40 Weeks...Eviction Notice

I can't believe Baby L's due date has arrived! January 28, 2016 sounded so far away when we found out we were expecting Baby L right before Memorial Day weekend.  Where have these 40 weeks gone?!  We knew all along we didn't want to know whether Baby L was a boy or girl.  Now that his/her arrival is so close, I am so excited to find out!  What a sweet reward it will be after (what I am assuming will be) a long labor.  I told Joe he better make sure he knows for sure before he announces whether it is a boy or girl.  I would rather wait 10 more seconds for him to take it all in than have him tell me the wrong thing! Right now I still feel great and stand by my statements that I truly have enjoyed being pregnant.  There are so many parts of this pregnancy I will miss.  It's hard to believe it is all coming to an end and we will be meeting Baby L any day now.  I have become so accustomed to my baby bump it's a little hard to imagine not having it anymore.  Baby L must be feeling just as comfortable since he/she has officially decided on a late arrival.

I had my last prenatal appointment on Wednesday.  I feel like such a regular it is going to be strange not seeing all the staff every week.  Everything still looks great and I am so thankful for a completely healthy pregnancy.  My OB laughs every time at how active Baby L is (I think he/she starts kicking every time she listens to the heart beat).  The good news is we finally have some progress.  I am dilated 1 cm, my cervix has continued to soften, and the baby has also finally started to drop (current position -3).  So we have a ways to go, but at least we are heading in the right direction.  All that is left to do at this point is sit and wait.  If I don't go into labor on my own over the weekend I will be induced Tuesday evening.  To be honest I am a little nervous about having to be induced.  I would much rather go into labor naturally and labor at home for awhile.  But I am trying to not get too anxious and just take it day by day.  It is all up to you Baby L, Mommy and Daddy are ready to meet you whenever you are ready! But this is your official eviction notice! :)

Joe had to fix the invisible dog fence this week.  Of course it would stop working when we are expecting Baby L anytime.  Fortunately the problem ended up being an easier than expected fix (the problem was caused by a bad fix from a cable guy that broke it). After that adventure he was also able to finish the guest room this week, it looks great!  We still need to hang a few pictures but we are so happy with how everything turned out.  Looking forward to more visitors once Baby L arrives.

This week has been spent taking advantage of our last few days of it being just Joe and I.  We have been eating out, and went to see the movie The Revenant.  The weather has been a little nicer so the dogs have been getting some extra walks and are being enticed with treats as a reward if they help get my labor kick started, hehe.

January 28th (my due date!) is also now my official last day of work.  Boss man (Jim) asked me to come in (so long as I wasn't in labor of course) since they were having an inservice on the new pumps.  When I wasn't training I tried to walk a lot, including the stairs.  I think it helped because I can feel a big difference and it seems to me that Baby L has continued to drop.  I am definitely feeling ready to be done working at this point.  Looking forward to a little time to myself before Baby L arrives.

We have been receiving many sweet messages, phone calls, and texts about Baby L.  We are so thankful to have so many supportive family and friends, both near and far.  Fingers crossed we will have more exciting news to share soon.  The next blog will be our labor story, and officially introducing Baby L :)

Baby is the Size of a Jackfruit

 

Eviction notice...Baby L you have run out of room!

New for baby this week? Gearing up for labor...could be any day now!

Total weight gain/loss? 37 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Absolute necessity.
Stretch marks? None!! :) I think we made it!
Sleep? Loving sleep.  More wake ups to shift positions because I get sore but I fall right back to sleep.  Wednesday evening was somewhat restless because I was having random contractions.
Best moment this week? Extra time with Joe.
Miss Anything? Not really...just enjoying the moment.
Movement? All the time.  As baby has shifted downward I am feeling a lot of movements around my belly button.  It's like we are touching hands almost (or so I like to imagine), it is kinda cool.
Food cravings? Chocolate milk.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, all of this was very minimal through the entire pregnancy. A couple fish smells and chicken tacos come to mind as things that ever made me feel nauseous a very long time ago.
Gender? We will know very soon :)
Labor Signs? Starting to dilate.  Increased contractions although still very irregular and not very painful.
Belly Button in or out? Big ol' button!
Wedding rings on or off? Off
How is mama feeling? Rested, energetic, excited, happy, anxious, and a little nervous.  Increasing pelvic pressure (and increased pregnancy waddle) as baby is dropping.  
Looking forward to? Holding and kissing Baby L for the first time.

