38 week appointment update

So we had our 38 week appointment today. I was hoping to have made some progress after last night. For those who weren't privy to the information I had contractions last night for about 2 hours. They were about every 5 minutes lasting 1-2 minutes. Just as I was about to call labor and delivery to see if I should come in they stopped. I was hoping they would start up again but they didn't so I went to work this morning.

So as of my appointment today I am now 2cm dilated and about 25% effaced. My belly is measuring 35 weeks which means he has dropped. I also asked to have my membranes swept. So far it isn't doing much of anything but a lot of people I talked to said it took about 2 days.

That's about it. Next week Wednesday we're scheduled to go in to the clinic to have the Foley placed around 3pm...unless I go into labor on my own over the weekend. Either way, we'll have an outside baby by next week Thursday!

Toddle Along Tuesdays-Baby Names!

I've finally got some time and ambition to contribute to TAT this week! The topic is baby names.

When we found out we were expecting our first, I had originally decided that I wanted to be surprised-thus we had to come up with names for each sex. The boy name seemed to be easy. We didn't want a "trendy" name, we wanted something that was classic.We were also considering family names. The boy name we finally decided on was Alexander Orville (Orville being Adam's grandfather's name). I liked Alexander since I was a young person! And we figured whichever name we didn't end up using we'd save for the next child. The girl name, however, was a different story. I spent countless hours with my nose in the baby names book trying to find just the right girl's name. We still hadn't decided on a name when I/we gave up wanting to be surprised and find out what flavor baby we were having. It was shortly after we found out we were having a girl that we decided on the name Clara Ann. Both are family names from both sides of the family. Everyone that we told the name to just gushed over it! They all thought it was beautiful and timeless. :)

This time around, the girl name came easier. We started talking about names almost as soon as I found out I was pregnant! I wanted something that was "vintagy" and that would go well with Clara (it being sort of an old-fashioned name as well). We ended up deciding on Eleanore Louise. Louise is my mother's middle name. I am TOTALLY in love with this name! It's beautiful, and timeless, just like Clara's.

I'm not sure when it was, but I started having doubts about our choice of boy name from last time. I just wasn't feeling it anymore. Plus I was having issues with the length of his name. I'm not really a fan of the shortened version, Alex. So the hunt was on for a new one. It took MONTHS. I scoured the baby name books and websites for countless hours a day. I just couldn't seem to find the right one...or if I found one I liked, we couldn't agree on it. Finally, I decided I had looked through every name I could possibly look through and thought my head would explode if I looked anymore so I made my "short list" and sent it to Adam to look at. We ended up deciding on Samuel James (James is Adam's middle name). It's a very strong name and I'm in love with it. :) Samuel wasn't even one that I had been previously considering, but we had been discussing names before bed one night and Adam tossed that one out. It took a little while to mull over that one before putting it on the list because I've got a friend with a son named Samuel. We had also considered using Adam's first name as a middle name, but after deciding on Samuel, we decided that Adam wasn't a good choice of middle name (it would have been Samuel Adam lol).

So there it is: our first two children will be Clara and Samuel. They almost sound like a little old couple, don't they? That's what I love about it. And, if we do end up having more children, we've got at least one name picked out already if it's a girl!

38 weeks...just 2 weeks-ish left!

Weekly Survey:

How far along? 38 weeks-2 weeks (14 days) left til my due date; 10 days left before induction.

Total weight gain: +32.2lbs (160.2lbs). The end must be near-despite the massive eating over the last week I’ve only gained .2lbs!

How big is baby?: The size of a leek (6.8lbs and 19.5” from head to heel).

Sleep?: Sleep is getting worse again. I sleep ok for the first few hours of the night and then I can’t stay asleep or get back to sleep. I’m very restless and sore. I’ve been getting up on my days off sometime between 6-6:30am.

How are you feeling physically? Not too bad physically for being 38 weeks pregnant. I have a LOT of pressure when I walk. My sciatica isn’t bad right now-thank God.

How are you feeling emotionally?: On Friday and Saturday it rained on and off most of the day. By Saturday afternoon I was so stir crazy! I’m feeling very restless right now…it’s like I can’t sit still for more than 10 minutes. I ended up doing a lot of cleaning in the kitchen and got all of the bottles cleaned and sterilized for Sam. I also ended up buying 1 small package of newborn diapers for him and got those all opened up and put away. I also found a neat purse that’s big enough to use for a purse/diaper bag combo. I wasn’t looking for one, but I’m glad I found it! I also did my “Easter Bunny” shopping for the kids. I got some interesting looks from people as I was walking around the stores. :)

Best moment this week?: My friend Heidi having her baby! Our daughters are 2 days apart and now it looks like our sons will be about 2 weeks apart. Congrats on your beautiful boy, Heidi!!

