40 weeks

Today I am due. I'm tired of people asking me every five minutes when I am going to have the baby and I am tired of walking and having sex and doing nipple stimulation to try to induce labor.  I didn't want to do those things especially, but I felt on a deadline. I don't really care if he wants to stay a while longer, although I am really excited to meet him. My mom took a lot of my stress off me by deciding to go back home to wait for me to call and my only other stressor left is that neither I nor anyone else wants him to be born on the 31st since that is our niece's birthday.  Well, oh well. People will have to get over it.  Including me, but I'm not going to stress over it anymore. I'm off work, my chores are done, I had a lovely massage last night, and I'm going to sit around and read and bounce on my ball and take as many naps as I want and just relax.

Here's a funny story.  Do you know the difference between these two things?

Some of Nathan's female relatives were telling me a while back about how they used Castor Oil to induce their labor.  Since then it's been mentioned a few times here or there. Nathan has been around for all of the conversations. Well, a few nights ago Nathan and I somehow got to talking about it and I jokingly told him to go get me some. With a puzzled expression he asked why I didn't just use what was IN THE GARAGE!!!!!!!! Bahaaahaaahaaahaaa!!! This WHOLE time he has been thinking we were talking about CAR oil! That still gives me a good laugh when I think about it.  I did tell him though that in his defense they sound very similar and besides, who expects a guy to know what Castor Oil is. But seriously, he thought we were talking about drinking car oil. Hahahahahahaha! Love you honey.

Prenatal Massage

This was my last day working and my boss took me out to lunch. She also paid for me to get a prenatal massage tonight.  It was heavenly.  I feel so relaxed now!  She was hoping it would send me into labor but whether or not it does, it was still worth it. Aaaah.

Obviously, I have not yet gone into labor. Since I am posting here.

39 weeks, 4 days

I am still pregnant.

Because I am still pregnant I had to go to work today.

I did not want to go to work today.

It’s all Piglet’s fault.

Because he wasn’t borneded yet.

Piglet, I will remember this when you are a teenager and want to borrow Mommy’s car. I will also remember that I have wanted ice cream for the last two weeks and didn’t get it for your sake.

Love covers over all wrongs except, you know, some wrongs.

There were no changes at my appointment Monday. Still 2 cm, 75%, -2. “Everything is looking good.” Dr. H said that Thursday would be ideal if I wanted to pick a day to go into labor since he is on call that day and night. Otherwise, he’ll see me next week. Haha Dr. H.

I might go home and try some nip stimulation with my electric pump. Cause, you know, that sounds like lots of fun. But it would be really nice if things would happen so that my mom could ride down to TX with my grandparents instead of spending several hundred dollars on a plane ticket. Hint, hint piggy. Also, you aren’t allowed to come on your cousin’s birthday.

Baby, do you know how eagerly you are awaited? Grandma and Grandpa and Grammy and Pa-paw and Aunt Erika and Uncle Jer and Aunt Andrea and Uncle Justin and your little cousin Alie and lots and lots more? And most excited of all are your Mommy and Daddy.

For not having anything to say, I sure had a lot to say.

Poetry

I found these poems quite a long time ago and I have NO idea where or who wrote them.   They are about SPD and pregnancy. 

first... everyone's favorite childhood standard, clickity clackity pube (performed to the tune of hickory dickory dock).

clickity clackity pube,
your joints could use some lube.
you snap and strain,
cause major pain,
clickity clackity pube


and of course the ever popular little miss melvis.


little miss melvis sat on her pelvis,
rubbing her big pregnant belly...
but with two baby weights, her pube seperates,
and she painfully states: "WHOA NELLY!"

I'm ready...

