Week 36 and 37 appointments

Welp, baby boy is full term now! I keep saying that he is just freeloading now. I will give him until Thursday, then he gets his eviction warning. One more week and it's an eviction NOTICE. His current location will be closing for renovations and he's gonna have to get OUT!

I've been behind blogging so I'll start with my 36 week appointment. This one didn't' go as smoothly as some of the others. First, they took my BP and it was high, which they know happens. Then my doctor came in and said that I needed to get one more blood draw for some random reason. Now I was sure I'd already had all the blood draws I needed, so this instantly put me on edge. It's like I needed some time to get used to the idea of having my arm pricked! So by the time the appointment was over, I was on edge. They were sending me to the lap (which is at my clinic) and they weren't quite ready so I headed to the waiting room. While I was there, my nurse came out and said "Oh, let me take your blood pressure again to make sure it went down!" Well that's crazy to take it right before a blood draw! It was way way way up, still.

At the lab, the phlebotomist asked why I was there and I said that my doctor told me I needed another blood draw for a test (it was for HIV/Hep B, which I'd already been cleared on and had opted out of a second test!) The lady said that insurance would pay for another one if I wanted it, and I said, honestly I don't care either way, but can we just get on with it? So they went ahead and did it. It wasn't as bad as I anticipated. But then the nurse wanted to take my bp AGAIN and it was still high!

And here's the thing about blood pressure -- there are only a few things that can naturally bring it down and one of those is not being stressed, but when youre' stressed about bringing it down,it's going to stay up. See? So that was the story of my life for about 24 hours after that appointment. They said if it stayed high that I should go to Labor & Delivery to have it monitored. Well, I'm thinking to myself, no WAY I'm going to L&D and letting them take my baby out of me at 36 weeks..I wasn't ready! All this happened Tuesday, but by that evening it was still high but only marginally so. In the morning it was back up. I took it a time or two more and by the afternoon decided to just go to L&D. They checked me in and put me in a triage room. I just kept my regular clothes on and they hooked me up to a BP monitor, contraction monitor and fetal heartbeat monitor. It was so nice hearing his little strong heart. I didn't have any contractions and over the course of 2 hours or so, my bp ended up going down so low that Kelsey wasn't sure if I was still alive ;)  They let me go home and said everything else looked normal, so I didn't need to worry if it was up slightly next time unless I had headaches or vomiting.

Then to the 37 week appointment. This was last Tuesday and I was determined to have Kelsey there so I could avoid another situation. Well it worked because my BP was down lower than it had been the whole pregnancy at an appointment! Everything was fine and normal. She kept saying, "could be any day!" but didn't have any insight into when it would be. They have no idea! She said he felt like he had dropped more. His heart beat was great and he was moving around slightly, as usual. Love that little guy!

So tomorrow will be 38 weeks and my last appointment (keeping in mind that my X week appointment falls two days before I am the next week pregnant, so this means I'll be 39 weeks on Thursday). She will be doing an exam this time to see if I have dialated further (I had dialated to 1). I think Kelsey is going with me again, so hoping I will stay calm!

Now, on to how I'm feeling. Within the past few days I've started feeling really uncomfortable all the time. I feel like I'm blessed with this because a lot of women get this way FAR earlier in their pregnancies. The worst is when I'm sleeping. It's so hard to turn over anymore. I have to lug my big belly right with me! And no matter what side I'm on, I hurt. My hips hurt and my hands are swollen. They are also very, very stiff. I can barely bend them, especially after I first wake up. Because he's dropped some, he's laying more on my hips/pelvis so I feel him just pinching all the time when I'm up and moving. It does feel good to get up and take walks, etc. but then I'm ready to sit back down again. I'm using my balance ball because sometimes it's more comfortable than the couch...never thought I'd say that! But the end is in sight!

35 week appointment

Yesterday was my 35 week appointment and it was a good one. Kelsey was able to go with me, and that always improves my blood pressure, even though the day started out stressful with a call from work. I really thought going into it that my blood pressure would be SKY high. I even told the nurse that it might be high and to keep that in mind, but it was only 126/71, which is great for me! That just proves that having Kelsey there makes things better..he calms me down!

So then they did the exam. They had to do a swab for Group B which I still have no idea what it is, but it's not harmful at all for Mommys but is very harmful to babies, so if I have it, I just have to take antibiotics. The things I've learned....then she did an internal exam to see where he was sitting and if he had dropped. The first thing she said was, "He's facing the right direction!!" And then she said he had a nice, hard head. I said he gets that from his Daddy, and Kelsey said he gets it from BOTH of us, which is so totally true. Then she said he had dropped a little bit, but not completely. WE're getting closer!