Movement?: Yep. He still moves a lot, but they’re much bigger movements now-more rolls and full body kicks. He’s trying to make his house bigger but I keep telling him the only way to get more room is to come out!

What is baby up to this week?: He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.
Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Food cravings?: Turtle Sundaes from Culver’s and Cadbury Eggs. Easter is going to kill me!

Labor signs?: Yes! Since late last week! I thought I’d end up going into labor over the weekend. I had lots of period-like cramps, back pain, and some contractions on and off since Thursday. I’m really hoping I won’t be subjected to 10 more days of this. I’m going to ask the doctor if he’ll sweep my membranes on Wednesday at my appointment.

What I miss: SLEEP! And before anyone says it, yes, I’ll have a newborn at home and likely won’t sleep much more, but at least I won’t have to get up for work!

What I'm looking forward to: My appointment on Wednesday. I’m excited to see how much more progress I made since last week and after having had all the cramps for the last 4 days!

Random Thoughts: I was unpacking the newborn diapers last night and could not get over how tiny they are! It’s hard to believe I’m going to have a little baby who fits in them! They’re literally half the size of Clara’s size 5 diapers.

I’m really looking forward to meeting this little man. I am a little sad that I won’t be feeling him move inside anymore, but I’ll be really happy to not have to share my body anymore! Not only that, but other people will get to help me take care of him…I won’t be carrying him by myself.

38 week bump pic

38 weeks with Baby #1 (Clara)

Yay! It's Friday!

It's time for an edition of What's on Your Mind! I've really been slacking in the blog department lately. I usually do Toddle Along Tuesdays every week, but have lacked the ambition to put anything together.

So, here we go!

• Not that I'm counting, but I have 6 days of work left after today. After the morning I had, I'm super happy about that. Even a sleepless night at home with a newborn is better than a good day here.
• Speaking of counting, there's 13 days left until my induction. I'm both excited and slightly terrified of that thought!
• I get to do a little online shopping today. That's a pretty happy thought. :)
• I've been having early labor signs for the last couple days. Yesterday I was super crampy and my back was killing me. Then this morning I had one contraction that I actually had to breathe through, but nothing since. I'm hoping either to go into labor this weekend, or that all of this stops. I do not want to deal with this discomfort for the next 13 days! The regular aches and pains I can handle, but all the pain with no baby to show for it stinks.
• Work has been crazy. I'm so ready to be off! Next week we're processing something like 300 people. Should be good times...NOT!
• I got my Scentsy order last night. I can't wait to be home this weekend to have my new warmers going! My house is going to smell awesome!

So, we have nothing planned for this weekend. I'd like to take a couple naps and do a little laundry. I have a few errands to run tonight after work, but that's about it. Next week Adam has a couple PT appointments and I have an OB appointment on Wednesday. It's a short week at work for me next week-I'm done on Thursday. Yay for a 3-day weekend! Then it's just Monday and Tuesday of the following week and I'M DONE!

37 week appointment update

So we had our 37 week appointment today. We must have had poor time management skills today because we were late. Turns out it was fine because my doctor had been next door at the hospital and had just gotten back into the office.

Because we were late Adam ended up having to skip my appointment and go to his therapy appointment instead.

Weight and bp were good and Sam sounded good...even if he did have the hiccups. I decided to get checked even though I was pretty sure I hadn't made any progress since last week. I was wrong! I'm now 1.5cm! I never got that far with Clara before I was induced so this might be promising!

Speaking of induction, we decided to go ahead and schedule one. I go in on Wednesday 4/4 at 3pm. I'll get the Foley inserted and then be put on the monitors for an hour. Then on 4/5 I'll go to the hospital at 5:30am to have a baby! So, knowing the way this little boy works, he'll decide to throw a monkey wrench into all of our plans and come early. :-)

37 weeks...Full term!

