37 weeks...aka full term!

It's hard to believe that Baby B's due date is a mere three weeks from yesterday!  The nursery is set up, the car seat is in the car, the hospital bag is mostly packed...we're having a baby, folks!  I have 4 more days left of the semester at school, during which I need to finish up assessments, start and complete 26 report cards, and get stuff together for my sub.  Lots to do, but it'll get done and then hopefully Baby B makes his or her appearance before second semester starts back up on January 9th.

According to my doctor, Baby B has officially dropped.  I can definitely tell that he or she is sitting lower.  Baby B is head down and as of this past Monday I'm dilated to not quite 2cm.  Not much, but hey, progress is progress, right?

How far along? 37w1d

How big is baby? Baby B should weigh around 6 pounds and is roughly 19 inches long

Total weight gain? As of my appointment last week, I'd gained a total of 28 pounds.

Stretch marks? none!

Sleep? Still waking up about every hour and a half, but sleeping fairly hard once I'm actually asleep.

Best moment this week: Hanging out with the kids I've been watching for over 7 years yesterday and seeing their faces when they got to feel Baby B's hiccups.  So fun!

Weekly wisdom: Not sure I really have any this week :)

Milestones: Full term!

35/35 and an update

So today marks a fun milestone - 35 weeks down, 35 days to go!  Hopefully we have at least a few more weeks.  The doctor on Thursday seemed to think so.  After staying home from work Wednesday and Thursday, I went to my appointment Thursday afternoon slightly nervous about what we would find out.  I knew the contractions had slowed down, though, which is good.  Matt went with me, which was great since he hadn't actually met my doctor yet, just some others in the practice.  He really liked her, which is good, since I love her :)  Anyway, she talked with me about how I'd been feeling, how the contractions had been, etc.  She checked and I'm still only dilated 1cm.  She told me that if I was comfortable, I could go back to work and see how it went.  She told me to just make sure I'm listening to my body and if I hit a point where I'm having a lot of contractions or need to rest or take a day or part of a day off work, to do that.  My doc said that some women have more contractions than others, but that it was good that mine had slowed down and it didn't look like I was going to go into labor at any moment.  So I went back to work Friday and did alright.  I took it as easy as I could, but I do teach five year olds :)  But I only had a couple of contractions all day, so I'm hoping that Baby B stays put for at least a few more weeks.  I only have 14 school days until we're finished with the semester, so I'd really like to make it until then.  I'm also really relieved that things look okay and I haven't dilated any further.  I also got a call from my doctor's nurse Friday saying that the labs from the hospital Tuesday night showed just a slight bit of bacteria in my urine, which could be nothing or could be just enough to cause my contractions.  They called in an antibiotic that I started this morning and take for seven days just in case that's what's causing the contractions, because they would rather treat it than let it go. 

Matt and I took some maternity photos this morning with a friend of ours who is a professional photographer.  I think we got some awesome pictures and I can't wait to see them!  As an added bonus, he and his wife are in the process of adopting two beautiful children from Africa and all the money from our session is going straight into their adoption fund.

It's been a while since I've done a survey and posted a photo, so here you go :)

How far along? 35 weeks
How big is baby? Around 19 inches long and just over 5 pounds - definitely running out of room, that's for sure!
Total weight gain? 26 pounds.  Not too bad!  And most of that is belly :)
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep? So-so.  Just waking up a lot to use the bathroom.
Best moment this week? knowing that Baby B is okay
Weekly wisdom: Don't feel silly or like a paranoid first-time mom for calling the doctor during the day or the on-call doctor.  That's what they're there for.  (I was worried I'd call the doctor on call and then the contractions would turn out to be nothing or would stop.  I'm so glad that I called.)
Milestones: Baby B's kidneys are fully developed

