I've Been Busy....

I'm so sorry that I've been MIA since my update last Wednesday...

....but on Wednesday night, those contractions got a bit more regular, and so.....

SHE'S HERE!

Our little Eliette is here....

To say that we are all in love is an understatement. I'll hopefully post more soon to tell you all about our labor and delivery, and all about her!

"The girl really worth having won't wait for anybody.” 

~F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

38 Week Update.... Still Pregnant.

How far along? 38w1d

Size of Baby:  www.thebump.com indicates that baby is the size of a pumpkin, being 18.9-20.9 inches long, and weighing anywhere between 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. (that's quite a range...)

Baby Milestones: From www.baby2see.com, "Development is complete, baby's main job is to gain weight. The body continues laying on the fat stores at a rate of about an ounce (28 grams) a day, that will help regulate his or her body temperature after birth."

Maternity Clothes: Yes....and Hubby's clothes. I swear, I wasn't THIS big when I was pregnant with Gage...

Gender: Team Pink!

Belly Button In/Out: In/Flattened. Not "out."

Movement: Less & less. Not 'alarmingly less,'  by any means. She's running out of room in there. So, she's not able to move nearly as much as she was. She perks up after I eat, and I'm sure she's okay in there. It's just, less than it was in the past. I still love the movements she makes when I'm reeeeeally still and I can watch my belly contort, and she pushes her feet out to the side. She's head down in my belly, but she's facing side-ways, if that makes sense. Her spine is aligned on my left side, and her feet are on my right side.

Sleep: Still not great for me or Hubby! My snoring is crazy obnoxious to my husband, so he's having a hard time sleeping. I remind him that we've only got a few more days to go! I'm hoping that the snoring goes away quickly after delivery....but if it's related to my current size instead of the pregnancy hormones, it may be here longer than I thought! I'm hoping that right now, there's just a catastrophic combination of my size and the pregnancy hormones/changes that effect your sinuses that are causing this horrible snoring. I'm hoping that it goes away very soon, but we'll see....

Cravings/Aversions: Not really craving anything specific... it's just the power of suggestion is amazing to me. Someone can mention something, and the next thing you know, I neeeeeeed it. Commercials are totally working on me right now!

Feeling: Crazy. Hubby and I talk about this all the time. With respect to the mood swings and my lack of patience, I'm very glad that this will be my last pregnancy. I can bawl at the drop of a hat, over the dumbest stuff, and then 2 minutes later, I realize that I'm being completely crazy and by that point I'm filled with regret because in the crazy moments I can't shut my fat-freakin-mouth! Pregnancy is crazy.

Physically how am I feeling? Done. Miserable. Huge. But, I only have 6 days left! I can do anything for 6 days!  Ohhhhhh! And my pregnancy eczema is back. Good times. In the beginning of this pregnancy I was diagnosed as having discoid eczema. I though I was covered in ring worm, but luckily that was not the case! Now, I just have these red rings that just show up on my skin. Down the left side of my belly, it looks like it is covered in pinky-red onion rings. I'm supposed to be using all fragrance-free & dye free products and keep the area very well moisturized. It's annoying. I have however fallen in love with a product that the Dermatologist recommended: Eucerin Calming Body Wash. It's a daily oil based body wash. It's awesome. It feels really good on your skin when you shower.... So, there's that.

What I Miss: Wearing my wedding rings, bending over easily, getting in & out of the car easily, having cuter feet, wearing a wide variety of shoes, sleeping through the night.....this list really could go on & on, and it seems to be the same each week....

What I am Looking Forward To: Having this baby!

Next Appointment: Thursday! (as in, tomorrow) Thinking I may decline the internal exam for dilation. I mean, at this point, who cares, right? I've got 6 days to go, and who cares if I'm dilated any more. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen.....

Something funny that happened recently: got the bassinet set up in our room. Turn your back for a minute to go get the rest of the bedding for the bassinet, and your son has already spotted the PERFECT PLACE to store/display his Nerf guns.... (I was seriously away from the bassinet for less than 5 minutes, and I return to my room to find it filled with Nerf guns. Gage was nowhere around...)

