Lucas's Birth Story...

This will be long, just like my labor was..

Thursday December 16

We got up for 6 am and headed out the door at 6:10.  I wanted to eat a good breakfast before heading to the hospital because I knew it would be the last time I ate for awhile.  We hit the diner and I got a nice omelet full of protein to hold me off.. :)  We got to the hospital for 7 and I was checked in and in a room by 7:30.  They hooked me up to the monitors and then tried for an IV.  The nurse got it, but it was infiltrated so she had to restart it, missed that vein and had to go for help.  FINALLY, my IV was in, saline started and was just waiting for the doctor to come and give the order to start the pitocin.  She finally arrived about 9 am and we started it.  She then checked me and I was 2 cm and 50% effaced.  That is it!?  I was surprised as I had been told in the office I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced.  Odd..  I was contracting on my own at about 5-6 minute intervals.  I was on the pitocin ALL DAY with them increasing the dosage pretty regularly and the closest we ever got my contractions was about 3 minutes.  They were uncomfy but not really bad, although everything I was feeling was in my back.  I moved from the bed to the glider at about 4 and they got stronger and closer for awhile then to the point where I started to tear up during them.  The doctor came in at 5:30 and I was STILL only 3 cm and 50% effaced..  She made the decision to stop the induction for the night to give me a chance to rest and we would start up the next morning.  I got dinner and walked the halls with Gary for quite awhile trying to get things moving along.  Went to sleep and woke up nice and early at 6 am the next day to get started again.

Friday December 17

Today my doctor was not on call so I was to have Dr. Dohr.  She wasn't my favorite doctor after having seen her in the office because she was so quick.  I always felt like she had one hand on the door handle my whole appt.  Well this time her quickness was to work in my favor.  We started the pitocin at about 9:15 and at 9:30 she broke my water and HOLY COW did it GUSH.  And for AWHILE too, it was an interesting sensation to say the least.  Anyway, this is where things start to go downhill.  My "water" was green, meaning that Lucas had already had his first poop in utereo.  This isn't good as if baby breathes that in, it can cause massive problems. So now we knew the pediatrician would have to be present for his birth.  And of course I started to stress about the possible problems.  I started to contract pretty reguarly but again never any closer than 3 minutes.  But the pain, omg the pain.  It was ALL in my back and was quickly becoming very uncomfortable. By 12 I was shot, I couldn't go any further without an EPI.  I was crying through contractions.  So he came in and while it was unpleasant, it wasn't the worst thing that happened that day.  Finally I was comfortable!  I was feeling the tightening of the contractions but not the pain.

You can tell in that pic cuz I am actually SMILING that the epi was obviously working wel. LOL  They continued to up the pitocin every half hour or so because I was just not progressing.  At 7 pm I was checked and was only 5 cm.  They made the decision to go OVER the normal limit of 20 to try and get me further.  I was told if I didn't make significant progress by my next check we would be doing a c-section because baby's hb was dipping during my contractions and we were all worried about a possible cord issue.  They decided to give me an amnioinfusion.  Meaning, they put saline BACK into my uterus to try and give some cushion during contractions..  Time rolled on and his heart rate was dipping a little more with each contraction.  At 9 I was checked and I was 7 cm so they decided to let me go a BIT longer and it was also discovered I was running a temperature, which means Lucas would be too.  Things got intense quickly after that.  I started to feel huge pressure during my contractions that was painful.  At 9:15 I was 8 cm and my butt felt like he was trying to crawl out of it. LOL  By 9:30 I was 9 cm and now instead of crawling I kept telling the nurses it felt like he was going to fly out of my ass.  By 10 I was pushing and I was told we needed to do this fast because his heart rate was going VERY low during contractions.  Contractions were coming on top of each other so I was almost constantly pushing at that point and I started to get lightheaded from lack of oxygen so they put an oxygen mask on me for that and to help get more oxygen to Lucas. I was determined to get him OUT safely and was pushing as much and as hard as I could.  Finally after one REALLY LONG push that went way past the 10 count his head popped out and they made me stop for a minute.  His cord WAS wrapped around his neck so they had to remove that and then suction him out REALLY good because of the meconium.  One more push and the rest of him was born at 10:14 pm.  They put him on my belly and I heard the doctor say, baby is hot and he WAS.  He had picked up my temperature.. :(  Gary cut the cord and they whisked him away to the warming table to work on him.  He had not yet cried at this point and I was scared.  They cleaned him all out and rubbed him down and finally he started to scream, thank god.  He did have a fever of 101.5 but I know his Agpar scores were 8 and 9 which I believe are good ones.. :)  Gary stood between me and the warmer but most of his attention was on Lucas, rightfully so!  

