38 weeks! Little leek!!

I am 38 weeks today! OFFICIALLY FULL TERM! I am so excited and so ready to have this baby. I think God designed pregnancy so that by the end of it you aren't afraid of labor because staying in THIS condition is worse than temporary labor pain that has an END!

Here is what is happening with our little one this week:

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). 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.)

38 week doctor's appt... 1 cm!

Even though I won't "officially" be 38 weeks till tomorrow, I had my 38 week appointment today. The baby is healthy, has a heart rate of 156bpm. My blood pressure was up at the beginning of the appointment., 138/80 which is high for me. It went back down by the end of the appointment to 110/70, so she said we would just monitor it closely, especially since I have so much edema (swelling).

I am 1 cm dilated and 0% effaced. My doctor said I probably won't go into labor this weekend, but when she asked if I had an appointment scheduled for next week, she said, "Hopefully you won't make it!" :-) Hope! I have hope! She said it's still pretty early and before my due date so it could be a few more weeks... which I know, but my body is miserable and ready for a break!

I just keep telling myself that 1 cm is better than nothing...

If I want peace, I'll come to the King...

Every morning when I wake up, the Lord puts a song in my head... I love it. I awake each new day with praise in my head and my heart, and it is always a message from my Savior that I need to hear.

The song this morning was "Anchor of my soul" by Telecast. We sang it in church this past Sunday (our church started having evening services again... yay!), and I had never heard it before. Here is the part that I awoke singing this morning:

And if I want love I'll come to the cross
And if I want life I'll count this life lost
Anchor of my soul, don't let me drift away
And if I want peace I'll come to the King
And if I want release then You'll have to be
The anchor of my soul, don't let me drift away

Jesus, I will stay with you
I will stay with you.


What a lovely reminder of where peace and love comes from as I do laundry, mop the floors, and waddle around 9 months pregnant and often uncomfortable. Thanks Lord.

And, if anyone is paying attention, the pineapple did not induce labor. But I'm ok with that, it will happen in God's time and not mine. At least the pineapple was delicious and so very flavorful! I can't complain. :-) Nothing was lost in that experiment, and I at least got some good vitamins out of it.

Pineapple, anyone?

Tonight I am eating some fresh pineapple I got from the store... there is a rumor out there that eating it can naturally induce labor (only if your body is ready for it though, so no worries, I'm not doing anything drastic!). Here is some info on how it works:

Bromelain is an enzyme that naturally occurs in pineapple. It is believed to work like a prostaglandin, which aids in the ripening and softening of the cervix. This enzyme is only present in fresh pineapple, and not in canned or jarred pineapple. After the pineapple has been cut and time passes, the enzyme diminishes; if you are trying to induce labor, only eat fresh pineapple.


I had to look up a video online on how to cut fresh pineapple. They said to turn it upside down in the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting to let the sugars seep down to the top. After hearing this, I immediately called to Eliot in the other room and asked if he could go to the fridge and turn my pineapple over. He's such a sweet guy he actually did it for me. :-) You see, to do it myself would require 20 or so excruciating steps to and from the fridge, after which I'd just have to sit down and wait to cut it for 30 min. So it was much easier for Eliot to come from the office and turn my pineapple over than for me to waddle on over there in pain to do it.

Like my pregnancy logic? Yeah, me too. :-)

Off to eat some pineapple! Worse case scenario, I get some extra vitamins and fruit in my diet. Not too shabby.

37 weeks! Little swiss chard!!

I am 37 weeks today and officially (by most standards) full term! Woohoo! Let's get this kiddo out into the world! I am SO uncomfortable... I can barely walk because of the pain in my pelvis, and last night my hip and back pain was so unbearable I couldn't sleep on either side comfortably. Alright, baby, any time you're ready...

Here is what is happening with our kiddo 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.)

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.

Doctor's appointment

I had a doctor's appointment today, and everything is normal. She said there's nothing we can really do right now but wait. She also mentioned that she didn't think he'd be coming in the next week, but the pelvic pressure is a good sign. I was also told to get lots of rest and not let myself get exhausted. NOT a problem... I hate moving off the couch even a little bit these days!

So... the wait continues. I will be 37 weeks tomorrow, I'll post more then.

Dropping the baby

Or rather, I think the baby might have dropped (I didn't drop the kid, I promise!). :-)

Ever since late last night and all day today I've been having a lot more pressure in my pelvis, and it feel like someone kicked my cervix with a football cleat (ouch!). It is the worst when I walk around, but I seem to do ok sitting (I'm not comfortable, but then again I'm never comfortable these days). I am also breathing easier today, which I heard is also a sign of the baby dropping.

You can't really tell much from looking at me, but I heard that is common with women who carry low to begin with or have longer torsos. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow after a WIC breastfeeding class, so we'll see what the doctor says.

