Everett,
Happy 2nd Birthday, sweet baby of mine.
You are a pure delight;
you bring such charm and joy to this family!
Showing posts with label pregnancy #4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy #4. Show all posts
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Friday, April 8, 2011
The Story of Everett...
Thursday, March 24, 2011
At 8 days overdue, I had my second appointment of the week for monitoring. At 11:00 AM, I had an in-office ultrasound. Everything with Baby looked great, (he) was measuring 41 weeks and 2 days, estimated weight of 9 lbs and 8 oz. Holy moley, that was not what I was expecting to hear...and ouch.
Tim and I went downstairs to a little cafe that is in the Medical Building where my OB's office is. We ate lunch, chatted, sent a few texts....and I was wound up so tight with anxiety wondering just what the OB would say at my appointment. I was scared about talk of induction, about the risks to me & the baby, about being overdue....
12:15 PM ~ hooked up to the NST. Baby is relatively quiet. I contract a few times, but nothing more than usual. Continue monitoring...Dr. H wants us to get a more reactive strip, so he gives us another 15 minutes on the monitor. Finally Baby is a bit more reactive, but there are a few minor decels that Dr. H doesn't love. A few more minutes of monitoring, and Baby looks better.
We discuss the next steps with Dr. H. He says the closer we get to 42 weeks, the more risks there are to the baby - including fetal distress (how we met Dr. H, who delivered Jacob - via emergency c-section), meconium, not tolerating labor as well, etc. The risks were very real, and very scary to hear. However, Dr. H was not forceful in presenting the facts. He informed us that if the NST had not been as good as it was, we would not be given options at this point, rather just a direction to head to L&D. He said the NST bought us another 24-48 hours of knowing the Baby was "doing okay". (yes, I am freaking out internally at this point...oiy!)
Dr. H checked me. I was expecting him to say I was still 1 cm. Instead, he said I was "a solid 4cm" dialated. He sweeps my membranes. Ouch.
As soon as Dr. H leaves the room and I am dressing, I can literally feel the anxiety leaving my entire body. Whew...it won't be long now. This thought will be a reccurent thought for me over the next few hours.
1:30 PM -ish: we leave the appointment and head to Bor.ders. My husband is in heaven - he loves books! I am too tired to do much thinking or engaging, but I walk around. I am a bit uncomfortable with some contractions. We finally sit and drink frozen coffee shakes, send a few e-mail updates, check FB, and read a magazine. I am not loving how I'm feeling, and am contemplating whether we should just head back to the hospital (across the street) or go home and get our acts together. But I don't want to be crying wolf, if this is just how I'm feeling after a membrane strip. I could feel like this for the next day or two....?
It won't be long now.
3:15 PM or so: we arrive home, and relieve our sitter. I've called my mom at this point to inform her of the appointments, and how I'm feeling. I spend a few moments with the big boys, but am so exhausted, all I want to do is lay down. Tim is wrapping up a few work emails, playing with the boys, and some other things. I go and lay in our bed. Jacob comes in a few times to ask me random questions. I'm sure he can sense something is different. Kids know those things, don't they? I try hard to nap, to no avail. Tim has come in at one point, monitoring me and asking questions. He desparately wants to avoid the mad rush of a trip to the hospital that was Nate ~ the one where he drove 80 + mph and baby was born 35 minutes after arriving.....yikes.
Contractions? Yes. "Here is the phone - TIME THEM". Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think. I just want to nap! Contractions = 3-8 minutes apart. Difficult to talk through, definitely not napping through them.
I get up. It won't be long now. I tell Tim that we should get our things together, call his parents, this is it. I'm officially in labor. It was a relief to finally admit that out loud, and to myself for once....the fourth time over :)
Meanwhile, I check my voicemail. My mom sounds a bit panicky on the phone ~ "I don't think you should wait too long, and I am having this feeling that things are going to go fast from here...call me back".
Tim's parents come. My mom is not far behind them. We get the big boys loaded up in their cars. The moms talk and agree to ride together to the hospital (Tim's mom had originally thought she would go home and help get the big boys settled, and then come up to the hospital a little later).
5:30 PM-ish: Tim and I leave the grandparents and boys in the driveway. We are talking and laughing at our "dog-and-pony show" as we drive away. I am contracting, they are closer together, and I have to stop/concentrate through them. In between them, I am sending mass texts to my girlfriends and family, and I am coherent, laughing, talking with my husband, and enjoying the spring sunshine on my face. It's a beautiful day! Let's have a baby! Meanwhile, I talk to on-call OB who says, "you sound like you're doing well, and talking through them....ooooh, this is your fourth baby? And you're 4 cm? Yes, you should get to the hospital!" We hit some rushour traffic, Tim does a few erratic lane changes, but nothing crazy and we thankfully don't hit a gridlock...
6:00 PM-ish: we arrive at the hospital. Tim contemplates dropping me off and parking the car. I insist that I will walk in. I am drinking water, carrying my purse and a bag. Tim and I walk together into the hospital ~ how surreal is that?! I speak to the information lady where we first walk in. "You're in labor? Do you want a wheelchair?" She looks a bit strained as I pause for a contraction. Yes, labor. No, no wheelchair, please! We enter the elevator. As we are entering it, another family is going up to L&D too, and are all excited to see one of the nurses - Bunny. BUNNY?! Except I'm saying this out loud, much to Tim's embarrassment. Nurse Bunny is exiting the elevator, on her way to grab some dinner. Bunny was with us when we delivered Wyatt via VBAC on Christmas Eve 3 years ago. She was (IS!) an amazing nurse! I'm saying all of this to her....and am asking if she's working tonight. She is, indeed. She calls up to L&D and requests that she gets assigned to me.
6:30-ish: we get settled into our room: 327. The sun is shining brightly into it, it is warm in there! Thermostat check = 80 degrees. EWW! Turned down...
I get changed, answer some questions, get on a monitor. Baby looks great. Admitting comes up to ask me a million more questions. I am officially admitted at 6:52 PM. I request a heplock (granted!), and to get up and move as soon as possible (granted! after a few more minutes of monitoring). I stand and sway in the room ~ my mom and MIL are there, and Tim of course. They are chatting (sometimes I chime in, othertimes, I am lost in my own head) and the TV is on. I remember getting annoyed with having the TV (or maybe it was the news?) on.
I am checked: 5 cm. I am thinking I have another 3-4 hours, at least. Ughhhh...that feels like eternity!
We spend a few minutes chatting with Bunny, our nurse. It finally clicks with her who we are: she remembers a Wyatt (she loved his name), and she remembers my mom (they worked together in L&D yeeeeears ago).
There is a student nurse there too, Sam. She has beautiful long red hair. It is her last shift on the L&D unit, and I am her last patient! There were a few other staff who were in and out too ~ their names escape me now, but they were all lovely.
Time? No idea: I am suddenly too exhausted to stand up. I climb into bed and turn over to my left side - I am gripping bedrails in a familiar way (did this with Nate too). They are wanting to get me back on the monitor....I am starting to get terribly uncomfortable, and the feeling of wanting to die is starting to overtake me. Ahhh...Transition. It won't be long now. We are alone - the moms, Tim, and me. My mom looks at my face and asks, "Beth, are you feeling pushy?". Yessssss....
My mom calls Bunny. Dr. L (my primary OB! Yippeeee!) is on-call, and she is paged several times. She is finishing up charting at the office, and is now driving over to the hospital (across a few parking lots). The nurses are moving at rapid speed.
Dr. L arrives. She wonders if she has a few moments to change? She throws on a glove, checks me, and says, "Nope, we're going to have a baby instead!". She stashes her things in a corner of the room. Tim tells me later that she delievered our baby in heels.
I love Dr. L ~ she is just what I need at the moment. She is so patient, and kind. She is so reassuring and not rushing me at all. I start pushing.....gaaaaaahhhh.....oooouuuuch....and I am.so.tired. The baby's head is partially out (lots of hair!) and I pretty much want to call it quits. I am so tired, and hurting, and feeling like I absolutely cannot do this for one more moment. Dr. L lets me rest...God Bless her!
Okay, get this kid out, I think...and I give it my all. I don't know how long I pushed, or how many pushes it took, but finally.....done!
7:56 PM ~ IT'S A BOY! (I knew it!)
He is brought right up to me. I don't cry, but I feel....relief. True and utter relief. I am now more tired than ever, and I am shaking something fierce. I deliver the placenta (Tim said that was a cool part) and get a few 2nd degree tears stitched up. No episiotomy needed, whew! I am holding our newest son - and he is gripping my finger with the strongest grip ever. I didn't know newborns could grasp so hard! He is crying, but he is beautiful and easily calmed by my voice.
Everything with the two of us looks great. He is weighed and measured: 9 lbs 2 oz (same as my dream!) and 22 inches of gorgeous boy.
I am able to get up on my own, I get a shower (Tim is able to assist me), while Baby gets a bath with the Grandmas. I finally get to get the darn heplock out of the side of my wrist: yeowch. That thing hurts like hell - isn't that a funny thing to think after just delivering a 9 + lb baby?!
The medical staff leave us alone ~ we take pictures and snuggle, and Baby nurses perfectly for nearly an hour. I look him over: he has such long finger and toenails! He'll need a mani and pedi soon. He is alert, and the perfect color, and has lots of dark hair ~ the most of any of the boys. His ears were pinned to the side of his head when he was first born, but slowly, they are starting to "curling up" (for lack of a better term?) - they are Tim's and Nate's ears. I love them!
We make phone calls, send texts, take more pictures. Bunny wants to know his name, but we are still undecided and need the night to sleep on it. We agree to leave his name in a note for Bunny.
My Dad arrives sometime after 9:30 PM with Sub.way. I eat a footlong sub, chips, and have some coke (with no heartburn! Yippee!) and am still famished....ha! We visit with my dad, mom, MIL, and we are all enjoying this new baby ~ the eighth grandchild for both sets of grandparents.
Around 11 PM, everyone leaves. It is just me, Tim, and our newest boy. Bliss! We enjoy him as his parents by ourselves for a while....an hour or more?
We then settle in to get some rest. Tim is snoring within minutes. Me? Not so much. I sleep for a while, but then toss and turn ~ I am too keyed up to sleep. I get up to get ice water, see Dr. L in the halls. She is now wearing scrubs and a lab coat. It is around 4:30 AM. Poor Dr. L. On-call hours must be rough.
