State of the Uterus

36 weeks and 5 days

I've only gained 20 pounds total - I guess my weight keeps fluctuating, but now I should be gaining about a pound a week until I deliver. I tested positive for Group B Strep (read more here), so now I have to have 4 hours of IV antibiotics during labor. I was hoping to avoid an IV, but now I have no choice. So far the baby is still measuring on track and has a strong heartbeat and is still head down in the "blast-off" position.


I was told to watch for 3 things -

1. Water breaking (about 1-2 cups of fluid followed by a constant stream)

2. Contractions, following the 5-1-1 rule (5 minutes apart, over 1 hour, lasting about 1 minute each), but my doctor said I can come in if they are 30-45 seconds long

3. Bleeding

The doctor said that the baby probably won't drop until I'm in active labor. Who knew I had such strong abdomen muscles? I was also told that a pregnancy massage would help with my achy back - it was "medically ordered" so Tom better get on it.

Now it's just a waiting game - tick tock. So go and submit your guess for the baby's birthday!

Mini Merkel Poll

I set up a fun game to keep everyone entertained until the baby gets here. Play by clicking on the link to the right (expectnet.com) and entering your guess for the baby's gender, height, weight and birthday. Good luck!

Bleh

I'm so uncomfortable now and I can't wait for this baby to make its appearance. I'll try to focus on some of the positives:

1. Only 24 more days until my due date.
2. I get to work from home as often as needed.
3. Since I'm working from home, I can wear comfy sweats everyday.
4. My hospital bag is packed and the car seat base is installed.

Now come out, baby!

Finished Nursery

We finally finished the nursery - we had to hang the mobile, painting and wall hanging. Now all we need is the bambino to arrive. This is one of my favorite rooms in our house.

And a very Merry Christmas to you!

We had a great Christmas yesterday - our last Christmas without a baby. We spent our day with family - opening gifts, bowling, dinner and Battle of the Sexes. Unfortunately I didn't get to bowl, just watched, cheered everyone on and took some pictures. Tom thought I would go into labor if I bowled. Peter and David got bowling shoes and new balls for Christmas. Peter wanted to keep his tag on his shoe, but Tom ripped it off when Peter wasn't looking. Poor Peter. He looks so sad in this picture, but it's all staged. You all know how much he loves attention.

And no holiday would be complete without the requisite wrestling match. I don't know what Peter would do without David. He'd probably lose his mind and end up in the looney bin. At least they both look happy in this picture.

36 Weeks

4 more to go and today I'm officially full term!!! I can't wait for this baby to get here! The baby's been really active and loves stretching in my belly. I can only imagine how active the baby will be once it's out.

My doctor gave me my post partum instructions on Wednesday. Oh boy, those were definitely enlightening - I'm supposed to limit activity and only do a flight of stairs a day for 7 days after the baby's born. So I guess I'll be camping out upstairs for a week or so. Good thing Tom will be home with me.

Let the official countdown begin! 28 days until my due date!

Here's what the baby's been up to this week according to WhatToExpect.com:

Your baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his or her little body. Most of your baby's bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life) — allowing for an easier journey as your baby squeezes through the birth canal at delivery (and less prodding and poking for Mom along the way). At 36 weeks pregnant, the skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily (well, relatively easily) maneuver through the birth canal.

So your little bruiser (who you've now learned won't be bruising you all that much with those soft bones) is now about six pounds in weight and measures slightly more than 20 inches in length. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he or she can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

By now, many of your baby's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms — and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and your baby's immune system has matured enough to protect him or her from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing
touches. Once such notable example: digestion — which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why's that? Inside his or her little gestational cocoon, your baby has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system — though developed — hasn't been operational. So your baby will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.

And the weekly pictures:
Parents.com - yay, I'm the size of a beach ball!

WhatToExpect.com

Belly Shots

My work-from-home outfit - so comfy!

State of the Uterus

The doctor said I could teach classes on weight gain during pregnancy. I don't think I gained anything in the past two weeks - maybe 1/2 a pound at most. She is estimating that the baby will be around 7 pounds at birth, but not much bigger than that. During the exam, she was pushing around on my stomach and the baby pushed its butt and feet out. She said she wanted to be sure the baby was in the right position for birth - which it is. Our baby gets an A+ today.

I'm on to weekly appointments now, so I'll be heading back on New Year's Eve and then every week until my due date. Let's hope this little booger comes out before then - I really don't want to be late, but I have to be realistic - the baby is 1/2 Taves. Tardiness is in its blood.