Weekly Survey:

How far along? 37 weeks-3 weeks (21 days) to go!
Total weight gain: +32lbs (160lbs) Up .8 from last week. Pretty good!
How big is baby?: The size of a stalk of Swiss chard (about 6.3lbs and a bit over 19” from head to heel). As of my 36-week appointment last Wednesday, Dr V thinks Sam is about 7lbs so it looks like we're right on track.

Sleep?: Getting better, minus the multiple trips (sometimes up to 4) to the bathroom every night. I usually sleep really well for the first 3-4 hours and then it’s sporadic, but I’ve been able to get back to sleep after each bathroom trip.
How are you feeling physically? Lately I’ve been feeling pretty good. I was pretty miserable at the beginning of last week. My sciatica was horrendously bad last Monday and Tuesday, but has since improved and I’m feeling much better. In fact, even though my doctor said he’d induce at 39 weeks, with the way I feel right now I’m perfectly content to wait. We’ll see what happens in the next couple weeks. I won’t be making that decision until my 38 week appointment.
How are you feeling emotionally?: I’m feeling very stressed. It was really nice to have Adam home for the last week, but now he goes back to school and I’m back to handling stuff alone again. I’m just trying to hang on these last couple weeks and not stress too much. We have a sick cat right now, too, that’s adding to the stress level. We’ll know more about that this week, but until then it’s a waiting game.

Best moment this week?: We celebrated “family birthdays” yesterday and the weather was AWESOME!! We were at Bob & Linda’s in Neenah and it had to be in the 80’s. That is EXTREMELY rare for Wisconsin in March (oh heck-who am I kidding…it’s unusual for July!).

Movement?: Yep. He’s still moving, though it’s been slowing down. He’s running out of room.

What is baby up to this week?: Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Food cravings?: I’m still craving Chicken McNuggets and fries from McDonald’s. I’m not really sure why.

Labor signs?: I’ve had some contractions again this week. I’m not sure that they’re doing anything but they’re there. I’m not even sure if I’ll have Dr. V check me on Wednesday. I guess we’ll see what happens. I seem to remember last time that I had to ask to be checked.

What I miss: I still miss having clothes that fit. I did buy some new shirts over the weekend and one nursing bra (there was only one in the whole store that was my size…I have to order online). I’m happy to have the shirts…I was getting a little tired of my belly hanging out of everything. Either that, or everything that I owned was long-sleeved and with the weather being so nice, it was too warm to wear long sleeves.

What I'm looking forward to: I have a chiropractor appointment tomorrow at 3:30 and then my OB appointment on Wednesday at 3:40pm. Friday we may be having dinner with Grandpa at Adam’s parents’ house for my birthday.

Random Thoughts: None too many this week. After today I will have 12 days of work left before my due date, less if I do end up getting induced or go into labor earlier. By the end of the week it’ll be single digits. I just keep telling myself I can do this!

I’d like to be able to get out in my garden a little this week. Adam said something about having his parents come down this weekend with the trailer so we can haul some yard waste out. I’m also looking at picking up a composter. Home Depot has one that I’m really interested in.

I also found out today that my Group B strep test came back negative again. That was the last big hurdle we had, so now it's smooth sailing until the wee man decides to show up!

37 weeks!

*37 weeks pregnant with Clara (baby #1)*

36 week appointment update

We had our 36 week appointment today. I had my group b strep test, which I hope to get the results of sometime in the next week. I was also checked for dilation, of which I have NONE. We also discussed induction. Dr V said we could induce at 39 weeks if I wanted. He feels that it would go well since my last one went so well. I also finally remembered to ask about Sam's size. Dr thinks we're looking at about 7lbs right now so he'll probably end up being the same size as Clara.

Other than that things look good. It's strange to think we might have a baby in just 2.5 weeks!

36 weeks! Less than a month left...

Weekly Survey:

How far along? 36 weeks 1 day-3 weeks 6 days (27 days) left! Eek!

Total weight gain: +31.2lbs (159.2lbs)-Up 1.6lbs from last week.

How big is baby?: The size of a Crenshaw melon (almost 6lbs and over 18.5” from head to heel).

Sleep?: Sleep has not been good lately. I’m totally exhausted, but when I lay down to go to bed, I can’t sleep. And if I do happen to fall asleep quickly, I don’t stay asleep and if I get up in the middle of the night, it’s hard to get back to sleep sometimes. I know then end is coming…it’s the only thing keeping me going! Well, that and the occasional nap. :)

How are you feeling physically? Not too bad lately. My hips are starting to hurt more and I had a nasty sciatica flare up last week, but other than that I’m doing ok considering I’ve under a month left. I've also started to have some swelling-mostly overnight. I wake up finding my rings tight and my hands a tad puffy.