Friday, March 25. We eat. We shower. We snuggle our newest boy. We snooze. We send emails, texts, and make phone calls ~ he has a name! Everett Joshua.
:::
More about Everett, meeting his big brothers, and what life has been like over the last 2 weeks to come. For now? Snuggling babies, changing diapers, feeding hungry mouths and cleaning dirty feet.....it's busy and crazy and I'm honestly loving every minute of it!
At 8 days overdue, I had my second appointment of the week for monitoring. At 11:00 AM, I had an in-office ultrasound. Everything with Baby looked great, (he) was measuring 41 weeks and 2 days, estimated weight of 9 lbs and 8 oz. Holy moley, that was not what I was expecting to hear...and ouch.
Tim and I went downstairs to a little cafe that is in the Medical Building where my OB's office is. We ate lunch, chatted, sent a few texts....and I was wound up so tight with anxiety wondering just what the OB would say at my appointment. I was scared about talk of induction, about the risks to me & the baby, about being overdue....
12:15 PM ~ hooked up to the NST. Baby is relatively quiet. I contract a few times, but nothing more than usual. Continue monitoring...Dr. H wants us to get a more reactive strip, so he gives us another 15 minutes on the monitor. Finally Baby is a bit more reactive, but there are a few minor decels that Dr. H doesn't love. A few more minutes of monitoring, and Baby looks better.
We discuss the next steps with Dr. H. He says the closer we get to 42 weeks, the more risks there are to the baby - including fetal distress (how we met Dr. H, who delivered Jacob - via emergency c-section), meconium, not tolerating labor as well, etc. The risks were very real, and very scary to hear. However, Dr. H was not forceful in presenting the facts. He informed us that if the NST had not been as good as it was, we would not be given options at this point, rather just a direction to head to L&D. He said the NST bought us another 24-48 hours of knowing the Baby was "doing okay". (yes, I am freaking out internally at this point...oiy!)
Dr. H checked me. I was expecting him to say I was still 1 cm. Instead, he said I was "a solid 4cm" dialated. He sweeps my membranes. Ouch.
As soon as Dr. H leaves the room and I am dressing, I can literally feel the anxiety leaving my entire body. Whew...it won't be long now. This thought will be a reccurent thought for me over the next few hours.
1:30 PM -ish: we leave the appointment and head to Bor.ders. My husband is in heaven - he loves books! I am too tired to do much thinking or engaging, but I walk around. I am a bit uncomfortable with some contractions. We finally sit and drink frozen coffee shakes, send a few e-mail updates, check FB, and read a magazine. I am not loving how I'm feeling, and am contemplating whether we should just head back to the hospital (across the street) or go home and get our acts together. But I don't want to be crying wolf, if this is just how I'm feeling after a membrane strip. I could feel like this for the next day or two....?
It won't be long now.
3:15 PM or so: we arrive home, and relieve our sitter. I've called my mom at this point to inform her of the appointments, and how I'm feeling. I spend a few moments with the big boys, but am so exhausted, all I want to do is lay down. Tim is wrapping up a few work emails, playing with the boys, and some other things. I go and lay in our bed. Jacob comes in a few times to ask me random questions. I'm sure he can sense something is different. Kids know those things, don't they? I try hard to nap, to no avail. Tim has come in at one point, monitoring me and asking questions. He desparately wants to avoid the mad rush of a trip to the hospital that was Nate ~ the one where he drove 80 + mph and baby was born 35 minutes after arriving.....yikes.
Contractions? Yes. "Here is the phone - TIME THEM". Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think. I just want to nap! Contractions = 3-8 minutes apart. Difficult to talk through, definitely not napping through them.
I get up. It won't be long now. I tell Tim that we should get our things together, call his parents, this is it. I'm officially in labor. It was a relief to finally admit that out loud, and to myself for once....the fourth time over :)
Meanwhile, I check my voicemail. My mom sounds a bit panicky on the phone ~ "I don't think you should wait too long, and I am having this feeling that things are going to go fast from here...call me back".
Tim's parents come. My mom is not far behind them. We get the big boys loaded up in their cars. The moms talk and agree to ride together to the hospital (Tim's mom had originally thought she would go home and help get the big boys settled, and then come up to the hospital a little later).
5:30 PM-ish: Tim and I leave the grandparents and boys in the driveway. We are talking and laughing at our "dog-and-pony show" as we drive away. I am contracting, they are closer together, and I have to stop/concentrate through them. In between them, I am sending mass texts to my girlfriends and family, and I am coherent, laughing, talking with my husband, and enjoying the spring sunshine on my face. It's a beautiful day! Let's have a baby! Meanwhile, I talk to on-call OB who says, "you sound like you're doing well, and talking through them....ooooh, this is your fourth baby? And you're 4 cm? Yes, you should get to the hospital!" We hit some rushour traffic, Tim does a few erratic lane changes, but nothing crazy and we thankfully don't hit a gridlock...
6:00 PM-ish: we arrive at the hospital. Tim contemplates dropping me off and parking the car. I insist that I will walk in. I am drinking water, carrying my purse and a bag. Tim and I walk together into the hospital ~ how surreal is that?! I speak to the information lady where we first walk in. "You're in labor? Do you want a wheelchair?" She looks a bit strained as I pause for a contraction. Yes, labor. No, no wheelchair, please! We enter the elevator. As we are entering it, another family is going up to L&D too, and are all excited to see one of the nurses - Bunny. BUNNY?! Except I'm saying this out loud, much to Tim's embarrassment. Nurse Bunny is exiting the elevator, on her way to grab some dinner. Bunny was with us when we delivered Wyatt via VBAC on Christmas Eve 3 years ago. She was (IS!) an amazing nurse! I'm saying all of this to her....and am asking if she's working tonight. She is, indeed. She calls up to L&D and requests that she gets assigned to me.
6:30-ish: we get settled into our room: 327. The sun is shining brightly into it, it is warm in there! Thermostat check = 80 degrees. EWW! Turned down...
I get changed, answer some questions, get on a monitor. Baby looks great. Admitting comes up to ask me a million more questions. I am officially admitted at 6:52 PM. I request a heplock (granted!), and to get up and move as soon as possible (granted! after a few more minutes of monitoring). I stand and sway in the room ~ my mom and MIL are there, and Tim of course. They are chatting (sometimes I chime in, othertimes, I am lost in my own head) and the TV is on. I remember getting annoyed with having the TV (or maybe it was the news?) on.
I am checked: 5 cm. I am thinking I have another 3-4 hours, at least. Ughhhh...that feels like eternity!
We spend a few minutes chatting with Bunny, our nurse. It finally clicks with her who we are: she remembers a Wyatt (she loved his name), and she remembers my mom (they worked together in L&D yeeeeears ago).
There is a student nurse there too, Sam. She has beautiful long red hair. It is her last shift on the L&D unit, and I am her last patient! There were a few other staff who were in and out too ~ their names escape me now, but they were all lovely.
Time? No idea: I am suddenly too exhausted to stand up. I climb into bed and turn over to my left side - I am gripping bedrails in a familiar way (did this with Nate too). They are wanting to get me back on the monitor....I am starting to get terribly uncomfortable, and the feeling of wanting to die is starting to overtake me. Ahhh...Transition. It won't be long now. We are alone - the moms, Tim, and me. My mom looks at my face and asks, "Beth, are you feeling pushy?". Yessssss....
My mom calls Bunny. Dr. L (my primary OB! Yippeeee!) is on-call, and she is paged several times. She is finishing up charting at the office, and is now driving over to the hospital (across a few parking lots). The nurses are moving at rapid speed.
Dr. L arrives. She wonders if she has a few moments to change? She throws on a glove, checks me, and says, "Nope, we're going to have a baby instead!". She stashes her things in a corner of the room. Tim tells me later that she delievered our baby in heels.
I love Dr. L ~ she is just what I need at the moment. She is so patient, and kind. She is so reassuring and not rushing me at all. I start pushing.....gaaaaaahhhh.....oooouuuuch....and I am.so.tired. The baby's head is partially out (lots of hair!) and I pretty much want to call it quits. I am so tired, and hurting, and feeling like I absolutely cannot do this for one more moment. Dr. L lets me rest...God Bless her!
Okay, get this kid out, I think...and I give it my all. I don't know how long I pushed, or how many pushes it took, but finally.....done!
7:56 PM ~ IT'S A BOY! (I knew it!)
He is brought right up to me. I don't cry, but I feel....relief. True and utter relief. I am now more tired than ever, and I am shaking something fierce. I deliver the placenta (Tim said that was a cool part) and get a few 2nd degree tears stitched up. No episiotomy needed, whew! I am holding our newest son - and he is gripping my finger with the strongest grip ever. I didn't know newborns could grasp so hard! He is crying, but he is beautiful and easily calmed by my voice.
Everything with the two of us looks great. He is weighed and measured: 9 lbs 2 oz (same as my dream!) and 22 inches of gorgeous boy.
I am able to get up on my own, I get a shower (Tim is able to assist me), while Baby gets a bath with the Grandmas. I finally get to get the darn heplock out of the side of my wrist: yeowch. That thing hurts like hell - isn't that a funny thing to think after just delivering a 9 + lb baby?!
The medical staff leave us alone ~ we take pictures and snuggle, and Baby nurses perfectly for nearly an hour. I look him over: he has such long finger and toenails! He'll need a mani and pedi soon. He is alert, and the perfect color, and has lots of dark hair ~ the most of any of the boys. His ears were pinned to the side of his head when he was first born, but slowly, they are starting to "curling up" (for lack of a better term?) - they are Tim's and Nate's ears. I love them!
We make phone calls, send texts, take more pictures. Bunny wants to know his name, but we are still undecided and need the night to sleep on it. We agree to leave his name in a note for Bunny.
My Dad arrives sometime after 9:30 PM with Sub.way. I eat a footlong sub, chips, and have some coke (with no heartburn! Yippee!) and am still famished....ha! We visit with my dad, mom, MIL, and we are all enjoying this new baby ~ the eighth grandchild for both sets of grandparents.
Around 11 PM, everyone leaves. It is just me, Tim, and our newest boy. Bliss! We enjoy him as his parents by ourselves for a while....an hour or more?
We then settle in to get some rest. Tim is snoring within minutes. Me? Not so much. I sleep for a while, but then toss and turn ~ I am too keyed up to sleep. I get up to get ice water, see Dr. L in the halls. She is now wearing scrubs and a lab coat. It is around 4:30 AM. Poor Dr. L. On-call hours must be rough.
