Progress...

We had another doctor appointment today and it went better than I expected. So, I thought I might post another entry today...JUST IN CASE.

At this point, the baby is probably as big as he will get within a few ounces here or there. However...I continue to gain weight. So, who knows. Dr. Garcia measured me and listened to the heartbeat, which still hovers in the 130's...good and strong. She checked me and found that I was at least 50% effaced and about 2 cm dilated...progress. She also mentioned that she was on-call for the 11th of March and if I happened to go that long, she would induce me on the 10th so we would deliver on the 11th...progress.

Hopefully we have a post before next Friday about Baby Drew's arrival. If not, I have another appointment next Friday with Dr. Garcia and until then we just wait. And hope for more progress...

Simply an Observation

I remember now why being pregnant for this long is no longer fun...all the fun is gone. Baby isn't moving near as much and when he does, it's just little movements and not the fun somersaults it used to be. Pregnancy at this stage is NOT cute. It's painful and the longer I go, the more stretch marks appear. I look like a balloon that should have popped weeks ago. And, the sleepless nights from "pretend" contractions and uncomfortable sleeping positions might as well be filled with time spent in a baby room nursing a newborn.

So...off I go to another doctor appointment so they can tell me not yet, Mrs. Jackson. Maybe next week. We'll see about that...

Dear Drew,

You are now 38 weeks and 1 day. Both of your sisters came on or before 38 weeks. Your mommy is not used to being this big for this long. Do you know how much my belly button hurts right now? Today is Ash Wednesday...the beginning of Lent and the Easter season. And while we are not Catholic, I did say that I would give up pregnancy for Lent. You are not helping much in this manner right now. Your mommy, daddy and sisters would DESPERATELY love to meet you, but only if your lungs are mature and ready for the outside world. Surely they are...right? We are anxiously awaiting your arrival!! Hope you get here soon!!

Love,
Mommy

Back It Up

Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...
Watch out...that's the automatic sound I make now while walking around. Anything in a 5 foot radius is bound to be bumped, knocked over or flat out crushed with this baby hiding out in me.
We are nearing 38 weeks (more on that in a minute) and the baby is about 6.8 pounds and 19 1/2 inches long. No wonder I keep hitting everything with my belly. All of his organs are fully mature and ready for life on the outside. So, now, we wait. And wait. And wait. Until God and Baby Drew decide it's time for him to make his appearance. My belly button is so tightly stretched that it is sore to the touch of anything...clothes, kids, even just movement. I feel like it might just rip open at any point. Never had that feeling with the girls. Maybe because I felt so much wider with the girls and not so out in front like with this one.
We had a Dr.appointment on Friday and none of the appointment went like I thought it would. The good news is his heartbeat is still holding strong at 130+ beats per minute. However, we found out we were not 38 weeks on Saturday. We aren't 38 weeks until this Tuesday because they moved back my due date to March 10th. Seriously, at this point, let's just keep it where it is. It had something to do with the ultrasound measurements and some other dates being close enough together that they go with the LATER one...who knew??? So...here I sit, at almost 38 weeks. The baby is still fairly high in my belly and I am only 30-50% effaced at this point and not dilated at all. After hearing all of this, I am convinced this birth will be no earlier than Ally's or Kelsey's were (at 38 weeks exactly and 37 weeks, 6 days) and they will probably have to go in and actually pull him out after my due date has passed.
I have to say this past week has been very hard. I am surely ready for this baby to be here and out of me because of all the energy I expend just moving around and getting things done. But, I swore to myself at the beginning of this I would be as patient as I could be because he is a wimpy white boy and his lungs need all the extra time to develop as possible. 2 weeks isn't that much longer, right??? We'll see...

Belly Shots

So...after seeing all of Darby's great pictures, I decided this last pregnancy warranted a few belly shots...regardless of what my bulging stomach looked like. It might very well be the last time it will ever look this way. And as I near 38 weeks and uncharted territory (both girls came on or before 38 weeks),I am sentimental, yet relieved this will soon be over. I wanted to have some pictures of my baby belly without baring the world to Darby. So, we borrowed her black sheet and created some of our own. Below are my favorite three. One of just me, one of me and Ally's hand, and one of me and Kelsey. Kelsey...by far...got the best shot, but the others have merit in their own regard. After all is said and done, I'm glad I did it and I'm glad I have place to post them where friends and family can see them, but not the world!!!

Pregnancy Pictures

I had to take some time to include a few pictures on this blog of me and my big belly. Darby took some great shots of just me in all my pregnancy glory when we had our family photo session a few weeks ago and here are some of the results. Remember...check out her website www.darbyrosephotography.com and look under the slideshow tab for our family to see the full set of pictures...The Jackson Five.

37 Weeks, a Doctor's appointment, and Another Close Call

37 Weeks - FULL TERM!!!! YEAH for baby Drew!!! We finally got to the magic number and this baby can come any day now with no worry about his lungs or his ability to keep himself warm. From here on out, baby Drew will continue to put on plenty of baby fat. Right now, he is close to 6 1/3 pounds and about 19 inches long. He has remained head down and has moved his little body over to my left side. After spending the entire pregnancy on my right side, he is now positioned on the exact opposite side...the optimal place for delivery...clue #1 we are going soon.

