More Lizzy...

First of all, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers over the past few days! We appreciate it all more than you could know. I wish that I had better pictures to show right now, but the lighting at the hospital wasn't very good and I just don't have the energy to take any others--but you KNOW that will happen in good time!

So basically here's the story: I woke up early Sunday morning and felt a really bizarre "pop" noise, that I was pretty sure was my water breaking.I tried to wake up Justin, which was a feat in itself. Once I did finally wake him up, I asked him to put a load of dishes in the dishwasher, and told him that I wanted to take a shower and blow dry my hair. I think Justin thought that I had lost my mind, but just went along with it. I was in the shower when contractions became coming fast and furious--about 3 minutes from the start of one to the start of the other. I quickly realized that I would NOT have time to do my hair, and we booked it to the hospital.

We arrived shortly after 5am, and I was dilated to 4cm. I requested the epidural ASAP--I seriously had never felt pain like that in my life! It took about 1.5 hours for the anesthesiologist to come, and I literally thought that I was going to die. I couldn't for the life of me remember how to breathe. The epidural was absolutely fantastic--I have the utmost admiration for those who deliver naturally, but this experience solidified for me that I have absolutely no desire to be one of those people! The epidural was great because I could still feel all the pressure, but not pain.

Once they gave me the epidural, I was pretty sure that I was almost ready to push. I don't think the nurses really believed me because it took quite awhile for them to check me again. But once they finally did (maybe around 8am?), the nurse was pretty surprised to learn that I was fully dilated. After that, we did some practice pushes, and then pushed for somewhere between one and two hours. And then at 10:25am, when I literally didn't think that I could push any more, she was born. And it was incredible. Hearing her cry and seeing the look on Justin's face were literally the best moments of my life so far.

Funny little tangent here--Justin's best friend and soon-to-be-brother-in-law (Stump)'s birthday was yesterday. He was born at about 11:25 am, and the doctor that delivered Stump was the same doctor that delivered Elizabeth yesterday (it was the on call doctor, not our OB). And the on call doctor actually remembered Stump, because he was the biggest baby that doctor has ever delivered--he weighed like 12 pounds!

Anyway, the first night was a little rough due to some feeding issues, and me being in lots of pain due to several different tears and the fact that I seriously puffed up from the IV fluids. But we're hoping that tonight will go a little more smoothly. And I'm off to nap!

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers--they mean so much to us!

Elizabeth Grace

Elizabeth Grace was born at 10:25 this morning, she weighs 7 pounds 3oz and was 19.5 inches long. God is so good! More details later.

Pregnancy Post: Week 39

Well folks, there it is--officially the LAST weekly pregnancy picture!

After much discussion at the doctor's appointment today, Justin, the doc, and myself decided to schedule an induction for Monday the 11th. So, if Lizzy doesn't make her grand appearance before then, we will be heading to the hospital at about 6am to begin the induction process. Now, I know that a lot of people have very strong feelings against inductions, and a lot of readers may not agree with our decision to induce. However, there are a lot of different reasons that have caused all three of us to believe that an induction is the best option. One of the main reasons is this:

For the past two weeks, the baby has been in a position that is pinching one of my nerves and also constricting my circulation. This means that I'm in a lot of pain, and also that I randomly feel like I'm about to black out--suddenly (little to no warning) I get complete tunnel vision, start shaking uncontrollably, and a fever/chills feeling. Then, I break out into a cold sweat. I can hardly see, and feel disoriented. And this always seems to happen when I'm say, in the shower, or driving. It's been happening more and more frequently (I had multiple episodes today), and there's absolutely nothing that I can do to stop or alleviate them--I just have to lay down and wait them out. And it's scary. Due to the decreased blood flow, I also usually have a migraine the rest of the day. The doctor confirmed today that the baby isn't likely going to change positions at this point, and since this situation is being caused by her positioning, the situation won't likely change until she's born. It's scary for me, and I know that my blood pressure and pulse shoot through the roof whenever it happens, which I'm sure isn't good for Lizard either.

Other concerns include the probability of actually being further along than my due date reflects, blood pressure that has been slowly creeping higher and higher, etc. The doctor has said that since I'm more than 3cm dilated, most of the way effaced, and contracting regularly, that my body is favorable for an induction, and that he's hopeful that after he breaks my water, I may not even need Pitocin. So yeah. Being induced may not be a popular decision, but it really is the one that J and I (and our doctor) are comfortable with here. To be honest, the whole situation is a little scary, crazy, and emotional! I'm still hoping that I go into labor on my own, but it's really surreal to know that if I don't, we will be heading to Labor and Delivery bright and early Monday morning!