Friday, March 25. We eat. We shower. We snuggle our newest boy. We snooze. We send emails, texts, and make phone calls ~ he has a name! Everett Joshua.
:::
More about Everett, meeting his big brothers, and what life has been like over the last 2 weeks to come. For now? Snuggling babies, changing diapers, feeding hungry mouths and cleaning dirty feet.....it's busy and crazy and I'm honestly loving every minute of it!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Worth the wait...
Yesterday, I became a Mama to four...BOYS...and my heart grew in ways I can't even comprehend. I am blessed, and oh-so-complete.
Everett Joshua
March 24
7:56 PM
9 lbs, 2 oz
22 inches long
He is perfect and healthy and beautiful.
And oh-so-worth the wait!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Untitled
41 weeks, per my OB.
40w 3d, per my own calculations.
It's hard to describe the place where I'm at right now. My head is cloudy; I have all these thoughts and feelings swirling about. Most of them are irrational, linked to my current world of unknowns and fears.
I'm officially on maternity leave ~ but I feel like it's not the right decision for me currently. I feel like I should "save" my time for when the baby comes (I get 12 weeks off total ~ but I'm undecided just how much time off I will take) instead of.....doing housework and chores and....waiting.
I am not having significant contractions. I then wonder if I'm making progress? What will the plan be come my appointment tomorrow? Is my body not doing what it's supposed to for some unknown reason?
I don't feel the baby move all that much at times. My mind goes to some deep, dark places of all the things that "could happen" in all the time we're....waiting. Again, somewhat irrational, but the thoughts are still present. Other times, the baby is incredibly active. I know there's not much room in there to do a lot, and I know that slowed fetal movement at the end is pretty normal.
I want to get out to pass the time more quickly, but I'm exhausted at the mere thought of packing bags, getting shoes and coats on, loading, unloading, and oh then there's the whole "being around other people thing" ~ facing family/friends who have the best of intentions, but are just as anxious (if not moreso?!) as we are wondering about when...that added to the fact that it's not fair to the boys to just sit around with a cloudy-headed Mama who isn't engaging them the way they deserve to be. I am the queen of negative self-talk. Ugh.
It's raining and cold and gloomy. It adds to the clouds in my head, my overall demeanor, and my not wanting to get the boys out 'n about. Seriously? Tell me just to suck it up and do it already!!! =) Sometimes, I am my own worst enemy.
So we wait. Patiently, or me? Not so much.
Hopefully back with some news, and soon.
40w 3d, per my own calculations.
It's hard to describe the place where I'm at right now. My head is cloudy; I have all these thoughts and feelings swirling about. Most of them are irrational, linked to my current world of unknowns and fears.
I'm officially on maternity leave ~ but I feel like it's not the right decision for me currently. I feel like I should "save" my time for when the baby comes (I get 12 weeks off total ~ but I'm undecided just how much time off I will take) instead of.....doing housework and chores and....waiting.
I am not having significant contractions. I then wonder if I'm making progress? What will the plan be come my appointment tomorrow? Is my body not doing what it's supposed to for some unknown reason?
I don't feel the baby move all that much at times. My mind goes to some deep, dark places of all the things that "could happen" in all the time we're....waiting. Again, somewhat irrational, but the thoughts are still present. Other times, the baby is incredibly active. I know there's not much room in there to do a lot, and I know that slowed fetal movement at the end is pretty normal.
I want to get out to pass the time more quickly, but I'm exhausted at the mere thought of packing bags, getting shoes and coats on, loading, unloading, and oh then there's the whole "being around other people thing" ~ facing family/friends who have the best of intentions, but are just as anxious (if not moreso?!) as we are wondering about when...that added to the fact that it's not fair to the boys to just sit around with a cloudy-headed Mama who isn't engaging them the way they deserve to be. I am the queen of negative self-talk. Ugh.
It's raining and cold and gloomy. It adds to the clouds in my head, my overall demeanor, and my not wanting to get the boys out 'n about. Seriously? Tell me just to suck it up and do it already!!! =) Sometimes, I am my own worst enemy.
So we wait. Patiently, or me? Not so much.
Hopefully back with some news, and soon.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Still here...
....still pregnant!
40w5d, per my OB. 40w1d per my own calculations.
Regardless, we are doing well. BP, weight, urine, fundal height, Baby's heartrate are all right on track. I had a Non Stress Test today, and Baby passed with flying colors. I am still 1-ish cm dialated, but my cervix is soft, and still fairly posterior. No way to effectively strip my membranes.
I have an appointment for another NST, an ultrasound (to check amniotic fluid levels), and to discuss a "more aggressive approach toward seeing this baby" (per OB) on Thursday 3/24. My practice isn't totally comfortable with inducing me due to my previous c-section, so I have no idea what their thoughts will be? I'm hoping I can put off induction as long as we are both healthy and everything checks out okay. I am really hoping I'll go into spontaneous labor on my own before all of that!
My dream of 3/18 was incorrect, everyone's theory about the Big Full Moon this weekend was wrong....this baby definitely has its own agenda and timeline :)
I'm getting a bit weary of everyone's questions, comments, texts, phone calls, e-mails, FB posts, questioning the status of me and the baby. Clearly I am still pregnant, and clearly, this Baby will come out eventually.
Tim and I have enjoyed some kid-free time courtesy of our parents. Friday night Tim's folks had the boys while we had a date night ~ out to dinner (Out.back) and to see a movie (The Lin.coln Law.yer), and then Saturday we slept in until 9:15 AM! And we got some housecleaning done (cleaned the fridge/freezer, and underneath it and the stove) and had another "date" to Bor.ders for a new book each and a coffee! Woo hoo!
My parents took the boys last night, and we went to dinner (mexican, yum-o!) and then just hung out, reading in peace and quiet.
I'll definitely be the first to admit though: it is very nice to have them home. It was soooo quiet here! I also hope we are able to give them some "normalcy" and good sleep (why do they not sleep as well other places?) before the new baby comes.
Hopefully I'll be posting with news on Baby's arrival soon!
40w5d, per my OB. 40w1d per my own calculations.
Regardless, we are doing well. BP, weight, urine, fundal height, Baby's heartrate are all right on track. I had a Non Stress Test today, and Baby passed with flying colors. I am still 1-ish cm dialated, but my cervix is soft, and still fairly posterior. No way to effectively strip my membranes.
I have an appointment for another NST, an ultrasound (to check amniotic fluid levels), and to discuss a "more aggressive approach toward seeing this baby" (per OB) on Thursday 3/24. My practice isn't totally comfortable with inducing me due to my previous c-section, so I have no idea what their thoughts will be? I'm hoping I can put off induction as long as we are both healthy and everything checks out okay. I am really hoping I'll go into spontaneous labor on my own before all of that!
My dream of 3/18 was incorrect, everyone's theory about the Big Full Moon this weekend was wrong....this baby definitely has its own agenda and timeline :)
I'm getting a bit weary of everyone's questions, comments, texts, phone calls, e-mails, FB posts, questioning the status of me and the baby. Clearly I am still pregnant, and clearly, this Baby will come out eventually.
Tim and I have enjoyed some kid-free time courtesy of our parents. Friday night Tim's folks had the boys while we had a date night ~ out to dinner (Out.back) and to see a movie (The Lin.coln Law.yer), and then Saturday we slept in until 9:15 AM! And we got some housecleaning done (cleaned the fridge/freezer, and underneath it and the stove) and had another "date" to Bor.ders for a new book each and a coffee! Woo hoo!
My parents took the boys last night, and we went to dinner (mexican, yum-o!) and then just hung out, reading in peace and quiet.
I'll definitely be the first to admit though: it is very nice to have them home. It was soooo quiet here! I also hope we are able to give them some "normalcy" and good sleep (why do they not sleep as well other places?) before the new baby comes.
Hopefully I'll be posting with news on Baby's arrival soon!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Honestly...
Written on March 10, 2011 -
FYI - it's a bit whiny, but it's where I was at this point in time. Since writing these thoughts out, I've had a shift in mood (much more positive! the sun is out - and that helps tremendously!!) and the ability to comprehend "the light at the end of the tunnel" is much more clear....
Thoughts at 39 weeks, 1 day with #4:
This is getting hard to do. Physcially, emotionally....I'm tired! My body hurts in places that never have. My mind is divided in ways that its never been before. I'm torn. I'm spent. I ache. And I seriously hate to complain. So I'm here, writing. Pouring it out of my head, because here I can easily convey my thoughts, and not feel judged.
Don't get me wrong: I am overjoyed to be pregnant! And a boring, uncomplicated pregnancy at that ~ I do not wish it were otherwise. I love this baby - feeling him/her move inside of me, not having to sharing these precious moments with anyone else.
I am also aware that I have the ability to enjoy a spontaneous labor on my own ~ without induction or scheduled c/s or interventions of any sort. I love this too, and I do not take it for granted.
But.
But....ouch. And sigh....and Zzzzzz....
I sit at my desk at work, only to struggle getting up and then walk in a human fashion down the hall in front of my co-coworkers. (Thought: do I scare them?)
I am annoyed by comments. ("Whoa" and "when are you due?" and "you're still here?" are several of my favorites...)
I attempt to wrangle my busy boys into pajamas front of my in-laws, only to have my MIL state that the baby has dropped because I'm "walking funny". Perfect.
I cannot fold laundry on the living room floor because I can no longer get up by myself. Or off the couch, for that matter.
I have to pee every 20 minutes.
I feel swollen - my legs, ankles, fingers, lips.....tight and uncomfortable (BP and weight are right on track, no worries!)
I am irritated by the simplest things. (muddy dog paws, endless rain, spilled milk, driving cars on the walls...irrational no doubt)
My mother is driving me insane. And I know she only has the best of intentions, and I truly love her to death. But seriously...calling with your co-workers (granted, who are all nurses) in the background, wondering about my cervical check by the OB? When there is NO CHANGE at 39 WEEKS? And no...I don't know about my OB's plans to go ahead and schedule a non stress test. AND YES I WILL BE CALLING YOU WHEN 'IT'S TIME' BECAUSE 1. WHY WOULD I NOT? AND 2. WHO IS GOING TO HELP CARE FOR MY KIDS WHILE I AM IN THE HOSPITAL DELIVERING THEIR SIBLING?! And I know my MIL thinks these same thoughts, but doesn't have the nerve to voice them, to me at least. Smart woman :)
I feel like there is an end in sight, but I am oh-so-far-from it.
