40 WEEKS!

We made it the whole way!!!! It's really hard to go overdue but so nice to know that I can carry a baby to term, and beyond apparently. :) Thursday was my new due date per the 20 week ultrasound. I'm not going to lie, this week has been really hard on my body and mind. But overall little one seems very happy and healthy according to all of the tests so I can't really complain.

Sunday started out as a very quiet day. Auntie Anne and Michelle came over for a little bit before Momma had to leave for Indio. Steven was out with Dad all day then at the track all night long, until 8am in fact. They were making a new course for the big race at the end of the month and not very many people showed up to help. Charlotte said the funniest thing to me. "Soooo Auntie Bena, are you ready to be a mother on Thursday?" I wanted to laugh because she said it so seriously, but it was actually a really sobering question. I replied, "Well kiddo, being a Mommy is a lot of responsibility but with God's help I think I'll take it one day at a time." She says in all seriousness "I know. I have two kids and it's really hard." hahahahahaha. Is that not the cutest thing ever? She does have two dolls that she takes everywhere now and is always shopping for them and arranging baby sitting and giving them naps. Two is a lot of work!

Steven slept all day Monday since he was up working on the track all night. I had an NST that afternoon that was a little worrisome at first. The nurse kept me on the monitor for a long time and had to buzz the baby twice to get her to move. She kept taking my print out back to the Dr but eventually they said all was well and to come back as usual in a few days. I had a few contractions on the monitor.

Tuesday wasn't very exciting. I started my craft blog and Steven finally got around to fixing the breaks on the truck then left with Scott to do hobby stuff.

Wednesday we ran some errands and stopped at Ruby's for lunch. That was a nice treat. :) I took a nap then crocheted two hats. I'm not sure what got in to me but it sounded like a fun challenge and they turned out better than I expected. I'm no expert by any means so I found some really easy patterns on line. Steven went to race track. I didn't see him very much this week.

Thursday we started off my due date with another NST where the baby was much more cooperative. We also had our weekly ultrasound to check fluid levels and everything was fine. After that we headed to the OB appointment. I'm still at 204 lbs and dilated 2 cm. During lunch I got really dizzy and developed a nagging headache. The Dr told me that my blood pressure was a bit elevated from my usual so to take some Tylenol and rest when I got home. If it didn't go away I was supposed to go to the hospital. She said if I don't have the baby by next Thursday they are going to have me induced. Because of the blood pressure she wanted me to come back on Monday to see the nurse practitioner. I was a little nervous after all that and didn't want to go sit at home yet again, so Steven took me to Kohl's so I could use my awesome coupon and got a purse. We sat and had an ice cream cone and talked for a bit which was really relaxing. My headache never left, even with the Tylenol but I was so tired and scared of going to the hospital so I just went to bed instead.

Friday I cleaned the house up as best my big belly would allow and made another hat. Steven was gone all day again and I felt miserable. Auntie Anne came over to take my blood pressure which was still elevated but no higher so I didn't worry too much. Momma came home and it was nice to have people around for a while even though I didn't feel well. We also got a package in the mail from Diane today. In it was a cute little stuffed kitty, a lady bug toy that sings, and a lullaby book with a CD. Thank you!

On Saturday Marla and her new boyfriend Donny stopped by while they were in town picking up her new car and visiting friends and family. It was great to see Marla as always and very nice to meet Donny. I'm really happy for them. :) Michelle and John and Char showed up later to spend some time with Momma and then Mike and Tanya and the kids joined us so that Steven and Mike could paint their trucks. Uncle Jim and Aunt Tammy called to say they were in the neighborhood and ended up coming by for a while also. Needless to say, we had quite the impromptu party and a house full of people. Steve bought us an amazing video camera today also. Thank you! It will be so fun to capture all of her "firsts" with it.

I'm late again on my 40 week picture but I don't think that much has changed.

