The week I have longed for and never thought I would get to.
Thank you God!
Countdown now at 3…
3 more days until snip snip! Super duper YAY! I’m getting excited with everyday that goes by. I made an executive decision to quit my 17-P shots a little early because I figured the docs aren’t gonna stop me now if I go into labor so why should I be taking the shots to help relax my uterus anymore and delay the inevitable. The shots did their job in preventing me from having really early pre-term labor and from laboring with the stitches in. They are cutting the stitches in 3 days since they know my body is already gearing up for the big day.
Thank you 17-P, but your job is done and I am eternally grateful. Next on the chopping block is the cerclage.
I was recently thinking of all the things I’ve learned while pregnant that I didn’t know.
- Hyperpigmentation. In certain areas, I have demarcation lines of where my skin got considerably darker. Even in places that don’t usually see the sun.
- Loose hips. My hips are sore all the time. Getting out of bed is a painful. I feel like I need a bilateral total hip replacement.
- Skin growths, such as skin tags or this tiny little wart on the left side of my nose that was never there before.
- Overwhelming fatigue, even when doing nothing at all. I have spent many days in bed (such a wonderful luxury to not work) only to pass out watching a great show. I keep missing the end!
- Too much time on your hands isn’t always a good thing. I had every intention to read and be more knowledgeable regarding work stuff, but I’ve been off for 20 weeks and haven’t looked at anything work related. Baby girl is all that matters.
But still, I am very grateful to God to get this far (35w6d) and the overall experience is a blessing.
I have a few more little things to add to what I already have and then I can truly kick back and wait.
Awesome Ultrasound, awesome day
Got to see Miss MeMe and my cervix this morning. She has baby fat and hair! Yay! The tech didn’t say how much she weighed, but her measurements averaged 33w1d but I am 33w4d based on LMP. She has consistently measured a few days behind because I ovulated later than the average 14 days rule, so it’s all good. Due date doesn’t change for a handful of days! Defintitely still a girl! We got some awesome pictures of her cute little baby face. The tech let us watch her yawn and stick her tongue out. We could see her practice breathing and trying to move in her crammed space. She has plenty of amniotic fluid and the placenta is still good. My cervix is a comfortable 3 cm, so not too worried there either.
I think she has my nose, but mom and husb say she’s gonna look like him. She has his forehead and overall shape of face. We won’t really know until she comes out. Either way, she’s my cutie!
Our stroller/carseat came today and it’s gorgeous! Husb took it out of the box and we were so giddy, it almost made us late for the appointment. Playard is in transit, being shipped from Ohio according to the tracking #. Should be here next week.
We have a date for the Cerclage Removal….drum roll please…….Sept 15th @ 0930. Super yay! MeMe’s shackles are coming off and she will be free to leave the premises! So just gotta hang out these next 3 weeks. Soooo excited!
The only thing that made the day suck was that it’s sooo freaking hot! I thought my skin was melting!
33 weeks of dreaming
MeMe is now a 33 weeks and is steadily getting bigger and bigger. It’s so great to know that I’m so close to having her. My mom says I look like I’ve dropped already. We’ll see what the US says in 2 days. One good thing is that everyone that has seen me claims that I’m “all belly” which is a great compliment, but I know it’s not all true. Thanks anyway. MeMe is chillin, kicking me hard when I’m lying down. When I’m standing and fussing around, I feel random BH contractions. Yesterday, I kept feeling like I had be pee all the time. It was either all the water I drank (it’s too freakin hot!) or she was hanging out by my bladder.
Husb and I had a date to watch a great movie (District nine) and have dinner with some of my work-friends last Saturday. It was fun, but wow, the birthday girl is a lush! I couldn’t imagine having as many shots and long island iced teas that she had and to still be mobile. My ass would’ve been knocked out! It was good to see folks. Everyone keeps asking what we’re doing for the baby and wants to be invited to whatever it is. Sure people, it’s coming.
We are getting geared up for the big event in 3 weeks. I’m super excited. I keep looking through my overnight bag to make sure I have what I need. That bag has been packed since I was 16 weeks! Just in case I ended up hospitalized AGAIN! MeMe’s bag has been packed too, but I can’t remember when I started stuffing it. Husb finally set up the small refrigerator and has figured out where to put things in baby’s room. I still need to buy that pack-n-play in the next few days. Just very lazy and sleepy these days.
I’ve been having vivid baby dreams. But I’ve had them for months now. They started with when I was pregnant with the twins. Here are a few I remember most:
1) I dreamt that I gave birth to one baby girl with a club foot after watching a show on discovery health about a baby with a club foot. This was while pregnant with two babies.
2) After the twins and my aunt died, I dreamt that they were communicating with me through dancing sunflowers in our backyard. They were dancing and swinging and happy together. The next day I woke up, there was a huge sunflower that sprung up on the hill part of the backyard. We never had sunflowers grow before or after that day after the dream. Spooky.
3) I dreamt that I had MeMe early and she was really small, but forgot to buy blankets for her. She kept crying and screaming because she was cold and I felt like the worst mother ever. When I woke up, I ran to the store to buy receiving blankets and one of those fuzzy plush blankets. Mom also started sewing some of the blankets she was making at the same time. Weird, huh.