I feel that no one in the world understands my thoughts, fears, or complaints completely.
I feel alone.
I feel like I have this huge, overwhelming task in front of me, AND feel alone.
I worry about silly things. (who will feed the dog and let her out when we are at the hospital while the boys are with their grandfathers?)
I feel torn about big future decisions. (namely: work)
I have one foot out the door of....every area of my life, currently! My job, my kids, my husband, my home.......I am just mentally checked out of just about everything.
BUT.
I love this baby.
I love being pregnant.
I love my children.
I love rubbing my belly, and feeling the baby respond to my touch, already!
I love working and providing for my family.
I love doing mundane chores at home, like laundry. It's simple, it's concrete, it gives me purpose and a time to think. Now if only the clothes would fold themselves and walk themselves to the closets!
I love dreaming of this baby, trying to envision a face, and how s/he will fit into our family, perfectly.
I love not knowing "when".
I would not change any of this for the world.
FYI - it's a bit whiny, but it's where I was at this point in time. Since writing these thoughts out, I've had a shift in mood (much more positive! the sun is out - and that helps tremendously!!) and the ability to comprehend "the light at the end of the tunnel" is much more clear....
Thoughts at 39 weeks, 1 day with #4:
This is getting hard to do. Physcially, emotionally....I'm tired! My body hurts in places that never have. My mind is divided in ways that its never been before. I'm torn. I'm spent. I ache. And I seriously hate to complain. So I'm here, writing. Pouring it out of my head, because here I can easily convey my thoughts, and not feel judged.
Don't get me wrong: I am overjoyed to be pregnant! And a boring, uncomplicated pregnancy at that ~ I do not wish it were otherwise. I love this baby - feeling him/her move inside of me, not having to sharing these precious moments with anyone else.
I am also aware that I have the ability to enjoy a spontaneous labor on my own ~ without induction or scheduled c/s or interventions of any sort. I love this too, and I do not take it for granted.
But.
But....ouch. And sigh....and Zzzzzz....
I sit at my desk at work, only to struggle getting up and then walk in a human fashion down the hall in front of my co-coworkers. (Thought: do I scare them?)
I am annoyed by comments. ("Whoa" and "when are you due?" and "you're still here?" are several of my favorites...)
I attempt to wrangle my busy boys into pajamas front of my in-laws, only to have my MIL state that the baby has dropped because I'm "walking funny". Perfect.
I cannot fold laundry on the living room floor because I can no longer get up by myself. Or off the couch, for that matter.
I have to pee every 20 minutes.
I feel swollen - my legs, ankles, fingers, lips.....tight and uncomfortable (BP and weight are right on track, no worries!)
I am irritated by the simplest things. (muddy dog paws, endless rain, spilled milk, driving cars on the walls...irrational no doubt)
My mother is driving me insane. And I know she only has the best of intentions, and I truly love her to death. But seriously...calling with your co-workers (granted, who are all nurses) in the background, wondering about my cervical check by the OB? When there is NO CHANGE at 39 WEEKS? And no...I don't know about my OB's plans to go ahead and schedule a non stress test. AND YES I WILL BE CALLING YOU WHEN 'IT'S TIME' BECAUSE 1. WHY WOULD I NOT? AND 2. WHO IS GOING TO HELP CARE FOR MY KIDS WHILE I AM IN THE HOSPITAL DELIVERING THEIR SIBLING?! And I know my MIL thinks these same thoughts, but doesn't have the nerve to voice them, to me at least. Smart woman :)
I feel like there is an end in sight, but I am oh-so-far-from it.
I feel that no one in the world understands my thoughts, fears, or complaints completely.
I feel alone.
I feel like I have this huge, overwhelming task in front of me, AND feel alone.
I worry about silly things. (who will feed the dog and let her out when we are at the hospital while the boys are with their grandfathers?)
I feel torn about big future decisions. (namely: work)
I have one foot out the door of....every area of my life, currently! My job, my kids, my husband, my home.......I am just mentally checked out of just about everything.
BUT.
I love this baby.
I love being pregnant.
I love my children.
I love rubbing my belly, and feeling the baby respond to my touch, already!
I love working and providing for my family.
I love doing mundane chores at home, like laundry. It's simple, it's concrete, it gives me purpose and a time to think. Now if only the clothes would fold themselves and walk themselves to the closets!
I love dreaming of this baby, trying to envision a face, and how s/he will fit into our family, perfectly.
I love not knowing "when".
I would not change any of this for the world.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
38.5 weeks
I am finally feeling heatlhy enough for labor - I got a Zpak and an inhaler, and I am about 90% recovered from the upper respitory junk at this point, hallelujah! My primary care doc thought my right lung sounded a bit "junky" and wasn't clearing when I coughed (probably due to there not being an incredible amount of space in there currently).
I have definitely felt a lot more contractions this week, mostly in the evenings, but sometimes throughout the day too. The baby is definitely lower, so maybe I've "dropped"? Never noticed that with the boys, and can't say that I can this time either. I think I've started to lose my mucous plug over the last 2 days too (also something I never noticed with the other three). Dr. L is right ~ I'm definitely more in tune to things, and how we're progressing toward delivery.
I had a 38 week appt with Dr. T this week (one of Dr. L's several partners) and she thought I am around 1 cm and 30% effaced. I'm not worried nor am I surprised ~ 'I'm usually a 40-weeker' is my mantra to myself and to others. But Tim and I both feel that this baby will come a bit early.....of course I'm writing that down, and I'll probably laugh at my words later :)
My bag is packed, minus a few last minute things - but my list is made for those. I have a few small gifts to wrap for the boys, and I will pack a bag for them as well. I also would love to clean out the van, rearrange seats, and add the baby's in there, but if that project doesn't happen prior to the birth, I'm okay with that.
:::
Every day the boys wake up saying, "We have to go to the hospital to pick up the new baby!". Jacob asks "what number are we on?", meaning what date is it ~ so that he can organize how close we are to the baby/Spring/going up north with his grandparents/going to Chicago with my mom on the train. I love to see how his brain works!
:::
Nate turned 18 months this week ~ and he is SO much fun and yet SO ornery at the same time! His favorite words are "Papa" and "NO" currently. He is talking in concepts and short sentences ('There's a car' and 'where'd Daddy go?') and can follow directions fairly well. He is sooooo very busy. His newest experience has been to pull chairs over to places - countertops, kitchen tables, light switches, things hanging on the walls, etc and climb or see how the items work, turn the water on in the sink....you name it, the kid is doing it! He is into everything.....no wonder he sleeps 15 hours a day! (12 at night, 1in the morning, 2 in the afternoon).
He loves to eat, but doesn't care to sit in his high chair much. We call him "no butt" because he is so skinny, his pants fall off of him! He loves to run after his brothers, and one of his favorite hobbies is throwing everything. He calls my belly a "bah-boo" (combination of belly button and baby, I think?) and will lift everyone's shirt to look at their bah-boos too....
He is still very much a Mama's boy, though he loves when his Daddy comes through the door from work! He LOVES his Papas to pieces and will screech their names for hours when we are at their houses, or if we are in church (my dad is a pastor and sits in the front on Sundays....very convenient for Nate, who is always looking for him, but not so much for those of us who are trying to worship/hear/pay attention/not laugh during service!)
I am excited to see him as a big brother. I know he will do great, and I am praying that the transition for him is an easy one ~ that he will know his parents still love him, that he will not feel 'replaced' or that we don't pay enough attention to him. In fact, this is my prayer for all of my boys in the upcoming days/weeks/months/years to come....
:::
We had a "dance party" at church yesterday, and one of the memories I want to tuck away is dancing with each of my boys.
Wyatt and I slow danced ~ and all I could think of was how I will do that with him again some day at his wedding reception. My sweet three year old boy, in my arms, twirling around to 'Lady in Red'....with his little diapered bum, and sweet soft skin, long eyelashes, and belly laugh as we spun around and around....oh my heart!
I love my family. (even when it doesn't always seem so), I am thankful, every single day.
I have definitely felt a lot more contractions this week, mostly in the evenings, but sometimes throughout the day too. The baby is definitely lower, so maybe I've "dropped"? Never noticed that with the boys, and can't say that I can this time either. I think I've started to lose my mucous plug over the last 2 days too (also something I never noticed with the other three). Dr. L is right ~ I'm definitely more in tune to things, and how we're progressing toward delivery.
I had a 38 week appt with Dr. T this week (one of Dr. L's several partners) and she thought I am around 1 cm and 30% effaced. I'm not worried nor am I surprised ~ 'I'm usually a 40-weeker' is my mantra to myself and to others. But Tim and I both feel that this baby will come a bit early.....of course I'm writing that down, and I'll probably laugh at my words later :)
My bag is packed, minus a few last minute things - but my list is made for those. I have a few small gifts to wrap for the boys, and I will pack a bag for them as well. I also would love to clean out the van, rearrange seats, and add the baby's in there, but if that project doesn't happen prior to the birth, I'm okay with that.
:::
Every day the boys wake up saying, "We have to go to the hospital to pick up the new baby!". Jacob asks "what number are we on?", meaning what date is it ~ so that he can organize how close we are to the baby/Spring/going up north with his grandparents/going to Chicago with my mom on the train. I love to see how his brain works!
:::
Nate turned 18 months this week ~ and he is SO much fun and yet SO ornery at the same time! His favorite words are "Papa" and "NO" currently. He is talking in concepts and short sentences ('There's a car' and 'where'd Daddy go?') and can follow directions fairly well. He is sooooo very busy. His newest experience has been to pull chairs over to places - countertops, kitchen tables, light switches, things hanging on the walls, etc and climb or see how the items work, turn the water on in the sink....you name it, the kid is doing it! He is into everything.....no wonder he sleeps 15 hours a day! (12 at night, 1in the morning, 2 in the afternoon).
He loves to eat, but doesn't care to sit in his high chair much. We call him "no butt" because he is so skinny, his pants fall off of him! He loves to run after his brothers, and one of his favorite hobbies is throwing everything. He calls my belly a "bah-boo" (combination of belly button and baby, I think?) and will lift everyone's shirt to look at their bah-boos too....
He is still very much a Mama's boy, though he loves when his Daddy comes through the door from work! He LOVES his Papas to pieces and will screech their names for hours when we are at their houses, or if we are in church (my dad is a pastor and sits in the front on Sundays....very convenient for Nate, who is always looking for him, but not so much for those of us who are trying to worship/hear/pay attention/not laugh during service!)
