Preggo Update: 40 weeks

I'm beginning to detest due dates and wish they didn't exist.

(I actually was supposed to post this yesterday but didn't have enough time)

So, here's my story this week. Tuesday was my regularly scheduled OB appointment. Baby's heartbeat was still healthy, but still hasn't dropped and no dilation or effacement. The bun is overcooked, just gaining weight by the day, but the oven door won't open! The doctor is worried that I won't have a chance for a vaginal delivery the longer I wait, so she scheduled me for induction Wednesday at 7 p.m. I was definitely nervous and worried about being induced from all the horror stories out there, but I trust my doctor to know what she's doing. So, Wednesday rolled around, and we were getting excited and anxious thinking that we'll meet our daughter soon! By about 8 p.m. or so, the nurses got my IV in, hooked me up to monitors and inserted the Cervidil, which is supposed to soften and open up the cervix. Our parents came by to visit and we just hung out for a little while before we went to bed. I started to get cramps and some contractions in the middle of the night, which made me have to pee about every hour and a half, so I didn't get the best of sleep. Also, my IV somehow got detached at some point in the middle of the night and bled all over my bed, so the nurse had to change my sheets, clean me off and redress my IV. Around 4:30 a.m., the nurse came in to take out the Cervidil, check my progress and prep me for Pitocin. I was dilated to a whopping...nothing still!!! What, how can that be? She said it was softer, but I think she was just trying to be nice and give me some hope. Now, time for the Pitocin, maybe that'll get this show on the road...Once I was on the Pitocin, I actually felt fewer contractions and could sleep for a while until my husband woke me up with all his shuffling about. That morning, the doctor came to check me out and see my progress with the Pitocin. Getting internal cervical checks were probably the most painful and uncomfortable part of it. My progress...unchanged, still the same, closed for business today! That's when she said that she would probably just send me home and try again another day if my cervix was still the same at noon. Status at noon...I was going home. We packed up our bags and left the hospital exhausted and deflated. It felt incredibly weird leaving the hospital with no baby in our arms and knowing we would have to go through this process again in a few days.The worst part was having to inform everyone waiting on this baby that there would be no baby and getting reactions like we were crazy people!

How far along? 40 weeks and baby won't come out! 

Total weight gain? Around 35 pounds

Maternity clothes?  I would just like to wear a sack now.

Stretch marks? I think I might be home free with no stretch marks! 

Sleep: Pretty restless these days - I think it's more mental and not physical though.    

Best moment this week: Best moment turned worst moment - finding out that I had an induction date set and would finally meet my precious child, and then having to go home from my induction with no baby. Also, very glad that the induction thing wasn't even that painful, I would just describe it as kind of uncomfortable.

Miss anything: Not having to worry about every little thing I put into my body and being able to work out as much as I want. However, I did actually go to a Zumba class today in hopes of dancing this little baby out of me! :)

Movement: Still nice and cozy in there, squirming about every day. Surely, there can't be that much room left.

Food cravings: I made my hubby take me to get frozen yogurt and gummy bears on Friday. 

Anything make you queasy or sick: Thinking about the whole labor and delivery thing.

Gender: A little drama queen who's on her own schedule.

Labor signs: If only I were so lucky! Weirdest thing I've ever wanted - please just let me dilate already! Still getting contractions everyday, but apparently they are doing jack squat. 

Symptoms: Heartburn has returned, swollen extremities

Belly button in or out? Out when standing or sitting, in when lying down

Wedding rings on or off? On when I feel like it, but they've mostly been off

Feelings: Definite anxiety and frustration about the whole induction thing, but also hopeful and relieved that there will be an end and a baby! I had a fairly easy pregnancy and felt great the whole time, but not so much the delivery and getting the baby out part though.   

Looking forward to: This delivery thing being over, so that I can just be a mommy already.

Preggo Update: 39 weeks

39 weeks and about to pop!

How far along? 39 weeks (+ 2 days) and still pregnant

Total weight gain? Probably around 30-35 pounds - I find out tomorrow; baby could weigh about 9 pounds now - yikes!

Maternity clothes? Yeah, even my maternity clothes are tight now. What do you wear when you outgrow those with only a week left? 

Stretch marks? I may have made it the whole time without one stretch mark...oh, glorious day! Come on, skin!  

Sleep: I could sleep all day if I really wanted to. More tossing and turning from side to side and peeing about every 2 hours in the middle of the night, but I feel pretty well-rested these days. 

Best moment this week: My husband asking me "Is it time?" every few hours or so! :) I'm glad he finally decided to pack a hospital bag this week.