39 WEEKS!

I'm finding it so hard to sleep this week. I never thought my frequent urination could become even more frequent! I'm at least once, if not twice, every single hour during the night. Between that and Steven's snoring I'm not getting much sleep. Sitting is beyond uncomfortable and I can't yawn or take a deep breath anymore. The baby doesn't move very much that's noticeable but it's still enough to not be alarmed. She keeps hitting some nerve that goes through my groin and down my leg and sometimes will knock me feet out from under me. I'm so looking forward to meeting her and being able to move again. Steven and I have picked a name to be announced after her arrival. :)

On Sunday I moved the crib and put on the bumpers and mobile. It looks so cute. :) The mobile needed a little something so I added a cover for the plastic handle. Later we went to a party at Auntie Anna and Uncle Larry's house for the August/September birthdays and Labor Day.



Monday was Labor Day so Mom and Dad were home. Steven spent the day at the race track. Auntie Anne and Craig came over for dinner and brought steaks. Carina also came over to visit and catch up. We had a good time and I kicked butt at Scrabble. Auntie gave me two of the adorable wool diaper covers she made. I'm so excited to use them! It's amazing how quickly she can bust those out.



Tuesday we went to the NST where we had a sleepy baby again. After she was buzzed a few times she did well on the monitors. I was super tired so took a nap while Steven and Scott played video games. The weather was really strange and drizzly so that might have contributed to my tiredness and funny headache. Michelle and Charlotte dropped by later in the afternoon.

On Wednesday Ariel and Chelsea came over to visit with Michelle and I. We had a nice time and I ate far too many munchie snack foods.

Thursday we had another NST and everything looked good. My fluid is still in the safe zone at 9.7 cm. After that Steven and I ran a whole bunch of errands that I had been bugging him about. We had a really nice afternoon together. Later in the day I had a Dr appointment. I'm at 204 lbs and blood pressure and sugars are still looking good. I measured at 40 weeks and baby's heartbeat is strong. She said I made a little bit of progress and was dilated to 1 cm and my cervix was still high but getting a little softer. That didn't sound like much progress to me but oh well. The exam was really painful and I had some spotting afterward and lots of cramping. She thought I might have a UTI so they are running a culture for that. I didn't feel like going home afterward so we walked around TJ Maxx where we found Dare a new bed for a great price. Her last pillow was in bad shape. I swear, whenever we spend money on that dog it's never wasted. She loves it!



Friday we had a pretty quiet day just doing things around the house. Diane sent me another lovely bracelet. :) Thank you!



Saturday morning Mom and Dad took us out to breakfast at Ruby's Diner. I love going there but this was the first time I've had their breakfast. Afterward Dad and Steven went to do boat hobby stuff while Mom, Carina, and I went to a store around the corner holding a cloth diapering class. I used some money from the shower to get a few of the covers I still needed to fit a newborn and for my birthday Momma bought me two dozen prefolds (per my request) and the lanolizing detergent for the wool covers. It's so nice to have a place so close by to purchase these items. Carina stayed and visited for a little while then Mom and I hung out until I fell asleep. When I woke up Michelle, Char, and John had come over to say hi to Momma. Even after the nap I was beat so retired relatively early.

Here is the 39 week picture. Not much longer to go!

38 WEEKS!

Every week is getting significantly harder for me. Hard to move and sleep and harder to cope with the stresses and anxiety. I'm beyond anxious to go into labor and as much as I know I'll miss being pregnant when she comes, I still want to be done!

On Sunday Michelle and Charlotte came over to visit with Momma since she was gone most of Saturday. I think she's really happy with her new job, except the fact that it's so far away. This week she'll be settling in the room she's renting from a nice elderly lady.

Monday was a quiet day. I spent most of it sewing.

Tuesday was my 29th birthday and I woke up to a lovely breakfast. :) Steven had bought me yellow roses (my favorite) and decorated the kitchen with streamers and balloons. We had a nice breakfast and then headed out to the NST. Baby did great as always and then we had lunch at the Lazy Dog Cafe. We were early to our movie so we played around the arcade for a while. We saw "The Switch" and then spent a quiet evening at home.