About this time I knew something wasn't right with ME.  The doctor told me I had a very bad internal tear in my rectum wall.  Basically the wall between the vajajay and the rectum had a 2 cm hole in it that needed repairing.  I was also bleeding alot so I got a shot to help with that and she had to run next door to deliver another baby before coming back to repair me.  Meanwhile, Lucas was weighed and measured and he was 8 pounds 3.9 ounces and we were told 22 1/4 inches long, but turns out it was actually 21 1/4 inches.

It took her well over and hour and FOUR layers of stitches before she was happy it was closed sufficiently.  This particular tear can cause BIG problems later if it doesn't heal correctly.  :(  Finally, 2 hours after he was born, I was FINALLY able to hold Lucas and it was truly the happiest moment of my life..  (even though I look exhausted in these pics, I was still the happiest ever)

Because of the delays I didn't try breastfeeding for the first time until about 3 am.  It was a failure with him not latching on.  He stayed in the nursery that night because he needed extra monitoring because of the conditions he was born in.  We ended up leaving the hospital on time on Sunday and now we are home and trying to get used to the incredible changes our life now has!  It is amazing how much different it is already in just one week but we would NOT have it any other way..

Appointment Update :)

Well I had my appointment today and things ARE progressing slowly.  I am now 2-3 centimeters dilated and I was contracting every 9-10 minutes during the NST.  Had my biophysical ultrasound done and Lucas again scored an 8 out of 8 so he is hanging out in there just chilling.  My bp was a little higher at 140/90, which is about what it has been at home for a couple weeks now, but my last few appts it was lower there for some reason.  I have to go back tomorrow morning to have it checked again.  I am scheduled as of right now for induction on Thursday morning at 7 am but not sure if that will get moved up depending on what my bp is tomorrow, so guess we will see!!!  :)

Due Date!!

Well it is 12/11/10 and that means I am now exactly 40 weeks pregnant and little Lucas WAS due to make his debut today!  Except, um, he HASN'T!!  I am still very much pregnant to my disappointment.  I really want my baby out and in my arms dammit!!  :( I have an appt on Monday and we will be picking an induction day.  I am shooting for Tuesday.  I went and bought a medicine ball today and I am bouncing away on it trying to open up the cervix and get him to move down a bit.  Hopefully it helps!!! :)  Here is my official due date pic.. :)

I feel as big as a house!

39 Weeks and WHY isn't this over yet?

I am now 39 weeks and a few days pregnant.  I am huge and uncomfortable and ready to have Lucas OUT HERE and in my arms instead of in my belly stretching and causing me pain!  Blah blah blah, WTE says this:

Congratulations! This week marks the official end of your pregnancy. Your baby probably weighs anywhere from six to nine pounds and measures between 19 and 22 inches (though tons of perfectly healthy babies are smaller or bigger). The bones in his skull haven’t fused yet — Mother Nature’s way of making it easier to get through the birth canal during labor and delivery. He now has enough fat under the skin to maintain his body temperature outside the womb (with a little help from those cute outfits and swaddling blankets that you’ve been stocking up on!). You (or actually the placenta) are still providing the antibodies he’ll need to fight off infections for the first six months of his life. And if you plan on breastfeeding, your milk will be giving him more antibodies that’ll boost his immune system.

