Week 37.5

My swelling has continued to get worse. Both feet and toes look like sausages, and it has spread into my hands/fingers too. On Saturday, I got so swollen that I went up to the hospital where I work to have my blood pressure checked. It was 147/91!!! I usually run no higher than 120/65, so this was a significant change. After resting a few hours at home, I checked again and it lowered back down to 130/70. Going to have to keep an eye on that.

David and I have started talking so much about Nico and what it will be like. I'm sure the conversations would be entertaining to an outsider since neither of us have no expectations and no clue what we are getting ourselves into! It's getting so real and every time I feel a little pain, I'm like "Oh maybe this is the start of it!" We seem to be alternating between an anxious excitement of hoping that today is the day, and a crazy panic of oh shit, today could be the day?! I find myself questioning and/or forgetting any piece of info that I thought I already knew! What will I feel? What exactly is false vs. real labor? When do I decide to call the doctor or go to the hospital?! Yikes!

David has continued to be in extra cute daddy mode lately. I'm loving this new side to him! He was talking this morning about getting baby cds or downloading music to play in Nico's room. Who is this guy?!

David thinks he will be due on the due date, August 10. I'm hoping and hoping he will be early and am going with July 29. Our parents votes all seem to be consistent with some time during the first week of August.

When people ask me if I am ready, I respond with "Yeah I guess so?!?!?" How could you possibly be "ready" for something so life-changing??? No, we have no birth plan. We are going to wing it. It's not like anyone can really control exactly how their labor will go. I am excited and nervous for labor and I've been wondering more and more lately what it will be like. I keep thinking about seeing him for the first time and what it will feel like... having him placed up on me for the first time... seeing David's face as he looks at him... having his tiny fingers wrap around one of my fingers... oooh I can't wait!

  

Week 37

Nico is full-term!

No new highlights from the latest doctor's appointment.

• Gained a few extra lbs and now we are over THIRTY for the total! 
• Still the same effacement and dilation.
• Heard his hearbeat at 138.
• Return in another week!

We were hoping she would say that I am dilated more, and this little guy is coming SOON! But no such luck.

I have seen a really cute change in David since he returned from his last out-of-town baseball trip. Reality has set in for him that this baby is coming soon! He has been doing a lot around the house and accomplishing the last min tasks. Clothes are washed, bags packed, and the car seat is even installed now! We have a code word for when the time comes and he constantly is texting me asking if it's time yet. Gotta love him!
 

On Tuesday, we went to meet the 2 women that will be watching Nico part-time. It will probably be only 1-2 days a week. One of the ladies was one of my PT patients for many months, so I really got to know her well and love her! She had been a preschool teacher for 18 years and has had enough of that. Her good friend that lives 2 doors down has been doing an in-home daycare for 4-5 kids for the last year or 2, so she decided to join in with her and add a few kids of her own. We went to their house and it looks like a great environment. They both are so sweet and fun, and David hit it off well with them too. We got a great feeling about it, and I think it will be such a great fit!

I had my last full day at work yesterday! WAHOO! Just going to go in Mon-Thurs next week for half days. My back isn't feeling any better, in fact, it's worse! That's why I'm home today- sitting on the computer and lying around. It's pretty boring, but it beats being at work I guess.

Last night we had an entertaining false labor scare. I started having severe cramps that were coming at regular intervals every 3-5 minutes for a good 30-45 min. I didn't seriously think it was "the real thing" but I couldn't help but wonder what the heck was going on! David pulled up some quizzes on his i-phone for us to go through to help determine what they were and what to do! They eventually went away.

Every day I wake up and think, "Maybe today is the day!" The wait continues.......

Week 36

The Week 36 checkup was on Monday. I'm 60% effaced and 1 cm dilated! Dr. Sloan thought that this was good news that my body is starting the work of labor already. It hurt like hell when she checked in there. My pain tolerance must really suck. She guessed Nico would come a little early, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is true, as long as he's healthy! I asked her a few labor related questions and she reassured me that none of her patients have become paralyzed from an epidural. 