Playing in the arcade.



Wednesday I finally finished my diaper bag! YAY! I swear that project took forever. I'm not sure why it's taking me five times longer than it should to finish anything I start. I'm really happy with how it turned out though. Michelle came over and we went to a few fabric stores to find fabric for her project at Char's school library and I got the fabric to finish the bumpers. It was a really long day but we were both happy with the results of our purchases. I couldn't believe how cheap my fabric was! I stayed at her house the rest of that evening and she made a wonderful dinner.





On Thursday we had our regular Dr. appointment and I met Dr. Spears for the first time. She's the OB that the clinic uses but she's been on maternity leave and is only in the clinic one afternoon per week. She was so nice and really supportive of my plan for little to no interventions and a natural birth. That was not at all what I expected. It's not very likely that she will be delivering me but if all the other Dr's on rotation at the hospital are as nice as her, then I'm not worried at all. I'm up 1 lb from last week to 201 lbs. I measured 35 weeks and with my new due date they considered me 38 weeks. She didn't seem concerned that I was measuring behind since there was some growth from last week. When she checked my cervix it was really painful and felt like she was digging around in there. After she told me that she did a stretch and sweep. My cervix isn't very ripe at all and still long and thick. She could only stretch me to 1 cm and swept my membranes in an effort to move things along. The rest of that day and all night I was very crampy. I don't know why but I was so discouraged and uncomfortable with all the cramping that night so Steven had me take some Tylenol and that helped me get some sleep. I lost some of my plug but there was no spotting. I have a feeling that this week is not the week for baby's arrival.

On Friday Michelle and Char came over to work on her project for the school library. Charlotte actually learned how to work the sewing machine by herself (mostly) and made two blankets for her babies all by herself. She's getting so grown up! Our NST and fluid scan went well and baby was more than cooperative. It seems that little girl likes the sound of her own heartbeat. She always starts dancing like crazy when the Doppler is put on her or the monitors at the hospital. Silly kiddo. :)

Saturday I worked on finishing up the bumper pads for the crib. I think they turned out really cute! It was Michelle's idea to put the ruffles and she found the fabric for the ties. I was getting so frustrated with the whole thing so I'm glad she was able to bring it all together. I love how they turned out and now I just need to make the crib skirt.



My picture is a few days late. I do have some small stretch marks now on my right side but still none on the belly. I'm not sure how that makes sense.

37 WEEKS!

A lot of changes are happening in my body this week. It feels like we're gearing up for the big day! My breasts have become sore and full again so hopefully they work. It's still a mystery to me that I can nourish my baby fully. My hips and back have been in a lot more pain and it feels like they are spreading. I think she's probably dropped further because I feel a lot of punching really low in my cervix. My center of balance has changed completely and I feel like a teeter totter. My swelling has increased somehow. I honestly didn't think that was possible. My belly has grown a lot this week and my shirts are barely covering it. I developed a new stretch mark and surprisingly it's on my squishy love handles and not the super stretched belly skin. Go figure.

Sunday I got up and started sorting through all of the gifts and arranging things. We have so many clothes so I had to sort them by size and make a pile of duplicates to exchanged. Later Steven, Dad and I went over to my sister's house to help clean up after the mess we made at the baby shower. We all ended up going out to dinner at Paul's Place and then met Steven's Dad at Cerritos park so they could play with their RC boats. Charlotte had fun driving the little boat and playing with sticks in the gross pond water. Dad got to test out his newly upgraded boat and they flipped Steve's boat so many times that the rescue craft gave out. All in all it was a lovely day.

