36 Weeks

Baby Nate is now the size of a crenshaw melon, whatever that is. I think they've run out of fruit big enough to compare to him. He's approximately 6lbs and 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding the downy hair that covers most of his body and also the waxy layer that has protected his skin from the amniotic fluid.

I think all this means is that it's getting close, really close. I feel full, very full, like there's no more room for him and I don't know how he's going to grow anymore, but I guess he'll just keep stretching me out and finding a way. Some days he's very active and others he's not. I'm enjoying watching my belly just roll around and bump up with all the movements. He's definitely putting more pressure on my bladder. Sometimes he takes little jabs and it almost hurts a little. But it's better than wetting my pants all the time, which doesn't seem to a problem yet. Just the constant going that is.

I just got home from my hospital tour, so now all the paperwork is done. The rooms are really nice. I think they were nice before, but they changed them since the flood. Some of the hospital rules are not my favorite. Since it is cold/flu season their visitor rules have changed. Now there can only be 2 visitors in the room at one time-this includes the father, so really it's only one visitor at a time! And no one under the age of 18 is allowed up there at all. I guess it's all in the best interest of the baby, but it complicates things some. Especially since we won't be having any visitors at the house after we come home since it will just be time for us until Michael has to go back overseas again.

Up All Night

The last few days I have been sleeping through the night. Well, what I consider to be through the night anyway. I can't remember the last time I've fallen asleep and didn't wake up until morning. It seems as though I have to wake up just to roll over, that it's such a process. But last week some nights I've been waking up and then staying up. I'll get up for a couple of hours and then go back to bed. I keep joking that it's my body's way of getting me ready for baby. Well, half joking. I'm probably right.

I woke up last night around 1am with a serious case of heart burn. I couldn't sleep so I downed a couple of tums and started reading a book. Well, before I knew it, it was after 4am and I was finishing up the book. So I might be taking a little nap today. The heartburn just started kicking in again and I'm wondering if any food is safe today. I guess we will find out. I have no big plans for the weekend, just to get more stuff on my to-do list done and relax around the house. It's still gloomy and rainy and so it will probably be a perfect weekend just to sit in and relax.

35 Weeks

Baby Nate is 5 1/4lbs. and 18 inches long. He's a honeydew melon this week! His kidneys are fully developed and his liver can even process some of the waste products. Most of his basic physical development is complete and he's now just putting on the weight.

I had another doctor's appointment today. This one went much better than the last one and I think I'll be requesting this same doctor for the remaining weeks of my pregnancy. I gained another couple of pounds, which is fine, because it's less than the 4 I gained last time. My blood pressure was fine and I'm measuring at 35 cm. I got the strep B test today, which I was completely unaware that I would be getting. All I can say is that I'm glad I shaved my legs! The doctor decided to go ahead and check me after he was done swabbing me for the test. I'm just under 1cm dilated and "still thick" as he put it, so I'm not effaced at all. I told him the last few days Nathan has been quite as active. If I don't feel him for awhile I'll really start paying attention and I'll feel him but his movements haven't been as strong. He said that he's getting bigger and he's sleeping more now so I might not feel him as strong but I should still be feeling him 4 times an hour when I'm really paying attention. When I told him I didn't think I felt him that often he decided to do a non-stress test. I think we both thought it would be fine but I'm glad he decided to do it so it would put my mind at ease. I knew there was a reason I liked this doctor! The nurse strapped me up to the monitors and probably about five minutes later I became really hot and sweaty and felt short of breath, like I was going to pass out. I didn't want to move because of the monitors but I felt like I really needed to sit up. She came in then and noticed I wasn't doing well. She had me sit up and gave me some sprite. I felt better soon after I sat up so we resumed the test on my side, and that went much better. She said some women just can't be on their backs like that. I think he was cutting something off. The doctor came in and checked the results and it all looked good, which I figured it would. Usually they would start having me come in weekly but since I'm at the beginning of 35 weeks now, I won't go back for a couple of weeks and then I will start going weekly. I was a little disappointed with that because now that I'm starting to dilate, I would like to get checked every week and waiting two weeks will be hard to do. He also said that if I go into labor this week that they will try to stop it but any time after next week they let it go. He also said he was head down, and I had thought that he felt different last week, so I must have been right, he must have dropped, at least some. That little foot doesn't seem to be digging into my ribs quite as badly anymore (he still makes some jabs at it but doesn't really dig it in and keep it there). So that pain is better. I've been getting up in the middle of the night/early morning unable to sleep the last few nights. I'll get up at 3am wide awake and so I'll just get up and do things around the house or play around on the computer. I keep wondering if it's my body's way of getting me ready for all those sleepless nights.

Jaime and Landon came up today and so after my doctor's appointment we had lunch at Red Lobster and then went shopping for the rest of the baby stuff that I need. And even though I thought that all the stuff cost much more than I had anticipated, I was so excited to get all of it and bring it home. Jaime and I looked through everything I got at the shower and today again when we got home. I'm so excited to get it all ready and put everything in it's place.

