Dropping?

33 weeks, 0 days

I think she's dropped a little. My belly seems to be shaped a little differently and I'm feeling lots of pressure "down there". It is definitely a new feeling I've not had before. And the exhaustion. Lordy! I've had a couple of days recently where I slept like a fiend. Saturday I slept for 7 hours.....during the freaking day! I woke up in the morning, had breakfast, went back to bed and slept for 4 more hours...then, I awakened to only stay up for an hour....went back to sleep for 3 hours....ate dinner....and then went to sleep for the night. How is anyone supposed to get anything done with THAT schedule? It was as if I had been hit by a Mack truck.

We've now got all of our diapers, covers and even a large wet bag for our diaper pail. The Moby wrap came in and SG and I had fun putting it on him and having him walking around the house stuffed with a pillow shaped to look like a baby. It was a fun time of "playing house" and he was beaming from ear to ear.

The Braxton Hicks contractions are becoming more frequent and a lot stronger. Nothing to be concerned about. But, all that energy being used up must be burning some calories. Getting on the scale yesterday showed that I've actually lost 2 lbs in the last 6 days. Perhaps it was the recovery from the massive amount of salt intake I had on Tuesday. Something tells me I'm not that far off. The sausage fingers disappeared a couple of days ago. To date, I've only gained a total of 16 lbs. So, I'm feeling pretty darn good about that (pats self on back).

I've been playing a game with our little girl this week. Her growing size and movements make it much easier to distinguish her body parts. Lately, I'm feeling either her foot and shin or her hand and forearm. All I know, is that it is a long bony part of her body. And, I can feel the entire section with my hand whenever she presses up against me. It is pretty darn cool. She presses, and I rub it. She pulls away, waits a second and then does it again. It totally cracks me up. Though she's not here for me to hold yet. I feel like we are getting to spend a little "quality" time together and are slowly discovering a few things about one another.

Sausage Fingers

32 weeks, 2 days

I took off my wedding rings a couple of weeks ago because I noticed they were becoming a little tight. But, no one prepared me for the sausage fingers I was about to start getting. Now, I do have to blame my salty diet yesterday as part of the problem. By the end of the day, I had drank a load of water and hardly peed at all. I really think eight glasses of water went straight to my fingers. And, before I went to bed, I had gained 5 lbs from the time I was weighed that morning. Well, of course, my salt/water balance finally hit equilibrium in the middle of the night, and I ended up peeing up a storm....all into the "wee" hours of the morning. That's what you get when you eat McDonald's sausage McMuffin for breakfast and pizza for lunch. It isn't something I normally do. But, I was out and about yesterday and needed some quick meals. Don't think I'll be trying that again! Michella likes her sleep!

My weekly OB appt. went well. My BP was great, at 130/84 (the lowest it has been in the Dr.'s office in weeks). Baby's heart rate was 162 bpm and my urine sample was free and clear! Gotta love a good appointment.

Our little girl is definitely getting bigger. I can tell just from the increased pressure in my belly and the power behind her kicks and punches. SG and I spent the morning in bed together giggling at her activity. And, the little princess has already been able to stop any romantic activity between us. We were kissing and hugging and feeling all lovey-dovey, when she started kicking so hard that SG felt her punch his tummy. Talk about killing the moment!

This week, we bought a great used changing table and SG spent the time repainting it and assembling it for her nursery space. I also bought little cute storage baskets to fit on its shelves. Now it looks too darn cute. Our bedroom is getting pretty cramped in here! But, a family that sleeps together is always snug as a bug and in love together. Even our doggie has had to find a new place to sleep next to SG on the floor. We are all adjusting in one way or another, that is for sure.

Less than eight weeks to go. And, she could be here as early as four and a half! It is still so hard to believe!

Baby Shower

I've got two Baby Showers coming up and I can't wait. The first is in a couple of weeks and is a shower for all the ladies in our neighborhood. It should be loads of fun. The second is being hosted by my girlfriend, Dianne, and is for close friends and family. She just sent me a copy of my invitation. Isn't it pretty?



And, here is a new belly pic, taken this morning at 31 weeks, 1 day. =)

Cabin Fever

31 weeks, 0 days

I'm about ready to take someone out. Anyone. I don't care who it is. I've lost all patience with this partial bed rest order and so I've been bouncing off the walls.

When SG is in writing mode, I must refrain from bothering him with things like, oh I don't know, speech. So, I spend most of the day doing light tasks around the house, sleeping, cooking, or perusing the internet for tasty morsels to keep me entertained. But, I'm laying down more than anything. For someone who is very active, it is a tough thing to tie yourself down to a bed or sofa all day. And, it is driving me freaking crazy. I can't take another day of it.

I need sunshine and daffodils and smiles from random strangers. I need to see the world again.

