37, 38...Any time now...

38 weeks today!

Most current craving...chocolate almondy ice cream. It's good. Thank you BYU creamery for having your yumminess in the Deseret Book Stores. 

Adventures of the last 2 weeks...

- First trip into Triage: Wednesday of last week, I woke up feeling particularly swollen and felt like it had happened literally over night. That day I spent as much time off my feet as I could, tried to drink plenty of water and eat food, etc. But by the end of the day, I was still feeling unusually swollen and on top of that, had been having intermittent headaches that Tylenol didn't seem to alleviate at all. Called into the doctor on call at the hospital and was told to come in to have my blood pressure checked and verify that baby was doing well. (I was describing symptoms of mild preeclampsia). So into the hospital we went. Danny was extremely calm during the whole thing. I on the other hand was feeling like a nervous wreck inside. I was anxious and worried, and slightly hopeful that if I did have signs of preeclampsia, that they would end up making a call to induce labor...but mostly worried and anxious, flustered--feeling quite like I wasn't exactly ready for this baby to be here yet, but thinking that if he was coming, or they said we needed to induce labor, then I'd have to be ready. It was kind of a roller coaster of emotions.

37 week picture from last week

Everything turned out fine of course. We got in by 8:30PM and were discharged around 10:30PM. Longest 2 hours of my life lol.

I just had the pleasure of sitting completely unclothed in a hospital gown with all the fun, itchy monitors strapped around my tummy. The baby kept moving around and making these load wooshing and thumping noises in the monitor, which was neat to hear. But overall, the tiny triage room was too hot and the bed was super uncomfortable and it made me realize just WHY labor and delivery classes tell you to stay at home as long as you can when you're actually in labor. Hospitals are just not that comfortable of environments! Now, the staff was great, and the wait wasn't obnoxiously long, but still: lesson learned--I don't want to be in triage any longer than I have to be.
I'm definitely glad Danny was super relaxed though. It would have made me really uptight if he had been super worried too. Let's just hope things don't completely swap when we're actually in labor...

- Officially a full centimeter dialated as of last Thursday, and 50% effaced (just a slight increase from 36 weeks). As of today, still about the same, though maybe a little bit more dialated and effaced (just not significant enough to put a number to it).

38 week picture from today--belly shots are fun!
(Plus then you don't have to see the awkward faces
I make when I take pics of myself...)

- This baby has DROPPED! I finally have some relief from the rib kicking and the constant ache through my rib cage! AND, even better--I can eat normal sized meals again instead of just the mini-snacks I've had to have for the last few weeks because I just didn't have room in my tummy for more. Tuesday night and last night, I actually ate ALL of my dinner (I didn't have to shove half my food onto Danny's plate cuz I was too full :P) He's still quite the little mover and seems to get hiccups 3 or 4 times every day (always right before bed as well). Today he had the hiccups while the doctor checked his heart rate. Funniest noise ever!

Like the awkward face in this one....

Overall, I'm feeling pretty darn good for 38 weeks pregnant. The last few days I've been SUPER tired, but that's what naps are for! :D  My doctor asked how I was feeling today and I told him that I'd like to say I felt extremely uncomfortable or something so he'd maybe take pity on my, but realistically, I feel great. I can still walk around quickly if I need to; I have plenty of energy to do the few things I feel I would like to do; I've got more of an appetite; pregnancy is feeling pretty nice.

Of course, I would LOVE it if our baby would arrive this weekend. Labor Day weekend would be extremely cliche` but nice all the same. I'm just going to have to be patient though...no matter how hard it feels some times.

*This weekend both mine and Danny's moms will be out of town...we'll have to see if they jinx things into happening. Muuuuahahahahaha! *

Progress... :D

Today I am 36 weeks. It's THAT much closer! 

At my doctor's appointment today, I had my first pelvic exam, and the doc checked for dilation and effacement. Lovely, let me tell you. 

The good news: 

- I'm 40% effaced and about 1 centimeter dilated

- Baby is head down and no longer causing me lower back pain (I just have the urge to pee every 2 minutes)

- Danny now has a #1 Daddy navy shirt that I made today along with an "Oh Boy!" shirt for me (thanks Ashley and Susan for helping me!) 

- Baby shower was super fun and I now feel pretty much ready for our baby to arrive

- I've started making the baby book using my project life kit (if you haven't heard of project life, you should check it out at beckyhiggins.com) 

- I've made dinner every night this week! Hurray!