At the Dr. appointment, I continued to measure right on target and the heartbeat was hovering in the 130's...nice and strong for a baby boy. Dr. Wolfson appeased me and checked to see if I had dilated at all. He was a little hesitant, but since both girls came between 37 and 38 weeks, he went ahead to be safe. He couldn't really tell if anything was happening because the baby's head was low and he couldn't get around it. So, for now, we still don't know anything, but we're sure he's comfy in there.

Last Wednesday night, we had another close call. I almost went to the hospital but convinced myself it was not real. I had been having contractions about every 5-7 minutes for several hours and when I went to bed at 11:00, I couldn't get comfortable. The contractions were so hard that there were times my stomach, hard as a rock, never relaxed. I even had trouble standing up. I decided to go back downstairs and watch TV to get my mind off of it...Golden Girls will do it every time. I finally got to sleep shortly after midnight, but was woken up at 3:00 with more intense contractions. So...I was logical...right. I got up and started doing embroidery because that's what all pregnant women at 37 weeks do at 3:00 in the morning when they have contractions. I had one more order I needed to finish and if I had to go to the hospital, I wanted it done. So...I finished the order, made lunch for Bo and Ally and got coffee ready for the morning. I thought if I could get Ally and Bo off to work and school, then I would go to the doctors instead of the hospital. It's so much easier to meet with the doctor for 15 minutes than go to the hospital and check in, wait for an hour and then have them tell me to go home. But, by 9:00 when the office opened, the contractions had subsided and I just spent the rest of the day on the couch. Thankfully Thursday was a calm day and I got some sleep that night.

I guess we just have to wait and see what this week brings!!

36 Weeks and a Dr. Appointment

This week, Baby Drew weighs over 6 pounds...supposedly. We'll see what happens when he gets here. Both girls were pretty tiny, even at 38 weeks. Ally was only 5lbs. 12 oz. and Kelsey was 6 lbs. 4 oz. So...if we have a baby much bigger than this, we will be surprised. His heart rate continues to be strong and he's moving all over the place.

We went in for our 36 week appointments. We've started going every week now. And, even though we have appointments through the first week of March, I doubt we see the last two. At the appointment, I was tested for Group B strep...a very common infection that pregnant women carry. I've always tested negative for it, but it could change with each pregnancy. So, we'll wait for the results next week. If I do test positive, it just means I get an IV of antibiotics during delivery. The doctor also checked to make sure the baby had remained head down over the course of this past week...and he had. But, he (and I) were none too thrilled about him checking that. The pressure he put on my belly was quite uncomfortable and it caused me to have 1 long, hard contraction the entire time he was checking. The rest of this weekend I've been having some cramping and contractions. so I know it won't be long. We just want to get to next week. 37 weeks is considered full term and that eliminates a world of paperwork and pre-term infant tests at the hospital.

For now...we are still pregnant...and hoping to stay that way for at least another week!!!

Things I Will Miss About Being Pregnant

On the heels of things I will not miss about being pregnant, it only seemed appropriate to talk about the things I will really miss about being pregnant. And this list seems to be so much longer...ironic, I know.

~ I will miss the excitement in people's eyes when they see me with 2 girls and I tell them this one is a boy.
~ I will miss Kelsey thinking that she has a baby growing in her tummy just like I do.
~ I will miss Ally's constant kissing and talking to my stomach in hopes the baby will know her as soon as he gets here. Quite honestly, he very well might. Ally's excitement for the big arrival is contagious.
~ I will miss the anticipation of the big day and baby's arrival after "knowing" for so long that we would only have 2 kids.
~ I will miss eating whatever I want, whenever I want it. McDonald's is sure to show monumental losses over the next fiscal quarter. However, Starbucks will be able to hire back all the employees they just laid off.
~ I will miss my thick hair and fast-growing, strong nails.
~ I will miss people touching my belly and asking to help simply because I am pregnant. I will miss people asking how I feel and telling me I look great...30 pounds heavier than I usually am.
~ I will miss the special parking areas at Babies R Us.
~ On a personal level, I will miss my size 38 C rack...without milk. It's a cruel joke to lose those and keep the spare tire that will wrap my waist for months after this baby arrives.
~ I will miss the "control" I have over this baby while he is with me and not beside me.
~ I will miss looking at my huge belly in the mirror. It won't look that way again.
~ Most of all, I will miss feeling him roll around inside me. I will miss the little hiccups. I will miss the swift and hard kicks that I never thought I'd feel again. I will miss his feet in my rib cage. I will miss the tickly feeling I get when he kicks my sides.