I have to say, I really love my midwife. I was reading an article the other day that said of women who saw a doctor for their prenatal care, 65% said they were satisfied with it, whereas women who saw a midwife/nurse practitioner reported a 85% satisfaction rate. I think it's because midwives have more time to sit down with their patients and answer questions, and they answer them in a more relaxed way than doctors do. I know I've had problems with doctors before who seem too busy or "uppity" to care about my concerns. Sharon, our midwife, sat down and just talked to us about our concerns, and always tells me how well I'm doing. Of course I love that. :)

With all that being said, I'm really excited about his arrival. It's funny, I'm a little bit torn between loving my baby belly so much that I'll miss it, and him being here. Now , this doesn't mean that I'll be wanting to pop out another little one as soon as he's out, but there is something really cool and comforting about him being in my belly moving around...it feels like I can control that situation. But I'm also really looking forward to holding him and hugging him and seeing Kelsey do the same (and of course, Aunt Sis, Grammie, Grumpa, and the rest of the crew). Everytime I see one of his little onesies or diapers I just wish he was here now. It's a good place to be in. I wouldn't want extremes either way (like, devastated that I wont' be pregnant anymore or begging for him to get here soon). Knowing that he could really come anytime in the next 4 weeks is so exciting!


Mom and Dad are leaving today to drive down for the weekend, my shower at work is today and we're doing maternity pictures this weekend! So it should be an exciting week!


Here is my 36 week picture:

34 week appointment & breastfeeding class

I had another normal appointment yesterday! My blood pressure was up at the beginning and low at the end (as usual). My midwife measured my belly and said it was the perfect size, so that means he's the right size for his age. She said he must be "stretching out" because she could feel him on both sides of my belly. Next appointment they will do an exam to see how my cervix is doing and at that point she'll determine how big he is (well, it's just an educated guess) and if he's head down. My next appointment is in 2 weeks and starts my weekly appointments...THAT'S close! I will only have 4 more of them left, unless he comes early. His heart rate was great and she didn't have any trouble finding it this week. He was being calm and patient for once!

She gave me a little card and I'm supposed to "count my kicks". This seems like a lot of hassle for me, considering he moves all the time. I have to start counting and when I get to 10 kicks, I stop. If I don't feel 10 kicks in 2 hours, I'm supposed to call their office immediately. In our childbirth ed class we had to do the same thing, but she said to lay on our sides and if he doesn't' move, drink some juice and see if he moves. The biggest problem with this kick counting stuff is the fact that the instructions tell me to lay on my side..now how am I supposed to do that at work? So I'm just sitting with my feet propped up doing it at my desk!

We had a breast feeding class last night and it was really informative. I am very committed to sticking it out because I feel like it's best for him AND (selfishly) it will save money on formula. I'm thinking, why spend all that money on artificial stuff when I could use what God gave me (well, let's hope he gives me enough) and use that money to buy fun stuff for Luke! The coolest thing about the class was them talking about getting skin to skin contact with the baby from the minute he's born, up to an hour, right on my chest! The teacher said a lot of Moms will just fall asleep like that for a little while, with that warm little baby right there being cuddled. I told Kelsey nothing sounds nicer to me. He said later, "I have to admit...that is pretty special. Moms are lucky they get to do that." Then later in the class, he asked the instructor if Dads could give skin to skin contact too!  She said it was a great idea and to hold him as much as possible at first. I can just imagine us all laying in bed napping and cuddling. Can't wait!

The other day we were at Mochi, which is this really yummy yogurt place where you get your own toppings, and I saw a Mom with her baby eating yogurt and just seeing her made me want to cry. I just can't wait to see his little face, and although 6 weeks doesn't seem like a lot, it feels like an eternity!!

We had our childbirth ed class (the first 2 sessions) so I'm going to wait till it's all done to write about that.

Here is my picture from last Wednesday (33 weeks).

Week 31 doctor's appointment

I just got back from my bi-monthly doctor's appointment and all is well. My blood pressure was up at the beginning of the appointment, but then dropped substantially by the end. I think I just get nervous about the appointment (even though I know what's going to happen) and then calm down by the end. I have to tell them that every time. I think it's weird that they can remember my jewelry or shoes, but not something like that! But I can't complain because the staff at my clinic are really amazing people. I gained I think two pounds. I can't remember what my weight was last time, but if I remember correctly, I was 2 pounds more today. Notice I don't put my weight on here. I'm not that bold!