- There are now 3 meals that would probably serve 6 (so 2-3 days of dinner for me and Danny) in the freezer and I'll be making at least 1-2 more each week before the baby comes

- The doctor told me today that he's fine with the baby coming anytime from this point on, based on measurements and his heartbeat and everything. 

- We got a carseat/stroller! Hurray! Now we just need to install the base in the car...my goal is that we'll do that this weekend and have it checked at the fire department.

The bad news...

- I was reminded that I don't like scary thunder. At all. Last night, when the thunder crashed down over our house, I was basically jolted rudely awake, only to lie awake on edge for a good hour, occasionally jumping more at the thunder that would rumble and crack. I was so startled I rolled (yes rolled) a good 2 feet on the bed to be closer to Danny. He woke up and then we were both up, but despite the loud thunder and rain, he fell back asleep. I couldn't. It wasn't fun. 

- other than that...there isn't any bad news. :)

Overall, I'm feeling great! I'm a little anxious about labor still, and I certainly don't get the best nights' sleep even on nights where the thunder is absent, but those things are out of my control. I'm grateful to have Danny to take care of me, and help with dinner. He's excited for tonight cuz I'm making fish and that's his favorite. :D

A little doseof the 5 week perspective

35 weeks today!

This baby boy is approximately 18 or more inches long, and weighs upwards of 5-5.5 or so pounds already, and he's just gonna get BIGGER! I decided that today I'm going to just write, instead of listing everything out.

Danny and I are getting more impatient (well, I'M getting more impatient) for this boy to make his official debut. I can hardly wait to be done with the uncomfortable part of pregnancy; the whole feeling like a whale thing and whatnot. My ribs ache and I don't sleep well. I watch the inevitable stretch marks with a helplessness you can't understand until you have them and they just keep appearing...I've gotten to the point that people who haven't seen me for a while ask me how much longer I have and I say 5 weeks and they reply, "Oh, I thought it was less than that." Hahaha! I wish! All in all, yesterday, I was having quite the dose of the pregnancy blues...

But then I get a dose of what I'm going to call the 5 week perspective, and I realize I'm extremely blessed.

I say this because I talked recently with a friend who is due about a month after me and I realize I do NOT wish he would come early. Because he could be too early, and have potential health problems. Or I could have the added trial of having been in the hospital 4-5 times in my 2nd/3rd trimester for preterm labor contractions, 2-3 times in the last 2 days alone. I could be 8-10 weeks away from my due date and be told by doctors that I wasn't going to be able to sustain the pregnancy more than a week or 2. If that. I could be on bedrest instead of moving about and keeping busy to help things go by faster.

Yes. I am very fortunate indeed.

I've been blessed to have been able to go through this entire pregnancy feeling, overall, quite fantastic. I've been able to do a lot this summer, between teaching swimming lessons, decorating the baby room, and general house cleaning.

I haven't had difficulty gaining weight, and I've been able to gain weight healthily. Until a week or so ago, I was feeling pretty itty bitty as far as pregnant tummies go, and by all accounts, I still am a pretty small pregnant gal.

I feel this baby move constantly, and he and I are both doing wonderfully well since last weeks' appointment.

I have a beautiful home to live in, and the luxury of a husband with a job sufficient that I won't have to return to work after the baby is born. I have wonderful family and friends who take care of me, and who help me in so many ways, and will continue to help me after the baby is born.

My life is pretty amazing, and it's extremely selfish of me to think I have such a hard time of it, when it could be so much harder. Yes pregnancy is difficult at times, and labor still scares the heck out of me. But I'm healthy, the baby is healthy, Danny is healthy, and our due date is just getting closer. Time to jump off my own pity-train and find someone else who needs help and support more than I do. Because I can still help others, and do things for them that they can't do for themselves.

The 6 week conundrum...

How far along? 34 weeks today. only 6 more to go. (crossing fingers)

Baby:  Our little guy is roughly the size of a cantaloupe, and he is active, and strong, and a very good kicker.

Stretch marks? Yes yes, and a few more now. Apparently he doesn't have enough room lol.

Weight gain? Depressing. I think I've hit the 33 mark, and I have 6 weeks left...he's only gonna get bigger. On the plus side, I don't feel like a whale quite yet.

Sleep: Not so much fun still. I wake up at least 3 times during the night, usually to pee, but sometimes just to wake up. My comfort level while I'm sleeping is minimal it seems.

Movement: Lots of it! He's one active little bugger. He's made my tummy jiggle with his little wriggles quite often. I like watching him move, I just wish it didn't hurt as much lol. 

