38 and The Plug

38 weeks!

I am two weeks away from my due date, and last night I lost my plug. Well, at least part of it (not sure how big the entire thing is - sorry about TMI!). I was so excited because it means my cervix must be opening, right?? Of course I asked Dr. Google, and found that either labor is ready to begin OR it can be weeks still. It's quite possible it was loosened up at my appointment Tuesday. No way to tell at this point..so we continue to wait...

M and I met with our pediatrician yesterday. We both really like him. He gave us all his background information and we got to ask lots of questions. He seems to have a very gentle, calm demeanor. He comes highly recommended, and our OB sends his kids to him. I think we have a winner, folks! Good to know ahead of time since he'll be performing surgery on our little guy (circumcision) on his second day of life!

Check-Up

37w5d

Today's appointment went well! I am happy to report that I am now 70% effaced and a fingertip dilated...so it looks like there is some movement in the right direction. It's getting harder and harder to wait! My patience is about gone, and my irritability (hormones + no sleep = grumpy Katie) is increasing. Elfie has discovered that he loves to drum on my bladder at night, so I'm definitely spending more time on the toilet than in bed. Oh well. I guess I'd better get used to the lack of sleep...it's only going to get worse!

We go back next Monday for an ultrasound to see how big our guy is getting. If I don't begin labor before then, I am really looking forward to seeing his growth one last time!

37!

37 weeks! Elfie is FULL TERM!!!!

Okay, little man...all those months of pep-talks about staying nice and snug inside mommy are over! I now invite (beg, plead, pray for) you to join us on the outside. I know you like it in there; I would to! I promise, though, that there are so many people who will love you, snuggle you, tickle you, read to you, teach you, and give you a wonderful life out here...it's time now for you to meet them.

Daddy and I are counting the days until we can hold you in our arms and stare at your gorgeous face! Big Sis Lola and Big Bro Charlie can't wait to give you wet kisses all over. You're going to love them!

So..anytime you are ready, we're here with open arms and hearts. Love you, munchkin!

Details

36w4d

Had my 36-week check-up this morning. Dr. D checked me and found that I am 60% effaced, but no dilation yet. I am just so glad to hear that we have some progress and my cervix isn't going to hold out like Fort Knox (knock on wood!). Elfie's head is low, but not engaged in the pelvis yet. I'm just hoping he stays head down! BH contractions are also definitely increasing in frequency and intensity. Yay!

My energy level seems to have increased in the past few days...but maybe it's because I have a new determination to get the house clean and be as physically active as I can! I mowed the lawn yesterday, and surprisingly did just fine with it. I thought it would wipe me out, but I felt great the rest of the day! This is such a wonderful feeling...maybe I truly CAN enjoy my pregnancy for these last final weeks!!!

The latest

35w4d

My goodness, where to begin? I feel like I have so much to say, and can't organize my thoughts. I have been an extremely bad blogger lately for a variety of reasons. This pregnancy is literally kicking my butt, and I didn't want this blog to turn into a forum for all my complaints. I'm a little bit over that now, as I feel I should be honest with myself and the world that it isn't all sunshine and roses for everyone!

Back when I was TTCing and undergoing treatments, I never dreamt that I'd someday be here, almost 36 weeks pregnant and actually wishing I wasn't pregnant anymore! It's an awful feeling after everything I've been through to get here, and all the years of longing for a baby inside of me. There are aspects of being pregnant that I love: feeling him move, bonding with him, reading and singing to him, watching him grow, knowing he's thriving, and dreaming of the day I meet him. Obviously, though, there are things about being pregnant that I can live without. I need to remind myself DAILY that this is sooooo temporary, that it WILL end soon, that I need to be more appreciative of this time, that it will become a distant memory...(so many people tell me that there's an amnesia we get after giving birth about all the icky pregnancy stuff that allows us to want to become pregnant again!), AND that the reason I am doing this is because for the rest of my life I will get the privilege of being this little boy's mommy -- a gift that compares with nothing, and a love that isn't matched.

I'm bulleting the last month because there's just too much:

• The painful contractions have subsided, meaning I don't have to rely on the terbutaline to keep me sane. I do, however, continue to have frequent BH contractions.
• Our family and friends threw us an amazing couples' baby shower and we had a blast seeing everyone all together!
  
• M and I have attended 2 out of our three classes: the all-day childbirth class, which was EXCELLENT (I learned so much about the actual labor process and what to expect from our hospital); and the breastfeeding class, which helped calm some of my anxieties. This Thursday we will go to Newborn Care class to finish up the series.
  