labor and delivery visit, take 2

Matt and I made our second trip to labor and delivery on Tuesday night.  The first time we went was the night of November 12.  My mom, Matt, and I were on our way to dinner after my shower before my mom left to drive back home when a deer ran out in front of the car.  It was dark so I didn't see the deer until it was literally right on the side of the road.  I hit the brakes, but we still hit the deer.  (It got up and ran off, so I'm hoping it was okay).  Our car is currently in the shop getting fixed to the tune of $2600 (thank goodness for insurance).  The doctor on call wanted me to come in for monitoring just to make sure everything was okay.  Matt and I spent almost 4 hours in a triage room with me hooked up to the contraction monitor and fetal heart rate monitor.  Everything was fine, just a precaution.

However, Tuesday night was not so fun.  Monday night I started having more braxton hicks contractions than normal.  I'd been told to call if I was having 5 or more an hour, but they never hit that point.  I spent all of Monday evening on the couch drinking water and the contractions subsided after a while.  However, they picked back up Tuesday morning at work.  I had 6 in an hour, so called my doctor during my prep.  The nurse told me to put my feet up/lay down, drink lots of water, and if they didn't let up then I needed to call them back and go home from work.  I spent my prep sitting down with my feet up and the contractions let up.  I stayed at work but sat down as much as possible (this is the last week I have a student teacher).  I only had 4 or 5 contractions the whole rest of the day at school.  The nurse called back around 2:00 to check and see how things were going (I LOVE my doctor's office, by the way.).  She told me to spend the night with my feet up drinking lots of water.  So I came home and that's what I did.  Except then the contractions picked back up again and I had 7 in 45 minutes.  I called the on-call number and my doctor told me to come in to labor and delivery.  So Matt and I drove to the hospital, much more nervous than the last time we were there.

The nurse hooked me up to the monitors again.  Baby B.'s heart rate looked good and he/she was moving around like crazy.  Baby B got the hiccups while I was hooked up, which was kind of funny to hear over the monitor :)  I was having contractions, but there was no pattern to them.  The doctor had the nurse run a fetal fibronectin test, which looks for a protein that your body makes before going into labor.  The good news is, that test came back negative.  However, I'm already dilated to 1cm.  While you can be dilated for a while before actually going into labor, the doctor wasn't super thrilled that I'm dilated this early.  We spent about 2.5 hours at the hospital, and when they checked me again I hadn't dilated any further, which was good.  They gave me a shot of terbu.taline to help stop the contractions.  That stuff stings!  Matt and I got sent home, but I'm on bedrest.  I didn't work yesterday and am not working today.  I have my 34 week appointment this afternoon, and the doctor is planning on checking for any more dilation.  Hopefully I'm still just at 1cm.  I've been having some contractions yesterday and today, but not a lot, nothing painful, and nothing regular.

Here's what we're praying for:
-that I wouldn't dilate any further for a while.
-that Baby B would stay put for another few weeks
-that the contractions would continue to let up/slow down
-that I'm cleared to go back to work (I don't want to use up my maternity leave before Baby B actually gets here; I'm planning to take 12 weeks off, but if I end up having to miss the rest of the semester then I'll only be able to take off about 8-8.5 weeks of second semester before I have to go back to avoid losing my benefits)

In exciting yet semi-terrifying news, my doctor did tell me that if I started to go into labor after the end of next week she wouldn't do anything to stop it.  Yikes!  While I know that we're having this baby relatively soon, there's a big difference between "in 5 or 6 weeks" and "next week!"  I suppose I should finish packing the hospital bag soon :)  But we are really wanting Baby B to stay put until I'm 37 or 38 weeks at least.  I'll keep everyone posted after my appointment this afternoon.

So much to be thankful for

With yesterday being Thanksgiving and reading everyone's blog posts and status updates about what they are thankful for, it also got me thinking about how much Matt and I really have to be thankful for.  And really, these are things that we should acknowledge daily and not just one day out of the year.  We have a healthy marriage, a house that is safe, warm, and that we are able to raise a family in, secure jobs that allow us to pay our bills and then some, great families, and our little one on the way, who we will get to meet in just about 6 weeks or so!  And really, something that trumps all those things, we are also so thankful to know Jesus and for the sacrifice He made for us.