Here is more info on what the baby dropping means:

You may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to "drop" down into your pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor if this is your first baby. (If you've given birth before, it probably won't happen before labor starts.) If your baby drops, you may also feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, which may make walking increasingly uncomfortable, and you'll probably find that you have to pee even more frequently. If your baby is very low, you may feel lots of vaginal pressure and discomfort as well. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs!

Flowers!

I am enjoying my lupines in the front yard so much I thought I'd share some pics of them! I planted these ones last year from seed and they finally took off.



View of the front flower bed, lupines in bloom on the right


Succulent garden in bloom (sorry it's blurry, it hurts to lean over these days!)

36 week bump pic!

I've been putting this pic off because I feel so puffy and large... but it is time once again for a new bump pic! So here is the progression so far:


4 weeks


8 weeks


12 weeks


16 weeks


20 weeks


20 weeks


24 weeks


26 weeks


28 weeks


32 weeks


32 weeks


36 weeks!!


36 weeks!!

36 Weeks! Little Crenshaw Melon!

I am 36 weeks today!! One more week to go till I am considered full-term (well, one week for some, two weeks for others, it depends on who you ask). :-) I am sooooo uncomfortable now, with backaches, extreme heartburn (was up from 1-4:30 last night because I couldn't lay down), fatigue, swelling, you name it I've got it.

The swelling has been the newest development. I gained a lot of weight the last two weeks, and I think it is due to water weight because you can see how puffy my feet, ankles, face, and hands have gotten. Every time I look at my feet I say to myself, "Those aren't my feet! Who took my feet and left these ones in their place??"I can't wear shoes anymore, I'm down to flip flops.

On a positive note (trying to stay positive here!), I only have a few weeks to go! And we are all prepared with the nursery, bags packed, and household repairs done. I am enjoying the sweet, sweet cold air from the air conditioner as we speak... I've been so hot in general, and these 75 degree days are killer! I can't imagine being preggo in August, I don't envy women who have to do it. I am lucking out that I am for SURE having this kiddo before July even gets rolling!

Our doctor's appt went well, mom got to join us since she came down to visit. The doctor did a cervical check and, surprise surprise, everything's still closed up tight. Such disheartening news, but good since a few more weeks is actually better for the baby anyway. I have a feeling this kiddo is going to hang around for awhile longer....probably past his due date. I keep shooting Eliot dirty looks when he says he hopes he will be born on Father's Day... that is a whole EIGHT days after my due date. Thanks a lot, dear husband of mine. Maybe I should start being more hormonal and difficult to live with so he starts praying for an earlier date!

Anyway, here is what is happening with our kiddo this week:

Your baby is gaining 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 hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.



(Our baby is head-down, btw, the doctor confirmed it. Yay!)

Nesting much?

I've read in all the pregnancy books that near the end of pregnancy, some women get a "nesting" instinct that kicks in to get everything ready for the baby. Well, being the planner that I am, normal people's "nesting" looks a lot like my every day activities (sewing things for baby, prepping diapers, organizing). So I figured this wouldn't hit me, or if it did, I wouldn't recognize it.

I was wrong.

I started out the day cleaning the bathrooms, a normal Thursday activity for me. Then, while windexing the mirrors, I thought I might as well hit the front storm door with some cleaner since it was getting dirty. But I didn't just do the glass... I did every surface of the storm door. And THEN I noticed the inside wooden doors were dirty, so I washed them. But I couldn't get in the corners, so I went to the bathroom, got a q-tip, and dug the dirt out of every corner.

Ok, that's not so bad, right? Everyone uses q-tips to clean their doors, right? Well, then I decided if I'm doing the front door, I might as well do the back door (complete with q-tips). And THEN, when I picked up my card that says "Spot-treat stains on carpet" I thought, what the heck, let's just get out the carpet cleaner and do the high traffic areas. Which then turned into the entry way, the hall, the living room, the nursery, and part of the office and the bedroom.

Now, I normally do a lot of cleaning around the house. That's what I do... I'm a homemaker. But rarely do I take an old toothbrush to the bottom of the toothbrush holder and scrub it free of mildew. It just seems like the little dirt that is everywhere is driving me nuts. Which probably means I'm entering that "nesting" phase...

I've read that nesting usually means labor is a few days away. But I don't think this baby is coming any time soon, no worries everyone. I have a doctor's appt tomorrow anyway that might give us more of an indication of what's happening in there with our LO.

Tonight we are taking a "Baby Basics" class at the hospital... should be a good class for a refresher of some of the things we haven't done since babysitting the twins when they were newborns. I also have a breastfeeding class at WIC next week, but who knows how helpful that will be... my last class there (prenatal nutrition) I knew more than the instructor.

I think I missed one side of the door, so I'm going to go scrub it... and then maybe set up the hoses to water the garden...

35 weeks! Little honeydew melon!!