In other news, my parents came over this evening bearing gifts--namely, a video camera! What an incredible gift! We didn't have one and my DSLR doesn't do video, so the camera was really, really exciting! Justin's already having a great time testing it all out.

Also, my oldest niece Payton (who is almost 5) informed me earlier this week that she really, really hoped that I have this baby before Sunday, because my shirts don't cover my belly anymore, and we do NOT wear shirts that show our belly to church. I got a pretty good laugh out of that one. 

Snippets

-Monday was officially my last day of work!!! 

-Yesterday, I did absolutely none of the things that I should have (i.e. laundry, cleaning, cooking) and instead lounged around and created the new blog layout. After a sleepless night last night, today hasn't been much better. I slept until 11am--I don't know WHEN the last time that happened was!

-I also worked on a 101 in 1001 list. I have a few more goals to go, but I want to think about it for a few days. I also want to put some goals that have to do with Lizzy on the list, but I am weirdly superstitious about doing so before she is born.

-Last night, Justin banished me from the kitchen so that he could cook eggs. The smell still makes me throw up. So I was hanging in the living room, and I kept mentioning that it didn't smell like he was making eggs--it smelled like brownies. Justin told me that I was crazy. After awhile, I agreed, and admitted that it was probably just that I really WANTED brownies. Justin finished his egg-cooking and came to sit down and watch Dexter with me. Several hours later, he went into the kitchen and came back with a plate of brownies! Turned out he had been making them, but was trying to throw me off the trail. What a stinker and a sweetheart all at once! The sweetheart definitely wins out though.

-I have a doctor appointment this afternoon. I know this is totally unrealistic and not going to happen, but I kinda have a fantasy about how this appointment will go. See, while getting my allergy shot this week, I read an article in one of their magazines talking about a small population of women who don't experience any pain during labor until it's time to push. Yeah, where do I sign up for THAT?! So anyway, in my little fantasy doctor's appointment, we head in, and he does an internal, looks and me and says, "Um, you're dilated to a 6. You're contracting, but just must not be feeling it--you'll have this baby today!" I know, it isn't going to happen. But it's been a nice recurring dream and daydream this past week!

Still Here

Yes folks, I'm still here. Dang the Mongolian restaurant and their inaccurate fortune cookies!

In all seriousness though, I thought that last night might be the night after having contractions (both "contractions" and CONTRACTIONS) 3-8 minutes apart pretty much all day. But then at about midnight last night, they just stopped completely, and have pretty much been MIA since.

So, today we'll be keeping busy with lots of Dexter watching and also heading to Kaitlin's baby shower!

Pregnancy Post: Week 38

Well, as you can see, my belly button has officially popped out. Justin keeps saying "the turkey's done!", but apparently Lizzy hasn't quite gotten the message yet!

I ended up at the doctor's office yesterday rather than Friday due to a suspected bladder infection. During the exam, I was 2-3 cm dilated, more than 50% dilated, and the doctor kept commenting that she's "extremely, extremely low" and that her head is "practically right there!', which was no surprise to me, because walking around feels like I have a bowling ball between my legs! I do believe the doctor did a membrane sweep, so we'll see how that goes.

I've also now gained about 40 pounds. I'm gonna chalk a lot of that up to baby and water weight, because I have been so nauseous lately that I'm hardly eating. Most people keep commenting about how small I am, but I still do feel huge. Actually, funny story...after the holidays, one of my co-workers joked with my boss at the staff meeting that she should now be allowed to wear sweats to work because none of her normal clothes fit. I laughed so hard that I almost cried...which promptly caused the rest of the office to crack up as well. Yeah...even my maternity clothes are getting close to not fitting. Shirts especially, are almost not long enough anymore.

Earlier this week, we went out to dinner, and my fortune cookie said "The next full moon will bring you an evening of excitement!" Tonight is not only a full moon, but a BLUE moon...here's hoping! In all reality though, I'm starting to come to terms that Lizard will make her grand debut in 2010...along with the new year's insurance deductible. I was holding out hope for 2009, but I just don't think it's going to happen. I had a bit of an ugly-cry freak out over that fact last night, but Justin was a great trooper about the whole situation, and today I feel much more at peace.

Also, I now have two more days of work, including today! And I got to see the quilt my mom is working on! It isn't going to end up being a crazy quilt after all, but I think it's going to be pretty darn adorable.

Pregnancy Post: Week 37

So, my 37 week point is actually tomorrow, but I know I'll probably be crazy busy then, so I thought I'd post today instead. As of tomorrow, I am (at least) officially full term, which means that Elizabeth's lungs should be fully developed and ready for the world!