We were lucky to be able to make the trip down to spend Thanksgiving with my family this year.  We weren't sure how I'd be feeling, but my doctor gave me the okay to drive down since "it's only 2 hours and they have good hospitals down there."  Thankfully, we haven't needed the hospital part :)  I spent Tuesday evening and part of Wednesday sick with the stomach flu, but that passed fairly quickly and I felt pretty much back to normal by Wednesday night so we went ahead with our plans to come down.  I'm so glad that we did, especially since we won't get to come down at Christmas.  It was great to see my grandparents and other family members at my mom and stepdad's house.  The food was delicious and we had a good time visiting with everyone.  Plus, my mom coordinated a little bit of a baby shower for us after we ate!  I knew about it ahead of time, but once again, I was overwhelmed with people's generosity.  Baby B now has an activity mat for tummy time, lots of sleep.sacks and swaddlers, some really soft blankets, and some more bath toys, along with some sun shades for the car. 

We also went to my dad's parents' house (yes, I'm fortunate enough to still have all four of my grandparents).  I hadn't seen this side of my family at all since Matt and I found out I was pregnant, though I've talked with my grandma on the phone a few times.  Once again, it was so good to see my grandparents and aunts, uncles, and cousins.  We got to celebrate my cousin's daughter's birthday - she was born on Thanksgiving Day 13 years ago, and while her actual birthday is today, we had cupcakes and sang to her yesterday.  It blows me away that she's already a teenager, and that her sisters are (almost) 11 and 9.  And speaking of blowing me away, I was completely surprised when all of a sudden my aunts and cousins come walking into the living/dining room with bags full of presents for Baby B yelling "Happy baby shower!"  This is not a side of my family that I'm close with, but again, I was completely overwhelmed by their excitement over Baby B's impending arrival.  Baby B got some really cute clothes and sleepers, along with our bottle warmer, bu.mbo seat, and Ang.el.Car.e monitor.  Everyone kept saying how they couldn't wait to meet Baby B and to find out if he/she is a girl or a boy.  Everyone kept making guesses yesterday :)

My mom, sister, and I kept up our holiday tradition of going to see a movie last night, and then my mom and stepdad went out shopping.  I used to go, but didn't last year or this year.  There's not really been anything I've needed or wanted enough to go out and fight the crowds. 

All in all, yesterday was a great day and I'm so glad Matt and I were able to come down and spend the holiday with family.  And I'm so thankful for a family who is so excited to welcome Baby B into the world relatively soon.  This baby is going to be so loved by so many people.  Actually, I think he/she already is.

I hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving, too!

33 weeks

How far along? 33 weeks 1 day
How big is baby? Between 17-19 inches long and around 4.5 pounds
Total weight gain? As of Thursday, I'm up just under 23 pounds total. My doc is really pleased with my gain so far :)
Stetch marks? None
Sleep? Eh, it's okay. I'm waking up every 1.5-2 hours to go to the bathroom. Most times I'm able to get back to sleep fairly quickly, but once it hits around 4:00 or 4:30 I have a harder time getting back to sleep and I wake up more often. This does not lend itself well to sleeping in on the weekends.
Best moment this week: Matt learning how to change a diaper during our newborn care class :) And really working on the nursery - it's so close to having all the big things finished!
Weekly wisdom: It is okay to let people help you or do things for you when you are pregnant. I've had a hard time watching and letting Matt do things around the house to prepare for Baby B., but he keeps pointing out that physically I can't really do much to help him anyway, and that if he can keep me from having to bend over to pick up things, then he will, since that's getting harder and harder for me to do.
Milestones: Baby B.'s immune system is developed enough now that his/her body would be able to provide protection from mild infections.