Our little girl continues to grow and kick and create quite a stir in my belly. She still takes her major naps between 11 am and 3pm. But, wakes up with more energy than ever. Last night, she discovered my left rib cage with her feet. She's usually folded up in a little ball and kicks me on my left side. But not last night. Oh no. I got lots of big jolts way up high, as if she finally realized she could stretch her legs for the first time. I've also started getting a lot of Braxton Hicks Contractions over the past week. Nothing regular and not painful. Just very uncomfortable when they happen.

We had another BP scare the other day after I went to the mall with my mom and walked a little too much. I came home and it was 146/101. I spoke with my OB and he told me to keep monitoring it. It went down to a normal level again after I laid on my left side and drank lots of water. Every day, it seems like the bar keeps changing and I really have no idea what my limits are. At the mall, I thought I was taking it really easy. I walked slow. I stopped at benches and rested in between stores. And, I was only on my feet for about an hour. So frustrating.

But today is the 31 week mark, and we're starting to feel that impending excitement. Soon, all this will be over and I'll have our beautiful baby in my arms. It is the only thing that is keeping me sane at the moment (besides my adoring husband, of course). On the pregnancy forum that I frequent, 2 of our May babies were born this weekend. Both women were about a week or so ahead of me and went into labor on their own. That news was a shock to the system to both me and SG. We really want her to stay inside me until the last week of April at the least!

Apparently, I'm having a...

30 weeks, 3 days

The other night I had the strangest dream. My sister and mother were visiting and they were feeling my tummy for kicks. The sun was shining through the window and bouncing off my tummy, making my skin translucent. We could see inside my womb! Expecting to see our little baby, I screamed with delight! But then, I noticed where her feet should be were these long ugly talons. Her head had a long pointy beak. And, instead of arms were these sharp spiny needles that made up her wings.

That's right folks. I'm having a pelican.

I was shocked. Where was my baby? What the hell am I going to do with a pelican? I wanted my baby back and no one could console me. And then, I started to feel guilty for not loving my pelican like I should and I felt like a terrible mother.

Guess I need to prepare for this new harsh reality. First plan of action?.. Stocking up on items from the frozen seafood aisle.

All Hail The Conquering Blood Pressure

29 weeks, 4 days

I'm crying "Uncle". That damn blood pressure has beat me again! At yesterday's OB appt., my BP was a frightening 176/106! That put everyone in the office in a bit of a fluster. And, I was forced to lay down on my left side for a while to see if it would fix itself. They took it two more times and it dropped significantly. But, was still up there at about 135/93 when the Dr. finally came in to see me. Between that, and some sudden moments of near fainting spells, I'm definitely feeling the pregnancy woes. I can't stay on my feet for more than a few minutes at a time without getting winded or dizzy. The other day I got that numbing in my ears.....the one that says "you better lay down, or I'm doing it for you." So, I'm having to stay off my feet and get plenty of bed rest. That is terribly annoying, and not easy to do, when there is so much to be done to prepare for the baby, let alone what needs to happen to keep the house running smoothly and cleanly.

Our little girl was measuring 8 days ahead and weighed in at approx. 4 lbs! Wow. She is getting sooooo big! That's 1 lb gained in only two weeks! No wonder I'm feeling so much weight and pressure in my belly lately. Every time I get up, it feels like she's going to drop out. Some of the best news is that she's packing on the pounds, but I'm not! I've not gained any weight at all in over a month! This alone brings a big smile to my face. Guess I'm losing while she's gaining, so it is all balancing out.

We've been taking lots of classes at the hospital this week (which has added to my exhaustion and stress level). But, it has been very informative and fun. Tomorrow is the labor and birthing course which will instruct us on breathing, coaching, focal points....all those things that I secretly think are useless because I'll be in PAIN! LOL When I had really bad morning sickness, poor SG couldn't touch me because it made me feel worse. So, I'm fearing all of these techniques will just annoy the hell out of me. I feel sorry for him already.

Kidney update

29 weeks, 3 days

I'll be writing an entry later after my OB appt today. But, wanted to fill you in on our appt. that we had with the perinatologist and the urologist this week...

They've finally determined that she definitely has a Duplex Collecting System in her right kidney. At this stage in her development, they do not foresee it resolving on its own. The upper pole of her kidney has a second section and a second ureter, which is not properly dumping fluid into her bladder. So, after she is born, a few things will take place. They'll immediately give her antibiotics for at least 10 weeks, and then monitor her development closely (via ultrasounds and other lab work). They'll then decide which type of surgery she'll be needing. They may have to go in and remove the entire duplicated section. Or, it may be relieved by simply making an incision at the blockage site. Either way, the good news is, it looks like she'll have two healthy and working kidneys when it is all done!

The two doctors we have that are working together on this have our complete trust. They've been extremely informative and sensitive to our needs and questions. Everything else about our little girl seems to look great. Check in later for my OB update from today, as well as some funny antidotes from our hospital classes this week.