So now that I have basically everything I need for Nathan when he comes home and I'm almost a centimeter dilated, it's making this all much more real. It's weird because while I know that I'm pregnant and there's this baby growing inside me, just knowing that it really won't be long now and I will have this little baby, just really makes it real. I set the bassinet up last night and I just stared at, picturing little baby Nate in there. I'm so excited and in such super baby mode, and as much as I want to meet him and not be pregnant anymore, I would like to still go to full term and have Michael home for his birth. So let's hope he stays in there 5 more weeks.

My Shower

My shower, I still can't believe it was my shower, that I'm the one having this baby. It's surreal. The shower was amazing. Jaime did a wonderful job and I'm going to try to not forget any of the details...she thought of the cutest things.

We had the shower at the Residence Inn here in Columbus in the (if you can believe it) Atterbury Room. Mary Jo came up with Jaime and Landon to help out with the food and to get the room ready. The theme was Noah's Ark--there were plates, napkins, balloons. The cake was awesome. It was decorated to look like water/shore and Jaime got this Noah's Ark toy with little animals. She put the ark behind the cake and the animals around the cake with a few on top. The ark also doubled as a holder for these cute little animal paper cut-outs that she had everyone write words of advice on. She had even sent them out to family and friends ahead of time. This was all a surprise to me. There were cute little decorations-- a big bottle for the table and a streamer made of paper rattles. It was all just so cute. The party favors were so neat. They were chocolate bars but instead of the original wrapping she had special wrappers made. There was a little picture of Noah's Ark and then next to it says: two by two or one by one, babies can be so much fun! Beckie and Michael welcome baby Nate. The back of the bar has little things like ingredients-a little of mom and dad and the sugar content is sweet as can be. How great is that!?

As the guests arrived they got food (yummy meatballs, sandwiches, fruit, cheese ball and crackers, etc.) and started filling out a mad libs paper. After introductions and a couple of the mad libs were shared, we started with the games. We played an old wives tale game in which you had to guess whether the tale would predict a boy or girl. We played trivia and how you say baby around the world. There was also a game that had gestational times of these different animals. It was a lot of fun. After the games I opened the gifts while everyone played gift bingo (they had bingo cards with different types of gifts and if I opened that gift they crossed off a square). Everyone was really generous and I even received gifts from friends and family in different states that couldn't make it. It was so much fun to open the little baby gifts and see all the baby stuff, especially the little outfits. As if I wasn't anxious before!

I had a wonderful time and it was so good to see friends and family. The shower was the best shower ever and Jaime did a wonderful job. I hope I didn't forget anything. I want to remember every little detail--all those little things that she thought about that mean so much. I went through all the baby stuff again when I got home. I picture wrapping baby Nate up in the blankets or putting him in the little outfits. And while I'm still extremely nervous, I'm so excited for his arrival and to meet this little baby of mine.

34 Weeks

Nathan is now almost 5lbs and about 18 inches long. He's a cantaloupe this week! His fat layers are really filling in now, making him smoother and rounder. Other parts are continuing to mature, like his nervous system and his lungs.

Six weeks to go. Six weeks to go!?! Are you kidding me? Okay, so a month and a half a way and the nerves are starting to really kick in. I'm getting nervous about labor and the pain. I'm nervous about taking care of him. I know one way or another I'll get through labor and I know I'll be able to take care of him. Just the closer it gets I start coming up with more questions about this or that. I'm always asking Jaime things. I bought a couple books too--what to expect the first year, etc.

The last couple of days I've been feeling a little less uncomfortable than I have before. Maybe I'm getting used to it? There's a tender spot on my stomach that almost feels bruised from being beat up so much, but he doesn't seem to be hooking that foot under my rib cage quite as much (note: as much does not mean he has stopped doing this). He's still really active and strong. I friend came over last night and while we were visiting Nate decided to use my insides as a speeder ball to practice his punches. It was so hard my friend could see it through my shirt. Just incredible.

I'm also not sure exactly what Braxton Hicks feels like, but am starting to wonder if I experienced it today. My stomach would get really hard for a bit. It didn't hurt at all and I don't know how long it lasted because I never paid attention. Even if it wasn't, the fact that I could be experiencing it at this point is wild. Before I know I'm going to be a mommy and have this little baby boy. Can you believe it? Not me sometimes. Still feels like a dream. Funny thing-sometimes I wake up and check my belly to see if I'm still pregnant, as if this all has been a dream. I am so happy to be having this little boy.

Just Me and Lucas

I went down to Madison on Friday to visit with Jaime and Landon. He is changing so much just in the two weeks he's been alive. It's incredible. He's a good baby and doesn't cry much, just when his diaper is being changed and when he wants to be held, which is often, but man it's hard not to hold a newborn, isn't it?

Jeremy had drill this weekend and so I thought it would be good just take Lucas up to my house for a couple days so that Jaime wouldn't have both boys all by herself. Not that it's a complete break, but hopefully it helped. We had a wonderful time! I like just hanging out with Lucas. He's so funny and comes up with the darnedest things to say. And who couldn't love that little face?