I am 35 weeks today, and boy do I feel it! We planted our garden today with the help of Dad, Jodi, and Jodi's mom Jo... it was SO much work! We planted flower beds in the front and back (dad bought me some impatiens, petunias, and a delphinium), plus we planted the whole vegetable and squash gardens AND fixed the grass in the front yard. WHEW!! We were all pretty tired by the end of it all and enjoyed some chili on the back patio followed by some strawberry rhubarb pie.

I am so grateful to everyone who helped plant this garden... gardening is one of my favorite activities and I am so glad that now that it is in the ground we just have to maintain it, which is doable even with a newborn. We can set up the auto-waterer and we just need to weed and harvest now and then... not too shabby! I am particularly excited about the flowers we planted in the back, some sunflowers next to the porch with impatiens in front of them and chinese lanterns and black-eyed susans on the side. Should be beautiful!

Pregnancy-wise, I am totally exhausted. Just going to Jerry's to buy the plants today was taxing, and then I helped plant things (while sitting down), which was also tiring. BUT it was worth it. I have a lot of back pain though when I do that much activity, which is not surprising considering how much weight I am carrying on the front!

Here is what is happening with our little one this week:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew). 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.



Only 35 days to go!!!

Wet bag

I made this wetbag to match my diaper bag... it is medium size and has a waterproof lining! Love it...



So now I have two small, one medium, and one large, so I can have choices as to which one to take with me when I go out depending on the length of the trip. I will also have more than one in case one is in the wash.

I decided not to make it a wet/dry bag only because I didn't have a second zipper that was long enough and I didn't feel like going out to get one. SO it is just a wet bag, which is all I really needed anyway.

Latest projects

First of all, I have to say that it was surprising to see my baby ticker on the right be SO CLOSE to the end! This baby is getting pretty close to being born... wow...

Anyway, I finally got around to going to Joann's today to get fabric to make a boppy cover... now I have two so if one is in the wash I still have another one.

Here is the result (sorry the first one is blurry):



Close up of "cows in shorts"...



The back...



It came together very quickly, I was surprised. For anyone who doesn't know, by the way, a boppy is a breastfeeding support pillow that you can also use for tummy time for baby.

I also made these little creations from some onesies Mary Helen gave us and some iron-on transfers. I had a bit of a problem with the transfers, so they aren't all as metallic as they should be, but, meh. They are legible, my back hurts, who cares. :-)





My other project for this week is to make a medium sized wet bag using leftover materials from the diaper bag I made earlier and some polyurethane laminated (PUL) fabric I got on sale at Joanns (it is breathable waterproof fabric used to make covers for cloth diapers). I have a very large bag and two very small bags right now, and I'd like one in the middle so I have options. Unfortunately, to buy a nice medium-sized bag is about $20... by making it myself it costs about $5. It will hopefully be a wet/dry bag with a pocket on the front for the clean clothes or diapers and a big waterproof pocket in the middle for the dirty ones. We'll see how it comes out...

In other news, we are having a cold snap causing frost tonight, and Eliot had to take all our fuchsias into the garage because we have a frost advisory. In MAY. Usually we are getting close to putting in the air conditioners about now, but this year it has just been darn cold. Tomorrow is supposed to be 70, though, and our "plant the garden" day on Saturday is supposed to be 68 and sunny. Friday's forecast calls for "abundant sun." Now that's something you don't hear too often for Oregon.

Time to go enjoy some of the peach pear crisp I made earlier with some non-fat frozen vanilla yogurt. Mmm...

Oh, and check out eliotgrasso.com when you have time... we revamped the whole thing this week.

34 weeks! Little cantaloupe!!

I am 34 weeks today!! I can't believe it... time is moving by so quickly, this kiddo is going to be here so soon!

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday. The baby's heart rate is 156bpm and he is moving around and growing like crazy. She said everything is progressing well, and let me know the nausea I am having is all perfectly normal (great). We also told her about our pediatrician, and she asked us about what we were thinking for labor. I told her we had taken a natural birth class and were hoping to go that direction. I quizzed her about her thoughts on episiotomies, and she said she rarely does them except when it is the only way to get the baby out (if he gets stuck and is in distress, basically).

I was also happy to hear her tell me to stay at home as LONG as possible while in labor, to let things progress naturally without being "on the clock" so to speak in the hospital. She said first time babies rarely come too early, and the mistake most mom's make is coming in too soon and then waiting around for hours in the hospital when they could have been more comfortable at home. So I am planning on watching a movie, taking a shower, eating, and sleeping as much as I can at home before going in. Hopefully it will give mom time to drive down here as well. :-)

Today we are doing the grocery shopping, which is such a big ordeal for me I can't do it without Eliot's help lifting and pushing the cart. We were in Walmart this morning and I had a nice chat with another pregnant lady due in July while she was waiting with the cart like I was while our husbands went to get something. This afternoon we are hoping to conquer Winco during dinner time when it is less crowded.

Anyway, here is what is happening with our little one this week:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which he'll need to regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.



I also got this with my weekly baby update e-mail and thought it was appropriate: