We Have A Settlement Date!!

At long last, we found out today that we will be going to settlement on our house on September 18th. We will be moving on September 26th, giving the painters time to do their magic before we move in. We are so excited!! Here's a picture of the house taken today. It's almost done!!

Looks Like We're In It For the Long Haul!

Well, I had my weekly appointment today. I was very excited to see if any progress had been made. After all, I had been getting some major cramping accompanied by a backache the past few nights. I thought that had to be a good sign. My bubble was quickly deflated, though, when the doctor told me that I am only 1 cm dilated and not at all effaced. Looks like a whole bunch of nothing has been happening! She said that a lot can happen in 14 days, but if it doesn't, we will start talking about induction at my 41 week appointment.

Other than that, everything still looks good. I lost a pound, I wasn't dehydrated, my blood pressure was good, and Bianca's heart rate was in the 140s. My next appointment is scheduled for next Thursday....which happens to be my due date.

My Labor Prediction

I just took a quiz to try to determine when labor is going to start. (Can you tell I am bored at work?) The following is the prediction I was given:

I know you were hoping we weren't going to say this, but don't expect this baby to come early. Your baby is nice and comfy tucked away in your womb and has no interest in joining the rest of the world. We predict your baby will be born after its due date. Your baby will most likely be born in the morning. We predict that your baby will weigh approximately 6.8 pounds and that your labor will be about 12 hours long.

So. Hungry.

It's 12:15 PM. I have already eaten my entire lunch, including my usual 3:00 snack. And my stomach is still growling. I have no idea how I am going to last until 5:00!

Single Digits!

Only 9 more days to go until our due date!

Funny Email

I just received an email from my cousin Kim. The following is an exerpt. I can SO see this happening!

Besides, I much prefer you go into labor at grandmom’s birthday party with the whole family surrounding you. I am picturing Harry calmly escorting you into the labor and delivery area while the rest of us are running around screaming and taking over the hospital room. Kinda’ like Parenthood, or Cheaper by the Dozen. That would be hysterical. : )

Dear Bianca,

Don't let Mommy's last post pressure you in any way. Please feel free to take as much or as little time as you need. We are all very excited to have you here, but we will be patient. Come out when you feel good and ready. Any time you decide to join our little family is the perfect time.

Love you so much,
Mommy

Week 38

Well, here we are with only two more weeks to go until our estimated due date. Although, as Harry and I talked about this morning, we’re really just counting down to me being overdue. We really have no idea when our Little One will decide to grace the world with her presence. If it was up to me, though, I’d say “the sooner, the better!”

I’ve reached the point where I am ready. I don’t do anything at work except sit around now that our temporary assistant has started. And frankly, searching the internet all day has lost its appeal. Bianca’s temporary room is as ready as it can be. Our hospital bag is packed. Kris is coming over tonight to help us figure out the car seats. Once we have them installed, we will be officially ready for her to get here.

And honestly, I’m just uncomfortable now. I can’t sleep through the night, and I’m tired. All the pregnancy websites advise moms-to-be to take cat naps during the day, but how am I supposed to do that when I’m stuck at work all day? Even a month ago, I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to start their maternity leave BEFORE their baby was born. Now I completely understand…and I’m jealous of those ladies who can.

There really isn't a lot to report on Bianca’s development this week. All of her internal organ systems are pretty much ready for the outside world, she’s got her meconium stockpile building up, she’s stored up lots of healthy baby fat, her brain continues to grow, and she’s more or less reached official baby status-- all she needs to do is "head out" and say hello to the world.

If anyone has some extra labor dust lying around, please send some my way!!

Appointment Update

I had another appointment this morning. I am up another pound, putting me at 19 pounds gained so far. I was also dehydrated today. The midwife warned that especially in this heat, I have to keep up on my water consumption. Other than that, everything looks good. My blood pressure is fine, and my stomach is measuring on track. Bianca's heart rate was in the 150's today.

I asked the midwife if they could tell approximately how big Bianca would be at birth, and she said that everything concerning size is a guess. They can't even give an answer based on a sonogram. (I know this is true, because Kristen's last sonogram said Damian was going to be 5 pounds, and he came out weighing 10!) But based on the size of my stomach, she that I can probably expect for Bianca to weigh somewhere in the 7 to 8 pound range.

I didn't have an internal exam this week, but she said I would definitely be getting one next week. They couldn't fit me in on Tuesday, so I'll be going on Thursday. I'll be 39 weeks that day. Hopefully they will tell me I've made some progress.

Also on Thursday, I will be meeting with Dr. Fireman - the man we hope will be Bianca's pediatrician. He is accepting new patients, and he's willing to meet with me next week, even though he doesn't have any office hours. (He is working with in-patients all next week.) I really appreciate him being so accommodating. It makes me think that Harry and I made the right choice. But we will confirm next week!

Week 37

Huge news this week: I’m carrying a full-term baby! If I were to go into labor today, all systems would be a go. Woo hoo! In the meantime, Bianca's busy practicing for life on the outside, working on her breathing, sucking, sleeping, gazing and peeing abilities. The only thing she can't practice yet is her ability to scream at the top of her lungs when she's hungry. (Good thing – I don’t want her to get too good at that one!) At this point babies vary in size, but the average length is 20 inches and most weigh approximately 7 pounds.

I’m still feeling great overall, although I’m getting to the uncomfortable stage. This morning my lower back is sore, my left hip is sore, my shoulders are sore, and my feet hurt. I’ve also been very tired this week. That said, I still consider myself very lucky. I have had a very easy pregnancy so far.