I really don't have much new to report--because of the holiday, my weekly appointment skips a week, which means that I won't see the doctor again until the 1st of the year. He said that he hopes I can cancel that appointment (we're still going by the EDD of 1/14, but my ultrasounds have pretty consistently put me at a due date of 1/8, which would mean that I'm actually almost 38 weeks). That would be FANTASTIC, but I am trying not to get my hopes up. I have no idea whether or not I've made any progress this week, but with all the contractions and pressure I've been having, I certainly hope so!

I was scheduled to work today, but ended up calling in. I'm still just feeling tired (as you can probably surmise from my sleep-with-one-eye-open gaze in the 37 week picture from this morning) and figured that a long weekend would probably do me good. I always feel like a wuss for calling in. Some pregnant women work up until the moment their water breaks...and they are stronger than I am! All I want to do right now is sit at home, nap, cook, and clean. I figured that I might as well take this opportunity to sleep and clean now--Lord knows I probably won't have time once the baby is born!

In other news, I am starting to have to bite my tongue a little bit with the irritating comments that both strangers and acquaintances are making. None of these things are that bad on their own, but imagine having these SAME conversations all day, every day for weeks.

Person: So, are you hoping to have her soon?
Me: Yes!
Person: Well, don't get your hopes up--she'll come whenever she's ready!
[Really? Because I just thought I had to say Abracadabra and she'd appear. Even better, the above person will usually go on to say the following: ]
Person: Well, you just better keep your legs crossed until after Christmas. You just can't let your baby have a Christmas birthday--it would scar her for life!
[Whatever happened to "coming whenever she's ready?]
..................................................................................................................
Person: So when are you due?
Me: Technically, January 14th. But the doctor told me to be prepared anytime from mid-December to mid-January.
Person (happily): Oh...there's no way you'll deliver until at least February! First babies are always late.
..................................................................................................................
Person comes up and starts rubbing my belly.
Person: I bet you hate having your belly rubbed, don't you?
..................................................................................................................
Person: How far along are you?
Me: 37 weeks.
Person: Oh my God, you are HUGE! You better lay off the sweets this year or you'll have an 11 pound baby!
..................................................................................................................
Person: How far along are you?
Me: 37 weeks.
Person: Oh my God, you are so TINY! Please tell me you're not one of those people who tries to diet while you're pregnant--it's terrible for the baby!
Me: Actually, I've gained like 35 pounds.
Person: I don't think so. You really need to talk with your doctor about how small you are. There must be something wrong with the baby!
..................................................................................................................
Person: So, are you nervous about giving birth?
Me: Yes, a little bit.
Person (happily): Well, my sister/friend/cousin had her baby a year ago, and she was in labor for 32 hours and then they had to do an emergency c-section, and both she and the baby almost died! Don't do that!
[Thanks for the warning! I'll make sure the nurses know that not dying is part of my birth plan!]

Burning Questions of the Day: Pregnant Soldiers

In watching CNN the other day, I saw a clip talking about a new policy under Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo (the general in charge of troops in northern Iraq), under which a soldier becoming pregnant, or impregnating another soldier would be punishable by court martial. An article on CNN's website says:

"The directive applies to all military and civilians serving under Cucolo in northern Iraq, an area that includes Balad, Kirkuk, Tikrit, Mosul and Samarra, according to the Web site of Multi-National Force Iraq.

Of the 22,000 people under Cucolo's command, 1,682 are women."

The article goes on to say that Cucolo will be the sole person deciding which cases are pursued, and that he will not proceed with court martial proceedings if the pregnancy is the result of sexual assault.

........................................................................................................................

Here's my two cents:

Most of the vocal supporters that I've heard from believe that this policy is targeted at female soldiers who intentionally get pregnant so that they don't have to deploy or so that they can go home. It just seems to me that if only 7% of those under Cucolo's command are women to begin with, the percentage of those women that actually intentionally get pregnant so that they can go home probably accounts for an even smaller portion. It just seems like a pretty extreme policy enacted due to the actions of a pretty small percentage of soldiers. And if it was an issue that needed to be addressed, I'm not sure I understand why court-martial is the appropriate punishment...

Second, I don't see this policy creating positive change. Because the punishment is so absolute, it seems to me that a woman who unintentionally becomes pregnant by consentual sex while in Iraq has three options: (a) be court martialed, (b) have an abortion, which are not performed at military bases or hospitals, which means an off-site abortion in Iraq, or (c) lie, and say they were sexually assaulted.