39 Weeks...Emotional & Excited!

Today is the one year anniversary of our move to Columbus.  It is so hard to believe it has already been a year since we got the keys to our new home.  After living in Asheville for seven years, it marked the end of a very important chapter in our lives.  Asheville is where Joe and I built our relationship, bought our first home, got engaged, and married.  We worked at our first perfusion jobs.  We adopted our fur babies. We traveled and got involved in running and triathlons.  Living 7-9 hours away from family (and close friends) had its challenges but I think it is one of the reasons our relationship became so strong. When jobs opened up and we had the opportunity to make the move to Columbus it was not an easy decision.  We knew starting a family was our next step, and a big part of us had imagined raising a family in the mountains of Asheville.  But at the end of the day we had to follow our hearts and made the decision to move back to Columbus (where it all started) for better job opportunities, and to be closer to our Ohio friends and family.  Now here we are exactly a year later getting ready to start yet another chapter in our lives.  Maybe it is the pregnancy hormones but I have been a little emotional lately thinking about all of the big changes coming our way.  Of course there is a small part of me that is nervous for the change.  I know there will be times I will miss the care free days of it just being Joe and I.  But mostly I am so excited to meet Baby L, and fall in love with my husband all over again.  Each passing day brings us a little closer to meeting our son or daughter. It feels so real now and we talk about it all the time.  We already love this baby so much.  I can only imagine how much that feeling will be multiplied when we meet Baby L for the first time.

The day we got the keys to our family home.  We had no idea at the time what an exciting year we had ahead.  In just a few short months we'd find out we were expecting Baby L!

Signing contracts and getting ready to start our new jobs at OSUMC.  (Look, no prego belly!)

I feel a bit like a ticking time bomb because I could go into labor any day now.  But we have been keeping busy so the days/weeks just keep flying by.  I thought last Friday would be my last day at work but after some renewed energy this week I ended up picking up a few days.  Tomorrow may be my last day before I go on maternity leave.  It is a weird feeling knowing I won't be pumping cases again until the end of May.  I can't imagine having this kind of time away from work, but something tells me I will be keeping busy.

On Saturday the Igoes gave us some tickets to the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game (his friend had a suite a bunch of us were able to enjoy).  Before the game we grabbed pizza at Bostons.  It was packed and made my belly feel huge!  I was happy to finally get seated,  and the pizza was so yummy!  As an added bonus Laura and Andy were at the game so we got to hang out with them too!

Can't wait to take Baby L one day :)

Laura surprised me on Saturday by letting me know she was planning on helping stock up our freezer for when Baby L arrives.  She came over on Monday and dropped off lasagna, chicken fried quinoa, chicken queso soup, and chips and salsa.  We are so grateful to have some meals ready to go for when Baby L arrives!  (Thank you so much "Auntie" Laura!!).  As for Joe and I, the nesting continues.  I made a batch of spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken pot pie filling to add to our freezer collection.  We have been trying to keep up with cleaning/laundry as much as possible (which is a never ending battle with the pups and crazy weather).  Joe meanwhile has continued working hard on the guest bedroom.  All of the molding is up and painted.  Next step is to cover these horrible pink and grey walls!

Daddy a.k.a. Spelunky hard at work.

The guesses keep on coming in about our mystery baby.  Our sister-in-law Valerie even had a dream about the specific sex, birth date, and name of Baby L.  My niece Claire says a "little Heather" is on the way.

Oh and speaking of names, I think we made our final decisions!  It only took us until a week before Baby L's due date.  You caught us, we may have been fibbing earlier about having decided on names. We are still keeping the names our little secret.  But we'll share where the names came from once Baby L arrives!

Baby L and I also went on a movie date Tuesday afternoon to see Joy.  You can't beat $5 movies and free popcorn.  I know going to movies will be much harder here soon.  I was also thankful my water didn't break while I was there by myself, that would have been embarrassing!

My 39 week exam was very uneventful.  There was very little change from last week.  Although it is somewhat discouraging I know this can all change over night.  I am remaining optimistic I will go into labor on my own when the time is right.  But I also understand that an induction may be in the cards if I don't progress.  If it means a healthy mama and baby that is what is most important.  Joe's one year at OSU is next Tuesday (January 26th) and we really don't want to deliver before then anyway so he gets his paternity leave instead of having to use vacation time.  So maybe Baby L is just trying to be a good cooperative baby?  (Update: Upon closer look at the HR policy it looks like he is already set to get his paternity leave at this point!  He may lose a day before the 26th because it is prorated, but what a relief!) My OB does not seem concerned about my minimal progress and thinks this is all very normal for a first pregnancy.  It is hard not to compare to friends' experiences, and it often makes me feel like I am behind.  But I have heard plenty of other Mom's stories that went late.  And I also know I could have been sitting at 1 cm for a month with no changes.  So I am just taking it day by day and remembering to be thankful Baby L is still doing great and will arrive when he/she is ready. And one way or the other we will be meeting Baby L within two weeks!! My friend Ashley H. shared an article with me today.  It really hits home about my feelings right now.  Cherishing the last days with Baby L tucked safely away in my belly.