Miss anything: I think I will actually miss being pregnant whenever the little one come out. I really didn't have it too bad and liked the feeling of growing a little person inside.

Movement: She's a little boxer this week. I keep feeling a foot or arm jabbing out on my right side. 

Food cravings: I'm trying to eat more spicy foods and other labor-inducing foods. None have worked so far. 

Anything make you queasy or sick: Can't really think of anything this week.

Gender: Oh, girl...come on out, please!

Labor signs: Contractions every so often, but she may be wanting to stay in there forever. I find out tomorrow if my body's made any progress at all.

Symptoms: Puffy and swollen sausage hands, feet and face. Preggo brain - why can't I speak and remember things like a normal human being?

Belly button in or out? Out when standing, in when sitting or lying down

Wedding rings on or off? Still the same - on when I leave the house, off at home.

Feelings: Anxious, nervous and concerned that I'll need to be induced or have a c-section. But I know that she will come out one way or another...I'm just praying that she does it on her own.  

Looking forward to: Holding little baby girl and knowing that she's healthy and happy. Becoming a family of three (plus a little pup).

Preggo Update: 38 weeks

How far along? 38 weeks (+ 2 days)

Total weight gain? Still about 30 pounds

Maternity clothes? Anything loose and baggy. Leggings, pajamas or yoga pants just about everyday.

Stretch marks? Still none...yay! 

Sleep: Getting to be a little more uncomfortable, but at least I'm getting sleep and can sleep in if I want to. It would be nice if I could sleep on my back and not wake up in the middle of the night though.

Best moment this week: Realizing that I am so close to meeting our baby girl! Enjoying the last few times I will be able to feel her move around in my belly.

Miss anything: Hugs without a belly in the way.

Movement: It doesn't feel so much like jabs and punches anymore...more so like a tickle here and there. Sometimes she'll fall asleep and freak me out, because I don't think she's moved for a while.

Food cravings: Food doesn't really appeal too much to me these days. But I still do want sweets more than usual. 

Anything make you queasy or sick: My pup's stinky dog breath

Gender: It's a girl! Do they actually announce that when you deliver the baby?

Labor signs: Still the occasional Braxton Hicks contractions, but no dilation or effacement. The doctor was planning on inducing me a week early for fear that baby was going to be jumbo-sized, but I just found out today that my body isn't ready, so I'm back to waiting. Come on, baby...come out.

Symptoms: Glad the heartburn isn't so bad anymore, but I have to pee more often.

Belly button in or out? Ever so slightly out

Wedding rings on or off? Still the same - on when I leave the house, off at home

Feelings: More anxious...just wondering when I'll go into labor. I'm really hoping that I make some progress toward labor within the next week or so.  

Looking forward to: Delivery day. I just want this day to come on it's own...hopefully before the due date. 

Baby Photography Workshop

creativeLIVE is at it again! If you've read any of my previous posts, then you probably know that I'm a huge CL fan. This workshop is perfectly timed and suited to what's going on in my life. They are offering a FREE, live, three-day workshop teaching newborn & baby photography February 24-26 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (PST). Sandy Puc will be the instructor for the class. Below is a video with more details.

Gadgets, Gizmos and Apps

We are pretty much prepared for this little bambino as far as baby gear goes...except for the baby monitor. It's been tough for us to find the right one and justify spending so much money on one of those things. The new ones with video can cost anywhere from $150-$300, so we've been taking our time doing research before shelling out the dough. 

Just this week, we finally found the one! It's not your typical baby monitor that you'd find at Babies R Us. It's the dropcam, which is only available online, and right now they're taking preorders and shipping in late March. Baby will already be here by the time we get it, but I figure I probably won't let her out of my sight in the first month anyways.
Here's a spiffy video giving an overview of the features:


Some of the cool features of this camera:

• It's only $149, much cheaper than some of the other video baby monitors we considered
• You can watch baby anywhere in the world at any time. So Daddy can check on baby whenever he misses her at work.
• Watch baby from any Apple Mac, Windows PC, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Android phone or tablet. 
• It has two-way audio and night vision.
• If you leave it plugged in, it's always on and will give you alerts when it detects sound or motion.

Another gadgety gizmo thing that we got in preparation for baby is an ITZBEEN baby care timer that helps keep track of how long its been between feeding, diaper changes and naps. It also keeps track of which side you nursed from last and has a handy night light and is backlit so you can see the screen at night. It has a clip on the back, so you can attach it to your diaper bag or purse. It comes in three colors: blue, green and pink. You can buy one of these things at baby stores for around $25, but Amazon has them for around $17 if you can wait for shipping and order it online.