What do you guys think about this?

Snippets

-It is Friday. I am pretty sure that my bosses are both off today. So, even though our office dress code is "business casual, jeans okay on Fridays", I plan to wear black yoga pants. Hey, they KINDA look dressy...

-I have been up since 3:30am....for no reason at all. I just couldn't sleep.

-I should be working for a canine unit right now. My sense of smell is off the charts--I was sitting in court yesterday, and I could tell *exactly* which parents were still actively using. I could smell the alcohol seeping out of their pores or the marijuana in their hair. No one else seemed to notice.

-I purchased the movie "A Christmas Story" to watch tonight because J has never seen it. And I am pretty sure that he WAS that awkward chubby boy from the movie. In fact, last night when I showed him the DVD case, he said, "Oh my God...you weren't kidding...I had those glasses growing up!"

-Yesterday, I had a conversation with the doctor that went something like this:

Doctor: Well, you're definitely at least 1cm dilated and pretty effaced. And she's pretty much engaged. That's good news. Most first time moms are totally shut up at this point. You're officially on deck!
Me: Well that's good, because I'm officially uncomfortable all the time.
Doctor: No doubt! Well, if there's any day that you really don't want her to come, that will be the day that she comes.
*Justin and I look at each other*
Me: Looks like we're having a Christmas Eve baby
[Every year, my family goes out to one specific fancy restaurant on Christmas Eve. I have been looking forward to this dinner for MONTHS, and keep talking about how with my luck I'll be in labor instead of enjoying the feast]

Doctor: Well, if I had to pick a date for you to deliver, it would be two weeks from today. I always think the 38 week deliveries go the best.
Me: You want us to deliver on New Year's Eve?
Doctor: I didn't even realize that....but bonus for you!

Pregnancy Post: Week 36

So, it's been an interesting couple of days. On Monday, we had an absolutely crazy day at work, and I was running around all day. I hadn't felt the baby move much, but I figured that it was just because I was busy. I came home, laid down to do a kick count, and immediately fell asleep.

Tuesday morning, I got up, and almost from the get go, I was just crying...for no real reason. I just couldn't stop crying. I tried to mill around, checking blogs, etc. Usually, the morning is when little one is most active, only she wasn't moving at all. And I couldn't get her to move no matter how much I poked at her. Of course, this just exasperated the crying, and I called Justin as a hysterical mess. I guzzled ice water, and he stayed on the phone with me until I felt a kick. Even then, I couldn't stop crying (I hate this part of pregnancy...I am NOT a crier). At this point, I decided to call in to work--if nothing else, it was clear that I could use a day of rest.

I called to talk to the doctor, and they had me do a kick count. They wanted 10 kicks in an hour. I had like 8, so the doctor decided to have me come in. He basically said, "Well, it could be that the baby is dropping and is just in a different position, or it could be that your fluid is low and you'd need to deliver...like today."

We headed in for an ultrasound. I am so thankful Justin was able to meet me--I seriously need to send his bosses a thank you note after I deliver for being so flexible with letting him come to pretty much every appointment! Anyway, heart rate was good, fluid levels were good, cord blood flow was good...they just assume that she's dropping and is now in a bit of a different position (the ladies at work keep commenting that I've dropped...I don't really see it). They didn't measure for growth, but the tech did get a clear shot of in between the legs, and said that it is "absolutely, 100%, definitely a girl...go ahead and buy as much pink as you want." So, back to Elizabeth we go :) The tech also commented again about how much hair this little one has on her head! I can't wait to see whether it's curly or straight!

I'm scheduled for another appointment and internal this afternoon, which they wanted me to keep. So I'll find out about dilation then. Here's one of the u/s pictures...not sure if you can decipher it all, but it's a side profile.

Things.

It's going to be another one of those weeks where I go over my one-baby-post-a-week policy. Because truthfully, I'm towards the end of things, and I have a lot of baby stuff on my mind that needs to come OUT of my mind because then my mind will calm down. Settle in, 'cause this might be a long one...

Part 1: Exhaustion

Basically, I'm still measuring 1-2 weeks ahead, which means that even though my "due date" puts me at 35 weeks, I really could be more like 37. This, coupled with the pretty consistent contractions and cervical pressure I've been having, resulted in talk of doing an early internal, because there's a chance that I could already be dilated. However, because the contractions aren't falling into a pattern, we elected to wait until next week to do the internal [partially because I was an exhausted emotional wreck yesterday, and I don't know that I could have handled hearing that there was no dilation].

