Tuesday, December 15, 2009

No Christmas Baby


Well blog followers....here is my Christmas baby to the left. It looks like Harley and Jake get to be the Christmas babies around here once again. I've got another two week check up on Tuesday, Dec. 29th. I had a sono today and everything checks out well and stable so there is no rush to get her outta there without a good enough reason. Her vents stayed stable since two weeks ago (and for many weeks before that too) and her head is measuring right along track. She is at the 54% for head circumference and growth which is right in the middle, not too big and not too small. Her est. weight today was about 6 pounds 13 ounces. I do know she is feeling heavy in there esp. when she squirms around. She takes up every available spot in my torso. Thank goodness I'm a little on the taller side and have a longer torso that can stretch. If not, she would be really cramped and me too! Although some days I would love for her to be out, I think it's best she stay in and bake some more and give me some more time to deal with the impending labor that I have to go through. I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow so my next check up is right before 39 weeks. I never imagined we'd make it to 37 weeks or even 39 weeks! I thought for sure back a couple months ago she'd be here already and probably in the NICU for a little bit. Thank goodness things have remained stable and she is doing well. At this point, I'm not even sure if surgery would take place right after birth or what. I would like to ask that question but as I mentioned before, I'm staying off the neurosurg's radar for the time being. Every time we have an OB/sono appt. I think it's that time and it turns out to be not "that" time. I still haven't packed that hospital bag but I think I need to tomorrow or Thursday. I just want to be prepared since I'm getting down to the wire.
I told the doc today that although it would be great to have baby before Christmas I also don't mind returning the a couple outfits if that means labor is pushed off another week or so. As you can see, it's not something I'm looking forward to. =)
We got some good deals with Babies R Us coupons on our stroller and infant seat so while Jay put it together in the living room tonight I couldn't help but put Jake in for a ride and picture. He was such a good boy sitting there. He didn't even move. If I could mix Harley and Jake together to make 1 dog, it would be the perfect dog however apart they are bad! =) Sorry boys.
As for us... we are just waiting. Things are ready for baby and almost ready for Christmas. I can't believe it's next week already. Crazy how time flies. I was waiting for her arrival for Christmas cards but it seems I should get my Christmas cards out very soon since she probably won't be here. Thanks for reading and I think I covered everything. Have a very Merry Christmas since I probably won't be updating before Christmas unless she makes her entrance into the world before then.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Buying Time...Week 36

I haven't really taken any belly shots during pregnancy or posted any so I figured for those who never see me... here is a picture at 35.5 weeks (this weekend). I made sure to cut my head out of it in case it surfaces anywhere else, ha.
I had my OB appt. today and I think it was a good one. I'm 2 cm dilated, 50 percent effaced and my cervix is soft. Based off that, it seems I could possibly go into labor early on my own. I doubt I would in the next week but I guess you never really know. I've bought another week and 1 day though. I have a sono appt. on Tuesday, Dec. 15th and my next OB appt. directly after it to do another check. They want to see where her head measurements are next week. As I mentioned before, things are stable but her head has been measuring about 2 weeks ahead of schedule as it's been mostly the entire pregnancy. Her head can't get too big though because I wouldn't be able to deliver vaginally. As we were told today, her head measurement can't really get too much past 40 weeks as those babies heads with increased vents/fluid don't really conform through the birth canal like other babies do. So, perhaps next week is looking better than this week. Either way, I'm happy there will be no labor induction this week except if it came on it's own. Although I'd like to avoid it all together (labor-fat chance), I'd be fine with week 37. I'd like to avoid the week of Christmas if possible. Just seeing the signs for the Labor and Delivery unit got my heart rate up today, lol. It's quickly approaching.


Here is a cute picture of Harley that I thought I would post, lol. He is such a rotten dog! I didn't really have too many pictures for this post so I thought I'd throw him on here.