Sweet boy....He got this sign for his room from one of Darnin's coworkers.

His whole world is about to change....

Tuesday, 38 Weeks Exactly.

Check those super sexy feet out! Gage told me, "Stop taking pictures of your feet. They're so gross!" Thanks, dude.

So, 38 weeks is 14 days from my due date, but 7 days until my csection. Swwweeeeeet! There is light at the end of the tunnel!

38 week update coming soon!

Zoo Trip!

The whole first grade at Gage's school recently took a field trip to the Dallas Zoo. I'm in no way trying to walk around the zoo at this point in my pregnancy, so Daddy chaperoned in my place.

I'd love to share a bazillion pictures with you.....but like I mentioned, Daddy chaperoned. He's not the family photographer... In fact, I have two photos: one sent to me from Hubby, and one sent to me from a girlfriend who was also on the zoo trip...

I think Gage was really happy that it was his Daddy who went. Daddy works and Mommy rarely works any more... So, Mommy gets to do the school stuff, and Daddy doesn't get to nearly as much. It's always a special treat for Gage when it's Daddy.... and he seems to be entering...or at the point where he wants to do things with Daddy, just the two of them.... I don't know if it's because I'm pregnant, or just his natural progression..... Anyway...it was wonderful for both of them that they got to share that and make memories.

...and for fun, here's part of a conversation about it: Gage said, "There weren't hardly any daddies on the trip..... The other mommies liked Daddy."
And of course Hubby jokingly follows that up with "yeah, they did."
{insert eye roll and smile...}

:)

Mother's Day 2013

Well, Mother's Day 2013 was pretty laid back...

Gage started his day with a swim. Ranger and I sat with coffee and watched him... with the breeze blowing, it wasn't all that warm to me. I had a blanket out there!

(Ranger has such a rough life, doesn't he???)

It was finally warm enough for me to swim in the afternoon. The pool heater had the water heated to over 80 degrees, (88, I think) and the wind was blowing, so it was warmer in the water than out.

We got snowcones/shaved ice, and then swam for a bit...

{"Don't harpoon the whale!"} Yes, I'm huge. Yes, I'm very, very white. It's cool. I was weightless in the water...

Memaw even came over and swam with us that day, AND she went down the slide! I was totally going to try it too, but there's a big sticker on there indicating that you should not do it if you're pregnant. Gage was the first to refuse to let me do it. (He loves his Mommy!) Of course, I'm thinking, "what's the worst that could happen? It could throw me into labor??? Bring it!.....but I refrained....)

A while later, Daddy got a migraine and I wanted pasta. I know of no really good Italian restaurants out here in the sticks, so Gage and I just hit the Olive Garden. It hit me as we were driving that this would be our last Mother's Day with just me and him. I told him that and he said, "then we better make it count." I don't know if we made it count or not....but, we enjoyed our time together.
Pics from dinner...

We had fun with the mad-lib portion of the kiddie menu....

After that, we got our take-out for Daddy who was back at home....and we headed to Sweet Frog for some frozen yogurt. I tried the cake batter flavor for a change, and it was delicious!

We took Daddy his Olive Garden take-out and frozen yogurt....and we pretty much called it a night.

I was HOPING that Baby Girl would come on Mother's Day....but, no such luck....
(Who am I kidding? Every.single.day I'm hoping that today is the day!)

Spring Fling, 2013

Well, the above pics are from our neighborhood Spring Fling. Gage had fun. I was a bit hot and uncomfortable....but, so be it. He's really gotten good at the Bean Bag Toss!
:)

....and when we got home, it wasn't much later before I walked into the living room to see this...

Not a Ten....

Went to the doctor yesterday.
I'm not dilated to a ten.
I'm not even dilated to a one.

But, I'm "full term" being past 37 weeks.
People have said, "Why do you want to rush it?" "Every little bit in there counts...." etc.
Those people haven't seen me in person.
Those people don't realize the magnitude of having a big, fat baby in this little 5 foot frame or the weight my poor feet are having to support.