How are you feeling emotionally?: I’m still at my “I’m done being pregnant” point. I’m just ready for him to come!! I’m excited to meet him and see who he looks like. :)

Best moment this week?: The whole family plus my mom went to the NEW Zoo yesterday. The weather was beautiful (in the 60s) and it was sunny. Clara had a fabulous time and I know the exercise did me some good, too. The best part though? Adam was able to come along and at the end of the day, his knee didn’t hurt! That’s AWESOME!!!

Movement?: Yep! It’s slowing down some, but he’s still moving. He likes to stretch out when I lay down to go to bed at night. Then he practices his flutter-kicks in my ribs.

What is baby up to this week?: He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying he'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.

Food cravings?: Not particularly, although I find myself wanting Chicken McNuggets an awful lot. :)

Labor signs?: Some. I’ve had a few sets of painful contractions and a lot of Braxton Hicks. I’m curious to see if they’re actually doing anything, though. We’ll find out Wednesday.

What I miss: Clothes that fit (I’m down to 1 pair of pants that’s getting too tight and most of my shirts are too short). Also, being able to do anything normal-sit on the floor, put on shoes/socks, change or dress Clara. This big belleh is just in the way!

What I'm looking forward to: I’m looking forward to my next appointment on Wednesday as well as my birthday Sushi dinner. :) Possibly celebrating family birthdays on Sunday (I’ll make that determination after my appointment on Wednesday).

Random Thoughts: I think I’ve had about a million. I feel like I have a lot left to do (which I do, but none of it is really crucial).

I’m pushing on with my meal planning, even though I can’t be guaranteed my regular grocery shopping trips or that I’ll be able to cook. I guess I’ll keep my regular plans and just wing it if need be.


I’ve also started feeling like a ticking time-bomb…knowing I can pretty much go anytime is a little nerve-wracking!

36 week bump pic...excuse the lines-I had been laying on the couch. :)

*36 weeks pregnant with Clara (baby #1)*

35/35!! Woohoo!

*An interesting note about this update: it's 3/5, I'm 35 weeks pregnant, and I have 35 days left. I bet I couldn't do that again if I tried!*

Weekly Survey:

How far along? 35 weeks-5 weeks to go (35 days)!

Total weight gain: +29.6lbs (157.6lbs). Up 2.6 from last week. A little much, but I’ll be more careful this week. I bought a bunch of fruit and other yummy healthy snacks at the store this week.

How big is baby?: The size of a honeydew melon (5.25lbs and over 18” from head to heel).

Sleep?: All things considered, it’s been pretty good. Clara has been waking up earlier (probably because Adam has to get her up early when he goes to school). Anything past 4am is usually hit or miss and not very good.

How are you feeling physically? Again, all things considered, I feel pretty good. I was woken up Sunday morning by some very painful contractions. I *thought* maybe it might be the day, but once I got up and walked around a bit they went away. Other than that I’m just feeling very big and heavy.

How are you feeling emotionally?: Saturday was not a good day for me emotionally. Apparently it was one of those days where the crazy had built up for too long and I couldn’t handle myself. Other people weren’t helping, either, though.

Best moment this week?: Adam has finals this week and his schedule is so awesome because as of 11am Thursday he won’t have to go back to school until the week after my birthday! I’m also happy that he’ll be able to spend the entire week off with Clara. I know he misses spending time with her and is so busy with school that he doesn’t get to spend much time with her-especially one-on-one.

Movement?: Yep. He still moves all the time. A couple of days ago he found my ribs! At least I know he’s head down, even if he does enjoy kicking me in the lungs and playing my ribs like a xylophone with his toes!

What is baby up to this week?: Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Food cravings?: Junk food. Ugh! I hate craving junk food! I’m trying not to give into it, but sometimes I just need a little something.

Labor signs?: Yep! Sunday morning I had some time able contractions. It’s a little early for me, but I know once he’s ready there’ll be no stopping him. And while 36 weeks is still early, it would be great if he would come next week while Adam is off of school. I guess we’ll just see what happens. My next OB appointment is next week Wednesday (on my birthday) and since I’ll be getting my GBS test done I’ll likely get checked to see if I’ve made any progress.

