Baby's Birthday: January 28, 2009

Well, our baby has a scheduled birthday.  :)  We went in for our 39 week appointment today and as I left home I had come to the decision that I was going to say no to being induced.  It just wasn't something I wanted to do unless medically necessary and so as I got in the car I prayed the whole way to the Dr. that if God wanted me to go ahead and have this baby by induction that he'd have to give me no choice in the matter.  I guess God had that in his plan because my blood pressure was high and the Dr. quickly said that he wasn't going to wait any longer and that the baby would be coming on Wednesday because he didn't want to risk preeclampsia.  So, the baby's scheduled birthday is on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.  

We'll go in at 7am and they'll break my water to see if that starts my labor.   I'm already dilated to almost a 4 and he says that's the part of labor that usually takes the longest (from 0 to 4) and so he hopes for a labor that shouldn't last an intensely long time...we'll see.  They'll give that a couple of hours and if it doesn't work they'll start me on pitocin.  Please pray that the water works and that it progress me enough to satisfy them so that I don't need the meds.  Also, please pray that I'm able to deal with the labor sans epi.  I've decided that since pitocin may be involved I need to keep an open mind and be open to the possibility that the pain may be more intense than normal and I may want the meds but I'd really like to do it without.

We'll be meeting our little girl no later than Wednesday and are so excited!  :)  

No Baby Yet.

Well, here we are, almost a week after my last appointment and we have no baby to report of yet.  I've been having mild/medium contractions all week long, they come and go--never steady enough to even call the hospital.  I was able to work all week long, though, I did take a half day Wednesday just to get a little extra rest as I've been feeling utterly exhausted for the last couple of weeks.  

My students come in every morning and check my belly to see if it's "gone" yet.  :)  I sometimes think they're more anxious to have the baby out than I am!  I don't think they realize yet that I'll be out for quite a while.  They are not too fond of my replacement, I have found, as they voiced their concern at me leaving them with her on Thursday morning before she arrived.  They asked me to promise to not leave them again, it almost made me cry!  

I know that Rebecca is hoping for a delivery today since it is her son, Noah's, birthday today!  My actual due date is the same day that Noah was due when she was preggo with him a couple of years ago so wouldn't it be something to have this one on the same day?  :)  My dad is hoping for a birthday tomorrow because it's his birthday and I'm just hoping the SOONER THE BETTER!  I have hit the "pregnancy wall" that I had always heard so many people talking about but never believed actually happened.  I always just thought that those people were whiners and complainers who couldn't handle it.  I was dead wrong.  It really does get to a point where you are so uncomfortable and so tired of being big and tired that you just want it over and you just want to have your baby in your arms.  I am anxious to actually stay awake at night because I have to take care of the baby as opposed to stay awake all night because the baby can't stop trying to get comfortable inside of me.  

All that being said, she's going to be born and God knows when she'll be born and it will be a wonderful and glorious day!  We are so excited to finally meet our little bundle of pink!  We finished up the nursery this week and I'll have to hold of posting pictures of it because her name is all over the place :)  Shouldn't be too long, though!

P.S. I will be taking a long walk and cleaning up the house really nicely today in hopes that maybe we can stimulate some labor :)

37/38 weeks and almost done!

We went in for our 37/38 week appointment today and we are making progression!  I am dilated 3cm and it looks like the baby is in good position to make her appearance sometime soon (woohoo!).  The Dr. offered to go ahead and induce in the next couple of days but I'd like to wait it out some and see if she comes on her own.  I am very uncomfortable and it would be nice to have it all done with but if I can go into labor naturally, I'd much prefer that.  :)  If she hasn't shown her pretty little face by next Monday then we'll have the induction conversation with the Dr.  We should be holding our sweet girl within the next week and a half!  

Baby Shower # 2

Here are some pictures from my second baby shower, the one the k-1 teachers threw me at work. The first picture is actually from about 3 1/2 months ago when we threw a baby shower for Melanie, one of the kinder teachers, who had her baby back in November. I remember feeling huge at that point but now look back at the picture and think...I remember when I was that small, that was when being pregnant was fun and cute. Scroll down to the present....

Melanie, looking incredible only 7 weeks after giving birth and me, now thinking...I am so over being pregnant, it's no longer cute and fun....it's large and tiring. :) I only hope I look that great a few weeks after birth!



Dance is a big topic with one of the teacher's in my grade level because she's been teaching dance for 30 some odd years and I danced most of my life. We talk all the time about my little ballerina (Mike's volleyball player) and so she got our little one her first pair of ballet slippers. Aren't they cute?! She already recognizes classical music, as soon as it comes on in the mornings (while my kids journal), she dances and dances away...she'll be dancing when she comes out!
Me with the cake. It looks like my stomach could eat the entire thing, doesn't it? I told Mike the other night that I definitely feel pregnant, not fat, but I feel VERY pregnant (aka huge) and literally ready to pop.

Close up of the cake. For Melanie's shower I had her baby's name put on the cake and the teacher's were lamenting about not knowing my baby's name to put on the cake...sorry girls, just a few more weeks!
This is the kinder and first grade team. They've been so wonderful to work with, while this job has been a challenge, they truly have made it a little more bearable. Our male vice-principal (we have two, a female and a male) was behind the camera and made a very quick exit as soon as he was done taking the picture...probably lack of adult conversation as when you get a bunch of primary (K-1) teachers together all we can talk about is vowel sounds and counting to 100. :)

Ok, this is not the name # 3:

Bertha

While this was a very strong and prominent name several decades ago, I can only imagine the "Big Bertha" jokes my little one would receive in school if we decided to go with this name. I've seen first hand how cruel children can be and just can't bear to name her anything that I could make fun of myself.