During the exam, the doctor asked how I was. I told him that I am absolutely exhausted, and that I'm only sleeping like 4 hours a night. He said that's pretty common and it's his theory that our bodies are training us for the baby. Which may be true, but it's really hard when you're still working to function on that little sleep, especially when you already feel exhausted from lugging around 35 extra pounds (yes, I'm up to 35 pounds and I'm not very happy about it even though I know it's for a good cause) all day. Anyway, the doctor asked me how I'm tolerating still working. It was an innocent enough question, but I almost bit his head off. Because the answer is that it doesn't matter how I'm tolerating work--I HAVE to keep working. Because if I stop working now, and the baby is born in January for whatever reason, I would have no health insurance, unless I paid the COBRA premium, which there is no way that we could afford.

On one hand, I feel like a baby for thinking that working is so hard. I don't have a physically demanding job. I am just really tired. And I usually rely on sleeping all weekend to prep myself up for the next week. But then I realized that the next three weekends are absolutely jam-packed...and when I realized that, I cried the whole way home from the doctor's office. Don't get me wrong...they're packed with GOOD things. Blessings! Things like birthdays, baby showers, work Christmas parties--things that I wouldn't miss for the world! Things that would make me really, really upset to miss. But it's still a little overwhelming not to see a day in the immediate future just for down-time.

I was thisclose to calling in sick from work today. But unfortunately, I'm one of the only people in the office today, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Part 2: Fears

I am reading Fearless by Max Lucado. He has a specific 8-step plan for helping deal with fear. And one of those steps is to make lists of your fears so that you can better understand what areas of your life cause fear, and to pray about those areas. So here's what's on my worry list lately:

1- Something happening that causes the baby to die, and having to go through the whole labor and delivery process knowing that the baby has already passed away.

2- Me dying during labor/delivery/recovery. I always catch myself trying to teach Justin how to do little things like pay certain bills online or make little meals so that he would be "okay" if that happened. I know, it's pretty morbid.

3- That we won't be able to make my staying home work financially. This is such a hard situation for me because I know without a doubt that I am supposed to be staying home. We've both prayed about it for countless hours, and it's absolutely, crystal clear to me. I remember having an absolutely overwhelming sense of peace when that's what we decided. But the thing is, it doesn't work on paper. I have no idea how it is going to work. NO IDEA. Justin keeps telling me that this is the trusting in God piece, and we keep talking about Genesis 26, when God told Isaac to move his family to Egypt, and even though Isaac was terrified for his family's lives, he obeyed, and was blessed. I get the point, I know that sometimes it isn't up to me to figure out how things are all supposed to work out. I keep finding the song "Lord, I Don't Know" by the Newsboys stuck in my head, which is awfully telling. But it is just really, really, REALLY hard for me to trust in this way. I am a plan person. A list person. I want concrete things, not just a promise that things will be okay. Ugh.

4- That this pregnancy weight will never, ever go away. I know, everyone says that it will. I will believe that when I see it.

Whew. Okay, I think I'm done.

Pregnancy Post: Week 35

Okay, so the bump looks fairly normal from the side. But right now, I think it looks really, really odd from the front. Excuse the blurry picture (it was the only one that I took and I am too tired to go take another):

It's okay to laugh--I did. I think the bump looks weird and bizarre (and Justin says lop-sided) from the front!

• I'm now 35/35, which means 35 weeks down, 35 days to go. I am really, really, REALLY hoping fewer days though, but trying not to get my hopes up. Justin keeps telling me that I have TOBP syndrome--tired of being pregnant.
  
• I do not understand people who nest at this stage of pregnancy. ALL that I want to do is sleep. I have virtually no energy.
  
• At this point, baby weighs 5-5.5 pounds. Right now, the Lizard is pretty much just adding on fat, and developing his or her lungs.
  
• I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, so maybe I'll know more then.
  
• As previously mentioned, I hope to have the nursery pretty much finished this weekend, so I'm shooting for having pictures up on Monday.
  
• I have nothing (other than a Boppy pillow) for nursing. No tanks/ bras/ shirts / creams or what have you. Any suggestions?
  

Pregnancy Post: Week 34

First, remember that we've got our "Ask Us Anything" window open! You can see below for details, but basically, we want you to ask either of us (Justin or Meredith) anything you're curious about, and we promise to answer honestly! Whether pregnancy or plumbing related, ask away! Moving on...


So, I thought 'hey, for this week's picture, I should wear the same outfit that I wore at 24 weeks and compare the bump growth over the 10-week period'. Yeah, I couldn't even get the same pants on, but I did manage to sausage-squeeze my belly into the same shirt. And really, all I can do is laugh. I remember feeling huge at 24 weeks--now, I just hope that I can get back there post-partum!