On Monday my Momma left for Thermal, CA (Palm Springs area) for a job interview at a public high school. They hired her on the spot and wanted her to start the next day! Such a surprise and a big change, but how can you turn down a decent job offer no matter the commute? She's staying with my grandparents who live out there until she can find a room to rent. We met up with Michelle and went to Babies R Us to make some exchanges and get the rest of the items that we need. I'm so glad she was there to remind me of what I do and don't need since my brain feels like a mushy mess these days. She also bought us a mattress while we were there, as if she hasn't done enough already. I love my family! She came over later to visit with Momma before she left for the week and we went through Mom's closet and planned some outfits for her. Hopefully we made things easier and helped her feel comfortable making a good impression.

Tuesday we headed to UCI for our usual NST and everything looked good with me and the baby. Steven headed to his Dad's house afterward to fly their airplanes. I think the ended up doing more tinkering than flying as generally happens. LoL I spent the rest of the day napping, resting, sewing, and doing baby laundry.

Wednesday and Thursday were lazy days with nothing in particular going on. We ran a few errands and I worked a bit more on organizing things.

Friday morning we had a Dr. appointment at the clinic. I finally hit the 200 lb mark I've been dancing around for a while now. So that puts me up 3 lbs from last week. She said I was measuring 34 weeks and that the baby's heart rate was good. She's still head down and cervix is still closed. I've told her the last few visits that I haven't been feeling well with headaches and nausea and since my sugars have been really good she had me do a blood test to see if I'm anemic. I'm already on iron supplements so I'm guessing that maybe I need more? After we finished at the clinic we had to run over to UCI for another NST and ultrasound. The nurse said that I had a happy baby and everything on the monitor looked perfect straight out of a textbook. She measured my fluid and said everything was fine there too. We didn't get to see the baby this time though because they seemed a little short staffed and the nurse was in a hurry. I came home and took a nap after all that running around because I felt nauseous again. Steven went out racing his RC truck and I stayed home and failed miserably at being productive. Momma got home late and we talked about her new position. I think she's going to be pretty happy there. :)

Saturday Michelle and Charlotte stopped by to visit with Mom but she was out with my Auntie all day. So we went back to Michelle's house and ate at the chicken place and dropped by JoAnne's to get a few items I needed. Gotta love those 50% off coupons! We stayed at their house pretty late playing Mario on the Wii. Auntie Anne dropped of the crib that she and Mom bought for us. Steven got a wild hair to put it together at midnight so Dare helped him build it. It's so beautiful and matches the changing table. Thank you!!



I received a few birthday cards this week. :) Diane also sent some sweet bracelets that she made for the baby. So cute!



Here is my 38 week picture. I hope I don't grow much more, although everyone (even strangers) say that I'm small for 9 months. I'm not sure how many of these weekly pictures I have left!

36 WEEKS!

This was a crazy busy week and I've been feeling awful through most of it. I feel like I'm coming down with the flu most of the time and my stomach hurts almost constantly. The aches and pains have reached a new level so I know something is happening in there. My energy level is up and down, but mostly down. There is so much to do but so little energy to get it all done. My Dr. told me to take it really easy so I'm doing that the best I can. The problem is that sitting or laying down for long durations is very uncomfortable. Belly dweller's movements have slowed down a lot and only occur at certain times of the day. But when she's moving she really lets me know it. I've had a lot of Braxton Hicks down low and started having a bunch up high. My muscles are all sore from it, but nothing has been regular enough or strong enough to make me go to Labor and Delivery. I have specific instructions for when to go and none of those things have happened yet. I'm really hoping that she decides to come soon! Well, after I finish getting everything together of course. :)

Sunday we re-arranged our furniture and cleaned up our room. It's so nice to have the extra room and some organization. The downside is that I'll have to put my sewing machine and craft table away so that the crib and changing table have a place to be. I need to hurry up and finish my projects so we can get it out of the way. Steven was supposed to go to his skate reunion that night but his friend's all bailed on him so we went to Michelle's house to visit with Robert and Jewelya some more before they left.

Monday I spent most of the day sewing and later Mom and I met Auntie Anne for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. Whatever they put on their sandwich bread is pretty amazing.