As for all our nesting work... Jay finished the hall bathroom painting last week and we both like it a lot. He touched up some marks and scrapes throughout the entire house. We started painting our bedroom last night. While I was down on the ground cleaning the baseboards I thought to myself I must be insane. I'm almost 36 weeks pregnant, I've got this big belly, my back is sore and I'm cleaning the baseboards when I should have my feet up watching TV, lol. Before we started it sounded like a better idea. However, the room needed this so we'll just continue. One coat of paint is on 3 walls. We'll finish it up tonight and then work on the last wall. I also cut up some cracked caulk up the stairs and re-caulked it. For anyone with a newly built house or maybe just Ryland builders, contractors LOVE to hide their mistakes with caulk. It must be like the "fix it all" material...something like duct tape. I have a lot more to do sooner or later.
I guess that's about it for now with the Cox family. No name for baby. I think we are getting close ha or not!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Approaching 9 Months

Tomorrow, Wednesday will put me at 35 weeks which means I'm one week short of 9 months already. Crazy how time flies. I had my OB appt yesterday and my sono today. Jay had some time to use or lose at work before he takes his "maternity" leave so he was able to join me at both this week. He usually can only make one appt since it's been back to back days the last couple weeks.
I've put him up to a little work around the house during his days off. Since we had the paint supplies out for the baby's room, we bought paint for the hall bathroom so that's now painted. We didn't paint it from the beginning because it was a bathroom not used but now I have the Whale baby tub in there so I figured it's not like we are moving anytime soon...I might as well use the bathroom. I'd also like to do our bedroom too since we bought paint two years ago for it and never got around to doing it. It's almost time to change our decor in the bedroom and we are just getting around to painting! ha! Truly though the problem with our bedroom is the furniture is too heavy for me to help Jay move it away from the wall so we need a second male. It would have been painted a long time ago if I was able to move the furniture.
But anyway, back to the appt. Yesterday's OB appt was the usual... weight, blood pressure, heartbeat check, measurement of the belly... all within normal limits which is great. When I started some swelling I started flipping myself out over my blood pressure. It's still remains my norm.. which is low. I talked to the doc about induction based off Dr. A's thoughts so I have another appt. next Monday to make sure everything remains good with me and check my cervix and see if it's "favorable" for induction. That was pretty much it. Today's sono was good. Everything is stable and the same except her "chunkyness" as Aunt Jennie called it. Per the sono machine and Jen's measurements, she is weighing in about 6 pounds 11 ounces. I find it REALLY hard to believe. I'm estimating a little bit smaller than that, lol. She just can't be that big already but I know it's a good sign since I will be getting induced before 40 weeks. However, I do feel the heaviness in my belly that's now getting bigger. My numbness has moved along my right side now which is probably because she is getting so big and pulling down. We located her foot which is under the right side of my rib cage that continues to get kicked. It's a feeling I just haven't learned to love. It's getting very tight in there with her being so big. I just wonder when it'll be not enough room, lol. At the end of the sono, the doc came in and we discussed a little bit about induction and 36 weeks. He said it's based off my cervix and if it's "favorable" for induction. If it hasn't started to get shorter then labor would be really rough. Since things are stable there is not a hugh rush to even go through all that. I guess basically it's still a waiting game until Monday's appt. I'm happy we *might* not be looking at 36 weeks because I'd like her to be as well developed as possible before coming out but I also wanted to avoid being so close to Christmas and the possibility of not being able to take her home. I'm going to email the neurosurg again for some better information about taking her early and the plan after delivery. It's getting close and I feel completely lost in what will be happening.
That was about it for both my appt. this week. I've washed a lot of blankets, towels, wash clothes, some clothes, socks, and packed the diaper bag in case we can take her home right away. The room is pretty much together. We have done lots of exchanges and buying and seem to be well prepared and just waiting. I'm going through the nesting phase in rapid motion. I don't even seem to stop because there is always things to do... I think next on my list is ripping up calking in the foyer and replacing it. It's starting to split and look a mess. And the bedroom needs painted.. maybe this weekend, lol, lots to do! =)
Like I said earlier, my next OB appt. is next Monday. I'll update afterwards.