• Starting at 32 weeks I developed a pinched nerve right next to my belly button that caused excruciating pain when I stood up or walked around. It lasted until 34.5 weeks, although my doc had said that could very well be painful throughout the rest of my pregnant days. This was awful for me, since the only way I could get relief was to sit or lie down to take the pressure from the weight of Elfie off my belly button. I was banished to the couch and could really only get up to go to the bathroom before it got too painful. SO GLAD that it's gone now...knock on wood! Oh yes, at one point it was so bad that my friend was visiting from out-of-town and she took me to Wal.Mart and pushed me around in a wheelchair just so I could get some shopping done! Talk about humiliating (and hilarious all at the same time!).
  
• My pelvis feels like it's being ripped apart.
• Elfie's room is totally complete, and I promise I'll post some pics soon. It's my happy place :) I even have all his 0-3 month clothes washed and ready.
  
• I'm not getting enough sleep (yes, I know that this is preparation for what's to come!) because my hips ache and Elfie either throws a dance party or has long-lasting hiccups in the middle of the night. Every. Night.
• I am experiencing horrible pain and pressure right on the top of my pelvis from the weight of this kid. It's constant, and makes walking very difficult. It sort of feels like any muscles right there are being torn on a daily basis.
• I can't breathe and become winded and sweaty even just sitting on the couch talking on the phone in my air-conditioned house.
• We have our hospital bag packed. Yowza. I think this might just be real.
  
• I can no longer shave my legs. It's embarrassing how disgusting I'm sure they are, and the same goes for my feet. I need a pedicure just to clip my toenails...which grow at the rate of the weeds in my backyard that I can't bend over to pick.
• Getting dressed is a CHORE, and NOTHING fits anymore, so I do laundry every other day for the 5 items I can still wear. I'll be damned if I'm buying anything new now!
• And while we're on the subject of clothes, none of my bras fit.....what's a girl to do?! Everyone tells me to wait until he's born to buy nursing bras since the girls are going to explode once again...does anyone have insight into this? Opinions?

Okay, so I know that this did end up sounding complain-y. But it feels good to get it all out there! Thanks for enduring it all!

A girl can't catch a break.

31w5d

I've been a busy girl lately....and to quote my doctor, "Wow, you seem to be having an exciting pregnancy!"

Yeah. Not so much. "Exciting" is not exactly the word I would use.

8 p.m. on July 4. I decided to call my doc's office because what I thought had been BH contractions all day were occurring frequently and regularly....as in, I was having 6 in an hour and they seemed to be spaced at regular intervals. I was also noticing some slight cramping with each tightening of my belly. The on-call doc said to drink a jug of water (I was probably dehydrated due to the heat), and if they kept coming to report to L&D. In this time I also took a warm bath, as I had read that it, combined with rest, could sooth and eliminate BH.

They indeed kept coming, so M and I waffled back and forth on whether to go to the hospital. It wasn't until about 12am, as I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep, that I realized that the pain I was experiencing with each contraction was in my back and lower abdomen (it felt like menstrual cramps). What I also noticed is that the pain would come, and then subside. Alarm bells went off at this time because I knew these were NOT BH!!! We packed a bag and promptly headed out.

We were admitted at 1 am and hooked up to the heartbeat and contraction monitors. Sure enough, I was contracting every 4 minutes, and each one was lasting a minute. As we watched the screen, the intervals eventually went down to 2 minutes apart and my pain was increasing with each one. I was starting to get scared! The nurse gave me a shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions and started an IV. She also did the Fetal Fibronectin test to see if my cervical enzymes indicated the possibility of labor in the next two weeks. The test came back negative (yay!), and since my contractions had stopped, they sent me home...at 5 am.

M and I fell into bed and slept until about 11:30 am that day (Monday the 5th). When I woke up, I could tell I was contracting again, but that they weren't too severe. So I got up and had breakfast, did a few chores, and then decided to lie down and watch TV, since I had been instructed to "take it easy." By about 12:30 they were coming regularly again, so I called the doc's office AGAIN (they were closed for the holiday), and a different on-call doc instructed me to head to the hospital to get another shot of terbutaline. As you might imagine, I was less than thrilled about this..but I knew it was the only way to stop my uterus!

So we went to L&D, got the shot, and they also decided to do a cervical check to make sure I wasn't dilated..and I certainly wasn't prepared for the treat that was:

OH.
MY.
GAWD.