My OB appointment on Monday went well. I am 2 cm dilated, 75% effaced, and at a -2 station. I asked Dr. H to sign off on my birth plan, which he did, and he said he loved it because it’s short and concise. (It’s half a page) I started a list for people to vote on what day they think Piglet will come and I even got Dr. H to vote—he chose the 24th. Joking, he said he had insider information and if he wasn’t going to win, why he could just claim pre-eclampsia and need to induce! He was completely kidding, and I thought it was funny. He’s a very nice Dr. He always apologizes several times for having to “hurt” me when he does internals. I actually think he is pretty gentle, although this last one was a @#$(*&! humdinger. I just tell him that I’m pretty sure it’s nothing compared to what is about to happen.


I spent yesterday morning with Shelly and Melissa and it was wonderful. Shelly made us lunch and we sat around and talked for several hours. S breastfed all three of her babies and was able to give me some advice and much appreciated support.


Pregnancy hit me like a ton of bricks today, which is probably because I couldn’t sleep last night. I’ve tried to keep a really good attitude while I’ve been pregnant but today I am struggling a little. Every bone and muscle hurts and I am tired and SO uncomfortable and my back is KILLING me and don’t you love me griping? Lol. I know tomorrow will be better if I can get some decent sleep tonight, but I just want today to be over.

Here’s the survey, since I haven’t done it in a while.

How Far Along: 38 weeks

Total Weight Gained: I either lose or stay the same since eating for gestational diabetes.

Maternity Clothes: Um, a lot of them don’t even cover the belly anymore.

Sleep: Potty twice a night. Toss and turn some, sleep some. I sleep pretty well if I don’t have to work the next day but on work days I can’t sleep much.

Best Moment of the Week: Time with the girls yesterday.

Movement: More thumps, bumps, and rolls than kicks nowadays as he runs out of room. He feels HUGE and I’m not sure that there’s much room left in there.

Food Craving: I keep seeing commercials from S.onic and B.raums for those ice cream mixed with candy shake things. Kind of like a B.lizzard from DQ. I really really really want one.

Gender: It's a boy! We have a name, but I’m not putting it on here until after he’s born. If you want to know, you can email me.

Belly Button: Flat, sometimes out a little if Piglet pokes it with his foot.

Labor Signs: Contractions here and there.

What I miss: Eating what I want to eat.

What I look forward to: That should be pretty obvious at this point.

38 weeks

Here’s me:

And here’s one of the highlights of my 37th week! Look how bright and pretty!

Melissa and Thomas came over for dinner Friday night and Melissa wanted to do my toenails for me. Not only did she do my nails but she took off my old polish, clipped and filed, massaged, and THEN painted. It was heavenly, and very loving of her. I am in love with the color and glad to have nice toes for when I have to go to the hospital. I can’t thank her enough—feet don’t gross me out but I know they do a lot of people so I feel very humbled when she takes care of my feet.

After they left I bounced on my exercise ball for a while and then Nathan and I curled up on the couch to watch M.A.S.H. Soon I started to get really bad indigestion and nausea, which I attributed to supper. Except that the bathroom runs were timeable and the “cramps” didn’t feel like Braxton Hicks. What’s worse is that my husband was the one who was pointing it out to me. Me, I like denial. Indigestion was my malady and I was sticking to it. “Besides”, I told him. “I’m exhausted. I can’t go into labor now.” (I realize looking back that my statement was not entirely logical and I may not get a choice.)

“So sleep while we watch MASH,” he says as he pulls out the stopwatch on his phone. I wasn’t about to get excited, even if they were real contractions. I continued to claim indigestion. I don’t plan to go to the hospital until I am WELL into labor so that there is less chance of too many interventions. Plus I have to be sure sure sure sure because my mom will be buying a plane ticket when I go into labor! Everything tapered off into the morning though, and eventually we went to bed. I had a few more good contractions when I got up but haven’t had anything since. Which is fine, I’m not in a big hurry. But after just those few puny little contractions my uterus felt sore like a muscle that got a huge workout. I couldn’t believe it when I got up the next day. Makes me wonder what it will feel like after the real thing! Nathan said he was excited and scared! But I’m proud of him that he paid enough attention to the Lamaze DVD that he remembered that the body frequently “cleanses” at the beginning of labor, and that he could see a little pattern in my contractions. I feel more and more confident of him as my birth partner as I see little things that show me he was paying attention and this is important to him.