And my picture. I don't feel as big as I look. Though I do have a couple of maternity shirts that no longer cover my belly.

Baby Shower

Yesterday was my first baby shower. Baby B is already so loved and blessed by so many people. I can't wait for him/her to meet everyone! It was a great day and I had a great time. We got lots of things for Baby B, which I have been organizing and starting to put away today :) Me with my two closest friends from college, Christina and Kathy. They did a great job planning the shower!
Me with Rose, who hosted the shower at her home. I've been babysitting her kids for over 7 years (I took over when Christina graduated), and her family has become like our family here in Indy. Matt and I love hanging out with her, her husband, and their three kids.

Me with my mom. Yes, Christina and Kathy bought her a "Grandma to be" sash :)

Striking a pose with her sash

Delicious food. And how cute is that watermelon carriage?

Yummy cupcakesOnesies hanging as decorations

All kinds of stuff for Baby B.

We got our bouncer!

Cute little fleece with a hood with little ears on it :)
Everyone brought a book in lieu of a card. We got a great start to a library for Baby B. And of course, no baby's library is complete without the alphabet book of important Ohio State things!
Everything we got at the shower, minus the high chair

Mac really likes to lay under the crib. He hasn't tried to jump in it yet, but I feel like it's only a matter of time.

I loved spending the afternoon with friends from all different parts of my life. It was so great to see them all, and we are so thankful for all the gifts we got to use with Baby B.

31 week survey

How far along? 31 weeks 1 day

How big is baby? all the websites and books say Baby B weighs between 3-3.5 pounds and is 16.4-18 inches long. That's probably about right, at least weight-wise, since at our ultrasound 2 weeks ago Baby B weighed 2lbs 13oz.

Total weight gain/loss? I'm up about 21 pounds. Not too bad. The doc is pleased with my gain. They said to aim for 25-35 pounds overall, so I'm on track to fall in that range.

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep? Not good. I wake up every 1.5-2 hours to use the bathroom. Sometimes I have trouble getting comfortable, and then sometimes Baby B decides that it's time for a middle of the night dance party. Baby B especially does not like when I lay on my right side - probably because he/she has been camped out on that side pretty much this whole pregnancy.

Best moment this week: Seeing the nursery really start to come together. I am LOVING the room!

Weekly wisdom: Naps are great. The housework will get done eventually.

Milestones: Single digit weeks until Baby B's due date!

In other news, I had a doctor appointment on Friday. Baby B's heartrate sounded great, and I'm measuring right on track. I knew I had passed my glucose test, and I found out Friday I barely passed it. The doc said the cutoff is either 130 or 140 depending on the doctor. My numbers came back at 131, but she decided not to have me do the 3 hour test because she didn't think it would come back as me having gestational diabetes.

My kids at school are getting more and more curious about Baby B. One kiddo started rubbing my stomach on Friday as I was picking the kids up from lunch. He said, "You have a big stomach!" I asked him why it was big and he told me, "Because you have a baby in there. Let's go have a talk and you can show me what your baby looks like." Then he pouted for a minute when I told him that wasn't exactly possible :) And as Baby B is getting more active and starting to run out of room, his/her movements are getting borderline uncomfortable sometimes, especially when I'm sitting (I've decided my torso needs to be a few inches longer). When this happens, I tend to put my hand over the spot where Baby B is moving - it's usually his/her bottom that's protruding and making me uncomfortable. I have one student who notices every time I do this and she will excitedly say, "The baby's doing something! What's the baby doing?"

I've also been told by multiple people this week that I look great for how far along I am. Several coworkers have mentioned that I look the same except for my belly, and Matt has mentioned this as well. It's nice to hear, since I feel really big sometimes.

I'm not sure there will be another update this week - but I am definitely looking forward to next Saturday. It's my first baby shower! I can't wait to celebrate Baby B with others who are excited about his/her impending arrival!