This is the first time in my life any has attempted to stick their entire hand up my lady business. I was SHOCKED at how much it hurt. I was literally scooting up the bed away from the nurse because I thought I might die if she tried to get that hand in any further. And the sucky part (well, actually, it turned out to be a good thing) was that she couldn't even reach my cervix! Apparently this is great news because it indicates that it is still high, tight, and closed. But still. I was not amused with the pain of that incident.

We were sent home with a prescription for the oral form of terbutaline. I am to take it as needed for contractions. It's really a miracle drug, except that it makes my heart race and gives me the jitters...as if I've had 10 cups of coffee...but that's small potatoes compared to the cramping the contractions bring on. So far, I had to take a pill last night at 7 because I was contracting every 6 minutes, and then again at 7:30 this morning when they were coming 8 minutes apart.

Coincidentally, my regular doc's appt was this morning, and I was relieved to be able to see him and get the scoop about what's happening and where we go from here. He told me that the FFN test combined with the position of my cervix tells him I am not experiencing preterm labor, only preterm contractions. He said it's most likely due to the size of Elfie compared to his GA (guess it's really not so cute and funny that he's a big boy). He also said that he does expect me to continue to contract throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. In two weeks I will see him again and get the FFN test to check for labor signs. The doc's goal is 34 weeks, and he said 36 weeks "would be gravy". So I guess I am to expect that Elfie could very likely be arriving quite a bit ahead of schedule...

So. Yeah. Not too "exciting;" rather, "nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing, stressful, and scary" are the words I'd used to describe this.

I had hoped that with all the hell we experienced getting pregnant that I could at least have an uneventful pregnancy. This is just further proof that I am not the one driving the ship here, and that God laughs at the plans I make. But as I ponder the events of the last 10 weeks, I am reminded that nothing really truly worth having in life comes easily. This whole experience has been hard, and I know that motherhood, too, will be difficult.

And I welcome it with open arms. I wouldn't trade this "suffering" for the world. Because in a few short weeks I'll meet my son, and that's what really matters.

30? How did that happen??

30 weeks!

This morning I got the best 30-week present EVER! The perinatologist reported that little Elfie is cured of his arrhythmia!! I am over the moon that my guy is healthy and that this "hiccup" has resolved itself (at least for now!!!).

To make my life even more fantastic, the doctor gave me some INCREDIBLE 3D pictures of our handsome little boy! This was such an unexpected, added bonus that I bawled like a baby right then and there as I saw my son's face for the first time. I got to watch him opening and closing his mouth and covering his face with this hands. Unbelievable! He looks just like his daddy!!!!!

How is it that this pregnancy is three-quarters complete? Where has the time gone? I cannot believe that in a few short months I will be what I've dreamt about my entire life: a mommy. It's simply unreal.

Here's his profile:



And a straight-on face shot with his mouth open:



And one of the 3-D shots (he has his hand over one of his eyes):

Uh-Mazing!

Costa Rica was amazing! We had such a fun, relaxing vacation with M's family. If you haven't been, it is the most lush, green, tropical country and the people there are so friendly! I had a chance to brush up on my very limited Spanish, and loved listening to the natives "Ticos" speak. Overall (minus the mosquitoes and humidity), a fabulous trip!!! We feel so fortunate to have been able to go.

Traveling in my seventh month proved to be more difficult than I anticipated, but M was such a champ in helping me out. He was so attentive and caring to my needs and limitations, which made the trip infinitely easier. Third tri exhaustion has definitely set in, and I am now taking daily naps (siestas!) to cope with the fatigue.

I have a peri appointment on Thursday to see if Elfie's arrhythmia has gotten any better. Keeping fingers crossed that it has!

Here are some pic from the trip...

Some Relief

The appointment this morning went well. This doctor is, by far, the best I have ever been to in terms of his bedside manner and attention to detail. I know he works primarily with high-risk pregnancies, so it's his job to be uber-sensitive to hormonal pregnant women..it is my impression that he is certainly in the right profession!

We started out with a full anatomy scan of Elfie. Boy, is he growing! He is now measuring 13 days ahead of schedule, and is an astonishing 3 pounds. I was shocked! We got some great pics that I'll scan and post later.

The doctor was a bit concerned that he is so big. I hadn't been worried (until today!) because M is a big guy and was 11 pounds at birth. We just always expected to have a big baby. So my instructions are to reduce my carb intake...uggh! That's a hard assignment, since that what I crave the most besides fruit! Oh well, small price to pay for Elfie's health.