I was on the internet Saturday morning and found that there are acupressure points in the arch of the foot, between the ankle and Achilles tendon, and four fingers up from the ankle bone that are said to help in bringing on contractions. The first two of those are places that Melissa was rubbing during my foot massage. So we are thinking that her massage is probably what got me contracting. (Maybe combined with bouncing on the ball?) Which wasn’t the point of the massage, but hey—progress is progress people! I have an OB appointment this afternoon and Melissa says that if I’ve had any progress that she gets to share the credit with Nathan.

Birth Wishes

Warning: This post contains material which many find controversial or inflammatory. I am discussing these topics in the way they pertain to me, my husband, and my child. This post is NOT meant to insult, degrade, or judge women who have made other choices. The reason we are able to MAKE a choice is because we are all different, and have different beliefs. These are simply my/our choices based on my research.

Whew! Glad to have that off my chest. What am I going to write about? Birth! That marvelous moment when one becomes two and tears are shed and a lifetime of worry begins! Well, I guess for many that lifetime of worry started with a line on a stick.

Our niece Alie was born May 31st, 2009. As in last spring. And yes, Piglet is due right before her first birthday. Don’t worry, I have already forbidden him to come on May 31st. Absolutely not, I will hold him in with my own hands if I have to. But anyways, in the time surrounding SIL’s last month of pregnancy, Alie’s birth, and the first little while of her life I became fascinated with pregnancy and birth. I read every book I could find in the library and spent countless hours reading on the internet. I read medical studies and midwifery articles and everything in between. I might have gotten just a smidge obsessed for a little while. I get a little compulsive when I get interested in something. I also had a couple of conversations with my mom.The end result was a three page “Birth Plan” that outlined what I believed I would want from my pregnancy and birth experience. Mind you, this was months before I even got pregnant. We weren’t even thinking about getting pregnant. We really didn’t want to be pregnant! But I was ready (and a good thing too!)

What I decided was that I wanted a natural childbirth. Natural as in vaginal, unmedicated, sweaty, unglamorous, moaning hard work. There were a lot of reasons and a lot of research behind my decision that I won’t get into here. The very most basic thing I can think when I need a little encouragement is, women have been having babies for centuries without medication. Women around the world right this very second are birthing naturally. My own mother had all three of us naturally. Birth, in most cases, is natural rather than medical and our healthcare system in the US medicalizes birth more than any other country in the world. And I’ll stop there, because I could go on for pages.

I also decided that “breast is best”. I feel pretty strongly about breastfeeding and feel that the mother’s determination is more than half the battle. I have a LOT to say about this topic and I’m pretty opinionated on this one but let me just leave it with this: the nurse that gave the hospital tour last weekend mentioned as part of her talk that the NICU gives donated breastmilk to their preemies and babies with surgeries or illnesses because that is what helps them thrive the best.

For the sake of keeping my head intact let me mention that I am well aware that sometimes natural childbirth is not what is best for baby or mother. And I am well aware that breastfeeding doesn’t work out for everyone. I don’t even know how things will work out for me—I am just an idealist primipara!

After meeting my doctor and getting to know him over the past few months, and after taking the hospital tour and getting a sense of how they do things I was able to cull my list down to a half-page “Birth Wish List”. I kept it short and sweet, and only included the most important things. Obviously if some adverse situation arises I will be prepared to compromise but this is what it would look like in my ideal birth.


Birth Wish List

Alesha Vines

This wish list is for a normal, uncomplicated birth. I understand that complications sometimes arise and different decisions must be made. Informed consent—as issues arise—is important to me.

• Prefer Hep lock over IV.

• Prefer intermittent external monitoring. I would appreciate being able to walk/move around as much as I feel up to.