I didn't have any swelling and really haven't much at all. Sometimes when I get hot or I haven't drank enough water, my feet get a little swollen, but overall I've been feeling good as far as that goes. She put the doppler on my belly to hear his heartbeat and as usual, he squirmed. He really shows his personality when she does this. He will move away from it and she has to literally push on my belly and pin him against the doppler, then his heart speeds up like he's mad. I would be mad too if my room suddenly got smaller! I mean honestly, I get mad when Kelsey is "in my space" in our queen sized bed! So he's moody like his Mom, I guess. She said she could feel some kicks from "an extremity" and she couldn't feel his head at the top, so looks like he's pointing toward the exit (although he still has lots of room to move around and she said he still flip flops a lot, most likely).

As far as that goes, Luke is moving around pretty much all the time. Starting probably Sunday night until this morning, he was moving constantly. it's not just kicks, either, it's full turns. I'd really love to know what he's doing in there!  I also wish I could find out how big he is. There are just so many questions I still have, like what he looks like, when he'll get here, how big he'll be. It's a lesson in patience, that's for sure!

I've been feeling really good so far.It's starting to get a little more difficult to get out of chairs and turn over in bed. Sometimes I'll drop something and wonder if it's worth it to pick it up. But I really can't complain..I've had a really healthy pregnancy so far and haven't experienced many of the really bad symptoms (yet) that other women have. Maybe that makes up for the rough first three months! I haven't had many cravings, although I'm starting to notice a little food aversion popping back up -- things will smell "off" or bad to me that I liked before. I still crave sweets of all kinds, so I'm thankful my glucose was normal! That would have been bad news bears. Today's specific craving is hash browns..how weird is that?

Here is my week 31 picture, and thanks to "Aunt Sis" (I keep wanting to call her that) for reminding me about it!

I feel like I look like a house! But dresses always make me look bigger, I think. The arm is strategically placed to minimize flab. Mom didn't raise no dummy.

30 weeks and an ultrasound

Tomorrow marks my 30th week of pregnancy. My due date used to be November 27, but at the last ultrasound they told us it was November 25, which means he's officially due on Thanksgiving day (sorry buddy, guess Mommy and Daddy didn't think about that). I'm sure he'll at some point in his life have a birthday on Thanksgiving, which is sort of crappy, but the upside is he'll probably get the day of from school for his birthday!

Last Thursday (at 29 weeks) was my ultrasound to check his weight. Last time they told us he was on the "light side" and that's why we had to come back for this one. By the way, the hospital charges $1400 for a level 2 ultrasound! That's just ridiculous, especially since the residents were basically using it as a teaching tool. Anyway, we aren't responsible for all that, but just glad we have insurance. So last week's ultrasound was at my regular doctor's office with a tech. She said he was doing great. He had all his parts growing well, the heart was strong and kidneys were doing their thing. We got to watch him move around a little which was so fun. He was folded in half with his legs over top of his head, and sucking on his little fingers:

The best part was that we learned he's in the 50th percentile, so he's a normal little baby! It's comforting to know he's growing like he should and doing all the things he needs to be doing.

I'm feeling him move all the time now. The first thing he does is kick me in the belly to wake me up and the last thing he does is kick me to sleep. Kelsey can see him move around from the outside now. The first time he saw it he freaked out a little, because it is sort of an unusual phenomenon. He said it looked like an alien was going to pop out! Well, that's sort of true. Except it wont' pop out THROUGH my stomach.

Yesterday I had my regular check-up and it was more good news. My blood pressure was up at the last couple of appointments, but yesterday it was nice and low. I had only gained one pound since last week. Added to the last appointment, I've only gained 2 pounds in the last month, so I was happy about that. I am not as hungry as I was earlier in my second trimester. I mean it used to be that I couldn't stop eating to save my life, but now I can stop after breakfast and lunch and have a sensible dinner with a few snacks in between. I don't need that late night bowl of cereal anymore to get me through the night either! My doctor gave me a Z-Pack because I've been fighting a cold for over a week, but besides that said everything looked great. I feel very blessed so far to have a healthy pregnancy!