What I miss: Being comfortable! I’m pretty uncomfortable most of the time these days. I also miss being able to snuggle with Clara as much because my belly is in the way (and she’s getting an independent streak, too!)

What I'm looking forward to: I go to the chiropractor tomorrow, which I’m excited about. I’m also looking forward to my birthday next Wednesday, my OB appointment, and then Adam and I are going out for sushi on Wednesday night, too. And our final baby-shopping trip planned for next Friday. Hopefully I make it that long!

Random Thoughts: Not too many random thoughts this week. I’m just hoping I can keep my weight under control for the last couple weeks I have left and I’m eagerly counting the days left of work, too! I can’t wait to get a break from that place!

*I'll be linking the posts from my last pregnancy with each update from now on for comparison as well*

35w1d bump pic

35 weeks pregnant with Clara (Baby #1)

Toddle Along Tuesdays-Heredity

This week's TAT topic is things you do or don't want your children to inherit from you.

I wasn't really sure what to post for this...it's what I like to call "a real head-scratcher!" But, after thinking about it for a little bit, here are a few things I came up with:

I would like my kids to inherit:

• My husband's intelligence and drive. The man is seriously smart and has a great drive and work-ethic...unlike me, who is smart, but I also lack motivation and ambition at times.
• Their parents' compassion for animals. It may sound cheesy, but there's nothing like having a furry best friend around. :) Clara already seems to be the "animal whisperer". The 2 dogs she's exposed to (our dog Scooter and Adam's dog Goldie) absolutely adore her and are so good with her. It seems she's a natural.
• Adam's love of physical activity. He played football and is a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
• Their parent's love of nature. I love going camping and skiing. Adam loves to fish, hunt, and camp. I'd really be surprised if the kids hated it. There's so much fun to be had outdoors! And it's ok if you get dirty, too. :)

Here's some things I hope they DON'T inherit:

• My asthma or either of our joint issues: knees, back, etc.
• My laziness.
• My willingness to please other people at the cost of my own happiness. This is a big one. I did this for so long that I almost ended up married to someone totally wrong for me and the only reason was because I was afraid to hurt other people. I do NOT wish this on either of my kids.
• And lastly-my or my husband's stubbornness....oh wait. Clara already has a lot of that! lol

I think I want for my kids what most parents want: for their kids to grow up healthy and happy, and to be well-adjusted, productive members of society. I have a lot of Mommy guilt and sometimes am really hard on myself thinking that I'm not doing well enough as a parent. Sometimes Clara doesn't eat well or is stubborn and cranky and despite being offered 100 healthy options, would rather eat junk food. In the end, it's not going to kill her once in a while and I just need to accept that she has her own will and mind and as long as I'm trying my hardest, that's what is really important.

She's a brilliant child and that is going to come with its own challenges, but as long as Adam and I do our best and what we feel is right for her and our family (as well as Sam when he comes along), then that's about all we can do. After all, they are OUR children.

Friday...

It's Friday once again. It's been a busy week and I'm ready for a day off and the weekend...even though I probably won't do much.

So what's on your mind THIS Friday?

• I'm really liking the meal planning I've been doing. I've been a little lazy, though, and didn't always stick to the menu.
• I wish Target would hurry up and get back to us on our RedCard Debit card. We're going shopping for the rest of our baby stuff in 2 weeks and I'd like to use it to save some money!
• Speaking of Target: I wish we'd get our registry completion coupon so we can use that, too! I have a lot of stuff I want to buy (some of it online) and don't want to shop without it!
• I left my sweatshirt in my car this morning and I'm too lazy (and too uncomfortable) to walk back out there to get it. Guess I shouldn't have moved furniture yesterday.
• I'm seriously thinking of going to bed at 7 tonight. I'm so tired. I was up late Wednesday night because I had a Scentsy party to go to and didn't take the time beforehand to get dinner together for Thursday so I had to do it when I got home.
• I have Clara all by myself all day today and I think I'll actually be napping when she does. I've been so exhausted lately.
• I'm tired of being pregnant and just want to be done and meet my little boy already. I have just over a month left...but I'm hoping I won't go that long.

On the agenda for this weekend: Friday-nothing. I'm home with the munchkin all day. Saturday Adam is taking her and his scrubs to his mom's in the morning and I'll use that opportunity to go grocery shopping. The rest of the day and Sunday are free so I'll probably use some of that time for laundry and cleaning up the kitchen.

What are your plans for the weekend?