I'll Miss My Pregnant Belly When It's Gone.

Baby is the Size of a Watermelon

New for baby this week? Lungs are mature.  Baby is as full term as can be. Everyday from here is a bonus.  Weighs between 7-8 lbs and measures between 19-21 inches.

Total weight gain/loss? 37 lbs. The lbs. keep on coming, and I can definitely feel the extra weight.
Maternity clothes? It's bad when some of your maternity shirts are getting too short.
Stretch marks? Nope! :)
Sleep? Aside from potty breaks, sleeping great.
Best moment this week? Any moment spent enjoying Baby L's kicks and flips.
Miss Anything? Easily tying my shoes and shaving my legs. 
Movement? All the time.  Joe and I love to just sit on the couch or lay in bed enjoying the show.
Food cravings? Chocolate milk, the standard.
Have you started to show yet? The real question now is "are strangers giving your horrified looks you may have that baby any second?!"
Gender? We are both going to stick with our guess of boy.
Labor Signs? Pretty much non-existent.
Belly Button in or out? I have grown to love my prego button.
Wedding rings on or off? Off...and staying off.  My hands, although not awful, are one of the places I am seeing extra fluid.
How is mama feeling?  Overall still very good.  I had some horrible charley horses recently while I was sleeping.  That on top of a lot of walking over the weekend left me with very sore calves for a few days. Oh and still warm, very warm.  I had to talk Daddy into turning the thermostat down to 64 degrees otherwise I cook night! Can you imagine if we'd had a summer baby?!
Looking forward to?  Meeting Baby L.  Our last days just Joe and I.

38 Weeks...Winter Has Arrived

The countdown is on until Baby L and we are trying to take advantage of our last remaining free time.  We had a very busy weekend and ate way too much food.  Joe and I tried a new Mexican restaurant Friday evening.  Saturday morning I met Danielle for breakfast at Northstar.  That night we met Nate, Callie, Katie, and Luke at Harvest Moon Cafe.  I had one of my very few pregnancy cravings when we walked by a specialty cupcake shop right down the road.  Joe and I ended up buying 4 different kinds and have been sharing one a day.  They are amazing!  After dinner we went to check out Katie and Luke's new house and watched the Bengals/Steelers wildcard game.  Sunday afternoon we met the Burgers, Shanks, and Zieglers at Cheescake Factory.  Morgan and Jordyn are getting so big! We always have fun playing with all of the babies and can't wait to add ours to the mix.  Joe has been on a roll and also managed to finish hanging the crown molding in the guest bedroom over the weekend.  He also bought a new headboard, curtains, and side table.  (Yes Daddy is definitely nesting!). We are excited to get some paint on the walls and finally have a nice guest bedroom.  Mama on the other hand might be getting a little excited about Baby L's arrival and bought a few outfits this week. I swear I am done until I find out whether Baby L is a boy or a girl :)  I am much more content though knowing I have some more nice warm sleepers to get us started.  I also got Baby L's bag packed, and my bag mostly packed.  We are preregistered and ready to rock n' roll whenever the time comes.

I bought a couple headbands (Daddy was concerned) in case we happen to have a baby girl :)

I worked on Monday and when I pushed a (unknown to me) leaky heater cooler down the hall it appeared my water had broken as I was standing in a puddle of water by the time I got to the ice bin.  Our coworker Dave immediately sent Joe a picture (he wasn't coming in until a little later in the morning) and asked if he was ready?!  Glad I could give everyone a good laugh.  Luckily for me my coworkers are all taking way too good of care of me when I am at work.  I have to remind them sometimes I am still very capable!

The picture does no justice but the puddle was huge. At least my pants weren't wet.

Looks like Old Man Winter has made his appearance just in time for our winter baby. After a small dusting the other day, we actually ended up getting about 3-4 inches of snow on Tuesday at the house.  And brrr it is cold!  I took advantage of my "prego snowday" and binge watched some shows.  I did go outside with the dogs to play in the snow for awhile, they love it!  I had to rescue/coax Izzy out from under our deck (which isn't very high) at one point because she got stuck army crawling around under there.  She has never done that before but maybe the snow made some critters hide out under there or something? Always an adventure.  Buddy and Izzy are getting increasingly clingy/protective of my belly.  At one point the other night they had both practically crawled in my lap and had their paws wrapped around me. Daddy (who is very hopeful Baby L loves snow as much as him) took advantage of the fresh snow and went skiing at Mad River on his day off.