I am excited to see him as a big brother. I know he will do great, and I am praying that the transition for him is an easy one ~ that he will know his parents still love him, that he will not feel 'replaced' or that we don't pay enough attention to him. In fact, this is my prayer for all of my boys in the upcoming days/weeks/months/years to come....
:::
We had a "dance party" at church yesterday, and one of the memories I want to tuck away is dancing with each of my boys.
Wyatt and I slow danced ~ and all I could think of was how I will do that with him again some day at his wedding reception. My sweet three year old boy, in my arms, twirling around to 'Lady in Red'....with his little diapered bum, and sweet soft skin, long eyelashes, and belly laugh as we spun around and around....oh my heart!
I love my family. (even when it doesn't always seem so), I am thankful, every single day.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
37 weeks....
...and I never thought I'd say this: but I hope this baby keeps on cookin' for another 2-3 weeks!
We are all sick (again - third time since Christmas) and I definitely am not feeling at my best to exert the appropriate amount of mental and physical energy into Labor & Delivery, nor am I wanting to bring a newborn into The Germs That Are Our Household currently. We all have a variety of colds, coughs, sinus pressure, fevers, achiness, and sore throats. We are exhausted. And I am willing this baby to stay put for a little while (my hope is 10 days minimum...though I realize longer is more of my reality, based on my previous deliveries at 40w4d / 40w / and 40w1d) so that we can be at the top of our game to celebrate as a new family of 6!
I've been having some more intense contractions, but nothing regular or noteworthy. I am GBS negative (no antibiotics! hooray!) and everything with me and Baby are looking great. I am so grateful for "uneventful" (also known as "boring").
I got a Baby Book, and started filling it out.
I have a diaper bag packed for this Baby.
And now all I have to do is put together my things and have a few short lists on hand of last minute items needed and phone call lists, and we are good to go.
But hopefully not for a few more weeks!
We are all sick (again - third time since Christmas) and I definitely am not feeling at my best to exert the appropriate amount of mental and physical energy into Labor & Delivery, nor am I wanting to bring a newborn into The Germs That Are Our Household currently. We all have a variety of colds, coughs, sinus pressure, fevers, achiness, and sore throats. We are exhausted. And I am willing this baby to stay put for a little while (my hope is 10 days minimum...though I realize longer is more of my reality, based on my previous deliveries at 40w4d / 40w / and 40w1d) so that we can be at the top of our game to celebrate as a new family of 6!
I've been having some more intense contractions, but nothing regular or noteworthy. I am GBS negative (no antibiotics! hooray!) and everything with me and Baby are looking great. I am so grateful for "uneventful" (also known as "boring").
I got a Baby Book, and started filling it out.
I have a diaper bag packed for this Baby.
And now all I have to do is put together my things and have a few short lists on hand of last minute items needed and phone call lists, and we are good to go.
But hopefully not for a few more weeks!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
36 weeks
Pregnancy Highlights
How Far Along: 36 Weeks
Size of baby: #4 is approximately the size of a honeydew melon ~ 5.5 lbs (although I would venture to guess more than that, due to the size of my kiddos at birth -- high 8 lbs! Will this one be the biggest?!)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Oh, I've definitely gained....don't know the exact number, but it's a lot, and I blame some of it on heavy sweaters and winter boots....ahem. Yeah. Again, confirmed it's a LOT at my OB appointment yesterday. But Dr. L keeps saying my "weight looks good". Definitely gained more than the "average recommended for pregnancy". Harumph.
Maternity Clothes: Oh yes. Outgrowing some of them ~ it always makes me so self-conscious to get to this point! I have been rotating through 3 pairs of "going out pants" (one a pair of jeans ~ they're my favorite thing to wear this pregnancy) and wearing stretchy yoga pants or pajamas bottoms while at home!
Gender: 50/50 chance at either, right? :) I've been feeling BOY the whole time through...
Movement: very active baby -- especially in the evenings after the big ones go to bed, and I'm able to sit quietly on the couch. So far....a "good sleeper" ~ I haven't been woken up by this Little One (at least very much?) having a dance party, unless I wake up to pee or attend to the other kids in the middle of the night. Movement is slowing down a bit ~ making me worry on less active days, but I know that this is normal at this point in pregnancy. I find myself doing kickcounts and nudging the baby to ease my mind every now and then throughout the day.
Sleep: Ah, sleep... I'm sleeping fairly well. I could easily go to bed around 8 PM each night, but I like to "torture myself" (AKA have a little "me time") in the evenings, and end up staying up until 10 or 11 PM. Makes those mornings come a LOT quicker.....
We are back to sleeping pretty well around here, thankfully. My congestion is still an issue, but not quite as bad as it was. I have had several nights where I actually slept a solid 8 or 9 hour stretch and felt like a new woman!
Jacob has been accident-free at night for over a week now ~ I'm amazed! He is able to wake up in the middle of the night to use the toilet, then get right back into bed. The next step is getting him to sleep IN longer in the mornings and not have a fit if/when we close their door in the morning (to prevent noises and lights waking them, of course). But....we'll see if that ever comes!
What I miss: nothing really, though I am looking forward to having a glass of wine soon!
Cravings: Nothing in particular at this point in time. Occasionally I will get intense cravings for things like milk or protien, or a fruit or vegetable. Probably my body's way of telling me I need more of certain things! I've also run out of room to eat much at once ~ I find myself mostly too full for dinners, or picking at foods.
Symptoms: heartburn, reflux, hips going numb from side-sleeping, lower back pain, feeling like I want to start "hibernating" instead of going out, BH contractions and some real ones, major congestion, irritability, and a few other things I won't be mentioning on the internet!
Best Moment this week: identifying body parts, feeling hiccups several times a day, preparing my nest for this little one, talking about the New Baby with the big two boys, Nate patting my bare belly and looking for his "own" baby down his shirt ~ he also pushed my (outtie) belly button the other day and said "Off!". What a funny kid! And I'm loving dreaming of my arms and heart being full with four kids!
I had my 36 week appointment yesterday and will go weekly from now until delivery. Wow! It seems so close, yet still so far away....
I talked to Dr. L. about my fears of delivering at home or in the car due to my quick labor with Nate. She acknowledged my fears and reassurred me that I probably won't putz around at home as long this time around. (her reassurrance was illustrated by a story that the last time she had an in-car delivery was during her residency!) She also agrees that I will probably be watching more closely for signs of labor, and will be able to pick up on some red flags earlier on this time around. She said if I was really afraid of delivering at home, that we could pick an induction date (if my cervix was favorable) for the 9-10 of March, or whenever she is on-call. Whoa. I'm definitely not ready to agree to that option (doubt I ever will be ~ I'm all for the least interventions as possible) but it was amazing to realize a possibly birth date that is pretty darn close.
Everything on the home-front is as ready as it needs to be. I have a few more loose ends to tie up at work, but then we'll be good to go! And I'm sure when all that is done, it will be on to waiting, waiting, and more waiting.....
How Far Along: 36 Weeks
Size of baby: #4 is approximately the size of a honeydew melon ~ 5.5 lbs (although I would venture to guess more than that, due to the size of my kiddos at birth -- high 8 lbs! Will this one be the biggest?!)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Oh, I've definitely gained....don't know the exact number, but it's a lot, and I blame some of it on heavy sweaters and winter boots....ahem. Yeah. Again, confirmed it's a LOT at my OB appointment yesterday. But Dr. L keeps saying my "weight looks good". Definitely gained more than the "average recommended for pregnancy". Harumph.
Maternity Clothes: Oh yes. Outgrowing some of them ~ it always makes me so self-conscious to get to this point! I have been rotating through 3 pairs of "going out pants" (one a pair of jeans ~ they're my favorite thing to wear this pregnancy) and wearing stretchy yoga pants or pajamas bottoms while at home!
Gender: 50/50 chance at either, right? :) I've been feeling BOY the whole time through...
Movement: very active baby -- especially in the evenings after the big ones go to bed, and I'm able to sit quietly on the couch. So far....a "good sleeper" ~ I haven't been woken up by this Little One (at least very much?) having a dance party, unless I wake up to pee or attend to the other kids in the middle of the night. Movement is slowing down a bit ~ making me worry on less active days, but I know that this is normal at this point in pregnancy. I find myself doing kickcounts and nudging the baby to ease my mind every now and then throughout the day.
Sleep: Ah, sleep... I'm sleeping fairly well. I could easily go to bed around 8 PM each night, but I like to "torture myself" (AKA have a little "me time") in the evenings, and end up staying up until 10 or 11 PM. Makes those mornings come a LOT quicker.....
We are back to sleeping pretty well around here, thankfully. My congestion is still an issue, but not quite as bad as it was. I have had several nights where I actually slept a solid 8 or 9 hour stretch and felt like a new woman!
Jacob has been accident-free at night for over a week now ~ I'm amazed! He is able to wake up in the middle of the night to use the toilet, then get right back into bed. The next step is getting him to sleep IN longer in the mornings and not have a fit if/when we close their door in the morning (to prevent noises and lights waking them, of course). But....we'll see if that ever comes!
What I miss: nothing really, though I am looking forward to having a glass of wine soon!
Cravings: Nothing in particular at this point in time. Occasionally I will get intense cravings for things like milk or protien, or a fruit or vegetable. Probably my body's way of telling me I need more of certain things! I've also run out of room to eat much at once ~ I find myself mostly too full for dinners, or picking at foods.
Symptoms: heartburn, reflux, hips going numb from side-sleeping, lower back pain, feeling like I want to start "hibernating" instead of going out, BH contractions and some real ones, major congestion, irritability, and a few other things I won't be mentioning on the internet!
Best Moment this week: identifying body parts, feeling hiccups several times a day, preparing my nest for this little one, talking about the New Baby with the big two boys, Nate patting my bare belly and looking for his "own" baby down his shirt ~ he also pushed my (outtie) belly button the other day and said "Off!". What a funny kid! And I'm loving dreaming of my arms and heart being full with four kids!
I had my 36 week appointment yesterday and will go weekly from now until delivery. Wow! It seems so close, yet still so far away....
