a bit more to a total of 3cm. The baby's still head down but she has not dropped yet. I only had a slight weight gain since last week, just 1 pound.

Update: Week 36!!!

Yesterday was my week 36 appointment! I can't believe how fast the pregnancy is coming to a close! The checkup went well, everything is still good. I had the first pelvic (cervical) check. I'm already 1.5 cm dilated and 75% effaced! But my doctor said that doesn't mean that she will arrive early, I could still be at this point next week. But it is sure a good motivator to get stuff done, knowing that I'm making a little progress in that area! So much to do at work, and at home!

I have to say, the cervical check hurt! But anyway, everything else was fine. The baby's about 5.5-6 pounds. She has not dropped yet, but that can happen at any time. While we were listening to the heartbeat, I swear she was practicing some Taebo or kickboxing! Or maybe she tried to stand up, but the movement was amazing and it looked like a rocket was about to come out of my stomach! We had never seen her move so much so fast!

One other thing, in the week since my last appointment, I had gained another 4 pounds! But in my defense, (besides just being pregnant), it was Thanksgiving last week! And my feet are still swelling, and I'm not wearing my rings. Plus the baby is gaining about a pound per week. But honestly I'm also eating candy like crazy. It's everywhere! Co-Workers are still bring candy from Halloween that they don't want their kids to have, and my sweet tooth is in overdrive. I just want cake, pie, pastries of any kind! Ok, enough of that, must not think of sweets!

So last night I washed a huge load of baby clothes, sheets and blankets. This weekend I will pack my bag and the baby's bag for the hospital. We are about 90% ready for her, as far as things go at home, having stuff setup, etc. I'd say 100% but I'm not sure if you can ever be that ready.

Update: Week 35

Last Tuesday (11/20) was the start of week 35. Exactly 5 weeks until Christmas! I went to the doctor on Wednesday, and will now be going every week until the baby is born. She is about 5-5.5 pounds, and I can tell! I've started to retain some water and have some minor swelling in my hands, feet and face. I've stopped wearing my rings because I don't want them to get stuck on my fingers. Sometimes I feel so heavy, and it's not wonder since I am now up to 163 pounds! Total weight gain is at 35 pounds. My doctor is not worried, and really I don't look that big, so I'm trying not to let it bother me. She says that now the baby is gaining weight and the rest is water, so I'm not packing on any more fat, supposedly!

We are almost ready for her arrival. A few things left to get are bassinet sheets, a diaper bag, more diapers, and probably other things that I can't think of right now. I'm starting to get a bit anxious. Time to pack for the hospital this week. Also, the car seat base in my backseat is strange, not used that yet!

I will try to update every week until she is born, week 36 starts tomorrow and I'll be back at the doctor's office on Wednesday.

Stop kicking me! Or Update - Week 30

Well it has been a while since my last post! September and most of October have flown by, and I'm now carrying a big baby belly! You can check out my tummy in the picture below (it's from my cell phone so not the greatest quality picture). The baby is about 3 pounds now, and she is so strong! Multiple kicks and punches are very frequent now. She will also cause intense pressure by stretching and holding her position, so even though she's not kicking me, it still hurts!

We had our first baby shower in September, given by Tony's mother, aunt and friend of his mom's. It was very nice, we received a lot of wonderful things and it was good to be around family. That was our last trip to Lindale until after the birth.

Some of my cousins also threw a shower for me and another cousin that's pregnant last weekend in my hometown of West. It was really fun, and interesting to be part of a double shower. We also received very nice gifts too! So many cute baby outfits! I can't wait to play dress up with her! This was my last trip to West before the birth, it was very nice to be home. Mom cooked some of my favorites, and I just really enjoyed being there and being in that "kid" frame of mind for one last time, before I'm forever a mom to someone else!

Friday was my 31st birthday, and it was a great one! My boss threw a shower at work for me, and it was really nice, she did alot of work for it! The food was great, we had the most awesome chocolate cake with a vanilla cheesecake filling and cream cheese icing! YUMMY!! And still more generous gifts for baby! Tony bought me a pregnancy massage package, I can't wait to call and schedule it! Friday night we were too tired to go out, so we ordered pizza, which I love and is just as good a birthday dinner as eating out! Then Saturday we went to Olive Garden and that was great too!

So, we still do not have a name. If you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it. Tony has tricked me into a deadline of his birthday (11/14), so time is running out! Of course, what's the worst that happens if we can't pick by then? I don't think we'll stop looking!

Well, here's an update on my other babies, Chloe and Anya! Chloe turned 3 on 9/6, and we made a trip to the vet for her long overdue annual checkup. It had been 18 months since she went to the vet, and since that time I'd switched to a cat only vet up in Round Rock. So I loaded her up and off we went. She was meowing before we got out of the driveway, and I remembered how she hates the car. Well, the trip is about 30-35 minutes, and I realized that's her threshold for time in the car before she gets sick. So it was race, and unfortunately for us both, we lost.

About 10 minutes from the vet she got sick in her crate and threw up. It was not that bad, but if I had any sense I would not have feed her that morning! But my sense has been sucked away by the baby. Chloe is pretty upset, still constantly meowing in her crate. We get about 5 minutes from the vet, just a couple of miles, and she freaks out, howling like I've never heard her do before. Then the smell hits me! Oh hell, she has had diarrhea in her crate! Poor, poor kitty is really upset now, and I can't do anything but put the windows down and drive. No reason to stop, I have nothing to clean this up with anyway! Chloe is trapped in her crate between a pile of vomit and a bigger pile of liquid crap! I get her to the vet asap, running in and saying "I'm so sorry, my cat got sick in both directions and I don't have anything to clean her up with!"

Well the vet tech just takes the crate, says no problem and back she goes with Chloe to get her cleaned up! They even cleaned out her crate! It was so nice of them!

As for her appointment, once she was clean and calm, she did great! She's perfectly healthy, just a little overweight at 14.5 pounds, she should be around 12. I also got her micro chipped while we were there. Overall she had a great visit and received a lot of compliments on her beautiful coat and green eyes. Dr. Smith said she most likely has some Bengal in her.

Anya turns 2 next week, but she just had her annual check up this summer. She's still small, 8 pounds, but that's just her size. She's really becoming an attention seeker and love bug, under the right circumstances. She'll sit in my lap and let me love her all over, as long as we are in the bathroom. That's our morning routine, she watches us get ready, at some point I pick her up and set her in my lap, and we have our 5-15 minutes of cuddling. At night she'll bring up a toy and drop at my side of the bed, and meow and tell me all about I need to get up and play with her! She also sleeps in her bed on the floor, next to my side of the bed. One day I'd love for her to actually sleep with us, but she really hates the bed. It's strange really, both our cats rarely get on the bed, and if they do, they don't stay long.

Me at Week 30!