• I am striving for an unmedicated birth. Please help me in my wish to remain unmedicated by not offering an epidural or other medications. Please feel free to suggest nonmedicinal options for coping.

.• Please allow me to try breathing down vs. directed pushing.

• Would like mirror to watch birth.

• Would appreciate perineal massage/support/hot compresses and prefer tearing to episiotomy.

• We are glad that [Hospital name] promotes the first hour after birth for skin to skin bonding and breastfeeding. We would like the Vitamin K shot and eye ointment delayed until after that hour.

• I plan to breastfeed. I would very much appreciate assistance and/or a visit from a lactation consultant.


Now, let me say this. I’m nervous. I know it’s going to be painful, and I doubt myself. Sometimes I worry about having to be induced. Pitocin contractions are twice as long and hard as natural ones, and I don’t know if I could deal with that. Obviously we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but it’s still in the back of my mind. I’m nervous because I have very little support in these choices. Nathan is behind me, and Melissa, and my mom is because she had all three of us naturally. I completely avoid the topic with my inlaws because, nice as they are, I’ve heard what they have to say about women who give birth naturally and it is NOT nice. To be honest I avoid discussing my choices with pretty much anybody not because I am ashamed but because I have not had one single solitary person say “you can do it”. They all just smirk and say, “You’ll change your mind”, or “Just wait till that first contractions hits.” Well, it may be true that I won’t be able to handle it but can’t I at least get a little support to TRY? So I don’t talk about it because I need to believe that I can do it.

I’m not ignorant. I know that I’m buying the hospital ticket and so going for the hospital ride. While I would like a home birth with a midwife, my hubby isn’t comfortable with that so I am respecting his wishes and we’ll be in a hospital. Thankfully the Dr. and hospital I’ll be in seem to be pretty pro-natural. And I am very well aware that sometimes things happen and that’s why those doctors and nurses and medical procedures are there. The only person I will be disappointing if I don’t have a natural childbirth is myself. And I would be very disappointed. But at the end of the day it’s really all about a healthy baby.

New (old) car

Rest In Peace sporty car. I'm sorry we traded you to a ricer.

I drove the new (to me) car to work today. It seems to run well. Doesn’t have any guts but I guess that’s what happens when you go from a standard to an automatic. It runs smoothly though. Nathan did warn me that it was loud and it needs back shocks. He wasn’t kidding on either count! The guy that had it was trying to ricer it out I guess and changed the exhaust to a LOUD beast. Nathan is going to dynomat the trunk (there is nothing but metal) which should keep most of the noise out. He’s also going to replace the back shocks, which will be good since it feels like you’re riding a pogo stick. That’s a funny visual! Ha! And of course we are going to get the AC charged. Those three things are really about all that we need to do at this point I guess. It has new tires (need a spare and a jack) and eventually we will need a lens for the front corner light (hit and run driver) but there is a bulb so I won’t get a ticket. Overall I believe N is happy with the trade. I teased him that he is nesting the car and he said he just wants it to be good for Piglet to ride in. Man-nester! Ha! We installed the baby seat last night. It is WEIRD to be driving around with that in the car. Like, hello, reality check. But thank God for providing.

Part of being a mom is driving a mommy car. I'd better at least get a break on insurance

Speaking of cars, I’ve also found my dream car. You’ll laugh at me, but it’s a Mercury. Yes, an old man car. Or boat. Whichever. Nathan’s work car is a 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis and he’s had it at the house the past few days which is nice cause then we can use it. I love it because it rides SO incredibly smoothly. I mean, sit on a cloud and don’t feel the pot holes smoothly. Plus the AC will blow you out the back window. I mean seriously, that is the best way to make a prego in Texas happy. Good AC. It’s roomy inside. And, AND, when you use your turn signal after dark, a little headlight turns on in the direction you are turning so you can SEE where you are turning! C’mon, how cool is that?!?! Yes, I know I’m easily amused. But it’s just so…so…COOL! So, old man boat or not, I am in love.