35 Weeks

35 days to go! The doctor said if I go into labor after Christmas, they won't stop it, so I'm trying to get myself mentally ready. I'm becoming less and less comfortable as the days go by. The baby really enjoys pushing its body parts out, especially into my ribs. I've just started having some weird baby dreams. The other night I dreamt that we had the baby, but never changed the diaper so we still didn't know what we had. I was walking around calling the baby an it. And then last night I dreamt that the baby was a stuffed animal and people were looking at me like I had 3 heads when I would show them my baby.

I'll have to make sure that we're aware of the sex of the baby when it's born (now I'm going to check a dozen times after the baby's here to be sure). And that it's an actual baby and not a stuffed animal.

Here's what the baby's been up to according to WhatToExpect.com.

At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds (but with about five more weeks to grow), most of your baby's growth over the next month or so before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on baby, not just on your hips). Back in the middle of your pregnancy, your baby's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now at 35 weeks pregnant, that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term). Which means your baby's once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft.

Also continuing to grow at an amazing pace is your baby's brain power. Luckily, the part that surrounds that amazing brain — the skull — remains soft. And for good reason: A soft skull will allow your baby to squeeze more easily through the birth canal. (Mother Nature was really thinking this one through — imagine trying to push out a rock-hard head…ouch!)

And now for the weekly pictures.
Parents.com - I have no idea why it's the size of a throw pillow. Weird.

WhatToExpect.com

Belly picture

35 more days!!!

Maternity Tour

We went on the tour of the hospital last night so we could see the Labor and Delivery floor and rooms. Fair Oaks has all private rooms (yay) and free WIFI. We saw two brand new babies being discharged as we were waiting in the lobby for the rest of the group. I couldn't wait to see the nursery and all of the little babies. It was just our luck that there was almost no one on the Labor and Delivery floor - a really quiet night. There was only 1 baby in the nursery, but he was so so cute and all swaddled up after his bath. I could have stayed there watching the little guy instead of finishing the tour.

The tour guide said we could have up to 4 people in the L&D room (not including Tom), so you guys better come and entertain me while I'm laboring. Don't worry - we'll kick you out when it's time to deliver the baby. I need to start packing my hospital bag - I keep saying that and forgetting to do it.

We also turned in our pre-admission paper work, so now we're good to go. We just have to show up to the hospital, show ID and insurance cards and get our bracelets. I really hope I go into labor during the FREE valet parking hours - 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM. How convenient would that be?

34 Weeks...

...and 6 more to go! This baby has now taken up almost all of my space. It's become almost impossible to put on my socks by myself. My back is always achy now and I'm getting more and more tired. I have my 34 week appointment with Dr. Wertheim today. I only have one more bimonthly appointment (36 week) and then I go to weekly appointments. The baby will be considered full term in 3 weeks! I better start packing the hospital bag, just in case. Tom put together the car seat and stroller, but we still need to install the car seat bases in our cars and have them inspected. Apparently 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly. 80%!

Here's what the baby's been up to according to WhatToExpect.com:

Your baby could be as tall as 20 inches right now and about five pounds. Need a visual? Hold a five-pound bag of flour in your arms and imagine it's your soon-to-be-born baby (cradle it, and you'll only get strange looks in the baking aisle). Then stack three such bags one on top of the other (and get ready for some more strange looks, maybe from the same clerks who saw you grinning and holding that one-pound box of sugar a few weeks ago). That's how tall your baby is at 34 weeks pregnant. (Now go bake some oatmeal raisin cookies with all that flour!)

If your little doughboy is, well, a boy, then you'll be pleased to know that this week his testicles are making their way down from his abdomen to his scrotum. (Some baby boys — three to four percent — are born with undescended testicles, but they usually make the trip down sometime before the first birthday.)

Your baby's fingernails now reach the end of the fingertips and may even curl over the tip, making a manicure one of the first things you'll need to do for your little bundle.

Weekly pictures:
Parents.com




WhatToExpect.com


34 Weeks - belly button hasn't popped yet


Ready for work and for the week to be over

'Tis the season...

...for holiday lunches and parties. I love free lunch at work and we have about 5 of them this week and next. Although the lunch we had on Tuesday was technically my going away lunch. We had it early because of the holidays and the unpredictability of the baby's arrival. My team did give me a going away gift - something I have been talking about and wanting, but wouldn't buy for myself - YOGA TOES! They're always advertised in the back of my US Weekly and Tom makes fun of me every time I mention getting them. I put them on the past two nights for about 5 minutes and my toes feel nice and stretched afterwards. Ah, another way to pamper myself.