Now, a couple really cool iPhone apps...the first is one that I just recently came across and is baby-related. It's called the Grow With Me app, and I downloaded it a couple weeks ago for FREE. It keeps track of all your baby's feedings, diapers, sleep, vaccinations, growth, doctor's appointments and so much more. All this information can even be exported and sent directly to your e-mail. You can also send a customized birth announcement straight from the app. After searching for something like this, I thought this was the most comprehensive, user-friendly and sleek-looking app for this type of tracking. Here's a video demo of the app at work...

And finally, an app that I've been raving about for a while now. It's a family organization tool that we've been using in our household called Cozi. It features a shared family calendar, to do lists, shopping lists, a journal...and now meal planning. The tool our family uses the most is the shopping list feature. My husband can add what he needs to the list, even while I'm at the store. The best part is that it's free if you just sign up for the basic account with ads.

In the bag

Ever wonder what moms pack in their diaper bags? What are essentials that you can't live without when you're out with baby? I got the idea to do my own diaper bag reveal from the super cute baby site On To Baby and will show the items I have stashed away in my bag. I'm sure these items will change over time, but here's basically what I have right now.

The Bag //

Petunia Pickle Bottom Touring Tote in Moroccan Mint. 

It's kind of pricey, but I bought this a while ago when I saw it on sale on BabySteals.com. If you haven't heard of Baby Steals, it's a site similar to Groupon where they feature two pretty good sales each day. I liked that this particular bag comes with the stroller clips and it matches my stroller/travel system. It's not a large bag, but can hold the essentials and isn't too heavy like the other bigger bags I looked at. 

What's Inside //

1} Huggies Pure & Natural Diapers

2} Earth's Best Chlorine Free Baby Wipes - Travel Size

3} Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover - Chateau Silver

4} Bebe Au Lait Burp Cloth - Chateau Silver

5} Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddle Blanket - Oh Girl

6} JJ Cole Collection Pacifier Pod - Strawberry Burst  

7} Itzy Ritzy Wet Happened Wet Bag - Avocado Damask

8} Baby Legs

9} 2 Onesies

10} Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Pacifier

11} Carter's Mittens

12} Bath & Body Works PocketBac Sanitizing Hand Gel

Preggo Update: 37 weeks

Yay! We've made it..37 weeks! I'm officially full-term and can safely go into labor any day now. Come on baby, start making your way out so I can meet you! We have our car seat installed, all the clothes washed, bags are packed, nursery is pretty much done...we are ready for baby!

Smashed baby face on the 3D ultrasound. Look at those chubby cheeks!

How far along? 37 weeks (+ 1 day)

Total weight gain? Right around 30 pounds (I actually lost 3 pounds since my last appointment). But baby has gained a crazy amount...3 pounds in the past 4 weeks! The doctor said she weighed 7 pounds at her last ultrasound! I'm hoping she doesn't get too much bigger or I'll have trouble squeezing her out.

Maternity clothes? I'm wearing whatever fits at this point.

Stretch marks? Not one...yippee! I'll be sad if I suddenly get them in the next few weeks.

Sleep: Still waking up around 5 a.m. and can't sleep for an hour. I also get heartburn when I lie down on my side.   

Best moment this week: Seeing the baby at possibly our last ultrasound before we meet her in person! She is practicing breathing in there and already has hair!

Miss anything: Lying on my stomach. Hot tubs.

Movement: It's a party in there. I can sometimes see whole limbs sweep across my belly.

Food cravings: Unfortunately, junk food...chips and gummy candies this week.

Anything make you queasy or sick: The smell of rubber tires, strong chemical smells, the laundry aisle at the supermarket.

Gender: Girly girl! Not sure why I answer this every week; it's not like this is likely to change.

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks contractions, they are now stronger up under my stomach. But the doctor said that she still hasn't dropped! She's still clinging to my ribs and finds it quite cozy in there. A little bit of the nesting instinct kicked in last week...I organized our master closet.

Symptoms: Heartburn, achy joints

Belly button in or out? It can't decide whether to stay in or pop out. I guess I would say that it's mostly out-ish now.

Wedding rings on or off? On when I leave the house, but they immediately get taken off when I get home.

Feelings: Excited that I'm now in the month I'll be delivering (hopefully, if she doesn't come too late). Relieved that we're all set for the baby's arrival. Getting a little more anxious now...wondering when the big day will come.

Looking forward to: Seeing the baby in person...I wonder what/who she'll look like!

The Hunger Games

Woo-hoo! I'm done with The Hunger Games trilogy, now I'm ready for the movie...coming March 23. This will most likely be baby's first movie in a theater.