Our child bearing years include some of my favorite and fondest memories and I have really struggled lately that it truly will end with this one. I was a solid rock with the girls...poised and ready for delivery, ready to meet our new addition. And with each passing day of this pregnancy, I get weaker and weaker, more of an emotional wreck than a rock. I know when the time comes with this baby, the rock will melt under the pressure and lose control at the thought of this last baby. And while I am grateful for this one last chance at pregnancy, it is not a trend we can continue. Bo asked me the other day if I wanted to have another one. Of course...I'd have 6 if we could. But, I also know when to say enough is enough. We have filled our house that we purposely bought with extra rooms...unknowing at the time that we'd fill them. We have healthy, happy children and I am not one who feels safe "going to the well" more than my fair share. And, it just isn't practical for 2 teachers to push their resources farther than they extend. We will have a perfectly happy life...the five of us...and that makes me happiest of all!!

Things I Will Not Miss About Being Pregnant

As time dwindles ever nearer to the day of Baby Andrew's arrival,I think about all the things I have been missing for the past 9 months to keep this baby growing strong and healthy. And while most of me is sad that this pregnancy is almost over, I must admit I am a little excited about other things...

I'm excited to have a glass of wine with dinner or a margarita on a Friday night.
I'm ready to eat some yummy sushi...although I'm not sure that's a legal food for nursing mommies.
I'm ready to get rid of the back pain that comes with pulling myself out of a chair or lying in one position too long.
I'm excited to wear something other than maternity clothes...because even they are starting to get tight. The only downfall is that I won't be in my regular clothes for a little while yet.
I'm ready to be able to bend over and not have my belly get in the way of important activities...like tying shoelaces and shaving.
I can't wait to sleep on my belly again and be able to genuinely cuddle with my husband at night...at least until the night time feedings occur!!

Now...as I type these out for the world to read, the list really isn't that long and there isn't anything on there that I couldn't live without...except for maybe the last one. It's nice that this pregnancy has been so positive for me. I've felt great and kept up with most everything I usually do. So...why again am I ready for this little boy to show up and disrupt our world as it is??? Hmmm....maybe a few more weeks Drew...just a few!!

Showered with Love

We had a baby shower for Drew on Saturday. My sister held it at her house and all of our closest friends were there. It was nice to see everyone and it was so nice to have a special afternoon for baby #3. So many people in this world feel like the first baby is the only one who should have a shower. But, I am of the persuasion that all babies are different and special in their own way and deserve to be given a little something to celebrate them.

The food was super yummy...chicken strips, alfredo penne, fresh fruit and caesar salad. The house was decorated with all kinds of blue stuff...blue balloons, blue napkin holders with "It's A Boy" charms and all kinds of blue wrapping paper on the gifts. It almost took me by surprise. When I got to Jackie's house that afternoon and saw the blue balloons blowing around, it again dawned on me that we were having another baby and this time it was a boy. Sometimes that thought alludes me...even still.

Drew got lots of much needed things. And, we even got a few gift cards to go out and get some things we didn't receive. He got lots of clothes and sleepers from Aunt Jackie and Lisa, a super cute (and very "Metro") diaper bag filled with goodies from our friend Ashley (who is due with her own baby a few weeks after us), lots of bath towels and wash cloths, blankets and some rattles from Aunt Jenny. Grandma and Grandpa Jackson got him a HUGE (seriously, it is something that covers Bo) frog blanket and the same mold for our hands like they got for the girls. Anne got Drew a new feeding seat since ours is so old and needed replaced. Meggan and Michelle got him some extra soft and cuddly blankets and some baby supplies (Mylicon, Diaper Rash cream, Baby Orajel) stuffed in a cute blue and white striped canvas bin. Drew got a shopping cart liner, formula and some bottles from Aunt Jackie as well.

In all the hub-bub of the afternoon, no one remembered to take pictures. But, we did get a picture of the cake (which I need from Jackie's camera) and we did set up all our stuff in front of the fireplace to take a picture of it for his scrapbook.

Thanks to all my friends and family for making it such a special afternoon for Drew...and for me too!!! I had a blast celebrating this baby boy!!!

35 weeks and a Dr. Appointment

This week the baby has grown to 18 inches long and weighs about 5 1/4 pounds. That's almost as big as Ally at her birth. He has very little room to move around right now, but continues to jab and kick just as much as ever. Although he is head down, he gets uncomfortable "laying" on the same side and I can feel him do a complete roll every once in awhile. His kidneys are fully developed and his liver is starting to process waste products. His basic physical development is now complete and he will simply lay down fat over the next few weeks.

At the appointment, we are getting down to it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel...for me and the doctors. Only a few more appointments that I go to weekly now. This week was a good visit. I had only gained 1 pound in 2 weeks after much "larger" gains the past 2 visits. The heartbeat was steady in the 140's and I was measuring right on target. Next week we go for the same song and dance, but they will also do the Strep B test to make sure I don't have any infections to pass on to the baby. I have never tested positive for that, but I guess it's something they test for each baby. The baby is sitting very low and I can feel him with each step, it seems. I'm guessing for a quick delivery at this point!!