Baby care class

We learned how not to kill our baby last night. All kidding aside, the class was really useful and well worth the $50 we spent on it. Our teacher was a nurse with 30+ years of experience and 4 kids of her own. I left with a huge boost of confidence, thinking "we can do this." It's funny because I've babysat for years, but I've never taken care of a newborn. Plus babysitting only entailed a few diaper changes and feedings - no bath times or sticking thermometers up butts. I think my favorite parts of the class were the bath time lesson - it was really easy (although we were working with plastic baby dolls) and learning some soothing techniques.

There were about 8 couples in the class and all of them were having girls. When we walked into the room we were told to pick a baby (they were swaddled). Well, come diaper changing time we discovered we had the only boy doll in the whole room.

Our teacher suggested that we put together the car seat and stroller when we got home so we could practice with a doll. The car seat and stroller came pretty much put together - we just had to put the wheels and tray on the stroller. I then practiced with our stuffed Bart Simpson doll - it's a good looking baby.

We parked like a mile away from the hospital doors because we didn't realize there were multiple patient/visitor parking areas. Next week we have our maternity tour and we'll make sure to scope out the closer parking. They have free valet parking Monday-Friday, but only during the daytime business hours. I hope I go into labor then so we can take advantage of that service. Otherwise I'll still get valet parking, but Tom will have to be the valet.

Baby Shower

We had the best time at our baby shower! It was unlike any shower I've ever been to and the games were awesome! I couldn't believe how many people cam eout for the shower - and how generous everyone was. I spent last night washing the baby clothes and putting everything away. I'll post pictures from the shower as soon as Jennifer and Joe send them to me. Hopefully there is at least one decent shot of me and Tom. I know there are some great ones from the beer chugging contest.

I still need to take pictures of the nursery now that it's done. I'll try to get those taken this week so everyone can see how it turned out.

Thank you thank you thank you to Aunt Peggy and Jennifer for throwing the coolest shower ever! I've got to get working on the thank yous now. Too bad I can't make the baby write the thank yous.

33 Weeks

7 more weeks!

I've been having heartburn from hell. Even Tums aren't working as well as they used to. I've noticed that my body gets tired faster - I have to pause while making my way up the stairs at home. I struggle to get my socks on, but I can still manage if I sit on the floor. The only problem then is getting up off of the floor.

The baby still moves around all of the time - mostly sticking its body parts out from side to side. It's also started hiccupping a lot, which is a really weird feeling. It's almost like a constant light kick, but in the whole belly.

We're really excited for our baby shower tomorrow, mostly because we'll get to see everyone and they'll get to see the house. Okay, you got me - I'm really excited because tomorrow is all about me! Wait - it's not? What do you mean it's about the baby?

Oh, and my belly button still hasn't popped. I think I might actually get away with an innie this entire pregnancy.

Here's what the baby's been up to this week according to TheNest.com:

Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

Weekly pictures
TheNest.com - I'm a honeydew melon!

WhatToExpect.com

Belly shot

Ready for work


And finally, a cute picture of the cat curled up on Tom. She usually does this every night if we haven't been giving her enough attention. She's so social.

Finished nursery

Whoo-hoo! We finished the nursery tonight. I am going to make one more thing for the nursery though (I just can't help myself). And we're still waiting for the painting to be framed. I'm so excited that the baby has a nice room to come home to. I'll post pictures after the shower on Saturday - I want to keep some things a surprise for the guests.

"Emergency" visit

This morning I woke up with a dull chest pain on my left side and some shortness of breath. I figured it would work itself out and go away by the time I got to work. Well, it didn't, so I took Tom's advice and called the doctor. I had a scheduled appointment for tomorrow, so they just cancelled that and squeezed me in today.

After the usual nurse time (pee in a cup, BP check and weight) we were put in an exam room to wait. And wait. And wait. Apparently the nurse forgot to put our room number on the doctor's list. Finally Dr. Pickford came in and checked everything out - heartbeat was good, fundal height is right on track and my lungs are clear. She checked my legs for red spots (clots) and swelling, but nothing there, then asked some questions about the pain and shortness of breath. Apparently what I've been experiencing is all pregnancy induced. My other organs have moved in with my poor lungs and now they're cramped, which caused the shortness of breath. I can thank my wonderful pregnancy hormones for the lung pain. And as soon as we left the office the baby started moving all around.

So all's well that ends well. At least Tom got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. He hasn't heard it since I was about 12 or 13 weeks pregnant. And I don't have to go in for another appointment until next Friday.