I talked to Dr. L. about my fears of delivering at home or in the car due to my quick labor with Nate. She acknowledged my fears and reassurred me that I probably won't putz around at home as long this time around. (her reassurrance was illustrated by a story that the last time she had an in-car delivery was during her residency!) She also agrees that I will probably be watching more closely for signs of labor, and will be able to pick up on some red flags earlier on this time around. She said if I was really afraid of delivering at home, that we could pick an induction date (if my cervix was favorable) for the 9-10 of March, or whenever she is on-call. Whoa. I'm definitely not ready to agree to that option (doubt I ever will be ~ I'm all for the least interventions as possible) but it was amazing to realize a possibly birth date that is pretty darn close.
Everything on the home-front is as ready as it needs to be. I have a few more loose ends to tie up at work, but then we'll be good to go! And I'm sure when all that is done, it will be on to waiting, waiting, and more waiting.....
Monday, February 7, 2011
Just ignore....
....the pregnant woman vacuuming the walls. She's 35 weeks and only slightly neurotic....
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
34 weeks
Pregnancy Highlights
How Far Along: 34 Weeks
Size of baby: #4 is approximately the size of a pineapple
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Oh, I've definitely gained....don't know the exact number, but it's a lot, and I blame some of it on heavy sweaters and winter boots....ahem.
Maternity Clothes: Oh yes. Outgrowing some of them ~ it always makes me so self-conscious to get to this point!
Gender: 50/50 chance at either, right?
Movement: very active baby -- especially in the evenings after the big ones go to bed, and I'm able to sit quietly on the couch. So far....a "good sleeper" ~ I haven't been woken up by this Little One (at least very much?) having a dance party, unless I wake up to pee or attend to the other kids in the middle of the night.
Sleep:
Ah, sleep... I'm sleeping fairly well. I could easily go to bed around 8 PM each night, but I like to "torture myself" (AKA have a little "me time") in the evenings, and end up staying up until 10 or 11 PM. Makes those mornings come a LOT quicker.....
And, I'm unable to breathe well through my nose, due to pregnancy congestion, the heat making our house so dry, and some sort of minor cold/sinus junk we have been passing back and forth around here. I'm now using saline drops in my nose, and Brea.the Ri.ght strips before bed to help with this. So far, so good. The last 2 nights with this remedy have gone far better than the previous ones. I suppose it also helps that Jacob hasn't woken up to a potty accident for 2 nights.....did I mention he's sleeping in underwear now? Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy about it, BUT. It's more interruption at night, more laundry, and I do think the poor kid is exhausted from having to wake several times a night to pee. I'm so proud of him though ~ he made this decision on his own, and he's really done well with the changes!
What I miss: the ability to breathe well through my nose.
Cravings: Nothing in particular at this point in time. Occasionally I will get intense cravings for things like milk or protien, or a fruit or vegetable. Probably my body's way of telling me I need more of certain things!
Symptoms: occasional heartburn (I actually woke choking on my own acid reflux a week or so ago....ew! It was after I had pizza and a pop for dinner...never again!), BH contractions, major congestion, irritability, and a few other things I won't be mentioning on the internet!
Best Moment this week: identifying body parts, feeling hiccups several times a day, preparing my nest for this little one, talking about the New Baby with the big two boys, Nate patting my bare belly and looking for his "own" baby down his shirt. And I'm loving dreaming of my arms and heart being full with four kids!
I started nesting this week....I organized clothes bins in our basement storage area, and sorted out some things to donate, rearranged closets, and prepped a few piles of baby clothes to wash in a few weeks' time. I also bought some essentials ~ size 1 diapers, Mama items, and diaper creams. The carseat is easily accessible, my phone lists are being prepared, and my "on-call" contacts are being given heads up for the possibility of being enlisted for help in one way or another. Yep, full-on nesting. Also known as neurosis, I'm certain :)
6-ish weeks and counting, and I can officially say we're (mostly) ready to have another baby!
How Far Along: 34 Weeks
Size of baby: #4 is approximately the size of a pineapple
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Oh, I've definitely gained....don't know the exact number, but it's a lot, and I blame some of it on heavy sweaters and winter boots....ahem.
Maternity Clothes: Oh yes. Outgrowing some of them ~ it always makes me so self-conscious to get to this point!
Gender: 50/50 chance at either, right?
Movement: very active baby -- especially in the evenings after the big ones go to bed, and I'm able to sit quietly on the couch. So far....a "good sleeper" ~ I haven't been woken up by this Little One (at least very much?) having a dance party, unless I wake up to pee or attend to the other kids in the middle of the night.
Sleep:
Ah, sleep... I'm sleeping fairly well. I could easily go to bed around 8 PM each night, but I like to "torture myself" (AKA have a little "me time") in the evenings, and end up staying up until 10 or 11 PM. Makes those mornings come a LOT quicker.....
And, I'm unable to breathe well through my nose, due to pregnancy congestion, the heat making our house so dry, and some sort of minor cold/sinus junk we have been passing back and forth around here. I'm now using saline drops in my nose, and Brea.the Ri.ght strips before bed to help with this. So far, so good. The last 2 nights with this remedy have gone far better than the previous ones. I suppose it also helps that Jacob hasn't woken up to a potty accident for 2 nights.....did I mention he's sleeping in underwear now? Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy about it, BUT. It's more interruption at night, more laundry, and I do think the poor kid is exhausted from having to wake several times a night to pee. I'm so proud of him though ~ he made this decision on his own, and he's really done well with the changes!
What I miss: the ability to breathe well through my nose.
Cravings: Nothing in particular at this point in time. Occasionally I will get intense cravings for things like milk or protien, or a fruit or vegetable. Probably my body's way of telling me I need more of certain things!
Symptoms: occasional heartburn (I actually woke choking on my own acid reflux a week or so ago....ew! It was after I had pizza and a pop for dinner...never again!), BH contractions, major congestion, irritability, and a few other things I won't be mentioning on the internet!
Best Moment this week: identifying body parts, feeling hiccups several times a day, preparing my nest for this little one, talking about the New Baby with the big two boys, Nate patting my bare belly and looking for his "own" baby down his shirt. And I'm loving dreaming of my arms and heart being full with four kids!
::::
I started nesting this week....I organized clothes bins in our basement storage area, and sorted out some things to donate, rearranged closets, and prepped a few piles of baby clothes to wash in a few weeks' time. I also bought some essentials ~ size 1 diapers, Mama items, and diaper creams. The carseat is easily accessible, my phone lists are being prepared, and my "on-call" contacts are being given heads up for the possibility of being enlisted for help in one way or another. Yep, full-on nesting. Also known as neurosis, I'm certain :)
6-ish weeks and counting, and I can officially say we're (mostly) ready to have another baby!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Sick, Version 2
32 weeks.
Stomach bug.
Ugh.
4/5 of our family is down for the count.
My washer and dryer are working overtime.
I have the best husband in the world!
Stomach bug.
Ugh.
4/5 of our family is down for the count.
My washer and dryer are working overtime.
I have the best husband in the world!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
And yet there is more....
I failed my 1 hour glucose tolerance test.
Lucky me, I get to indulge in the 3 hour version of the test.
Only first, I have to have 3 days worth of a special diet, mostly including carbs. I actually asked if I could take the 3 hr. test this morning, because that's mostly what I've been indulging in lately - lots of carbs (it's the holidays, no?:). But no....I have to follow a strict meal plan, then get my blood drawn a total of 4 times. And I can't do this test this week while I'm off, as my OB's office is closed on Friday for New Year's. So I get to rearrange my work schedule next week, and probably take at least a half a day off for this fun-filled test.
Ugh.
And? The boys are all sick. Runny noses, coughing, fevers, general grumpiness all around. I knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any better or easier. All they want to do is nap, and they can't even get that in because there is so much coughing happening here.
UGH.
Lucky me, I get to indulge in the 3 hour version of the test.
Only first, I have to have 3 days worth of a special diet, mostly including carbs. I actually asked if I could take the 3 hr. test this morning, because that's mostly what I've been indulging in lately - lots of carbs (it's the holidays, no?:). But no....I have to follow a strict meal plan, then get my blood drawn a total of 4 times. And I can't do this test this week while I'm off, as my OB's office is closed on Friday for New Year's. So I get to rearrange my work schedule next week, and probably take at least a half a day off for this fun-filled test.
Ugh.
And? The boys are all sick. Runny noses, coughing, fevers, general grumpiness all around. I knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any better or easier. All they want to do is nap, and they can't even get that in because there is so much coughing happening here.
UGH.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Ahh, the baby and the boys...never a dull moment!
It's a very busy time of year, but I wanted to write a few things down while I'm remembering them.
Last week, at 27w 2d, I had some bleeding. No contracting, lots of fetal movement (although my mind was definitely playing tricks on me, and I felt the movement was less-than-normal), no other symptoms or cause for concern ~ but this Mama was trying very hard not to freak out! I was seen for an unscheduled visit in the office by my OB - who thankfully did a quick exam and announced that Baby was perfect, and everything was well. My cervix was irritated, but long, thick, and closed as it should be. The bleeding continued on and off for the next 24 hours, but was gone just as quickly as it appeared, and hasn't returned since. Whew. I have not experienced complications (aside from Placenta Previa with Jacob) with any of my pregnancies, and this was definitely ucharted and very scary territory for me. I am so grateful for the outcome, and will patiently wait for this Little One's arrive ~ preferrably in March, please!
The same day, Jacob swallowed a penny. Yes, really. He was home with our babysitter while we were at work, and he played in the bathroom at rest time, and somehow placed a penny in his mouth (one of two pennies I'd been meaning to place into piggy banks...argh). At first when I heard the story, I didn't believe him ~ he's four, and tends to embellish things from time to time....but as he described how he placed it on his tongue, and it fell down his throat, I couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief. I confirmed the story by finding only one penny in the bathroom. He proceeded to talk, act, play, and eat/drink normally, and following my ER Pediatric NP friend's instructions, as long as he was doing all of these things, the penny should pass on its own. Thankfully, two days later, the penny arrived ~ in our toilet! We have been having many conversations about not ever putting anything besides food or drinks in our mouths thankyouverymuch.
I truly thought Nate would be our first to put something in his mouth and actually manage to swallow it, but I was wrong! My next guess is that Wyatt will be our stitches guy, and Nate will be our broken bone boy. Or maybe some combination of the above. One can only guess as a mother of three boys (and possibly one more! Ack! How did my MIL survive those years?!)...
We are all hitting some major milestones this week - I'm 28 weeks, Jacob is 4 1/2, Wyatt is turning 3, Nate 15 months....time is going by so fast! I find myself enjoying each of their ages so much.