So everyone always asks me if I have dreams about the gender of Baby L, or a strong feeling one way or the other.  To be honest I really don't.  I am guessing a boy, but there are parts of me that also think it may be a girl so I just won't really be too surprised either way I don't think.  But I did have a pretty funny dream the other night and I am not quite sure what to make of it?  In the dream Joe and I go walking into the nursery at the hospital to see our baby for the first time.  There was obviously no labor and delivery involved so I guess the stork must have dropped the baby off? The first thing we see is a baby with this long dark, pretty hair and long eyelashes...it's a girl! But as we look closer we notice the baby is wrapped in a blue blanket...ok whoops it's a boy!  At this point I pick Baby L up for the first time and it is then I notice a big bald spot (just like Daddy's when we first started dating, haha!).  I was concerned about the bald spot but the nurse assured me it was completely normal and was just due to how the baby had been positioned in the womb.  She told me the hair would grow back...at least for a little while! (haha)  I woke up laughing so hard and had to wake Joe up to tell him about my crazy dream.  His thoughts regarding Baby L's hair situation was "poor baby".
 
My 38 week checkup was pretty uneventful.  Everything still looks great.  Baby L is sitting very comfortably (so is Mama).  The only progress is my cervix has continued to soften but I have still not started to dilate.  Baby L has started to drop a little bit, but not enough that I can actually tell.  She is fully expecting to see me at my 39 week appointment next week.  At this point she is guessing I am going to end up with a 7.5-8 lb. baby :) She doesn't want me to go much more than a week late, and OSU apparently has a very busy induction schedule.  So as of right now I am on the schedule to be induced in the evening on February 2nd.  But she did tell me today we can be flexible with that depending on how everything is progressing.  So in the meantime, we wait!  Alpha Mom (a blog I have been following through my pregnancy with weekly updates) did a good job of explaining my thoughts/feelings at this point :)

"Alternating between crazy excitement about finally meeting your baby and crazy panic about oh my God, you’re finally going to meet your baby and they’re going to expect that you take it home and like, keep it alive and stuff."

Baby is the Size of a Pumpkin

New for baby this week? Weighs about 7 lbs and is about 20 inches long. Lungs are mature and will continue producing more surfactant. Baby could have up to an inch of hair (or none at all!). Has a firm grasp.

Total weight gain/loss? 35 lbs. Guess I am not quite done yet.
Maternity clothes? Are getting boring.  But I am still loving maternity pants, they are so comfy!
Stretch marks? None...can I make it until the end?!
Sleep? I have been sleeping great!  Of course I wake up a time or two to pee, but I am able to fall right back asleep.  I also have been enjoying a nap (or two) when I can sneak them in.  Enjoying it while I can!

Best moment this week? My new favorite moment each week is my OB appointment.  I am always anxious to find out if there has been any progress, and  I always love listening to Baby L's heartbeat.
Movement? On Monday night Joe sat with me for awhile and we just enjoyed feeling Baby L move around.  It was by far some of the biggest movements I have seen and felt (although not painful).  We could feel limbs flying everywhere. I also watched my stomach move around into all kinds of crazy shapes while drying my hair one day.
Food cravings?  Chocolate milk.  Cupcakes :)
Labor Signs? I get Braxton Hicks everyday but they have not been strong or painful.
Wedding rings on or off? Off since Monday morning.  After being so loose recently I almost panicked when I sleepily pushed them on the other morning and soon after I noticed my finger kinda hurt and wasn't getting the best circulation.  I don't think my hands look very swollen but I guess they are more so than I realized (crazy since the weather is so cold!).  It took me about 15 minutes to get them off (which I am sure only got worse the more I tried to force it). So I have decided it probably isn't worth putting them on at this point in case my hands swell more throughout the day.  I feel naked!  I haven't gone a day without them since our wedding day.
How is mama feeling? Honestly pretty great.  Taking it easy helps.  I am also so warm!  We are experiencing temperatures in the teens and single digits and I still get hot all of the time.  I keep turning the furnace down, I hope I am not freezing Joe too much.  I wake up at night hot and sweaty.  Normally I would be bundled up and wrapped in my "cocoon" with these kind of temperatures.
Looking forward to? Meeting Baby L :)  Finding out whether you are a boy or girl! And as you can tell from the bump photo outtakes Izzy and especially Buddy are just as excited as Mommy and Daddy!