On the ride home it was raining and he kept asking what that sound was, unaware that he was talking about the wipers. He asked if I was hitting animals in the road. He asked if I hit a raccoon all the way to a kangaroo. When I finally realized the "sound" was the wipers I told him. He replied, "Oh, you're not running over any animals! It's just the windshield wipers!" He's so funny. I really should write down all the funny things he says when it happens because I can't remember them later.

Saturday was jam packed. We woke up and had some breakfast and then it was non-stop from there. I took him up to Greenwood to watch Toy Story and Toy Story 2 double feature in 3D at the theater. I figured even if we didn't make it to the second movie it would be worth it. We did, well, about an hour or so into it and then he looked at me and said, "Beckie, let's go home now." He did really good in the theater though. He only kept his 3D glasses on during certain parts--like if he thought he could catch something, and then he'd say I got it! So we left midway through the second movie and then went to the store to pick a birthday present for a friend's little girl. He picked out the gift and when she opened it she said it was just what she had wanted. He did a good job. He did want to get her a gun but rejected that idea and took him down a couple aisles I thought would be more appropriate, but he picked the gift out. He had a good time at the birthday party-playing with the kids (even if he was the only boy), throwing around balloons, painting, and eating the cake. He didn't make it long after we left and fell asleep in the car within 10 minutes. After his nap we headed to Chuck E. Cheese's. This was his request in the morning while we were getting ready. He had asked to go to the place with pizza and games and coins. So that's what we did. He had so much fun. He made a friend and they ran around playing together. Chuck E. Cheese (the mouse character) came out to say hello to the kids. He loved that! He was a little hesitant at first, but it didn't take him long to warm up and give the mouse a high five. Then that's all he wanted; he kept looking for the mouse.

We had a really good time together. It was full and I'm tired now, but completely worth it. I know it's been a transition for him with the arrival of his little brother, Landon. And I know it will be again, in a way, when I have Nathan. I wanted to be able to have that special time with him before the baby comes, because after that me and Lucas time will be more limited.

Doctor Appointment--33 Weeks

I had another doctor appointment today. Usually I leave feeling pretty good, but not today. It's kind of put me in a sour mood all day. The baby is fine which is the most important thing; his heartbeat was good and my blood pressure is good. But I gained another four pounds in 2 weeks. The doctor said my overall weight gain was more than he had expected. It's not that I'm super concerned with my weight. I eat what I want and when I'm hungry I eat. I don't think I'm getting huge and I don't think my weight gain is affecting my health. But it's just something about someone making comments about the weight gain that doesn't set well. And then I opted not to get the flu shot. The lady at the front counter asked if I wanted it when I checked in. I asked if they were the preservative free kind and she said yes, so I said that I would get it. But when I doubled checked with the nurse before she gave it to me, so said it did have the preservatives in it so I decided against it. The doctor more or less lectured me about that decision. When I brought up the fact that pregnant women are not supposed to have too much fish containing mercury but then they want to give us a shot with mercury in it. He said the amount of mercury in the vaccine is so minute that it doesn't affect anything and that thousands of women get the vaccine. I've researched it on my own and feel that there are strong arguments on both sides. I just want to do what's right for the baby and I feel like there's so much weight on my shoulders with these decisions with no one able to give me a 100% answer. When I got home I talked to a friend that is an RN and she strongly recommends me getting the vaccine. I also talked to Michael about it and he said I should go ahead and get it. So now I'm thinking that I will go and get it and just pray that I'm making the right decisions. I've also been experiencing some sharp pains. It feels like I'm being stabbed on the inside. It's much different than any pain from the baby. I know when it's his kicks or he has a foot pushing against my ribs. I told the doctor and he felt my stomach and just said that it was probably muscles stretching and sometimes when his wife was pregnant the baby would push up on her side or ribs and cause her a lot of pain. Well, this pain is not baby, I just know it. It might be muscle pain but I just felt dismissed, as if I don't know anything. I don't know what I was expecting him to do, and it probably isn't anything major as I have no other symptoms of anything severe, but I just didn't feel good about the whole visit when I left. Maybe it's hormones, I don't know. And I know I'm only 33 weeks and I still have 7 more to go, but I think I'm ready to be done. Not sure if I'm ready for Nathan to be here yet and I know I want to keep him until 40 weeks, but I'm just getting tired. Tired of being tired, tired of the pain, and tired of doing this by myself.

And Then It Was Quiet Again

The week ended with a sleepover. There weren't as many girls here as I thought there would be--some had to work or some couldn't come over--which was fine. I ordered them pizzas and they sat in the living room watching movies like High School Musical. I've never seen it but the bits and pieces I did see made me laugh. It looks cute it's just funny how they break out in song even while playing a basketball game! But I survived my first teenage girl sleepover. The younger one had a band competition today so she was gone early but the older one and one of her friends hung around until the early afternoon.

This week has been go, go, go. With work and the dogs (did I tell you they got out of the fence again?) and watching the girls, the week just flew by and I was exhausted by the end. Well, now I've had a full night of sleep and the house is empty again. I can't say which I prefer. I enjoy the house and not having to worry about where the kids are or when/how they're coming home, but it's quiet again too. I can clean and do other things but it's still quiet. I can turn on the tv but it's still quiet. I guess weekends are just lonely and after as much went on this week it seems even more so now.