So much. Too much.

Oh boy.

How do I catch my blog up on the 1st 5 weeks of my little stud's life?

I LOVE a good milk coma

I think I'm starting to function again, but I spent a majority of the past few weeks simply staring into the sweetest blue eyes, smelling the sweetest little head, and nuzzling the sweetest little cheeks. Aaaand I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it! Motherhood has been the best unexpected delight.

I say an 'unexpected' delight because I had no idea the love that would overwhelm me the moment I first laid eyes on my firstborn child. There is no way you can be prepared for that. But I'll do a birth post soon and share more about that.

It is hard work, and pretty exhausting, but we are doing well and trying to figure out what to do with ourselves now.

Here is a video of some early morning snuggles.  He was fascinated watching himself on the screen as I recorded.  I was trying to get him to realize he was seeing himself but it might not have clicked with him yet...I'll give him some time :)

It's time

Here's the situation.

Today I am 12 days overdue. I've been trying to go into labor...but it's not working. The problem is my sweet baby has not yet dropped at all- he's still 'sky high'; I am about 50% effaced but 0% dilated. At my medical practice, they don't like to let babies go over 2 weeks past due date. I've been having tons of contractions but the fact that he hasn't dropped into place at all is a concern.

Our theory (the midwife, and I agree) is that he hasn't dropped into place due to the high amount of fluid he is floating around in. A lot of fluid is good for him, but is probably prohibiting him from fitting into my pelvis and causing labor to start.

We are going to the hospital at 5:30 today. They will put a "balloon thing" in me overnight to cause dilation. Usually women will be 2-3 cm dilated after 12 hours with this device. Tonight should be a little uncomfortable, but not TOO bad and they'll give me Ambien to hope for a great night of rest. In the morning we will start pitocin to get contractions going... see how things go...maybe break my water around noontime. Once the water has broken, he will HOPEFULLY be able to get into place and come out to meet us in the afternoon or evening!! Since he never 'dropped' there's a small chance maybe he wouldn't fit, in which case we'd have to do a C-section.

So that's the scoop! Please pray for me as I'm nervous-- pray that things happen naturally with as minimal intervention as possible! Also pray for protection over me and baby's bodies as we work hard to make this happen, and for Dad as he bravely coaches us on!


**The lovely pic is by my dear friend Charis Hill
**Sorry for no blogs lately-my computer died!! We are getting it fixed this week :)

36.5 weeks- watermelon

Hi friends. Less than a month to go! I'm pretty excited. I have cut back my work hours to 4 days a week, and also set an official last day of work: April 15th. He is due April 19th. I reserve the right to move my last day up sooner if I feel the need to! I honestly hope to never ever go back there again...except to visit and show off my little man to my co-workers, who have been so sweet and gracious with me these last 8 months :)

I've VERY much enjoyed 3-day weekends these past 2 weeks with my new schedule. As you can see in the picture, last Monday we painted our bedroom! Tomorrow we will paint the nursery. Today is a rainy Saturday, and knowing that I don't have to accomplish everything today, I am relaxing in bed, in my PJ's, and am actually just paying attention to my babe move around in his huge bump-home (I'm trying not to use the word 'belly'- I never liked that word much anyway). I realized recently that I've been so busy working and preparing for the baby that I had hardly been paying attention to him! His heart rate was low when we went in last Monday so the midwife hooked us up to the heart monitor to see how my contractions affected him (they didn't really affect him at all). He was just consistently below where they wanted him to be that day, so I was ordered to really pay attention to make sure he was kicking enough (at least 10 movements every 3 hrs) and to come back in 3 days. It was a little alarming, but I felt like he was OK since he usually moves around so much.

Sure enough, on our follow-up visit he performed like a champ, heart beating strong and fast, and showing off for the midwife with his acrobatics. She was laughing while trying to locate his heartbeat because he was so lively in response to her touch. It was so nice :) We think he was asleep and during the previous visit.

Since then I started to really appreciate his health and vitality. His movement is painful sometimes but it's very endearing. It's so cool to think that he is full-grown now and just looks like a regular born infant! I have contractions all the time; some that are so tight I can barely breathe, and some with pain. There is a small fear that I won't realize when it's the real thing even though everyone says you will 'know'. Stuart is in Phoenix Arizona this weekend. We've been praying for a long time that the baby won't come this weekend and I don't think he will. Once it turns April, he has my permission to come whenever he's ready! I'm not as afraid anymore. I dreamed last night that he was born and I was just staring at him. It was so real and it was the first time I've dreamed about him! He had dark hair and big feet. But still no name. I have no idea when that will come.

