On the way to the hospital.....

Full report to follow. :)

Chirp, chirp, chirp

I realize today is not even her due date but I was really beginning to think something was going to happen. I suppose it still could, too. I had this overwhelming urge to tidy up the house this morning. I vacuumed, did some light dusting, swept, washed what little laundry there was, changed the sheets on the bed, picked up the dry cleaning and my vitamins, etc. I even packed a bag for Clay to have at the hospital.

Mia was very quiet this morning and even slept through breakfast. I had a few cramps and thought my water might break every time I got up to walk somewhere. Clay got very excited thinking we might be spending the night at the hospital and now I am sitting here wondering if anything will happen at all, like maybe I jinxed it or something.

I have always had such good instincts and I just can't seem to get this one at all. Maybe that is a sign for me that children really are full of surprises and I had better learn to take things as they come.

I could really use another nap and I just got up from one! A sign? :)

Pics at 39 Weeks and 4 Days

No more progress so far. Had a few cramps last night but nothing like the night before. Mia has been very quiet and still this morning and GranE says that is a good sign. :) I have decided to try to not think about it at all today and just get some rest and work on some projects around the house. Maybe that will help.

Clay took these at the park the other night.

You can't really tell in this picture but apparently my belly button is not going to "pop" like a turkey timer. It's still hanging on!


This was taken during one of those contractions. Can you tell?

A real contraction

After dinner last night, Clay and I drove to a nearby park to take some late pregnancy photos. We had just started walking when my belly tightened up and it actually HURT. It stopped me dead in my tracks and I definitely had never felt that before. That same thing happened one other time while we were there and for the rest of the night it was just menstrual-type cramps with some lower backache. I was getting them so frequently that Clay started taking note of them and they were about 10 minutes apart.

We watched a movie, ate some raspberry sherbert, and then went to bed. I continued to have them throughout the night and they were gone by the time I got out of bed this morning to get ready for work. I was having the gas-like pains which according to a website I found this morning is also a form of contraction. It was reassuring to read that. I've had the belly tightening and the cramping off and on a few times today but nothing at all like last night.

She has to be coming out soon!!!!! Please.

Nursery pics.....finally!

While we are waiting on Miss Mia's arrival, I thought I would post some pics of the nursery. Enjoy!

View from the door.


Crib with the beautiful bedding that Auntie Kim made for Mia.


Crib and comfy glider.


Crib and mobile.

Week 39

It's hard to believe we are SO close now. The doctor's appointment this morning went well. We met Dr. S and liked him very much. He said my weight was good. I just KNEW I was getting a lecture on that because my swelling has been even worse this week. Blood pressure was good, as usual. He checked my cervix and I really thought he was going to tell me that I had dilated more and blah, blah. I knew all the new feelings I was having this week would mean something and they did, just no progress on dilating. I am still only a fingertip dilated (about 1 cm), but my cervix is now 70% effaced. He said she was still pretty high up there. She's comfy. :)

I need to start taking everyone's advice and not put much into what my cervix is doing. Even the doctor said labor could happen at anytime regardless of what my cervix is doing. We talked about induction again if I have not delivered or gone into labor by next Friday, the due date. After talking about it this morning, I do feel a little more at ease about being induced if needed. Dr. S said my pregnancy has been "textbook" and problem-free that he would hate to see it turn into a high-risk because I was past term. I guess with age and all going overdue would increase the risk for c-section and meconium discharge, etc. If we have to be induced, we are going to try to insist on July 31st so she can still be a July baby. :)

Still feeling great and trying to stay cool!

Not today...

July 20th has been sticking in my head for a while now and I really thought maybe today would be Mia's birth day. It doesn't appear that will happen. I am still having the mild menstrual-type cramps, a little bit of lower back pain and some odd sensations in the area of my cervix, the usual pelvic pressure, and belly tightening. I still have not lost my mucous plug, as far as I know. I'm not really sure that means much anyway.

I stayed home today to work instead of going into the office. My boss was nice enough to agree to that. I've gotten a lot done so far and I am finally to the point that I feel ready for maternity leave to start. Tomorrow morning at 9:30 is the 39 week appointment. Dr. E will not be there so we will be seeing Dr. S and meeting him for the first time. I hope that he checks my cervix and tells me that all sorts of progress has been made. I would like to think I am experiences all these "feelings" for something.

Going to get my hair cut this evening. Can't wait! My bag for the hospital is pretty much packed. I need to put a few last minute items in there but otherwise, I'm ready. I am thinking about going to buy a birthing ball after the hair cut appointment. I really think it will come in handy for when labor finally gets here. :)

That is all for now! Will update again in the morning.

A move in the right direction?

I didn't sleep so well last night. Lots of pee breaks, pressure in the pelvic area, mild menstrual type cramps and I think actual contractions. They weren't painful but they were uncomfortable. Although, they were gone by the time I woke up this morning. Miss Mia spent a good portion of the night making weird movements. I call them weird because I couldn't quite figure out what she was doing or moving. She's been doing a bit of the same this morning.