Week 27 Doctor's Appointment

I just got back from my Week 27 Doctor's Appointment. Typically they wouldn't have me back two weeks in a row, but she wanted to check out my blood pressure AND it was time for my glucose screening. The kit they gave me last week had instructions that said you should get to the appointment early and tell them you need to have your blood drawn exactly one hour after taking the liquid stuff they give you. I have been a nervous wreck about it, not only because I'm afraid I'll mess up the instructions, but because there is a blood draw involved. So this morning I woke up early and kept a hawk eye on the clock to make sure I drank the stuff one hour before. I've heard horror stories about it, but honestly it tasted like fruit punch flavored Kool Aid.

So I got to the appointment 15 minutes early and they took me back to get my weight and blood pressure. i was trying to keep it cool the whole time, even though I was so nervous. I didn't gain anything (thank goodness) and then the nurse took me into the room for my blood pressure. It was something like 156/89 and she said "you're nervous huh?" and I'm thinking, UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR. I am gonna be in bad shape when I go into labor if I'm that nervous at my appointment. So she got another blood pressure thing out and took it on my other arm, where it was 136/85. that was a little better, especially accounting for how nervous I was. When my NP came in, she did the belly measure, checked for swelling and listened to his heart (belly measured perfect, no swelling, perfect heart beat). Then she took my BP again and it was back down to 124/82.

Next was my blood draw. I get SO nervous about getting blood drawn and it was the first time without Kelsey by my side, so I was not looking forward to it. The girl was really nice, though, and it was over before I knew it. They took 4 vials of my precious blood...no wonder I feel yucky now!

The next step was the Rhogam shot. This one is to add antibodies to my blood so it wont' compete with Luke's (in case he's RH positive). Now let's talk about where they put this shot. The girl says, "this shot goes into your hip!" and I reluctantly laid down on my side and tugged down my jeans. She said, "actually I need to go just a little lower." I pulled more. "No, loooweerr....it's actually not the hip, it's right in your cheek." So I pulled my jeans down and there went the shot right in my butt. I mean honestly. It wasn't bad at all, over before I even realized it, but still.

I walked out and made my next appointment, and felt just the tiniest bit woozy. I sat down and fanned myself and felt fine after that.

Next appointment will be another ultrasound to check his weight! I'm really looking forward to that one.

Week 26 doctor's appointment

I had my doctor's appointment for week 26 on Tuesday and it went well! I'd only gained about 3 pounds, which was great for me. I had gained 10 pounds in one month so I needed to slow down. I know this is because I've been watching what I eat and trying to walk on the treadmill at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes or more. I have heard several people say, "sometimes babies just have growth spurts!" so that's what I'm hoping happened. I never thought I'd be happy about ONLY gaining 3 pounds but I guess that's life as a preg!

They took my blood pressure and it was a little bit high (like 134/86) and the nurse gave me a stern talking to. The nurse doctor came in and I told her about the BP and she said she'd take it after and see what happens. She measured me and then listened to his sweet little heart...I'll never get tired of hearing it! His heart beat was 154/minute. She said it was "perfect" and then said "but this baby ALWAYS has a great heart rate." I said, "he get it from his momma!" (just kidding, but I was definitely thinking it) She asked if I'd had any nausea, headaches, etc. and I told her I hadn't. My headaches have really subsided since early second trimester, although I still get sinus headaches occasionally. She said my legs and arms looked good with no swelling. I'm actually surprised I haven't had the leg swelling I've heard so much about...of course, I have 3 more months! She told me to keep doing what I'm doing and come back in a week to re-check my BP and do the glucose screening, then also get a shot of Rhogam because my blood type could interfere with his. It's typical to have this between 26 and 28 weeks as a precaution during delivery.

I'm actually feeling really good. I know as soon as I type this, I'll probably start feeling like absolute crap! ha My hunger has actually lessened a little. I don't get the hunger pangs like I did a few weeks earlier where if I didn't eat I'd feel sick.  I can balance my meals better that way. As far as getting around, I still get winded easily and sweat if I even LOOK at a thermometer that's over 80 degrees, but at least I can move and walk and feel OK.

He's kicking a lot more lately. There are days when he will kick all day long, other days when he only kicks a little bit. It's so weird feeling him in the bottom of my belly, then in the top. I always wonder what he's doing  in there.

Yesterday I took this picture:

That's my belly looking down! I think this is a cool picture and something I don't want to forget. I love having him right there in my belly with me all the time..like a little companion. I texted Sarah and said "look...Luke says, 'get that girlie necklace off of me!'" I like to put words in his mouth.

Well that's the major update for now. Thanks Sis for reminding me constantly to update this!