39.5 ish

My dr. appt went good today--I am dialated 3-4, and 50% effaced!! She was so calm about it! My fluid is a bit on the boarderline, so she wants me to come back on thursday AM to have them check fluid again. If it's low, they'll induce--this is all assuming I don't go before then, which honestly, I think I will. She says if water breaks, go directly to hospital, if contractions only, then call them and they'll decide what to do. The good news is that IF they have to induce, it should be pretty easy since I'm sorta 1/2 way there. Everything I see online says A) you can be 4cm dialated for WEEKS, but B) if you are induced from zero, the first 4 are the hardest, so hopefully this will mean a more speedy delivery (???)


They also saw her "practice breathing" during the ultrasound today which she said was a great sign of a very strong/ healthy baby :) 

Might go eat Eggplant at Scallini's tomorrow night --suppose to induce labor within 48 hrs. 

Of my 6 friends due this week, me included, there are only 2 of us left!!! Coming down to the wire . . 

Happy Week 39! --one more week to go--

What's happening on the INSIDE:
Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.


On the OUTSIDE:
Still feeling really good. Walked an hour with Laurie --our typical walk, but glad to see I still can at 39 weeks in! Also wore my tall zip up boots today, they have fit thru the hole pregnancy, so I guess I'm not gaining weight in my legs, which is good. 


Here are some photo's from my "friend" shower last week! It was a lot of fun and nice to have my mom there too. The only person not in a photo is Jennifer, who helped co-host, as she took all the photo's!

Week 38.5ish/ The Army Crawl

Sunday night she was up a lot that night (usually she sleeps when I sleep), but that night she was moving around lot and doing what felt like Army Crawling down into my pelvic region! The next day my lower belly was very heavy and I was moving much slower than normal. I just knew she had dropped! 


Went to the Dr (planned visit) on Tuesday and sure enough, I measured an inch LESS than last week,which means she's moving "south" !! :) Dr. still couldn't tell how much if any I have dialated, but since it really is an indication of nothing, I'm not to worried about it. Even though I still have a TON of energy, she said just to save some each day incase I go into labor and need that energy to push! :)


So it could be any day! Back to the Dr. Next Tuesday to check my stats and hers just to see how everything is going and see if we want to make any plans incase 2/2 comes and goes.... but I just having a feeling that 2/1, 2/2 is THE date....


Received yet another hand made gift... so beautiful, a quilt from my friend Emily, look how pretty:

This girl already has so many heirlooms it's not funny!


Made some additional progress in the nursery, here are some recent photo's:

Week 38

What's happening on the inside:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds (i'm pretty sure my girl is smaller than this!) and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her 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 she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she'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 she'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.)

What's happening on the outside:

Not much new physically other than finally slowing down a bit. Dr. says it's time to start conserving energy and maybe not living the rock star life (was out last weekend both Friday and Saturday past midnight). :)  So trying to slow down a bit. Here's a current photo from this week:

Mom was in town this weekend for a Baby Shower with some girl friends. She surprised me by giving me some of MY baby clothes (circa 1972), here's how stylish I was:

think this is a very large bib!! more like an apron!

Very thin yellow dress with some white stitching detailing that's hard to see in the photo. And a pink bow on the left top side.

super cute lace dress. Mom spent the weekend taking the buttons off the back and replaced with snaps for ease of use. Love the pockets for her "things" like chapstick, cell phone etc!! LOL

Very girly pink dress that comes with a SLIP for underneath as it's so sheer. We're thinking this might work for Shari's wedding in April. No sizes on any of the clothes back in '72, so we'll play it by ear!

the bottoms are huge as they were to cover the cloth diapers I wore :) Disposable diapers weren't for the masses yet! oh my. 

Week 37--still hall of fame :)

On the inside this week:

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, her 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.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). 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.

On the outside:

Very curious to know her hair color!! The Dr. said she's a bit more head down this week than last, so that's good. Still not dilated so not having the baby any time soon :) Everything else is right on track.

She's had a few VERY active days..like only 3-4 hrs of NOT moving, makes for a very interesting and exhausting day for both of us!

We've got the car seat bases in both of our cars (so we can bring her home from the hospital), so we're set there too. Still lots on the TO DO list, but I have a feeling that there's no end!

Week 36 "Hall of Fame"

What's happening inside:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her 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 her 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 she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

And on the outside:

At my 36 week appt the doctor said "if we had a 'Pregnancy Hall of Fame' Wall, you'd be on it". I told her they should create one, I'd be happy to give her a photo of me!! :)  Great blood pressure, no swelling, very healthy, continuing to exercise 5x a week, healthy baby, etc. So that made me feel REALLY good !! As I was checking out at the front desk she walked by and said, 'are you wearing heels? I said, yes, she said, pre-pregancy shoes? I said, yes, she said yeah... definately Hall of Fame." :) LOL. 

Apple was head down, great heart beat. That's about it. No other "changes" to be noted. Which is all good. 

Had lunch today with 3 girls from my pre-natal yoga class that I go to on Saturdays, we are all due on 2/2 !! And delivering at the same hospital. Would be so funny if we are all there at the same time! Party in the maternity wing!!  ha ha. 

36 week photo! :) 

Nursery is coming along...week 35.5

Not being able to travel over the holidays allowed us to get the nursery in order. Furniture is in and put together (thanks Bill!), carpet ordered and in, clothes washed and put away! Just need some window coverings and the glider and we're pretty close to being finished. Here are some photo's of where we are:

Had to add the photo of Sedona snuggled up in my pregnancy pillow (the green part). She LOVES it :) 


Can't believe were WITHIN a month ....