I had my 39 week appt today and my first internal.  I am only 1 stinking centimeter dilated and 50% effaced. Meaning, dammit, not much is happening despite the MANY braxton hicks I am having and even the regular contractions I have been getting on and off.  BP was perfect and only gained 1 pound this week.  Put this all together and I am pregnant for another week.  I had another NST and Lucas was great, did his thing quickly so was only on the monitor for about 10ish minutes.  In that 10 minutes I had 2 contractions, so things are happening, but slowllyyyyyy..  The doctor seems to think he will come this week.  We are expecting a snowstorm on Friday so IF he comes this week, it WILL be that day. LOL  Luckily I only live 2 miles from the hospital. :)  If I do not have him by Monday we will be picking an induction day.  Tuesday sounds good to me. LOL  I am done with work so I am home this week trying to get the house a little more organized.  :)  I need to have Gary take a recent pic of me soon, my belly is huge and seems to be getting bigger by the minute! lmao

38 Weeks Appt

Sigh..  My appt did NOT go the way I wanted. :(  They did another U/S.  Lucas gained almost a POUND in a week and went from 7lbs 4oz to 8lbs 2 oz!  My fluid level also went up from 21 cm, which was borderline normal/high to 25 which is the very TOP uppermost level of normal (normal is 5-25).  I worried sick to death about it, it shouldn't be going UP at this point, it should be going DOWN. :(  The doctor gave me an NST in the office to check Lucas and his hb and stuff was fine.  I had 4 mild contractions in that 20 minutes so stuff is happening, but not enough!  My stupid BP, which is average 135/88 at home and work was 120/80 at the doctor. ARGH..  So I am still pregnant and will be until a LEAST Monday for my next appt unless Lucas decides otherwise.  I intend to beg AGAIN on Monday to be induced.  I am so miserable, I feel like an overfilled water balloon. :(

38 Weeks, Home Stretch!

Well I am now 38 Weeks plus a couple days pregnant and I am D.O.N.E.!  Back when we were trying so desperately to get pregnant I would hear or see pregnant woman complaining near the end about how miserable they were.  How they were sore or tired and just didn't wanna be pregnant anymore and it would annoy me to no end.  I would be angry that they were complaining about being pregnant, something I couldn't do!  But not anymore.  NOW I get it!  I am freaking MISERABLE.  My entire body aches, especially when Lucas moves.  Oh god when he moves it hurts sooo bad.  It makes my back spasm every single time.  I can't sleep more than 1 or 2 hour stretches at night without having to get up to pee or just readust in the bed.  I am exhausted.  I fully intend to go to my doctor appointment today and BEG to be induced next week.  And when I say beg, I mean shamelessly beg.  Tears and all if need be to get what I want.  Okay, so enough of the bad and on to the good!  We are ready!  We have his room all set except for hanging a few decorations..  We picked up the glider half price at BRU on Black Friday, which was our last big thing we needed.  We have drawers and closets full of clothes and diapers.  Car seat is installed and inspected.  We are READY for him!!  Here is what What to Expect has to say about this coming week:

Coming down to the wire, your baby weighs around seven to eight pounds and measures 19 to 21 inches. Those measurements won't change much from now on, but his brain is still growing at an astonishing rate, a pace that will continue for the first three years of life. His pink skin has now turned whitish (even babies who'll eventually have darker skin appear whitish now — they haven't yet developed pigment). His head may have dropped into your pelvis by now, which makes your breathing easier but walking harder.

I will update later today after my appointment with how I make out with my begging!  LOL  :)



36 Weeks Plus a Couple Days. :)

I am now 36 weeks and a few days pregnant.  In 4 days I will be considered "full term".  That is quite exciting!!! According the What to Expect App on my phone the baby is as big as a small watermelon this week. YIKES!!  They also have this to say about the coming week:

With just three more weeks to go and at about six and a half pounds (though weight and height vary from fetus to fetus), your baby is doing just fine. You can expect weight gain to be about half an ounce per day. (Boys, though, are likely to be heavier at birth than girls. And here's a bit of boy baby trivia to back that one up: Moms carrying boys tend to eat more than moms carrying girls — a foreshadowing of teenage refrigerator raids to come.)  Since your little one is considered full-term at 37 weeks pregnant, if your baby was to leave the wet nest this week, he or she would likely thrive. That's because Mother Nature and you have done such a fine job. 

  

So what's keeping your little one busy while waiting it out until D-day? Practice, practice, practice. Your baby is simulating breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, sucking on his or her thumb, blinking, and pivoting from side to side (one day you feel the tushy on the left side, another day it has swung around to the right side). All these are skills needed for his or her next gig  — starring as newborn.