Pineapple.

Yeah 33 weeks. I'm getting so used to being pregnant now, I forget how far along I am...forget to blog...forget lots of other unrelated things too. I had a baby shower last weekend- a romantic spaghetti dinner at my parent's house with a ton of my favorite gals. It was so fun, and I got some great loot! Like, really, really good stuff.

I have been so busy lately! My spare time is spent going on walks, RESTING, SLEEPING, EATING, getting the house in order- and that's about all I have time for! Partially because I just require a lot more of the resting and sleeping than I used to. This beautiful, amazing warm weather has been very uplifting recently. I love spring time- I was born on the 1st day of spring! Baby is due right around Easter. I just hope it's not actually on Easter, tax day, or my birthday that he makes his entrance. He needs his own holiday.

The doctors say we are looking good- he is head down and kicks those little feet and legs around like CRAZY. I'm having lots of painless but some very tight contractions. At work I write down what times they start, just for fun. When I first realized I was having contractions, I felt so cool!!

Last week we took a few classes, including childbirth, and now Stuart is pumped and ready to go. It's very cute. The other night I apologized that his music room was a MESS-- just a tornado of baby shower gifts. He smiled and said that it's not his music room anymore. It's the baby's room.

30 weeks

When you're 26 yrs old, the number 3o is going to be a little intimidating, no matter how you put it. There is so much happening, I hardly know where to begin! This week, my baby's daddy and I went to tour the hospital where he will make his entrance into the world! It was very interesting and I know we both were wide-eyed and maybe a little pale-faced the whole time. We got to see some adoooorable newborns in the nursery, and there were Peter Rabbit sketches on the walls (cute). The delivery room is really nice- very spacious with comfy seating and home-y amenities. The nurse kept going over what to do when we get there- dad, drop mom off in a wheelchair in the lobby, then park the car. She will be waiting in the lobby unless anything crazy happens, in which case, run to the 8th floor and scream her name until the nurses show you to her room. It made me nervous; it made Stuart realize that we are, in fact, having a baby.

My bump has now overtaken any vertical part of my mid-section you could imagine it overtaking. I'm baffled as to where my ribs went. I find myself amazed at how small all the other girls seem now, and all the pictures of myself from Thanksgiving and Christmas make me laugh since I thought I had a such a 'bump'.

Little boy nuzzles and snuggles around like crazy in his "room", especially when I'm trying to sleep or when his dad is praying for him. I absolutely love it. I love to pester him a little- like push down on one baby body part and make him squirm in response. It's so cute and freaky at the same time. It proves what we all know: that parents love to torture their kids from the beginning!

I have so much left to do in the nursery. It just doesn't even matter though- maybe I'll have more time to finish it up after he's born when I get a break from work! Perhaps he can help me pick out some things for his room once he's seen it. I'm trying to enjoy this special time as much as possible and I'm starting to realize that the best is yet to come.

29

I promise, my boy grew a noticeable amount from when I woke up this morning to now, as I am typing at bedtime. That at least explains why I was indescribably sleepy and weepy today and yesterday. I am 29 weeks today. My first week of 3rd trimester has been markedly different. My ribs have felt bruised the last 2 weeks, and the past few days I feel stuffed to the brim full of baby. It feels like right after Thanksgiving dinner...there is no way anything more could fit in my stomach area! I've been a little concerned, considering I have 2.5 months to go and am positive I'm completely out of growing room. The man weighs 2.5 lbs now. I just don't know how we will accomodate the 4+ pounds he is sure to put on before we meet.
Oh, speaking of pounds- the general feelings of discomfort have left me unfortunately very irritable. Basically, I just want to eat ice cream and pancakes. I really haven't indulged in these much at all, but this morning (as I was REALLY struggling with life and being awake) I did allow myself a pack of peanut M&M's at 8:30am. It was great, but I need to make sure I limit these indulgences as much as possible or I will really really run out of stomach space.

On another note, I'm still getting over the ends of The Plague. Throat and ears are still sore- it's really something!

I go back Thursday morning for that dreaded 3 hour gestational diabetes test. Pray that I don't have diabetes because I just love dessert so much...what would I do if I could NEVER eat chocolate again (until after April)?!!

This picture is from tonight. Tell me that belly isn't bigger than last time you saw me! But I have to say, I'm OK with how the rest of me looks :) I was thinking it would be much worse than that by now.

Good night all!