If labor started on its own right now, they wouldn't stop it. I'd still have a csection, but the point is: they'd get the show on the road!

So, at least once a day I cry because my feet hurt, or I'm tired and don't sleep all through the night, or I have to lay a certain way to keep my feet elevated and that pushes Baby Girl up into my ribs and I just cry...
{PSA: to all of the men with pregnant women, "Suck it Up" is NOT the right thing to say in that moment.}

Anyway...then I feel guilty about wanting to rush this. Why? Because I try to remind myself that God's timing is always perfect, and he will give me what I need when I need it. Enduring these aches and pains of pregnancy pale in comparison to the suffering he did for us.... and so I feel guilty....

...but then I come full circle and think: a scheduled csection isn't really God's timing, now is it? If we can schedule it for 5/21, then why not schedule it for today??? I'm just sayin'..... I can clear my calendar at the drop of a hat. A hospital bag? Forget it. If I need to have someone swing by the house to grab my stuff and the carseat, fine. Whatever I have to do to get this baby out of me---I'm ready. I've reached the point of begging!

....my OB hasn't reached the point of giving in to my begging. Conversation from the recent appt:
"There has to be a medical reason to deliver by csection before 39 weeks."
"Can't you find one?"
"There isn't one."
"Then you're not looking hard enough."

....he won.
I'm still pregnant.
I'm apparently QUITE the host for my little parasite!

And another conversation.... I've been having these Braxton Hicks like CAH-RAZY. Mom and I have decided that my uterus must be beautiful. It's all tone from all the exercise.... I bet it's just the most beautiful uterus ever.... Now, if it would just get with the program and give me some REAL, PRODUCTIVE, No-Going-Back kind of contractions then maybe I'd appreciate my uterus more... I'm just sayin'....

I'm ready to have this baby!
I'm ready to hold her in my arms, not my tummy!
I'm ready to put the csection behind me, and start down the road to healing!
I'm ready to meet my baby girl, and nurse her, and love on her!
I'm ready, Lord. Please, please, please let my water break and give me the best Mother's Day ever....
{Please?????}

Coach Pitch....

Well, Gage had to take Spring off from t-ball/baseball because of his ENT's recommendation post surgery. So, there's only one Summer program for baseball: the Y.

Gage is moving up to Coach Pitch, and we are going to participate through the Y for Summer, and then go back to our regular program in the Fall....

Pictures from his 1st practice on his new team....

Mommy & Gage (37w1d)

Pics from his practice...

Belly Watch....

Here are some belly shots for those who feel that they've been missing out....

37 Weeks (navy shirt)

37 weeks 2 days (purple shirt)

Ranger gets a haircut....

Seriously, our itty-bitty-shitty-dog (Shih tzu) doesn't do well at the groomers.... So, Damon is stuck giving the dog his haircut and nail clipping....

We went waaaaay short. He's probably freezing now.... But, he won't need a haircut for a while!
:)

37 Weeks....

How far along? 37 Weeks (also known now as the week I'm having fun with jpegs & gifs.)

Size of Baby:  From babycenter.com, "Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel." Though, if we recall from last week, the doctor estimates that this little girl is much bigger than that. Time will tell....

Baby Milestones:  According to baby2see.com, "Even though you are three weeks from your due date, you are now considered 'at term'. In most cases, nothing will be done to stop your labor once it starts, even if it is before your 40th week." ...now, if I could only get it started without the use of a knitting needle to break my own water...yes, I'm tempted!

Maternity Clothes: Not quite cutting it. The cute stuff is no longer comfortable. I refuse to buy more maternity clothes. I refuse to buy more shoes b/c they will only fit if they are bigger than my normal size, and I'm not sure if I'll get to wear them for very long. Hopefully my feet will go back to size 6 when this pregnancy is over! Hubby's boxer briefs are the best for sleeping in, and his tees are the best for covering this belly! However....I am sure that Hubby is tired of seeing me in his clothes....