And then on to the goods:

After an extremely detailed look at the heart, the doctor determined there aren't any structural abnormalities. We did see and hear the irregular beats, and he explained to us that it is not uncommon for them to resolve themselves. I was instructed to eliminate ALL sources of caffeine from my diet, including chocolate and (get this!) my cocoa butter stretch mark cream! Apparently, unbeknownst to me, I've been feeding my baby caffeine through my belly every morning! So there goes that.

Oh yes, and one more set of instructions: "Have a great time in Costa Rica!"

I left feeling much better, but of course it's going to be in the back of my mind until it's gone or we know more. I have a follow-up appointment in two weeks. If the arrhythmia is still there I will be monitored weekly with this perinatologists until I deliver. He also did mention that there is an increased chance that, if the arrhythmia persists, I'll be recommended for c-section, as they prefer to not put the baby in a stressful labor situation under these circumstances.


For now, I'm just taking my kick counts, relaxing as much as possible, and PACKING! We leave early Saturday morning and return the following Sunday, do I probably won't be blogging until at least then. I hope you all continue to enjoy June!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Good news first:

I did, indeed, pass my glucose test, although the number (115) was not as low as I thought it would be judging by my "almost passing out" experience!

Bad news second:

M and I are involved in a worker's comp nightmare (really just filling out the paperwork, knowing whom to send it to, waiting for calls to be returned, etc, etc.). This is regarding the $2600 hospital stay I had as a result of the soccerball to the uterus at school. Uggh. I hate this.

And now, the Ugly:

My appointment with Dr. D this morning revealed the Elfie has a cardiac arrhythmia. As soon as he put that doppler on my belly I knew that the beats were not right. His little heart would beat 3 or 4 times and then skip one or two; wash, rinse, repeat. Dr. D is sending me to the perinatologist on Thursday morning to have him check the chambers and valves of my little guy's heart. I am freaking out, but know that there is nothing I can do to make it better right now except wait and pray. I am reassured with the fact that Elfie is extremely active (which the Dr. said is an excellent thing), but just can't help but be apprehensive.

Obviously, if we find an abnormality, our trip to Costa Rica is out of the question. My own heart feels so fragile right now...I'm asking for lost of prayers and support if you can lend it.

Classes, Cankles, and Costa Rica!

27 weeks.

Hey people!

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted. I am really busy lately, and can't seem to find the energy to sit down and spill everything...although I feel as though so much is happening that I want to share!

So, to start, I haven't heard back about my glucose test, which leads me to believe that I passed. I have an appt. with Dr. D on Monday so I'll double check with him because I'm curious about the number!

I recently took a fabulous trip to Southern Cal with my M, my mom, and my stepdad. It was so nice to relax in the sun and talk about our plans when the little man arrives. Mom and I went shopping, and Elfie ended up with more clothes than I did! I bought a cute bikini though, and am pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I am sporting the bare belly bump. My friend E and I saw SATC 2 (because we are big fans and saw the first one together)...and it was okay. I laughed, but didn't think is was as good as the first movie...and certainly not as good as the series.

I am definitely starting to feel more fatigued lately, and it comes in the form of really sore feet at the end of the day, and a sore back after standing/walking too long. I am also the lucky recipient of EDEMA....a.k.a. CANKLES. It's pretty shocking and disgusting, really. I look down at my feet and can't even see my ankle bones. I'm noticing quite a bit of water retention in my legs as well. Walking has gotten better since I've slowed my pace, so I'm at least still getting some exercise.

Elfie's movements are changing also. Well, it's probably not his movements so much as how I they feel to me. With his increasing size I can actually follow body parts (most likely feet or knees) as they move across my belly. CRAZY COOL. Sometimes he'll get me on the side of my tummy and it tickles like crazy. I love it!

I changed my background in preparation of our LAST HURRAH! In 9 days we are leaving for Costa Rica!!! I will be 28.5 weeks when we leave and 29.5 when we return. Needless to say, this will be it for us in terms of traveling before the birth. We will be doing it up big! M's whole family will be there to celebrate his parents' 45th wedding anniversary. He has three brothers who each have 2 kids, so it'll be a full house but tons of fun. I, of course, will be living in the pool (and the kitchen!).

When we return we have our baby shower to look forward to. After that we have an all-day childbirth class in addition to two evening classes (one is a breastfeeding class and the other is infant basics). Then we're in the home stretch! It's so hard to believe how incredibly fast this pregnancy is flying by, and how soon we will be meeting our son.

I'm leaving you with some pics of my time away with the fam..