Dr. Appt. Update

Well, we had our 36/37 week appointment on Monday. We went in for an ultrasound and got to have a lot of fun watching our daughter dance around the screen. She was VERY active for quite a while. Toward the end she started to settle down and get comfy, we even got a cute profile shot of her moving her little had toward her mouth getting ready to suck her thumb...taking after her mama! Maybe that means she'll be like me and sleep through the entire night at 6 weeks...we can only hope :)

My fluid levels are still incredibly high, the baby has not started dropping at all yet (according to Dr.'s measurements), and she seems very content and comfortable in there. All that talk of no more than 3 weeks and early labor may be out the door at this point. As uncomfortable as I am and as ready as I am to have my body back (aching ribs and having to pee every 30 minutes is only fun for so long), I am wanting to work as long as I possibly can BEFORE the birth so that after my leave is over I don't have a whole lot of time left to go back before the school year is over. I prefer to just knock as much of it out now as I can and only have a few weeks left at the end.

I got a chance to talk to the Dr. about not getting the epi. He was very positive about it, which makes me very grateful that I chose a Dr. who is a little older and more old fashioned. He told me that all of the women early on in his days of Obstetrics did it with no meds and that he was sure I could do it with no meds, too, if it's what I want. I don't want to totally close my mind to the idea because I don't want to get to the point where I am so exhausted that my body has a hard time working but I really do like the idea of trying to do it without the pain meds. Mostly because I'm a control freak and hate feeling like I have no control over how the pain affects me. We'll see! :)

That's it as far as the appointment is concerned. We have another one Monday and another the following Monday but that's as far as they wanted to schedule me in advance, after that they'll schedule if I haven't gone into labor.

Ok, back to the name game. The second name that we will not be using is:

Apple

While I'm sure Gwenneth had a great reason for naming her daughter after a food, I just can't do it to my own child. Just the thinking about that name makes me hungry (as any mention of food does at this point in the game) and I just don't want people to think of food when they think of my daughter. Sorry!

Church and Family Shower

Ok, these are in no particular order but came from the shower that my mom and sister threw me. We were so blessed to receive so many of the things that we need and can't thank people enough for how generous they were. It's incredible how God just works things out. We were nervous we'd have to put a lot of our own money into some of the bare necessities but have been so abundantly showered that we're actually getting to buy some of the "cutesy" stuff that we could have only dreamt of before these showers. Above is a picture of the gifts that we got on the day of the shower. They covered the bed and then some! :) It was at this point that I kept thinking...I sure hope it's a girl because it'll be a mighty confused boy! Our Dr.'s appointment definitely confirmed she's very much a girl though, so we (and by we I mean I because cool and collected Mike doesn't worry about stuff like that- I knew God put us together for a reason :) ) are not worried anymore.






This was the table I sat at for most of the shower. From left to right, Emma (Carolyn's best friend), Rachael- my college roommate, me and baby, Lindsey- my soon to be sister in law (we are so excited!), and Carolyn- my absolute favorite sister in the world (which doesn't say much since I only have one sister, but she really is one of my best friends and I can't wait to see her with the baby).

One of the absolutely adorable center pieces. My mom (with the help of an interior decorator from the church) made them and I can't get over how much fun they are! While I'm on the topic of my mom, the party planner, she did such an incredible job on the shower. I know she put months and months of planning into it and it totally showed. It was wonderful, we had great food, great friends, great decorations and an all around wonderful time. I feel so blessed to have such an incredible family who is already so in love with our baby. Thank you!


Publix makes wonderful cakes. Yes, the cake says "Thanks heaven for little girls!" and it will be a constant reminder for our little one that she was born in Miami, aka the Latin America of the United States, because when going from Spanish to English a native Spanish speaker will usually go from "Gracias" to "Thanks" even if the "s" doesn't fit. It's a mistake I hear a good amount at school. It for sure gave the cake some character.
View from the back to the front of the room. The Christmas tree is still up and in effort to make it a little more "shower friendly" someone threw a bunch of pink yarn on it. Hmm...somehow it seemed to fit right in, though.
Talking to Lindsey, my brother's fiancee, about football I'm sure.

I have a ton of pictures opening gifts but after a while they all started to look the same so here's one of them.

Ok, since we're a little more than 2 1/2 weeks from the due date (or 3 1/2 weeks if you go by my Dr.'s due date...which I don't), I want to start giving out clues to the name. I can't give it away and I really don't want anyone to guess it, but I thought it would be fun to throw some of the names that are NOT on the list for the birth certificate so here's the first one:

Fifi Trixibelle

This will not be her name for those of you who may have been concerned. While it's a strong name, we have decided to go against it. We're sorry to those of you who may have been hoping...but we just couldn't use it. :) (insert your laughter here, I'm definitely not serious)

35/36 week appointment

Just a quick update on the appointment:

Baby is very healthy. Great heartbeat, great movement, and she's weighing in at 5 lbs 11 ounces right now so she'll probably be almost 7 lbs when she's born if she comes when they're predicting. She flipped around sometime this morning before the appointment so she's head down and the tech said she's pretty big in there so she probably won't flip back around which is a huge blessing because I had been very worried that because she had been breech for so long she would not end up turning around...but she did! :) They double checked to see if it was a girl (because I was freaking out about it all weekend as I did pink load after pink load of laundry), I asked her to check to make sure we didn't have any surprises waiting for us and we got a good picture and she is definitely female. I think that's it...it'll probably only be about another 3 weeks and then we'll have her with us. I'll upload some of our shower pictures sometime in the next week (hopefully tonight, but the internet connection is pretty slow so I may need to head somewhere with faster internet).