Basically, here's what's up:

-The lizard now weighs in at about 4.5 pounds, which equals about the size of a cantaloupe. Basically, she's still just cooking away and working on developing her lungs. I've read that at this point, the chances of survival, should the baby be born now, are extremely high. However, her brain would only be 2/3 the size of what it would be at 40 weeks, which would leave her at an increased risk of fetal death or learning disabilities later in life. So, as uncomfortable as I am right now, she needs to keep cooking.

-Even though the gender is up in the air, for some reason, I'm still defaulting to refer to the little one as "she". Really, I have no more intuition either way, and honestly, I don't even care. A healthy baby is far more important.

-Over the weekend, I ripped out the one gender-neutral baby blanket that I had knitted and decided to start over. Yeah, I'm crazy, and it probably won't be finished in time. Whateves. I didn't like the old blanket and wouldn't have used it anyway.

-I only sleep for 3 hours each night unless I take Benadryl before bed. Which I finally did last night. And it was bliss. If I don't take Benadryl, the lack of sleep makes me increasingly emotional. Earlier this week, I was already sobbing by 5:30am. Why? Because Justin had forgotten to replace a roll of toilet paper, forgot to actually turn off his alarm (which caused it to go off again and wake me up), and drank the last of the orange juice. Poor Justin...he is putting up with a lot of crazy right now!

-In order to get out of bed, I have to rock back and forth several times first in order to gain enough momentum to propel myself out of bed. It's super sexy.

-My abdomen is pretty much hard all the time. I'm not sure if that's Braxton Hicks contractions, or what. I also am feeling a LOT of pressure on my cervix. I don't think my doctor does internals until 36 weeks, but it will be interesting to see if all that pressure has resulted in any dilation.

-Anxiety is through the roof. I've ordered the new Max Lucado book, which I'm hoping helps. But honestly, I am terrified of labor, delivery, AND recovery.

Pregnancy Post: Week 33 ish

Seriously you guys, the hair picture totally cracks me up. Just in case you can't read the type, those arrows are pointing to a little mini mohawk of hair! I hope this little one comes out with poofy hair just like that! Anyway, since my appointment was today and I'm sure y'all are as curious to hear the story about the doctor's appointment as I am to tell it, I thought I'd go ahead and do the pregnancy post a little early, and maybe I'll post a bump shot later on.

So, we went in for the ultrasound first. The tech, Tracy, said that everything looks good--I am still measuring at about 34-35 weeks (but not far enough to change the due date), the baby is head down, looks to be about 4.38 pounds (they estimate a 7 pound baby if I go to 40 weeks) and the amniotic fluid level is at a 16 (they want between 8 and 20), and the heart rate was 138. I asked about the heart rate because it's usually in the 150's, but Tracy explained that the heart rate will vary with activity level throughout the day, and that it could be due to the fact that I usually come in at 4pm, and today I was there at 1pm....it might be the time she sleeps, or whatever. Tracy said that the baby's legs were folded and crossed, so she couldn't get a good look in between the legs to confirm the gender either way.

We then went into the room to wait for the doctor. We were talking about movement, and I made some comment about how "she likes to wiggle her toes in my ribs."
The doctor then responded, "Oh....Tracy told you it's still a girl?"
I said, "Well, no...she said that she couldn't get a good shot either way."
The doctor responded, "Hmmm...there was this one shot...well, but I'm looking at still shots and Tracy is looking at the live version. Sometimes I get shadows or odd angles that look different on my end. Tracy is the best, and she would have said something if she thought that indicated boy...so we'll probably keep things like they are and go with girl."

Now weigh in if you disagree, but to me that convo definitely indicates some uncertainty about the gender! Which honestly didn't surprise me because as most of you know, I've thought it was a boy the whole time. I still have a hard time calling him or her Elizabeth, and usually default to Lizard. Really, it's sort of funny that as much as I absolutely, 100% wanted to know what we were having, now it's sort of unknown, despite my best attempts otherwise. We won't likely have another ultrasound unless we paid for an elective one, and I'm not sure it's worth it to us to do that...plus, we're already past the optimum window for the elective u/s anyway.

I talked to my mom afterwards, and we laughed about it. My mom said she wonders if this is why she's been having such a hard time getting going working on the quilt (which is turquoise and pink). She's just felt weird about cutting into the fabric for some reason. We agreed that it might be best for her to hold off on finishing the quilt until the baby is actually born--we have plenty of other blankets that will work in the meantime! And really, most of our nursery is fairly gender netural. If the baby DOES end up being a boy, we'd basically just need to dye the slipcover for the chair, make a new bedskirt, switch out some wall art, and return the clothes. If we have another shower, hopefully everyone will be kind and bring gift receipts, lol!