Here's an interesting fact: Your baby's head (which, by the way, is still growing) will, at birth, be the same size circumference as his or her hips, abdomen, and shoulders. And guess what's making an impression (literally) these days on those shoulders and hips: fat — causing little dimples in those cute elbows and knees, shoulders and hip, and creases and folds in the neck and wrists.

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I had my 36 week appt today and Lucas is doing good.  HB is a good rate BUT it appears he might now be heads UP instead of sideways, argh!!  :(  I have to have an ultrasound next Monday and if he is, we will be talking about either a version, which I do NOT want or a C=Section, which I'm not really thrilled about either.  Needless to say I am hoping we are wrong or that he turns his little tush around by next week!  I have been having some feelings that I couldn't tell what they were.  Not painful enough for contractions, but lasting too long to be Braxton Hicks.  The whole top of my tummy will get ROCK hard like a BH but last for like 20-30 minutes at a time.  The doctor said today they are muscle spasms being caused by Lucas moving around.. LOL


Last week I had a nasty cold, which turned into an even nastier sinus infection, the first I have ever had!  I am on antibiotics and feeling MUCH better so that is good..  I swear I woke up last Friday feeling like someone hit me in the face with a baseball bat, it hurt SOO bad. :(


Gary and I are getting so excited to meet Lucas, we just can't wait til he comes!!  Please let the next few weeks pass quickly!!

35 Weeks Pregnant :)

So I am officially 35 weeks pregnant today. :)  Baby is now the size of a honeydew melon and What to Expect has this to say about the coming week:

Forget your aching back (and everything else!) by trying to focus on your baby, who is now about six pounds and 20 inches long, with soft bones and cartilage to allow a safer journey through the exit door. Most of his systems (from circulatory to musculoskeletal) are ready for prime time, though his digestion system — which has done only practice runs so far — will kick into gear as he takes his first suckle at the breast or bottle.

Lucas is getting so big now it is starting to HURT a bit when he moves alot.  Feet in my ribs, head in the side of my pelvis, it is just getting uncomfy and I still have 5 weeks left!!  He is still technically transverse and if he doesn't turn so he can "drop down" into my pelvis I am really gonna be hurting soon, I already can't breathe half the time.. :(  Not to mention if he doesn't turn I will be looking at a C-Section which I would like to avoid if possible!  So I have been doing some little exercises that are supposed to help, I guess we shall see if it works. LOL  His room is mostly done except hanging decorations and getting a few last minute things.  We will be installing the car seat base this week and then on the 17th Gary will be taking it to get inspected. On the 11th I have my breastfeeding class and on the 18th we have a "baby steps to childcare" class that teaches silly basics like diapering and bathing, etc.  I figured it couldn't hurt, right!?  After checking out our clothing supplies we noticed we were low on sleepers in 0-3 mos size so today we went to Kohls and bought some more, plus some outfits so I think we are good on clothes.  We don't have alot in newborn size because I still think he is going to be close to 8 pounds when he is born so I would rather wait and have to buy it later than have too much.. :)  I think that is about all that is going on.. My next OB appt is at 36 weeks and then it is weekly after that.  I have a feeling this next month is gonna fly!! :)


Here is my 35 Week Picture. :)

Happy 35/35 to me!

That is right, I am 35 weeks pregnant and 35 days to go, holy cow!  LOL  I can't believe how fast the time is flying now!  As promised, here are some pictures of the going on's lately. :)

These are from the 3D US.  Like I said, he was sucking on his hands most of the time so was hard to get good pics..

This first one his fingers look like they are up his nose. LOL

 This one is a little blurry but at least his hand was down more by his chin.. LOL

 This one makes me sad, cuz he looks so sad! :(

And here are a few random shower shots. :)

This is all of Lucas's gifts, not including gift cards, which I still need to use up yet! :)

And here is the wall decal we finally put up over the crib. :)

I will come back tomorrow to do an official 35 week post including a picture of my huge ass belly.. I can't believe I still have 5 weeks to bake, I have no idea if I have more room!!  LOL

Yup I'm a Slacker!