I'm working in the office today but I'm not sure if I will make it through the whole day. I am VERY tired and someone as already mentioned that I look tired and my face is chubby. Rude, I know. I'm cranky from being tired anyway, but hurt my feelings, intentionally or not, and I'm going to want to cry. Just trying to hang in there!

Whoa! Check out that belly!

Clay took these last night. 38 weeks and 3 days. I keep getting the feeling that my prediction for a birth this Thursday will not be happening. Miss Mia has her own agenda. She was very active last night and Clay kept joking that maybe she was packing up to leave. Just a wait and see game now.




Can you tell she's dropped a little?

No make up!

Week 38

No new progress to report. Dr. E says my cervix is about the same as last week. He didn't mention that she's dropped anymore either. If she has it isn't that noticeable to me although I have been feeling more pressure in the pelvic area. Apparently, my weight increased since last week, but I'm still not looking so I don't know if that means 1 pound or 20. He feels that it's from the swelling and fluid retention. It's certainly understandable. It has been much hotter this week and my swelling was worse yesterday. I am even getting it in my fingers and I just feel a more bloated, so to speak.

I'm still feeling pretty good. I have been more tired this week but sleeping well. Maybe my body is trying to tell me I need to get MORE sleep and store it up for the upcoming labor. Dr. E gave me orders to take it easy this weekend and drink lots of fluids. I think I am going to actually listen to him this time. :)

He also mentioned that if I made it to my 40 week appointment that we would start to talk induction for the following week. I am really hoping I don't make it to my due date at all now. I want my baby girl to stay in there as long as she needs to but I'm now hoping that she will be ready soon and come on out. I am just against the idea of induction and will try to be as nice as possible about it. I think starting to talk about scheduling an induction a few days after my due date is ridiculous to me. I'd be more inclined to start talking about it a week after my due date, maybe. I'm going to try not to worry about it right now and get upset for nothing. I'll wait until I actually have a reason, too.

We are going to meet Mrs. C tomorrow. She is the lady that we are hoping will be watching Mia when I return to work. She sounds great and I really hope we all hit it off and I get great "vibes" about her, her husband, and her home. Will update again soon!

New pics

Taken at 37 weeks, 2 days...



If you look closely, I am bending backwards in this picture and the lump in the center of my belly is Mia. :)

Forgot to mention...

Apparently, the "preggo" brain only gets worse as the pregnancy progresses. :)

In addition to the small change in my cervix, I have been noticing something different in my hips as well. When I'm changing sleeping positions, my hips and pubic bone have started "popping". It doesn't hurt or anything but did surprise me the first couple of times it happened. I guess that's been happening for a week or so now. Doctor says my joints are starting to relax and my hips are preparing to spread for birth. Yippee! I had a dream last night that I was having contractions that were actually painful. My belly only keeps getting bigger which also means that Mia is living in cramped quarters these days. She has been so active this past week and I am enjoying the little bit of time I have left. I think she lays in a "L" shape most of the time and keeps her little feet planted on my right side. When I have my arm resting there she starts wiggling her feet as if to protest. I can't wait to tickle those little feet!

Week 37

Another week gone and boy did it fly by! I'll get straight to the good stuff and update about the doctor's appointment this morning. We are both doing great. After much distressing over my weight the last week and last night, the verdict wasn't so bad after all. The doctor didn't lecture me and I actually got a "great job on the weight" response. I'm sure next week, I'll get a lecture...that seems to be the pattern these days. LOL! I only gained 0.3 pounds. WOOHOO! It really shocked me to hear that. I was just noticing last night that my face looks chubbier and with the 4th of July holiday this week I was a bit worried.

Mia is still head down and the doctor says she's dropped some into the pelvis. I think I even notice that today because I feel like I have a little bit of a waddle going on when I walk. I asked the doctor how much he thought she would weigh at birth. After feeling around he said she was just under 6 pounds right now and was guesstimating an "average" weight of about 7.5 pounds at birth. Phew. I just knew she was going to be over 8 pounds like her mommy. Her heartbeat was a strong 154. My cervix is softening and I'm about a fingertip dilated. That translates to about 1/2 cm, maybe 1 cm. Dr. E seemed to lean more toward the 1/2 cm measurement. No predictions from him on when he things she'll make an appearance. Lately, I have had July 20th stuck in my head but no one really knows except Mia!

My next appointment is scheduled for next Friday morning. We are headed to Chang's this weekend for one last trip before Mia. Since it has been about 2 weeks since we've taken belly pictures, we are planning that for the weekend too. Maybe I can get them posted by Sunday. Also, in the works for this weekend is another trip to the movies. We went to see the DaVinci Code last Monday and are planning to see Pirates of the Caribbean this weekend. JP keeps reminding me to go to the movies as much as possible before Mia gets here because after she arrives, I can forget seeing a movie all the way through in one sitting for a while! Hee hee.