37 Weeks...Full Term

The vast majority of this week has been spent trying to get a little extra rest and relaxation to get rid of this cold.  I think it is finally working!  Being pregnant and sick is one thing, but I don't particularly want to be in labor with a cold if I can help it.  My fingers are crossed that this is about the end of it.  I am only working a couple days a week now which has been great.  I haven't decided yet when my official last day will be or if I will keeping picking up days until my due date.  I enjoy going to work to keep busy and to have a little normalcy.  Work days are becoming very tiring now (I can only imagine what I would be feeling like at this point with the work load in Asheville).  Fortunately I am surrounded by coworkers who are always willing to help out or give me a break.  I am extremely thankful for the job opportunities available to me in Columbus.  The flexibility to work per diem (without call) at a couple hospitals has been such a blessing.  I am very excited for the extra time it will allow me to have at home raising Baby L going forward.  Joe has definitely taken on more of the role of the provider during this move, which has been a weird adjustment for me.  But working for a larger group has cut down on the amount of on call time drastically.  So even though he has to punch a clock, I hope having less holiday/weekend call and only working 4 days a week gives us more free time (without a pager) to spend together as a family.  It is hard to believe we have been back in Columbus almost a year now.  It was a very hard decision, but I think we made the right one for our growing family.

Saturday we watched our last football game of the season with the Mayhills.  OSU beat ND to win the Fiesta Bowl.  The game was on New Years Day so Joe made crockpot brats and sauerkraut to bring us blessings, wealth, and good luck in 2016.  We weren't in town for Lily's first birthday party, so we brought her a couple belated birthday gifts.  Lily fell asleep during the game and was still sleeping when it was time to head home.  You never wake a sleeping baby, not even to open gifts!  Callie sent us a video later that night of Lily dancing to her musical books.  They might be a little noisy though...so Joe and I better watch out when it comes to future gifts for Baby L.

Delicious!  Baby L was really loving the sauerkraut.

We spent the rest of the weekend taking down Christmas decorations, cleaning the house, and giving my car a final good vacuuming (much needed after all the traveling we have been doing with the fur babies).  Then we decided it was probably time to go ahead and install the car seat.  It was much easier than we anticipated because the latch system is so simple.  I only left the base in the car for now.  I feel a little weird driving around with an empty car seat.  I also got the adapters on the stroller so we can attach our car seat.  I think we are officially as baby ready as we can be.  All that is left on our to do list is to pack the hospital bags. 

Daddy is having pregnancy cravings, what can I say when a guy is working on crown molding (this time in the guest bedroom) you don't deny him ice cream!   I asked him what kind he wanted and his response was "oh you know". For Joe it is always chocolate, so I picked him up a gallon of "Death by Chocolate".  Now he wants to know if I am trying to kill him, hah!

I had my 37 week check up and I am so excited to be full term!  (Although we want Baby L to keep baking!).  I am not dilated or effaced yet, but my cervix has started to soften.  Slow progress and that is okay.  My OB and I talked a lot about my labor plan, or lack thereof.  We both agree the right plan for me is no plan.  I want a happy healthy baby (and mama) and I will do what is necessary to make sure we get there, whatever that may be. We are still both hopeful I will go into labor naturally.  We also talked a lot about epidurals.  Her advice was to listen to my body as to when/if I want to start the epidural, and that above all it is important that no matter what I need to have the strength and energy to push Baby L out.  She also said to expect the first hour minimum post delivery to be for just the three of us.  It will be our time to bond with Baby L before we let family in to visit.  My OB really puts me at ease and I am so happy we are on the same page with everything.  We are getting more and more excited to meet Baby L!  But I am cherishing these days.  I have loved being pregnant and am going to miss all of the kicks, hiccups, and listening to heart beats.

Baby is the Size of a Winter Melon

New for baby this week? About 6.5 lbs now

Total weight gain/loss? 33 lbs, have I topped off?!
Stretch marks?  Nope!
Sleep? Pretty good considering I can't breathe and always have to pee.  I actually slept about 12 hours the other night, and even took a nap.  Sometimes I wake up because my hips are sore.
Best moment this week? Hitting full term
Miss Anything? Reaching my toes with ease.  I wear tall (comfy) boots everyday because they are easiest to take on and off.
Movement? The movements are different than a few weeks ago.  I can tell Baby L is getting more crowded.  But still moving like crazy.  Baby L still gets the hiccups everyday.
Food cravings? Chocolate milk (my standard every night)
Wedding rings on or off? On and loose?! Odd change.
How is mama feeling? Much better than earlier in the week thanks to lots of rest, OJ, and hot tea.  I still am comfortable and loving being pregnant.
Looking forward to? Plans with friends.