I’m looking forward to this weekend. Saturday is Bonnie’s baby shower in Salisbury, and then on Sunday, I will finally be able to enjoy a day at the beach. We haven’t been all summer, and it’s killing me. I am dying to smell the combination of salty air, suntan lotion, and summertime treats. I long to bury my feet in the sand, feel the warm sun kiss my skin, and cool off in the waves. I want to close my eyes and listen to the seagulls, kids laughing, the crashing waves, the lifeguard flags, and the hum of airplanes flying by. Ocean City is the place where I can go and forget the world. I have so many great memories there – the best one being last September when I married the love of my life in the presence of our closest friends and family. The point of all this rambling is to say I’m really, really, really looking forward to this weekend!

I’m starting to get a little nervous on the pediatrician front. I feel like we are a little bit behind in the process. Harry and I have narrowed down our top three choices. Of the three, one is not accepting new patients. I called and left a message for the second, but haven’t heard back yet. My friend Andrea told me yesterday that she called three offices, and all three were not accepting new patients. She finally found someone on the fourth try. I’m hoping that we can find someone relatively soon. That would be one less thing to worry about.

This entire time I have been saying that I would work up until the point I go into labor, just so I could save my maternity leave for when Bianca gets here. This morning was the first time I contemplated taking a week off before labor starts. I almost feel like my body needs to rest, heal, prepare, and enjoy a calm BEFORE the baby gets here. The problem with that is I have no idea when labor will actually start. My due date is three weeks away – but you never know when our Little Miracle will decide to make her Big Entrance. She could be early, or more than likely, she could be late. Who knows? Maybe I will take a couple of sick days in between then and now just to sleep and clear my head.

With only 21 days to go until my due date, I am getting very excited. I just wish I had the energy to go along with it. When is “nesting” energy supposed to kick in? I could use some about now!

It's A Boy!!

Danny and Kylene found out they are having a boy! It looks like the family curse is broken, and we will have more than one boy in this generation! I know Damian is thrilled!

Appointment Update

I had my weekly appointment yesterday. Unfortunately, there's nothing too exciting to tell. I am back up two pounds, putting me at 18 pounds gained so far. My blood pressure looked good. Bianca's heart rate was in the 130's. The cultures they took from me last week all came back negative.

The doctor went over my birth preferences, and she said that everything looks do-able. She also said that I won't get my next internal exam until Week 38 - especially because I had no progress last week.

My next appointment will be on Tuesday morning.

Myth or Reality?

I have heard that lots of women go into labor when there is a full moon. So much so, labor and delivery units tend to have more staff available during periods of the full moon. The theory is that the moon's gravitational pull effects the amniotic fluid in much the same way as it effects the water in the sea, rivers and even the water that's otherwise found in our bodies.

I looked it up, and the next full moon is due to appear on September 4th. If the full moon and labor correlation is true, it looks like there is a good possibility I could go into labor that day.

Do any of my loyal readers have any stories to tell related to this topic? I'm very interested!!

Week 36

The countdown continues…only four more weeks to go! In fetal development, most of Bianca’s bones (soft skull aside) are now completely hardened. Her muscle tone has also improved over these past few weeks. Her labia are now fully developed. And even though the amniotic fluid-to-baby ratio has fallen over these past weeks, she’s still swallowing fluid and some vernix caseosa. She will be more than ready to swallow and digest milk after birth. The average baby at 36 weeks weighs 6.5 lbs and is 20 inches long.

Reality is starting to sink in as time is flying by. Harry set up the bassinet and put together the stroller this week. We also started packing the hospital bag. We still have a few more items to get ready (like the Diaper Genie), but her temporary room is almost ready to welcome her. We are planning on putting the carseat bases in our cars this weekend.

Oh - I almost forgot - We also ordered a glider/ottoman combo to complete our Little Miracle's room:

The next major decision we have to make – and soon – is who will be Bianca’s pediatrician. We’ve gotten a few good recommendations. Now we just need to see who is considered “in-network” on Harry’s insurance and do a little more research.

My sister emailed me today. She said that she was talking about Bianca to one of her coworkers this morning, and for the rest of the day, she was writing “9/6” as the date. She said, “I wonder if that could be a sign.” Only time will tell if Kris has a bit of psychic ability!

Make A Guess

Our previous poll didn't seem to be getting much action, so we've decided to try a more fun, interactive one. If you click on the ExpectNet icon on the right of the page, it will take you to a page where you can enter your guess of what you think Bianca's birth statistics will be. The person who gets the closest wins! (What you will win, we haven't yet decided, but Harry thinks the winner should be the first one to babysit!) Happy guessing!

Appointment Update

I had my weekly appointment today. Everything still looks good. I wasn’t dehydrated and my blood pressure looked fine. Remember those two pounds I gained at my last appointment? Well, they’re gone. I am down two pounds, putting me back at 16 pounds gained so far. My belly is still measuring on track, though, so they aren’t worried. Bianca’s heart rate is back up in the 140s.

I had cultures taken, which wasn’t bad at all. Then I was given an internal exam. The midwife said that my cervix is soft, but completely closed. In other words, there’s not much progress to report. In good news, Bianca’s head is down. Kristen said that it’s a good thing. She shouldn’t turn anymore and I won’t need a c-section due to her position.

All in all, it was a good appointment. I go back again next Tuesday afternoon.