Cuz I have totally been neglecting this blog!  So much has been going on that it just slipped my mind!  Let's see in the time since I last posted we:

• Got the crib and got it all set up
• Had our baby shower and got LOTS of awesome gifts!!
• Had our 3D Ultrasound, which was very cool, but little booger didn't want to cooperate and was hiding behind his hands most of the time
• Tammy came out to visit for the baby shower, woohoo!
• Umm, had an unfortunate spike in BP and ended up in L&D for a full afternoon for monitoring
• Found out just yesterday I do NOT have Pre-E according to all my labs, so just higher bp at this point
• Also found out yesterday that little Lucas will not be so little if we go full term.  He is measuring 8 days ahead and 5 pounds 11 oz already!  (which means he already weighs more than Gary did FULL term and almost as much as I did when I was born too, although I was a little early, crazy!)

See what I mean, lots going on!!  :)

So, I am now 34 weeks pregnant.  According to my What to Expect App on my phone the baby is a big as a large cantalope this week. LOL  They also have this to say:

Your baby is standing tall (so to speak) this week at about 20 inches and continues his steady weight gain (he’s about 5.5 pounds). While he won't get much longer, he will continue to pack on the pounds — including large amounts of baby fat — right up 'til delivery day. Something else that's moving at a mind-boggling pace these day: fetal brain development! There’s a lot going on inside that tiny head, which is, by the way, still soft to allow an easier exit through the birth canal.

I have 3d pics and shower pics to post, but can't do it from work, so I will be posting those up in the next couple days! :)

31 Weeks

Okay a little late but better than never right!?  I am now 31 (and 1/2) weeks pregnant.  8 1/2 weeks to go!  Baby is still the "size of a squash" this week.  What to expect has this to say:

What's up with your baby? He's starting to get ready for his big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these past few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as he hones the skills he'll need to thrive outside the womb — from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck his thumb for a while now. Something else to note: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, he's becoming less transparent and more opaque.

Lucas is still having a cycle of having a VERY active day followed by one with hardly any movement, which never fails to make his mommy a little nervous!  Yesterday he was moving around so much the doctor couldn't even get him to sit still long enough to get a good HB reading.  Today, just a couple little nudges here and there, little booger.  Blood pressure is hanging stable, which is a very good thing.  No protein, so even better.  BUT my blood sugar numbers are inching up.  Depending what I eat I am not always under the limits they have given me.  So now I have to check my blood sugar after every meal and start restricting my carbs/sugar.  What a bummer. :(  If they keep going up, then I will get diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes which means meds and they will want to induce me early which I am very UNthrilled with.  But we shall see.  Bread and taters are huge triggers for me so I will cut way back on both and see how that goes. :)

Random Thoughts...

I have realized this week that even though since I am pregnant I am not "technically" infertile anymore, I still think like I am.  After trying for so long and then going through two miscarriages I went into this pregnancy not really believing I would actually end up with a baby at the end. I didn't buy one pregnancy book.  I didn't buy one item for Lucas until at least 22 weeks.  And even after that I have bought very little in total.  I have spent most of this pregnancy "waiting for the other shoe to drop" and really, that just sucks.  It makes me sad that I don't think I have fully "enjoyed" being pregnant because I was afraid to.  I am 31 weeks pregnant and just this week it has hit me that the chances of bringing home Lucas are much higher at this point than not.  And now I am freaking out.  I am not ready, not emotionally or in terms of having anything.  I want to breastfeed and have no idea how. I don't even know the right way to hold a baby, I haven't held one in well, geez, I think it was Ricki's youngest, so what, 7 years now?  Changing diapers, dressing, bathing, nothing.  I know nothing.  I ran out yesterday and bought What to Expect the First Year.  I was completely over-whelmed after the first two chapters.  I have 9 weeks or less to get myself "ready" and I am just not sure how to do it.. Sigh.