I am happy to have the next 11 days off from work ~ for only 3 of my own vacation days, along with our holiday schedule. It's been too long since I took time off for "no reason" - aside from vacationing or maternity leaves! We plan on seeing both sides of our families (from out of state and not) and then having a couple of stay-in-our-pajamas-drink-coffee-and-play-with-our-toys days between Christmas and New Year's. We'll see how that all pans out too - as we will be in "contagious cousins" contact most of the weekend! (two have colds, runny noses & low grade fevers, another has strep throat -- what would the holidays be without sick kiddos?! aaggh!)
Off to wrap presents, tidy up the house, do some laundry, and mostly...enjoy my family. Ahhhh....
Merry Christmas and Happy 2011!
Last week, at 27w 2d, I had some bleeding. No contracting, lots of fetal movement (although my mind was definitely playing tricks on me, and I felt the movement was less-than-normal), no other symptoms or cause for concern ~ but this Mama was trying very hard not to freak out! I was seen for an unscheduled visit in the office by my OB - who thankfully did a quick exam and announced that Baby was perfect, and everything was well. My cervix was irritated, but long, thick, and closed as it should be. The bleeding continued on and off for the next 24 hours, but was gone just as quickly as it appeared, and hasn't returned since. Whew. I have not experienced complications (aside from Placenta Previa with Jacob) with any of my pregnancies, and this was definitely ucharted and very scary territory for me. I am so grateful for the outcome, and will patiently wait for this Little One's arrive ~ preferrably in March, please!
The same day, Jacob swallowed a penny. Yes, really. He was home with our babysitter while we were at work, and he played in the bathroom at rest time, and somehow placed a penny in his mouth (one of two pennies I'd been meaning to place into piggy banks...argh). At first when I heard the story, I didn't believe him ~ he's four, and tends to embellish things from time to time....but as he described how he placed it on his tongue, and it fell down his throat, I couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief. I confirmed the story by finding only one penny in the bathroom. He proceeded to talk, act, play, and eat/drink normally, and following my ER Pediatric NP friend's instructions, as long as he was doing all of these things, the penny should pass on its own. Thankfully, two days later, the penny arrived ~ in our toilet! We have been having many conversations about not ever putting anything besides food or drinks in our mouths thankyouverymuch.
I truly thought Nate would be our first to put something in his mouth and actually manage to swallow it, but I was wrong! My next guess is that Wyatt will be our stitches guy, and Nate will be our broken bone boy. Or maybe some combination of the above. One can only guess as a mother of three boys (and possibly one more! Ack! How did my MIL survive those years?!)...
We are all hitting some major milestones this week - I'm 28 weeks, Jacob is 4 1/2, Wyatt is turning 3, Nate 15 months....time is going by so fast! I find myself enjoying each of their ages so much.
I am happy to have the next 11 days off from work ~ for only 3 of my own vacation days, along with our holiday schedule. It's been too long since I took time off for "no reason" - aside from vacationing or maternity leaves! We plan on seeing both sides of our families (from out of state and not) and then having a couple of stay-in-our-pajamas-drink-coffee-and-play-with-our-toys days between Christmas and New Year's. We'll see how that all pans out too - as we will be in "contagious cousins" contact most of the weekend! (two have colds, runny noses & low grade fevers, another has strep throat -- what would the holidays be without sick kiddos?! aaggh!)
Off to wrap presents, tidy up the house, do some laundry, and mostly...enjoy my family. Ahhhh....
Merry Christmas and Happy 2011!
Monday, December 6, 2010
25-26 weeks
I'm getting so behind on my updates, so here's a recap as I'm on the brink of ending my 25th week, and beginning my 26th:
Pregnancy Highlights - Feeling the baby move more and more, starting to feel a little rolling action and feet/hands in my hips or under my ribs. So cool! I'm feeling generally great too, with the exception of being tired still, but I'm not complaining.
How Far Along: ending 25/beginning 26 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Umm...I think around 22 lbs so far, which is way better than any of my previous three pregnancies at this point! I'll be happy if I stay under a 40 lb weight gain...
Maternity Clothes: Oh yes, please! Much more comfortable and fit better overall. Although, I've started to outgrow a few items without stretch (jeans) and some of the shirts I have aren't long enough on me, so I don't prefer to wear them. I really hate outgrowing maternity clothes -- way to make a girl feel really great about herself at such a vulnerable time in life....ah well, I know the weight will come off, eventually...
Gender: Can you believe we didn't find out for our fourth baby?! We're TEAM GREEN! And it's making everyone who knows us absolutely crazy!!! For what it's worth, I am feeling "BOY"...
Movement: Definitely! LOVE IT. The baby is a great sleeper, and doesn't wake me or keep me up at night :) Most active times are first thing in the morning, around 8-10 PM, and any time after I eat! I love this time of pregnancy - it's like sharing a secret between just the two of us. I've started to see a little bit of movement on the outside now too, which is also incredible!
Sleep: doing great in this area too. I've always had a super-bladder too, so mostly I sleep through the night without having to get up to pee. I'm glad for that too, because once I wake up in the night, I have a difficult time getting back to sleep. I generally sleep about 8-10 hours a night, though recently I've been staying up a bit too late for my own liking.....I suppose I'm preparing for what's ahead when it comes to third trimester: snooze-fests and sleeping through the few "favorite shows" that I do have, on the couch beginning at 8 PM, haha!!
What I miss: Nothing really....a glass of wine or a beer with dinner or snacks, I guess. I had a sip of Tim's MGD the other day, and oh yum....I'm looking forward to having one of those again some day!
Cravings: Not too much at this point. Sometimes I'll get really intense cravings for salads with tomatoes and cucumbers, and italian dressing and parmesan cheese. Just typing that out makes me want one! I love to eat, but have been attempting to keep it under control and just enjoy everything "in moderation" -- this helps with the weight gain, excessive spending (from buying coffees, fast foods, and junk), and with me feeling fairly great vs. just okay.
Symptoms: Stuffy nose, lower back pain when I've "overdone it", shortness of breath, some difficulty in being over. But truly, overall I really do feel amazing!
Best Moment this week: Starting to look forward to organizing and rearranging for The Newbie to move in -- still in the planning stages, but I definitely have a list! It's fun to keep things relatively simple: it helps the time go by faster, and also to keep things in perspective about the baby not "needing" a lot of things, and also that life will return to a "new normal" once s/he arrives!
I'm also trying to sort out my feelings about what's best for our family regarding my working after baby comes: working PT, FT, or SAHM all-together. This is both an exciting and a daunting task, and an entire post for another day...stay tuned.
And apparently, uploading photos here takes an incredible amount of time, so I'll try again another day....ETA: Here's one I copied from FB. Apparently I can't upload directly to my blog....
Pregnancy Highlights - Feeling the baby move more and more, starting to feel a little rolling action and feet/hands in my hips or under my ribs. So cool! I'm feeling generally great too, with the exception of being tired still, but I'm not complaining.
How Far Along: ending 25/beginning 26 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Umm...I think around 22 lbs so far, which is way better than any of my previous three pregnancies at this point! I'll be happy if I stay under a 40 lb weight gain...
Maternity Clothes: Oh yes, please! Much more comfortable and fit better overall. Although, I've started to outgrow a few items without stretch (jeans) and some of the shirts I have aren't long enough on me, so I don't prefer to wear them. I really hate outgrowing maternity clothes -- way to make a girl feel really great about herself at such a vulnerable time in life....ah well, I know the weight will come off, eventually...
Gender: Can you believe we didn't find out for our fourth baby?! We're TEAM GREEN! And it's making everyone who knows us absolutely crazy!!! For what it's worth, I am feeling "BOY"...
Movement: Definitely! LOVE IT. The baby is a great sleeper, and doesn't wake me or keep me up at night :) Most active times are first thing in the morning, around 8-10 PM, and any time after I eat! I love this time of pregnancy - it's like sharing a secret between just the two of us. I've started to see a little bit of movement on the outside now too, which is also incredible!
Sleep: doing great in this area too. I've always had a super-bladder too, so mostly I sleep through the night without having to get up to pee. I'm glad for that too, because once I wake up in the night, I have a difficult time getting back to sleep. I generally sleep about 8-10 hours a night, though recently I've been staying up a bit too late for my own liking.....I suppose I'm preparing for what's ahead when it comes to third trimester: snooze-fests and sleeping through the few "favorite shows" that I do have, on the couch beginning at 8 PM, haha!!
What I miss: Nothing really....a glass of wine or a beer with dinner or snacks, I guess. I had a sip of Tim's MGD the other day, and oh yum....I'm looking forward to having one of those again some day!
Cravings: Not too much at this point. Sometimes I'll get really intense cravings for salads with tomatoes and cucumbers, and italian dressing and parmesan cheese. Just typing that out makes me want one! I love to eat, but have been attempting to keep it under control and just enjoy everything "in moderation" -- this helps with the weight gain, excessive spending (from buying coffees, fast foods, and junk), and with me feeling fairly great vs. just okay.
Symptoms: Stuffy nose, lower back pain when I've "overdone it", shortness of breath, some difficulty in being over. But truly, overall I really do feel amazing!
Best Moment this week: Starting to look forward to organizing and rearranging for The Newbie to move in -- still in the planning stages, but I definitely have a list! It's fun to keep things relatively simple: it helps the time go by faster, and also to keep things in perspective about the baby not "needing" a lot of things, and also that life will return to a "new normal" once s/he arrives!
I'm also trying to sort out my feelings about what's best for our family regarding my working after baby comes: working PT, FT, or SAHM all-together. This is both an exciting and a daunting task, and an entire post for another day...stay tuned.
And apparently, uploading photos here takes an incredible amount of time, so I'll try again another day....ETA: Here's one I copied from FB. Apparently I can't upload directly to my blog....
 |
| Baby #4 - 24 weeks |
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
21 weeks
Pregnancy Highlights -
How Far Along: 21 weeks (alternatively speeding right along, and crawling by at a snail's pace, depending on the day of course!)
Size of baby: 10.5 inches and almost 13 oz. ~ approximately the size of a carrot
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I don't know exactly, doom-day is tomorrow. AKA "The weigh in after all this horrible Halloween Candy has been sitting around". Should be fun times, just wait for it!
Maternity Clothes: Yup, mostly completely made the switch-over to elastic waistbands and stretchy material. Seriously, more wardrobes should be made in buttonless, zipperless fashion! I know I will be singing a different tune in February though...