Well THAT's interesting!

So, um...the baby's gender is now a little up in the air! LOL! More to come later....

All I know for sure is that the Old Wives Tale about heartburn meaning lots of hair definitely rings true--this kid has a serious headful!

A few things...

I really want some of this, which the Haagen Dazs website says is available from September through December. However, I have not been able to find it ANYWHERE, and boy have I looked! Peppermint, chocolate, and ice cream together are my serious weakness. My only other option to satisfy this craving would be Dairy Queen's Chocolate Peppermint blizzard, but I can guarantee that won't be available until next month. C'mon people....help a pregnant lady out!


I read Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas last night. I believe it was one of the books that you faithful blog readers suggested that I check out. It's not a book that I would have normally picked for myself, but it was available on Paperback Swap, and so I got it. It wasn't bad. A fast read nonetheless. There's something awfully rewarding about completing an entire book in an evening! Overall though, I did find the book pretty darn predictable. And again, I felt like it just kind of ended. Even after reading the diary, I wasn't buying that Katie would completely forgive Matt THAT quickly.

In other news, I've been having a hard week. Last Thursday, I started having contractions. Not Braxton Hicks contractions, but the real deal. It turns out that I was a) dehydrated, b) hadn't been getting enough sleep, and c) doing too much. Thankfully, they've stopped, but there were a few days there of being uncomfortable and in pain all.the.time. The not-getting-enough-sleep part was not surprising, as for the past week and a half or so, I've probably been averaging 3 and a half hours of sleep a night. And that just isn't cutting it when I'm still working. Last night, I broke down and took some Benadryl. I'm still exhausted. I just keep reminding myself that I only have 1.5 days of work this week (though I do need to work a longer-than-usual day today), and I can do that. Then I have 5 days off, which is a MUCH needed break! I'm hoping that will help improve my mood a bit.

We went to see New Moon over the weekend. I liked it much better than the first movie, probably because I'd much rather stare at Jacob for 2 hours than Edward. Definitely Team Jacob here. However, actually going to the movie was a PITA. We had tickets, and admittedly arrived later than we should. We both kept trying to sit in the available seats, and people would say, "Sorry, this seat's taken." Which happened with every empty seat in the theater. Okay, we have tickets for the showing, I know not EVERY seat is taken, you just want a seat for your damn coats. We ended up having to switch to another showing because everyone SWORE the empty seats were actually taken. So, we made it to the next showing, and ended up with a one year old next to us. The parents refused to take him out of the theater when he cried, and even changed his diaper in the theater. No joke. Look, I don't mind if parents take babies to the movies, but for god sake, if they're screaming bloody murder, take them out of the theater!

Hope y'all had a good weekend!

Pregnancy Post: Week 32

How far along? 32 weeks. 5 weeks until I'm full term. Crazy!

Total weight gain: Still at 28 pounds.

Maternity clothes? For pants, yes. I'm still wearing some non-maternity shirts (both the shirt and sweater in this week's pic are not maternity), but I'm finding most are now getting too short.

Sleep: I sleep a lot, but not well. I nap for half an hour on my lunch break. I sleep for an hour when I get home from work. But I don't really ever sleep for any extended period of time.

Best moment this week: A co-worker's suggestion to try a cup of Coca-Cola to alleviate heart-burn. It WORKED! Also, I am sure my work baby shower will be awesome--it's my first shower, and I'm excited!

Movement: Definitely getting the daily kick count numbers, but I can't seem to make her move anymore. Normal suggestions like orange juice, soda, ice, poking at her, etc. don't make a difference. When I asked my OB about this, he responded, "Well, that has been known to be indicative of one thing in a baby--serious attitude." Greaaaaattt, lol.

Gender: We'll find out if she's still a she next Tuesday!

Labor Signs: Just Braxton Hicks contractions so far.

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but barely.

Stretch Marks? Yes. Even in weird places like my knees. And my sides. Exhibit A--a belly-level straight on picture:

I really grappled with whether or not to post a bare-belly picture, because I don't like these damn stretch marks. And it seems like none of the other pregnant bloggers I "know" have them. But then I realized that some of them probably do, but just don't show them, like I wasn't showing them. And it can be hard being pregnant watching these little buggers develop, and feeling like you're the only one dealing with it. So, here's the picture. I'm still not very happy about it. Moving on....