29 Week OB Appt.

I went for my 29 week OB appt yesterday.  I guess now that I am in the 3rd Trimester they will be every two weeks until I hit 36 weeks, then once a week after that.  That's alot of appts!  Everything looked good though.  BP was 140/90 when I got there (always, always high at the beginning!) but 120/80 when I left.  No protein in the urine, blood sugar numbers I gave her from my monitoring are perfect.  Lucas seems to still be head down like he is supposed to be.  When I lay flat and half sit up I get a huge lump that bulges out and the doctor said it is his butt. LOL  Heartbeat is good and she found it much quicker than I did the last time I searched for it.  It seems the bigger he gets the HARDER of a time I have locating it and you would think it would be opposite.  Luckily he moves enough that I don't need to search very often.  As I speak, I am getting nudged in the ribs by his little feet. hehe  I gained another 2 pounds so I am now down 12 but up 6 so still negative 6 from my starting weight.  I asked if I should be concerned about that and she said NOPE.  My uterus is measuring just perfectly so she isn't worried.  I guess I will have an U/S around 36 weeks just to check size and position.  I also have two weeks until my elective 3D U/S so I am excited for that!  Cold is still hanging around but she gave me a script for some good cough medicine that totally stopped my coughing all night AND knocked my butt out so double bonus on that one.

Looks like we are probably going on October 11 with Gary's parents to get the crib/mattress, yayye!  I am realizing I have 10 weeks left and I have NOTHING but a drawer full of clothes.  It is quite stressing actually.  I was planning to wait until after the shower to buy anything but I am not sure what is going on with that so I may just start buying the neccessities myself.  I am feeling very over-whelmed suddenly.. :(

29 Weeks

Today I am 29 weeks pregnant!  :)  Baby is still the size of a squash (see last week).  What to expect has this to say about the coming week:

Your belly’s increasing size is a definite clue that your baby is getting bigger every day, weighing in at over three pounds now (he’ll be packing on the weight at a rate of half a pound per week for the next seven weeks). Also growing daily is his brain, which is actually starting to look like the real thing with those characteristic grooves and wrinkles. And now that your little genius can regulate his own body temperature and turn up the heat, he'll start shedding lanugo, the downy body hair that's been keeping him warm up until now.

Lucas is a pretty active bugger.  He likes to wiggle around alot and he HATES loud noises, he was going nuts during the fireworks at Disney. LOL  Speaking of Disney....


So we got back from Disney last night and we had a blast!  Of course, I can now scratch September off our list of months to visit, along with June, July and August.  TOO HOT!!  OMG, there were days I literally thought I was melting!  I give credit to people who live in that climate, I could NOT do it.  My feet swelled up every single day, but went back to normal at night.  I did drink tons and tons off water, I don't even want to think about how much money was spent on bottles that were $2.50 a pop.  Blood pressure stayed normal during the trip so that is good.  Of course, on our last day, the humidity was like 90% and my feet/ankles/toes swelled up bad.  Then I had to get on a plane and we hit alot of rough air, so I was only able to get up ONCE to move around a bit.  And since I couldn't pee, I was afraid to drink so drank less than 1 bottle of water the entire 2 hours.  We landed and my feet/ankles/toes were HUMONGOUS!  It actually felt like the skin wanted to rip open.  Now today, the right is pretty much normal but the left is still swollen. Not as bad as last night, but it's noticeable.  It is concerning me a bit that it is only one side, so luckily I have an appt on Monday and if it is still swollen I will be sure to mention it.. :)  All and all the trip was great and I am glad we went.  We got to take Lucas's first Mickey Mouse picture:

And his silly Daddy got himself made up like a pirate for the Halloween party:

Where we saw Hallowishes and the Boo 2 You Parade:

Oh and I got TONS of cute stuff for Lucas.  Leave now if you dislike looking at adorable little baby clothes!!

Front:

 Back:

Front:

 Back

And Lucas's First Mickey Ears!

Front:

And back:

Once I go through all the pictures I will definitely have more to post, but that is it for now! :)  Oh and the worst part about the trip?  Gary managed to pick up a cold and lovingly shared it with me.  Yuck. LOL

28 Weeks Pic

Here is my 28 week picture, taken at Disney World at our resort, Coronado Springs.. :)

28 Weeks - 7 Months

Today I am 28 weeks pregnant...  Now, baby is the size of a squash:

What to expect has this to say about the coming week:

How big is your baby this week? He weighs nearly three pounds now and measures about 17 inches. Though he's getting pretty close to his birth length, he still has to chub out a bit. In fact, over the next 11 weeks, he'll more than double — or even come close to tripling — his weight. And as he grows and the room in your womb gets tighter, you'll be less likely to feel those big kicks and more likely to get poked by an elbow or jabbed by a knee.