Tuesday we had a NST at UCI in the morning. Everything looked good and they scheduled us to come back on Friday.

Wednesday Steven and I ran some much needed errands. I started having a lot of pressure and contractions. It now feels like my pelvis is separating for real.

Not much happened on Thursday. I felt sick and laid low for most of the day.

Friday was my OB appointment. I found out that they changed my due date to Sept. 16 so that's why the Dr. keeps saying I'm farther along then I thought I was. Blood pressure is good, measuring right on target, my group B test came back negative, cervix is closed, baby is still head down, and I lost two pounds weighing in at 197 lbs. After that we went to UCI for another NST and the baby looked good on the monitor. I had one small contraction that they registered but nothing major. They also did a quick ultrasound to check my fluid levels since Gestational Diabetes can cause excess fluid. I measured just under 20 cm which the tech said was on the generous side but still in the safe range. She was so sweet and tried to steal a few pictures for us but little one had her hand in front of her face. Here is the best shot we got, the big black circle is her eye opened looking right at you.

Aunt Jeannie came down from Havasu, AZ for the baby shower a day early so Mom and I met her for lunch and then they went shopping while I'm went home to finish making the party favors. We had a nice afternoon and evening visiting with her and then took her over to Michelle's house later that evening so she could stay in her guest room.

Saturday was the big day! Our baby shower!! We had an amazing time and my sister far out did herself. I know she put so much money and planning and time into it and it showed everywhere. Everyone said they had a great time and it was a much bigger turn out than I had expected. It was almost standing room only. :) We received so many gifts! It was so nice to see family and friends I have seen in a long time and get to catch up with them a bit. Steven said the men had a good time playing poker and chatting outside. We all partied until it was pretty late. It's so exciting that our baby girl has so many people anxious for her arrival. There are so many pictures so I'll probably make another post with a handful of pictures from the party.

Here is me at a few days past 36 weeks. Steven mentioned this week he thinks I've dropped. What do you think?

35 WEEKS!

I am worn out! Only two more weeks until term and five weeks until our due date. I can't believe how close it is but it still seems so far away. I'm hugely swollen in my legs and feet and slightly swollen in my face and hands. Little girl has quiet days and busy days in there. Her movements really cause pain now. I still haven't been kicked in the ribs so I'm thankful for that.

Sunday we finished re-arranging and painting the living room. It looks soooooo much better! We've already received so many compliments on it and the space it opened up is amazing. It's now very comfortable to sit in there. And the dogs are loving the extra room, especially Bernice (Great Dane) since she has to roll back and forth with all her legs in the air.

Tuesday we did the finishing touches on the living room and had the new TV and Internet service installed. Mom and I went to buy a rug at home depot we saw on sale and it rang up even cheaper than we thought! A lovely cream 9x12' rug for $60! It works perfectly in the room too. Momma did a great job weeding out some knick knacks and books and I think she's happy with the result. I still need to paint the trim and door jams white one of these days, sew a few odds and ends like a valance and table skirt, maybe a few throw pillows, but other than that it's finished!

Wednesday we went with Steven's Dad, Grandpa Steve, to Babies R Us and picked up our travel system. I was only going to buy the infant car seat but he insisted that we needed the whole system. They had one left in stock of the color we wanted so we snatched it up! G. Steve still wanted to peruse the store after that so I'm not sure if he was really interested in baby stuff or has something else up his sleeve. We are soooooo relieved to have that major purchase out of the way and so very thankful for his generosity! All of our parents have been great to us and we're so appreciative for wonderful family to lean on. Here's a picture. :)