Other details of the visit: Heard a heartbeat of 141 bpm, belly size measured normally, got a routine test for Group B Strep with a cotton swab, and found out that I only gained a few more lbs.

  

A picture speaks a thousand words. Picture B is normal. C is mine! He's getting closer...

I'm continuing to have abdominal uncomfortable pressure/cramps, plus a throbbing, more intense low back pain has started this week. Fun! By the end of the day, I can barely walk. I've dropped a handful of hours at work but this hasn't seemed to help much. Next week will probably be all I can handle, and then I'll start using vacation days. I'm actually using my 1st personal day of the year today (Friday) because my back is hurting so badly. Bummer.

I've entertained myself a little with the online, "Is labor coming soon" quizzes, and according to these goofy tests, I am starting to have a majority of the signs. Besides low back pain, I can just feel everything has been looser this week down there. My bathroom visits have doubled or tripled this week too. Such exciting things to share- ha!

I am slightly "over" the traumatizing breastfeeding class now! I have asked a few people the reality of it all, and it seems that the 3 hour feeding interval doesn't last too long. It may stretch to 4-5 hr. intervals after a quick while, and I may not have to get up multiple times in the night to keep my milk supply running after all. Phew. I apparently was pretty stressed on a subconscious level about all of this, because I had a dream/nightmare earlier this week that I was practicing breastfeeding already with Miley. What the heck?!

I feel that everything is about ready for this little guy to pop out. Just a few minor things left that don't have to necessarily be done. Gotta hang a couple things on the nursery wall and that room is done. Clothes, blankets, and bedding could be washed. David said he would figure out the car seat base too. That's all I can think of for now!

Belly shot

Nico has continued to move around a LOT! He must be ready to come out soon! It's entertaining every time he twists and turns to make my stomach look deformed. Here's a belly pic from this morning at 35 1/2 wks.

Another dose of reality: nursing

 

I went to the hospital's breastfeeding class this morning and it was extremely helpful but also a little bit discouraging as to the reality of what's ahead! It was a 3 1/2 hour course that covered in detail different techniques and answered any possible question you could have about it! What surprised me the most is the enormous time committment that it takes to do this successfully! I hope this process isn't as complicated as they made it out to be. 

So I knew that initially we will have to feed him every 3-ish hours, making a total of at least 8 feedings per day. I am over the shock of that. BUT... I figured that after a month or so of breastfeeding him myself, that there would be light at the end of the tunnel (aka a chance of me sleeping some nights and David feeding him a bottle of breast milk.) WRONG!!! So apparently my milk supply will decrease or even stop if I do not maintain the baby's demands for feeding. This all means that I will need to either a) breastfeed him myself at all times OR b) pump at the times that the baby feeds in order to keep my boob trained, while David is bottle feeding him! Either way, this involves ME having to do something! David's really getting off easy again with this whole baby thing! :) 

It just seems like all I will be thinking about is when do I have to feed him/pump next! And they recommend that you continue this for a year?! Yikes. I really want to do it right, because there are so many benefits and we want little Nico to be the healthiest he can be! I'm hoping that it will take just a few weeks, and we will have a routine down.

We went ahead and bought the breast pump last weekend. I know that this trip to the store was especially exciting for David! Ha!
 

Baby Shower!

We had Nico's Baby Shower last Saturday, July 2nd, and it was AMAZING! Kristan and her mom did such a great job. It was held at her grandmother's beautiful house in Dallas which overlooks a pond from the living room area. They had an assortment of food and desserts, we played a few games, and opened gifts! I can't thank everyone enough for coming plus spoiling us with such great things.

David and I only had to do a little shopping in order to complete our registry. We had a fun day on Monday and bought some of the feeding supplies, feeding booster seat, changing pad cover, and playyard sheets. Nothing too exciting but definitely necessary. Then we came home and put everything together/got the room officially ready! It is exciting to wake up with the play yard in our bedroom, knowing that it will be occupied soon!

I put together a slideshow below of some of the shower highlights:

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