Cravings: Chocolate is good, but mostly I'm just content to find something to eat that sounds appetizing. Food doesn't exactly have much room to fit anymore.

Symptoms: Lower back ache--probably sciatica. Today, the doc said he thinks the baby is currently sunny side up, which isn't ideal for delivery and definitely makes my life much more painful in the lower back region. Hoping he moves and twists around before he's due to come cuz I really don't want back labor.
                      

Wedding ring on or off? :( Off. I was getting too scared of it not coming off and now I can't get it back on without feeling like it'll just stay there. I have a fake one, but my ring size is officially a bit bigger. I'll survive, but I miss my wedding ring...

Happy or moody most of the time? I'm feeling a bit more moody right now, but I think it's just the back pain talking.

Looking forward to: Seeing him and officially deciding on a name. We have one, but we wanna see him first to decide it fits. Baby shower is in a week and a half, so I can finally go crazy getting the rest of the baby supplies (aka carseat, clothes, diapers, etc.)          

Things to Stress About: Learning to be a mom. It's tough to be pregnant and take care of friends babies. I can hardly fathom doing it with my own. It's kind of scary that Danny and I will be responsible for caring for a tiny little baby.

How is the Husband Doing? He's very patient and willing to help me when I need help. He's definitely excited to finally have our baby here. I am too--who wouldn't be after this long! I can hardly wait to see him hold the baby! Please someone, hit the fast forward button on our lives so we can get to the end faster! 

And now down to 8. :D

How far along? 32 weeks. 8 weeks to go! (The 10 week mark came at a time that our kitty cat died, so I wasn't really in any emotional shape to want to blog about much...)

Baby:  My guesstimate, based on where he was last time, is that he's close to 17 in. long now, and probably weighs more like 4 pounds something ounces. If not, then the pregnancy update says he's approximately 3.75 pounds, and the size of a jicama (whatever that is...lol). He's definitely bigger and stronger...my rib cage can attest to that.

Stretch marks? Yep, still there, and I'm sure they'll stay for a while. :P

Weight gain? closer to 25 or 28 pounds now. Doctor says I'm "normal to the point of boring" and that I'm gaining weight just where I need to be right now. So I guess that's good right? I figure he's supposed to gain about 1/2 a pound a week now, so bare minimum, I probably have to gain at LEAST 5 more pounds. No bigs. :D

Sleep: I'm plagued by what feels like a constantly full bladder. It's like I never get a break! Some days, I just come home from swim lessons and take a nap cuz the previous nights' rest wasn't nearly enough.

Movement: Much stronger now! I'm pretty sure I can feel feet and his head/bum every now and then. It's pretty fun! He's also taken to stretching out, so I feel him in two or three places at once. So excited to meet him!

Cravings: Dark chocolate covered almonds. Mmmmmm....so good.

Symptoms: Heartburn has taken some toll on me. My remedy has been taking tums (which make sure I don't have constant charlie horses), and eating a breakfast of oatmeal with a little of cinnamon and honey mixed in. I haven't had a problem with heartburn since. :D
                      

Wedding ring on or off? Still wearing it, but I'm not sure I can much longer. I can pull it off if I put my hand somewhere cold in the mornings, and it's not uncomfortable to wear...so maybe I can make it to delivery...we'll see. I certainly don't FEEL swollen in my hands. lol.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy, definitely. :D I'm enjoying being pregnant, just wish I didn't have aches and pains around my back so much, but it comes with the job description I suppose.

Looking forward to: Baby shower, shopping for things for the baby, and seeing him! I'm rooting for a week early!              

Things to Stress About: Labor and delivery. Childbirth class is great, but it's still really an unknown for me. I just want to keep learning as much as I can about it so I feel like I have some inkling of what to expect.

How is the Husband Doing? Well, besides probably being scarred for life at childbirth class (we watched a brief segment in a video of a live birth, from doctors point of view--no worries, we survived, but I certainly don't want mirrors in the delivery room lol), he's doing great! We took maternity pictures together and I feel like we're both extremely excited for this little man to finally get here. These last few weeks haven't gone by fast enough, that's for sure! I love him so much and I feel super fortunate to have him as my husband! He takes really good care of me, and will be such a fantastic father! :D

12 weeks to go!!!! (give or take a little)

               

How far along? 28 weeks! Only 12 to go till it's DUE DATE TIME!