What I miss: Alcoholic beverages. Especially yesterday, which was my sister's 21st birthday. I wish that I would have been able to have a drink with her!

Weekly Wisdom: Eat when you're hungry. If you're not hungry, don't force yourself, even if it's "time" to eat. Doing so will result in the worst acid reflux ever. This is most certainly true.

Milestones: At the end of this week, I will be down to 50 days to go! Also, no more than 33.5 remaining business days at work--and realistically, it's probably more like 27. Though let's be honest--I'm seriously praying for a December baby rather than a January one!

Madame Zaritska and I are no longer friends.

There's this fun little website where you can answer a bunch of random questions, and it generates what's supposed to be your "birth story." I've been reading about it for months, so I thought I'd give it a try. I am not pleased:

The day you deliver, outside will be fair. Your baby will arrive in the middle of the night. After a labor lasting approximately 20 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 13 pounds, 15 ounces, and will be 18-1/2 inches long. This child will have light amber eyes and a little patch of blonde hair.

Now, while having a boy despite the doctor believing it was a girl would not surprise or upset me (either a boy or a girl is totally fine by me), the idea of a 13 pound, 15 ounce baby is NOT OKAY!!!

If Madame Zaritska and I were friends on Facebook, I totally would have de-friended and blocked her for this!

Pregnancy Post: Week 31

It's the claaaawwwww! Sorry. Couldn't resist.

So, today I have 63 days until I'm 40 weeks, and 42 days until I'm considered full term (37 weeks). She now weighs approximately 3 pounds, and is headed for another growth spurt, which may just solidify my thinking that I'd like to face AWAY from the numbers on the scale from now on. Really, do I need to know how much I weigh? Everyone keeps telling me, "Oh shush, you're still little!" Yeah, well, mama's gained 28 pounds as of the last doctor's visit. I don't feel little, thank you. I'll see where I'm at today, but I'm not too excited about it!

In other news, J and I weren't planning to really write up a birth plan, but we were convinced otherwise at our class last weekend. There were a couple of things we heard recommended consistently from every doula, OB, and pediatrician that came to speak. Really, our requests are pretty simple, and obviously they're all for a birth with no complications:

-I want to try to wait until I'm 4-5cm to get an epidural.
-Before that, I'd like to be able to walk and eat (i.e. no continuous monitoring unless medically necessary).
-Justin wants to help "catch" or deliver the baby if possible, and he'd like to cut the cord after 1-2 minutes.
-We'd like to delay the weighing, measuring, eye ointment, etc for about an hour to do skin-to-skin and attempt breastfeeding.

One really interesting thing we saw in our class was a video that showed if you've had a non-medicated birth, and the baby is placed on your stomach directly after, he or she will actually crawl up your stomach, and latch on to breastfeed! Totally unassisted! All babies can continue to do this for several days after birth. Now, I probably won't attempt to go fully baby-directed in terms of breastfeeding, but I've been nervous about breastfeeding, and this made me feel better--babies really do know what they're supposed to do! Sometimes we just have to get out of their way!

Let's see...what else? Oh! I had a pretty humorous occurrence this week--a Braxton Hicks contraction, a back spasm, and a leg cramp all at the same time. Justin kept looking at me like, "What the HELL is my wife doing?!"

Photos & Things

Today has not shaped up to be the best day. First, I woke up to discover a big crack in my laptop screen. Second, my photo shoot for today (for a darling 5 month old, which was my "exciting plan" that I didn't want to jinx) was canceled because the niña is sick. Sad day.

But, I'm planning to cook some soup, do a little cleaning, and relax, which should make the day better! My mom and I discovered that we were both going to make taco soup for the soup swap this weekend--so I'm trying to think of something else to make that will freeze well. I'm thinking about doing a Steak Chipotle Chili...which I haven't made before, but I keep reminding myself that I have all day, so it should be enjoyable.

I also have to think about what else I'm going to serve at the soup swap...maybe some cheesey beer bread? Not entirely sure.

Anyway...on to a few photos! I snapped these at the hospital over the weekend on the breaks for our birthing class. I wanted to test out the new lens from Sweet J. I'm still getting used to the lens and learning what works best. I can't believe the leaves are already starting to die!

Doesn't Justin look serious in this picture? Like he's totally involved in whatever it is that he's doing? Well he is totally involved. In fact, I wasn't allowed to speak while he was working. You'll laugh when you see what he's doing though :)


See, the women in J's family are very big on having painted toenails at all times. It's very important. Only, I can't reach mine anymore, so J decided to do it for me so they wouldn't be "naked" anymore--his term, not mine.

I have to say, he did a good job!