Not much to say as I posted most everything in my post the other day, LOL.  Leaving for Disney in the morning and am quite excited!!!  :)  I will do my 28 week belly picture down there and post it next week.. :)

Disney Bound Baby!!

Went to my appointment on Tuesday and all is good!  BP was a little high when I got there at 130/90 but I sit there stressing about whether it will be high or not and therefore it is high!  I tested with MY machine right after and it was reading 138/94 so I know my meter is fairly accurate, in fact it might be a tad high, so that means all the normal readings I am getting at home are pretty right. There was no protein in my urine at all.  I am still measuring about a week ahead in fundal height (measuring 28 cm in week 27), which I have been pretty much the whole time and I gained 1 1/2 pounds in 3 weeks, so about 1/2 a pound a week.  This puts my total weight gain at negative 8 overall, but a 4 pound gain by their records.  I lost 12 pounds between my transfer on 3/25 and my first OB appointment at 11 weeks, but since that isn't in their records it isn't "official".  So since week 11 I have gained 4 pounds.  Not to shabby.  The doctor only wants me to gain 15-20 total since I was overweight to begin with so I am right on track for that.  :)  She listened to the heartbeat and all was good there and we discussed the blood sugar readings I am keeping track of at home in lieu of doing the gluclose testing.  They have all been in line except for one or two which were pretty close.  She is not worried about it yet and just said to keep watching.  She had me repeat the bp reading before I left to see if it went down and of course it was down to 120/80, perfectly normal.  I think we need to do all my readings at the END of my appt, they are always lower then.

So bottom line, we are going to Disney!  She said to go, have fun, drinks TONS and TONS of water and just not go crazy, which we were already intending.  So.. "we're leavingggggggggg, on a jet plannnneee."  On Sunday morning and coming home Friday night.  A short but sweet trip, and we can't wait!  Been running around like crazy since getting all the last minute stuff done.  Got eyebrows done last night, mani/pedi tonight, packing on Friday, cleaning on Saturday and that should be that! 

The computer wardrobe came in on Tuesday so we picked that up.  The box weighs 125 pounds so Gary has been bringing up the pieces a few at a time since I can't lift anything that heavy to help. LOL  He should have them all up by tonight.. :)  I am not worrying about putting it together until after we get back though, too much other stuff to do!   Things are coming along.. :)

27 Weeks

Today I am 27 weeks pregnant and in the 3rd Trimester!  Woohoo!  Baby is still approximately the size of an eggplant, but a larger one, he should hit about 2 1/2 pounds and 16 inches by the end of this week, wow!  Considering he started out this big "." I say that is an accomplishment!    What to expect has this to say about the coming week:

Your baby is settling into the proper position for birth, with his head facing downward (toward your body's nearest exit!). Your little work in progress is now about 2.5 pounds and almost 16 inches long. He's busy adding new skills such as blinking to an already impressive repertoire of tricks like coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths. Your baby's sleep now includes the REM (rapid eye movement) phase — and that means he could be dreaming already (what do you suppose he's dreaming about?). Though his lungs are nearly fully mature (so both of you might breathe a little easier if he were born now), your baby still has plenty of growing to do.

Blood pressure is still holding stable, in fact my average for the last week is actually down a couple points, perhaps due to the walking we have been doing.  I have had a couple Braxton Hicks this week, nothing crazy, but I noticed them.  Lucas has active and quiet days.  Yesterday he was wiggling almost constantly ALL day, but today I have only felt him here and there so he must be tuckered out from the activity yesterday, hehe.  My belly is starting to even out a bit although it still looks more like this "B" than this "D".  It tends to come in at the belly button line and no fear about this belly button ever being an outie. LOL  It is a tad shallower than before but still deep enough I don't think it will ever pop.  A few pair of my regular capri's and jeans still fit and when I wear them with a regular shirt, I just look fat and NOT pregnant but when I wear maternity clothes it is clearly noticeable.  I wonder why that is. LOL  I have had very little ankle swelling this week, pretty much none, I suspect because it has been alot cooler here this week so that is good.  :)