Baby:  Right now, our baby is measuring exactly 3lbs. and 6oz.--measuring at the gestational age of 30 weeks and 3 days today! We were fortunate enough to have a 28 week ultrasound this week to verify his growth and development was A-okay! Everything looks great, and we shouldn't need to go in for further ultrasounds (though who can complain when you get to see your baby just one more time in there?). If we're lucky, maybe this little guy will get big enough fast enough that he decides he's ready to pop out a little early! If not, the pool is definitely my friend. ;)

(My guess is that he's a little further on his development (78th percentile) simply because he's growing tall.)

Stretch marks? officially present--I have 3 or 4 on my hips, but I just take it as a sign that my body was just too little to accommodate a growing baby boy without stretching out some more.

Weight gain? about 20 pounds. I haven't gained more than maybe a pound since the last time doctor said I had gained too much. Which she said is a good sign because it means that the baby isn't growing too big too fast, and neither am I. I'm feeling much better now that I'm in the water doing lessons and exercising most of the day, as well as eating lots of fruits and veggies!

Sleep: The body pillow is definitely a hit! I may not be able to give it up after I have the baby...it's too comfy.

Movement: All day and everyday! Just a few minutes ago I watched my tummy do a little dance. I've also started feeling him exploring the areas near my ribs...not exactly super comfortable, but endurable just the same. 

Cravings: Ice cream is starting to sound more and more delicious, despite the nasty after taste I still get. Resist!!!!!

Symptoms: This baby has taken to sitting on my sciatic nerve in my lower back. It makes it ache every now and again. Thankfully, I've been in the water basically every day for the last month teaching lessons, and the weightless feeling is AMAZING!

                      

Wedding ring on or off? Still on! :) Getting a little tough to pull off in the mornings for lessons, but that's been like that as long as I can remember.

Happy or moody most of the time? happy and excited, and just a little nervous about having things ready for him to come home. Good thing most of July I'm not teaching lessons so I can go to town cleaning the baseboards and everything....just kidding...?

Looking forward to: Finishing the baby room, baby shower, and meeting our son! It's getting so close!!!

                       

Things to Stress About: Picking a darn carseat! It's been bothering me all week! I think we've almost got it picked, but I just want to be happy with it, along with everything else lol.

How is the Husband Doing? I think he enjoys watching my jittery tummy as much as I do. :D He's felt the baby move a lot more often now. He also likes to kiss my tummy and talk to him in a funny voice. It's really sweet. We finally have a name or two we really love! Now just to wait to see him and make sure it fits before we announce anything!

Take a look at how much babies like Danny! He's going to be a fantastic father! (Thanks to Ashley and Susan for all their help on the baby room, and for letting us practice snuggling with Linus!)

Look for another post when the big 10 week countdown hits!!!

24 weeks and counting!

How far along? 24 weeks! 

Baby:  Right now the baby has gained approximately 4 ounces within the last week. That would explain why his kicks are starting to feel more powerful. He's also about the length of an ear of corn, nearly a foot long. It's really crazy how big he's getting!

I learned this week that Danny was over 9 pounds and 24 inches long. Talk about a BIG baby! I guess that could explain gaining weight a little quicker than I'd expected. Maybe he's just big. 

Stretch marks? Maybe one or two, but I can't really tell yet. 

Weight gain? about 20 pounds. I'm a little over where I'm supposed to be according to the doctor. It definitely explains why I've felt so "fat" for the last while. I blame it on the cruise. Currently, my diet is basically fruit, LOTS of veggies, and whole grain stuffs--which is funny cuz except for on the cruise, that what it's been most of the time. 

Sleep: I sleep pretty well, but I still wake up feeling pretty tired and sometimes sore. Danny bought me a body pillow for our anniversary, which will be amazing when it gets here tomorrow! 

Movement: All the time! He's seriously so wiggly! He's starting to develop a movement pattern, which is basically that he moves all the time, and seems to hit the same places on my belly. :)

Cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary. Just trying to make sure I don't eat too much. 

Symptoms: Achy feet and lots of baby movement are my two main symptoms right now. 

Wedding ring on or off? Still on! :)

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy! I'm so excited to be a mom--it's just getting closer and closer! I've gotten a few little baby gifts, and it's been so fun to imagine what he'll look like. 

Looking forward to: Spending the summer in the pool and getting the baby room finished. :D

Things to Stress About: Gaining too much weight too fast...I'm excited to be back in the pool!

How is the Husband Doing? Danny has felt this baby move a few times now, which is really cool! We had so much fun on the cruise! We also got to visit the hospital where we'll have the baby. It's becoming so much more real. We're excited! I can't believe we're over half way through!

That's all for now!