Thursday was our bi-monthly Dr appointment at the clinic. We met with the Dr this time and she was unusually chatty. My blood pressure was good but weight not so much. I'm at 199 lbs (holy cow) and up 7 from two weeks ago. My baggy maternity pants aren't fitting any better so it must be water in my legs and baby in my belly. Nobody said anything about my weight gain so I'm hoping that's ok. I measured 34 weeks which is spot on. Baby's heart rate was good and I think this was the first time she held still for the Doppler. Usually they are chasing her around to try and get a reading. I had to get swabbed for the Group B Strep test which is standard procedure. If I am a carrier then I'll have to have antibiotics during labor. I guess while she was in there she decided to do a cervical check. I have had some ugly procedures done in my lady regions in my time, but nothing prepared me for how badly this would hurt. It wasn't the Dr's fault, I've been ridiculously tender from the hips down for a really long time now. She said my cervix was closed and didn't mention if it was soft or not. The baby's head is "right there" so she said that's probably why I'm feeling so much pain and pressure. Baby has been head down and ready since the 20 week scan though so I'm thinking she's as anxious to get this over with as I am. :) I now am at weekly Dr appointments and Non Stress Tests (NST) at the hospital twice a week. We start this madness on Tuesday.

Friday we had a gathering at the house for Robert's birthday. He and Jewels and Dax are visiting from UT for a week. I spent the day cleaning up and running errands and cooking. We had quite the crowd actually. It was a really long day and I was beyond exhausted. It was great to see Jewels and Dax again though. It's too bad they live so far.

Needless to say Saturday wasn't a great day for me. Steven wanted to make room for the baby finally so I wasn't about to stop him. He did most of the planning and moving and I just agreed with whatever he wanted. I honestly have no opinion at this point, just get it done. LoL. He did a great job though and it's giving us so much more space in our room. In the evening I had a lot of gas pains up high in my stomach that felt like knives stabbing me. I couldn't catch my breath at all, like having the wind knocked out of you for a few hours. Oh man I was miserable. A hot shower helped some and moved the air bubbles around but it made me start contracting a lot which was really uncomfortable. After last night I can honestly say that I'm ready for the end. I didn't get much sleep so I think Sunday and Monday will be lazy days. I was supposed to meet Michelle and Robert and the gang at the beach but they called to say that paid parking was full so I stayed home. I was bummed but looking back it was probably a good thing I didn't go.

Here is me at 35 weeks. Steven said something that caught me off guard the other day about being agile even while pregnant. I certainly don't feel that way! I had to ask his help to get my pants on the other day. He's so funny, and does his very best to make me happy. Still no stretch marks on the belly!

34 WEEKS!

This week was full of projects around the house. Things are pretty much the same with baby and me. Some days she's active nonstop and others she is very quiet. I feel the same, hot, tired, swollen, lethargic, sore, etc. I'm getting excited and anxious for this part to end and the newborn part to start. I'm sure I'll miss being pregnant though when she's here.

I spent the weekend mostly sewing up tons of wipes. It feels good to finally have all of that finished. I sure hope that huge stack is more than enough. I know they all look boyish, but decided to use up a bunch of flannel we already had.



Some great news for this week is that I'm finally confirmed to deliver at the hospital I really wanted. The admitting department called me with a few questions and ran my information since I still don't have a MediCal card. They said since I'm only on it for pregnancy services I can deliver there. YAY! It's a huge weight off my mind to know where I'm delivering. It's also the same place I have to go for my NST's starting in a few weeks.

On Wednesday Mom and Dad and I went over to Michelle's house for dinner and helped her finish making the baby shower invitations. She's super creative when she wants to be. LoL. They turned out really cute!

Thursday through Sunday we started a big project of redecorating and rearranging the living room. Mom was such a tropper and was able to weed out many items we took over to Goodwill. We painted the walls and moved the furniture and now it's much more open and a far more functional space. It was a lot of work but well worth it.

On Saturday we took a breif break from the painting and went to the race track so Steven could collect his first prize trophy. It's fun that he won something while he's over there playing all of the time.

I had a fever on day this week that I couldn't shake. I felt awful and hot and seem to be getting more headaches. Luckily the fever only lasted a day and didn't turn into anything like the flu.

Here is the 34 week picture. Looking a bit ran down.