I have my next OB appt on Tuesday and that is when I get the final say on the trip.  I don't anticipate her saying no though as my bp is okay, no swelling and feeling pretty good.  So unless I have a ton of protein in my urine or something I don't think it will be an issue.  After this appt I believe I go to every 2 weeks.  The whole thing is kind of surreal.  Gary and I are having a hard time wrapping our head around the fact that 3 months from now ( or sooner, but I hope not)  we are going to be parents.  We are going to be responsible for another human being and that is a scary ass notion.  Some days I feel like I can hardly take care of myself much less a tiny helpless infant.  Gary will be an awesome Dad, I know it, but I am not so sure about myself!! I guess most women doubt their motherly abilities but I am terrified I will be a horrible Mom.


Speaking of terrified I have been having bad nightmares about the baby and things going wrong.  Last night's was so bad I woke up and was so grateful to have woken up.  I felt Lucas moving and I just burst into hysterical tears.  I don't wanna go into details about the dream, it was THAT horrible, so to know he was moving and okay in there flooded me with such relief I couldn't help but sob.  Of course, Gary walked in while I was sobbing and I think I freaked him out because he was like, oh god, what is wrong!?!?!  He sounded relieved to hear it was just a bad dream.  He calmed me down and we went back to sleep for a couple more hours.  I tell you I have the best husband around, he is my rock.. :)


Still waiting on the new computer wardrobe so we can do some more work on Lucas's room.  I think after the trip we will go with Gary's parents to get the crib.  Then we wait for the shower, which is scheduled for October 23 and is being thrown by my sweet SIL.  I am so excited because my best friend Tammy is supposed to come in from WI for it!! :)  We also have childbirth classes that morning, holy crap!  LOL  Also, on October 14, I have a 3d US scheduled.. I can't wait to see my little man's face!!  I so hope he looks like Gary..


I will post after my appt on Tuesday with the "decision" on the trip!! :)

Yawnnnnnnnn...

So Lucas has taken to waking up around 5:30 am and doing what feels like acrobatics in my tummy. Rolls, flips, kicks and punches galore, strong enough to make my whole stomach move. It is quite amusing to watch actually, except for the fact that it is 5:30 am of course. That part - not so amusing! Doesn't he realize I need stock up on sleep now since I know I'll be getting very little once he's here? Hopefully he changes this schedule soon, but until then I'm beat!!

Fixed Comments

Apparently the image verification was giving some people troubles when they were trying to comment here, so I removed it!  Hopefully it works now.. :)  Thanks for letting me know Diane and Carrieann! :)

26 Weeks

Today I am 26 weeks pregnant!  Baby is still approximately the size of an eggplant, see same pic as last week.. ;)  What to Expect has this to say about the coming week:

For a baby, it's time to trade in the old crown-to-rump measurement for a new head-to-toe standard. So what are your baby’s stats this week (which, coincidentally, is the end of the second trimester)? Fifteen inches — more than a foot long — and triple (or even quadruple) what it was in week 12. His weight is creeping up the charts as well, coming in at just over two pounds. More big news: Your baby may recognize your voice by now, so feel free to serenade your belly (start learning those lullabies!).

Today Gary & Nancy painted Lucas's bedroom..  It started out a dingy yellow color and is now a very pretty light cream.  It is a little lighter on the wall than I expected but I like it, it's very bright and cheerful. :)


Before Painting:

During Painting:

And After Painting:

In other news, blood pressure is still remaining stable so I am having high hopes the trip will go as planned! :)  Ankles and feet are still swollen by the end of the day but they go down overnight so not too worried about it.. They ARE quite un-attractive though. LOL

I have noticed they swell less on the weekend, so I suspect the swelling has something to do with my sitting in my chair at work for too long of stretches of time.  I try to put them up under my desk but it doesn't seem to work very well. LOL  Oh well, December is only another 3 months away right!?  

Okay last but not least, here is my 26 week belly picture.  Awww.. :)