Gender: Can you believe we didn't find out for our fourth baby?! We're TEAM GREEN! And it's making everyone who knows us absolutely crazy!!! For what it's worth, I am feeling "BOY" and the Chinese Gender Predictor test-thingy agrees. I also had a dream the other night about delivery, "It's a BOY!" included...I do realize I have a 50/50 shot at either gender, and my heart will be happy with whomever we're blessed with!
Movement: Yes, indeed. Nothing predictable or anything, but probably good enough to feel on the outside. But the Little Stinker quits any time I even think about putting my hand out to feel. Let alone teasing Tim for the same - nothin'!! Ah well, soon enough. It's fun to have this shared secret between the two of us...especially while at work!
Sleep: Yes, please. And dish out more of it, if you could? I get 8-10 hours a night, depending on my schedule, so I can't complain. If I wake at night (one of the boys wakes, I have to pee, or just randomly awake), I have a difficult time falling back asleep. Doesn't happen too often, but Zzzzz....I'm wondering if it's just working full time and mothering 3 small children vs. pregnancy?
What I miss: Not much....occasional glass of wine, maybe. Eating red sauces without having heartburn. Not having to wear a pantyliner every.single.day. Oh, was that TMI? Sorry 'bout that....
Cravings: Meh...nothing really, I guess. Fresh fruits are delicious (apples! strawberries! grapes! YUM), and I'm liking odd combinations of things. For example, I sprinkled peanuts all over my leftovers of beef stew and (separate) sauted vegetables last week. And the week before that, I think it was leftover sloppy joes mixed with leftover butter noodles. I'm also loving LOTS of protein.
Symptons: mild heartburn, feeling bigger all around, some mild swelling in my feet after a long day of work, and first stranger to ask when I'm due.
Best Moment this week: spending time with all of my boys, and daydreaming about how this New Little Person is going to affect our lives, and someday doing things together as a family of 6.
Jacob also spelled the word "LEFT" all on his own. We were sitting at a red light, and he was looking out the window, searching for things to start sounding out. The turn lane sign was there, and he said, "L-l-l-eh-eh-eh-fffff-ttttt, that spells LEFT" - and I was clapping and cheering, I'm sure I scared the crap right out of him ;) It was a very cool Mommy Moment - I'm so proud of my boy!
How Far Along: 21 weeks (alternatively speeding right along, and crawling by at a snail's pace, depending on the day of course!)
Size of baby: 10.5 inches and almost 13 oz. ~ approximately the size of a carrot
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I don't know exactly, doom-day is tomorrow. AKA "The weigh in after all this horrible Halloween Candy has been sitting around". Should be fun times, just wait for it!
Maternity Clothes: Yup, mostly completely made the switch-over to elastic waistbands and stretchy material. Seriously, more wardrobes should be made in buttonless, zipperless fashion! I know I will be singing a different tune in February though...
Gender: Can you believe we didn't find out for our fourth baby?! We're TEAM GREEN! And it's making everyone who knows us absolutely crazy!!! For what it's worth, I am feeling "BOY" and the Chinese Gender Predictor test-thingy agrees. I also had a dream the other night about delivery, "It's a BOY!" included...I do realize I have a 50/50 shot at either gender, and my heart will be happy with whomever we're blessed with!
Movement: Yes, indeed. Nothing predictable or anything, but probably good enough to feel on the outside. But the Little Stinker quits any time I even think about putting my hand out to feel. Let alone teasing Tim for the same - nothin'!! Ah well, soon enough. It's fun to have this shared secret between the two of us...especially while at work!
Sleep: Yes, please. And dish out more of it, if you could? I get 8-10 hours a night, depending on my schedule, so I can't complain. If I wake at night (one of the boys wakes, I have to pee, or just randomly awake), I have a difficult time falling back asleep. Doesn't happen too often, but Zzzzz....I'm wondering if it's just working full time and mothering 3 small children vs. pregnancy?
What I miss: Not much....occasional glass of wine, maybe. Eating red sauces without having heartburn. Not having to wear a pantyliner every.single.day. Oh, was that TMI? Sorry 'bout that....
Cravings: Meh...nothing really, I guess. Fresh fruits are delicious (apples! strawberries! grapes! YUM), and I'm liking odd combinations of things. For example, I sprinkled peanuts all over my leftovers of beef stew and (separate) sauted vegetables last week. And the week before that, I think it was leftover sloppy joes mixed with leftover butter noodles. I'm also loving LOTS of protein.
Symptons: mild heartburn, feeling bigger all around, some mild swelling in my feet after a long day of work, and first stranger to ask when I'm due.
Best Moment this week: spending time with all of my boys, and daydreaming about how this New Little Person is going to affect our lives, and someday doing things together as a family of 6.
Jacob also spelled the word "LEFT" all on his own. We were sitting at a red light, and he was looking out the window, searching for things to start sounding out. The turn lane sign was there, and he said, "L-l-l-eh-eh-eh-fffff-ttttt, that spells LEFT" - and I was clapping and cheering, I'm sure I scared the crap right out of him ;) It was a very cool Mommy Moment - I'm so proud of my boy!
Friday, October 29, 2010
We're Team....
......GREEN!
All is well with our sweet 4th bundle of baby. My ultrasound went perfectly on Monday, and for that I could not be more grateful. The tech saw everything she needed to see, and distinctly called the heart, brain, and 10 fingers, "Beautiful and perfect". (Insert big sigh of relief and JOY here!)
We did not find out the gender of this baby, but there were definite moments that Tim and I both waivered on that decision ~ most of which happened on the walk in to the u/s office. It was so tempting to find out, because why not? It's so fun to plan, to know, to envision the future. And we get to do all of those things....in a little bit of a different way. We figured we only had this one last chance to have this great of a surprise, so why not? And what does it matter if we know now or if we know in 20 more weeks?
My hope is for the delivery to go smoothly, and for Tim to be able to announce the gender, and then the baby be brought immediately to me ~ something we've never been able to experience together, and something we think would be so very special for our last babe! (My other hope is to not deliver a baby at home....but that is a post for another day...) I'm definitely thinking this baby is a boy, so I will be genuinely surprised if we happen to end up with a daughter. And we have two amazing names already picked out...can't wait to share!
::
Today is beautiful. Tim took the day off, and everyone got outside for a bit of sunshine and fresh air, and giant leaf piles and raking. The big boys were super helpful ~ even with the bagging part of the job. They mostly loved diving into the piles!
We have also been enjoying some time with our family who now resides in South Carolina. The boys have loved every minute they get to spend with their big girl cousins who are 12 and 8. It's been nice to catch up with them - we love their company, and we miss them dearly!
Looking forward to celebrating Thanks.giving early with them, and Hallo.ween as well.
Happy Weekend!
All is well with our sweet 4th bundle of baby. My ultrasound went perfectly on Monday, and for that I could not be more grateful. The tech saw everything she needed to see, and distinctly called the heart, brain, and 10 fingers, "Beautiful and perfect". (Insert big sigh of relief and JOY here!)
We did not find out the gender of this baby, but there were definite moments that Tim and I both waivered on that decision ~ most of which happened on the walk in to the u/s office. It was so tempting to find out, because why not? It's so fun to plan, to know, to envision the future. And we get to do all of those things....in a little bit of a different way. We figured we only had this one last chance to have this great of a surprise, so why not? And what does it matter if we know now or if we know in 20 more weeks?
My hope is for the delivery to go smoothly, and for Tim to be able to announce the gender, and then the baby be brought immediately to me ~ something we've never been able to experience together, and something we think would be so very special for our last babe! (My other hope is to not deliver a baby at home....but that is a post for another day...) I'm definitely thinking this baby is a boy, so I will be genuinely surprised if we happen to end up with a daughter. And we have two amazing names already picked out...can't wait to share!
::
Today is beautiful. Tim took the day off, and everyone got outside for a bit of sunshine and fresh air, and giant leaf piles and raking. The big boys were super helpful ~ even with the bagging part of the job. They mostly loved diving into the piles!
We have also been enjoying some time with our family who now resides in South Carolina. The boys have loved every minute they get to spend with their big girl cousins who are 12 and 8. It's been nice to catch up with them - we love their company, and we miss them dearly!
Looking forward to celebrating Thanks.giving early with them, and Hallo.ween as well.
Happy Weekend!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The Space Between
19 weeks. Alternately titled "The Space Between". Not quite fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes, and not quite fitting into my maternity clothes....
...which is odd, because I've never been this "small"(?) with any of my pregnancies before...
...which leads me to worry (most likely unnecessarily, right?)....
We have our BIG ultrasound on 10/25 ~ and all I want to see is a growing, healthy baby. And for the record...I'm voting for Team Blue.
And wouldn't you know it, I have yet to take one belly shot of this Little One?! (Okay, just fixed that one - to be uploaded later!)
...which is odd, because I've never been this "small"(?) with any of my pregnancies before...
...which leads me to worry (most likely unnecessarily, right?)....
We have our BIG ultrasound on 10/25 ~ and all I want to see is a growing, healthy baby. And for the record...I'm voting for Team Blue.
And wouldn't you know it, I have yet to take one belly shot of this Little One?! (Okay, just fixed that one - to be uploaded later!)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
2nd Trimester
I'm 13.5 weeks!
Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 13 Weeks
Size of baby: the baby is the size of a peach (yummmm...)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 6 lbs since first appointment (oiy) ~ I started a weekly prenatal swim class, hoping this helps curb some of the gain - in the least, I know it will make me feel better!
Maternity Clothes: Wore maternity pants for the first time this week but other than that - normal clothes (loose clothes)
Gender: I don't know, but if I had to guess, I'd say BOY!
Movement: Yes, I've felt the baby move a tiny bit - if I'm very still (usually in the evenings, laying down)
Sleep: I'm sleeping well, and require 10 + hours a night - I only lose sleep because of the boys. Ha!
What I miss: Nothing really, maybe a glass of wine or a cold beer on a football Saturday
Cravings: Mexican food, fruit (nectarines, YUM!), protein
Symptons: Fatigue, gagging when brushing my teeth, nausea (the more tired I am, the worse it is), but the good days are starting to outweigh the icky ones
Best Moment this week: Felt the baby move! We also had our NT ultrasound, it was exciting to see the baby on the "Big Screen", and know that everything so far looks great. Praise the Lord!
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