37 weeks, car trade

My 37 week picture is a real gem. I promise. But first you have to know the story behind it.

A few weeks ago my mom called and said she was sending me a package with a couple of things for Piglet, and a cute maternity outfit she’d found for me. She was so excited about the maternity outfit, going on and on about how cute it was and how she wanted a picture and on and on. So I finally got the package and there were some cute things for Piglet and then there was…the maternity outfit. I pulled it out and started laughing and laughing. I couldn’t believe mom really liked it and wanted me to wear it. But, she was so excited about it that I figured I’d just take a picture for her and pretend I loved it and throw it away on the sly. I texted her, “Got the package, love the stuff, thanks!” She texted me back, “Do you like your outfit?” Um, what to say. “I love all the baby stuff!” “But do you like your outfit?” “Man, Piglet is going to have more shoes than I do!” “But do you like your outfit?” Erm. “Yeah it’s nice, thank you!” “You really like it?” Finally I just gave up and called her. I told her that I was trying to be nice but the outfit wasn’t really my style. Finally, laughing, she said it was a big joke and she just wanted to see what I would say. So without further ado, here I am, in all my 37 week pregnant glory. Please note my lovely freshly waxed floors. Okay, so you can't tell. PRETEND!!

Now do you see why it’s so funny? I think these pantsuits were popular in the late eighties or maybe early nineties. In fact, at one point my mom had sewn matching pantsuits for her and I for deputation, and I LOVED mine. They had lace around the collars and were from a McCall's pattern. But now? I think we’ll just leave them for a joke. (And mom, I hope you appreciate the guts it took to put a picture like this in cyberspace.)

In other news, we’ve been trying to trade our car for a four door and it looks like Nathan just got a good trade. I have a 94 Acura Integra, the one he replaced the engine in last fall. It’s a good car and sporty but unfortunately the baby seat just doesn’t fit in the back seat (what there is of one, lol). We had a guy want to meet up to trade for an Accord on Sunday, and I almost bawled when I saw his car. It was a 92 (OLD!), and apparently he’s just had a new engine put in but it was in terrible condition interior and body wise, with a lot of things wrong with it. I’m not sure what he was thinking, since our car is in good condition with a lot of aftermarket mods. He offered us the car plus a thousand bucks to trade for our car, and seemed willing to go up more. He really wanted the teggie! I sat in C.hili’s and read a book while they took turns driving the cars and eventually N came in and asked me what I thought. I started crying and said, “I h-hate it!” Seriously. I know I have some hormones but it was also THAT bad. Poor guy. But he wasn’t happy with the car anyway and we knew we would be getting a raw deal even with cash so we politely declined. And by we, I mean Nathan did while I finished drying up my crocodile tears. I really hated the idea of getting rid of my sporty nice car for that hunka junk. And thankfully Nathan thought it was a bad idea even before he talked to me.

Then today he went to meet up with another guy and it turned into a trade! It’s a 94 Civic, 4 door automatic (Teggie was a standard, but I thought it would be easier to deal with a baby in an auto). It’s also only got 76K on it and was owned by an old couple so they are probably easy miles. The interior and exterior are both nice and I think Nathan is pretty happy with the trade. So praise God, that was the last big thing on my “Before Piglet” list!

Sunday was my first Mother’s day and it was nothing to write home about. I went to church and then came home and cleaned the house while Nathan slept. And slept. Grrr! Then we went to meet that guy about the car and then went and saw Ironman 2.

Monday I had a Dr. appointment and everything is good, no changes since last week. Then I went to the chiro for a second adjustment. I feel so much better! I recommend it to any pregnant ladies, even if you don’t have SPD. I know that aches and pains are part of every pregnancy, but really there is a world of difference in the way I feel now and the way I felt two weeks ago before I went to get adjusted.