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I don't even worry about this any longer...

 

Gender:  Baby better still be a girl!

Belly Button In/Out: Getting flatter.

Labor Signs: Hell no. I'm not that lucky. I've still got the Braxton Hicks contractions off and on. Some days/some hours are worse than others. I can have a run of 2-3 hours where I'll have like 11 in an hour...and then they taper off, and they aren't making me dilate, so they are just bullshit. Just bullshit, stupid contractions that sometimes hurt, and sometimes don't, and they have no point, and I hate them.

Movement: Mine can be summed up in the following photo:

Yes, I waddle now. That's okay....

Baby Girl's movement: slowing down. I still love to get still and just feel her... The newest thing: her startle reflex is already there! I sneezed the other night, and my abdominal muscles are spread to the right and left now...we went over that in previous weeks. Anyhow...I sneezed and it kind of hurt my tummy muscles, but at the same time, it scared the crap out of the baby. I sneezed and she spread out in there! Immediately, her bum was poked waaaaay out on my left side, and her feet were pushed waaaay out to my right side. It was painful and awesome at the same time. It happened one other time when my stomach growled out of nowhere. She freaked out and spazzed out in there. It was awesome, and less painful....

Sleep: Hit or miss. I'm getting up to use the bathroom a lot, but what else is new? Now, even lying on my sides feels uncomfortable, and I have to put this really flat pillow under the side closest to the bed because it gives the bump just enough support to not feel like it's hanging. The snoring is apparently worse than ever, so Hubby's sleeping has been terrible. Poor Hubby. I mean, I feel for him, but not to the point that I give him permission to wake me up when I'm snoring. That's just crazy.... If I'm asleep, you should only wake me up if you are bloody, on fire, or have a death-wish. I'm just sayin'....

Feeling: How am I feeling? Like telling this baby:

I also feel like I'm crazy 95% of the time. Seriously. I can cry at the drop of a hat, and then be laughing 10 seconds later....or vice versa....Gotta love these pregnancy hormones & mood swings!

Best Moment this Week: I actually choose to believe that the best moment of this week is yet to come. I choose to believe that it will be this Thursday, when I go see the doctor. I choose to believe my OB will check me and he will say, "You're a ten! A ten!"

(Serious points for anyone who can name the movie where the above pic came from, along with the quote, "A ten! A ten!" ....Man, I'm old...)

Food Cravings/Aversions: Still wanting unhealthy options always!

I'd rather eat things like this...

{Please note that I chose the lightly salted chips....}

What I Miss: Sleeping through the night, feet that don't hurt by the end of the day, or swell.... hands that don't swell and fall asleep, my old body.... wearing rings, wearing clothes other than Hubby's! Beer. (...and I don't know why that is! I'm not a huge beer drinker!) I miss having random heartburn---as in, 'few and far between.' This every.single.day heartburn and acid reflux has got to go! (Yes, I'm sure my super unhealthy food choices have nothing to do with it...) Oh, there are so many things that I miss....

What I am Looking Forward To: Meeting this Baby Girl! I'm looking forward to meeting her, and nursing her, and bringing her home!

Next Appointment:  This Thursday. I'll be 37w2d.
{Fingers crossed that I'm "A Ten! A Ten!"...though I won't hold my breath...}  

Shower #4! {OMG, 4 Showers!!!!}

Sooo..... Shower #3 was a complete surprise for me. Shower #4 was a complete surprise for Hubby!!! His employees put on a surprise shower for him at work. How nice and thoughtful was that????

Pics from the shower that were emailed to me....

How cute is all that?
How cute is that big grown man holding those tiny baby girl outfits and shoes???

Oh, I can't WAIT for her to get here!
He's going to melt. He doesn't even know it yet....

Gage's 1st Ranger Game....

Gage FINALLY took in a pro ball game!

Here are pics of Gage with his buddy, H....

(Rough seats, right!?!????)

Gage had a GREAT time!!!