4) I dreamt that I had MeMe and she was fine. We were happy. But I went to a public bathroom and found a homeless couple trying to kill their small baby. I kept screaming “take her to the hospital and let her live, she’ll be okay!” and they kept trying to smother her while she was crying. So I took the baby from them and ran to the hospital. I woke up crying.
These hormones are too much!
Another fabulous appointment (32w4d)
Yesterday, I had a pretty good doctor’s appointment with Dr. M’s office. We had to wait 1.5 hours to be seen because the doc I was assigned to was stuck doing an emergency C-section. They were going to reschedule me for another day, but husb was pushy and insisted I be seen since I was “high-risk.” So they managed to squeeze me in. I told him not to act like that when I’m hospitalized! But I gotta hand it to him, he gets results.
My bp was good, mostly because I told the MA to give me a second to let my heart rate go down. Belly is measuring on target and my urine was fine. Up 3 pounds in 2 weeks. Been lazy and hungry!
Doc wants me to get a US to check my cervical length and see how MeMe is growing. Fantastic! I haven’t seen her in 4 weeks! Then we asked about the Cerclage Removal and we found out it will be on L&D at my hospital since it’s more sterile and I can be monitored for contractions. They will call me with the date that it will be scheduled but I should expect sometime after Sept 14th (36w1d). Yay! Hopefully I’ll dilate right away and only have like a week or two until labor starts. Mom thinks and dreamed that I’ll deliver on her birthday, Sept 24th. Another Libra in the house!
We got some info on local pediatricians and the form to pre-register for the hospital. The new doc trained with Dr. S. way back in the day and she was pretty sharp on addressing any concerns. We’ll see another doc at my 34 wk appointment.
We also just bought MeMe’s stroller and carseat on +arget.com and it should be delivered to our house sometime next week. After it arrives, then I’ll get the pack-n-play that she’ll be sleeping in. It matches the travel system and has music/vibrations to help soothe her. It has a changing station built in, napper, and bassinet along with the playyard on the bottom. We thought it was pretty cool when we first saw it, but now it’s no longer in the stores and we have to buy it online. You would think that if it was being discontinued, it should be on sale! It’s a freakin’ clearance item. Oh well. I just want it here by stitch cutting time.
I’ve been working on the Outdooring Party. I find it more exciting to figure out. Everyday I try to discuss it my mom or husb and I think they’re tired of me already! Can’t really plan for the baby anymore since a lot of it is learning on the spot. So at least now that I have plenty of time, I can start the prep for the party. I know when MeMe comes and I’ll be focusing on her that the thought of planning and organizing a party will be the last thing on my mind. Mom and I planned the food and invite list just last night. We’ll have lots of ladies helping on the day of the party.
59 days left!
59 days left until my EDD! Awesome!
But, I feel like I’m ready now. I’d be happy if she was born because I really really want to see and hold her already. I know, I’m being selfish because she is not ready to come out yet, but I want her here! I wish her lungs would hurry up and mature so I can deliver. The suspense is killing me! I have no desire to wait until 40+ weeks. 37 or 38 would be just fine.
A coworker had her baby boy at 32 weeks last year. I think he was in the NICU for about 5 weeks or so. He came out the womb 6 lbs at that time. She had GD and I’m not sure what caused her to deliver so early since she never told me the whole story. But he is 1 yr 3 mo and healthy now. So it’s possible, but not ideal of course.
I guess I also want to deliver now because I’m uncomfortable. Gotta work around the belly and work with the extra weight. My joints don’t like it. Husb and I can’t sleep in the same bed together. He tosses and turns and takes up more than his alotted space. Drives me nuts. So by the time I get comfy and cozy, he steals the covers or I’ll have a sudden urge to go pee. Crap! It’s getting out of hand. So we stagger, kinda like when I was working. He sleeps at night and I sleep during the day or after 4 am (the time he leaves).
I’ve been watching a lot of delivery shows and “Bringing Home Baby” to see what works and doesn’t work. I could’ve done the childbirth and breastfeeding class on Monday, but I realized there’s alot I already know and can learn from mom, the postpartum RN. So I’ll save my $$. I went through a lot of childbirth stuff with the twins. What a mucus plug looks like, what having your water breaks feels like, the monitoring, IV lines, having your cervix checked manually, waiting to dilate enough (6 hours for the boys), the major contractions to help deliver (hurt like hell) and waiting for the placenta to come out. Been there, done that. I just know now that the baby is the size of a watermelon, the waiting and pain will be much worse. Epidural please! I kinda know about that too. Getting my spinal for the cerclage is pretty similar in procedure and effects. The rest of the stuff I need to know, my doc and L&D nurses will gladly go over with me. Now breastfeeding, mom goes over that every Sunday using one of my teddy bears. Positioning of the baby, cues to look for, how to hold the equipment, and timing on each breast have been discussed. And I guess we’ll keep discussing/practicing it because she wants me knowledgeable by the time I end up in the hospital. Plus, I still have my nursing school books and plenty of time to read.
Other news, my best friend just came back from London (after studying abroad for 8 weeks) and is coming to visit. Yay! Also, it’s someone’s birthday at work, so that means dinner and drinks next weekend. A break in monotony is always welcomed!