36 weeks, 5 days

I had an ultrasound on Tuesday, and Nathan and my MIL Daphne got to go to see the baby. It was really neat because we could actually see bones and skin and all sorts of things. We sort of got to see his face but not very well since it’s so low in my pelvis and he was turned away. I did see him stick his tongue out, silly boy. Unfortunately since he was moving so much and he was in a bad place the ultrasound tech was unable to get a picture of his face. I did, however, get a picture that confirmed the boyness of it all, and another of lots of hair. Which proves that all the heartburn is not in vain. He is also estimated to weigh 7 lbs. Which means that at an average weight gain of ½ lb per week, by 40 weeks he will weigh around 9 lbs and by 42 weeks he will weigh around 10. Oh joy. I was hoping for a little 6 or 7 lb peanut that would sort of just slide out. Maybe he’ll come a little bit early.

Boy parts

All that blurry white stuff by the writing is hair.

 

I had an internal exam and Dr. H said I am 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced. I’m not getting too excited because it doesn’t mean I’m close really, just that my body is gearing up for the big day. I told Nathan it would be cute if he was born on Mother’s Day, but that is way soon I think. I was just kidding.

And here I am, huge and getting bigger! I’m doing ok. Tired but finding it a little difficult to get comfortable. Piglet is still very active and I really enjoy that. Well, 99 percent of the time anyway. I don’t like being woken up by the breath stealing kick to the ribs, haha!

Nursery Pictures

Nathan and I had a work day this weekend and got a lot of work done around the house. I had a two page list of things I want to get done before the baby comes and many of them were things I would have done myself at one point but no longer can because I can't lift too much and Nathan doesn't want me climbing on a stepstool. I'll talk more about the list later, but one of the big things on my list was to finish the nursery.  My list for the nursery was:

Hot glue ribbon to the baby's name letters
Hang letters (N)
Make a curtain
Hang curtain rod (N)
Put up shelf in closet (N)
Hang quilt (N)
Hang heart shelf (N)
Finish organising and putting things away
Pack hospital bag
Get the rest the stuff I needed at T.arget
Vacuum

And it's all done! Here's a little tour.  We will be going left to right:

This is the wall with the bedroom door. The door is to the left of the dresser.

The window is on the wall across from the door. So if you are standing in the doorway and look to the left this is what you see.  The cradle is a family heirloom, and it will go in our room next to my side of the bed when the baby comes.

The right wall.  The closet is even further to the right. You can see the doorstop for the closet door in the bottom right of this picture.

My favorite organisational tool in the room! A shoe holder from the Armpit of the Earth.

The bouncy seat and the carseat will come out once the baby comes.  The bag sitting on the floor is the hospital bag.  And you can see a bit of the kite I've talked about in the bottom right of the picture.

Here are a few closeups of things:

Books! I asked for books in lieu of cards at the baby showers. I believe it is VERY important to read to your children and Piglet has a nice collection started!

The little snowbaby was a wedding present from my grandma.  Since I took these pictures I got a package from her and she actually sent me four more that spell out B.A.B.Y so they are all up on the shelf instead of the picture frame.

My sister made the blanket you see at the bottom of the picture. It's blue and yellow and super soft.  Piglet actually has several afghans that were made just especially for him, all of which are beautiful!

"Daddy" has been winning things for his baby boy. The red puppy he actually won for me on our honeymoon at six flags. The Piglet is from my mom (who else) and the scooby and the Cowboys bear are what Nathan won especially for Piglet.

And that's pretty much it! I had to cut his name out of the pictures since we aren't posting his name yet  but his letters are hung on the wall with the crib.  I'll show a picture of that after he's born--I have to show them since I spent hours painting them!

I know it's not a "designer" nursery but shoot those are expensive and what does the baby care anyways.  I love the way it looks and I'm proud all the great deals I found and of what I was able to do on our little budget. It's a rental house so we weren't able to paint the nursery but the room is cozy anyways. I like to walk in there and daydream about the little one coming to live there! I'm so glad we got everything finished. I just have one more load of laundry to do--mostly blankets and my M.oby Wrap.  All of his clothes are done!