Last Weekly Pregnancy Post

Forty weeks

I promise that this will be my very last pregnancy post. I know, I've been hopeful of that for weeks now but really, there is absolutely no way we will see a week 41 of this pregnancy and I am oh-so-very thankful for that! Today is baby girl's due date and Wednesday, February 23rd is induction day. It only seems fitting that we'd have another Wisconsin winter snow storm on her due date. This is officially our last weekend as a family of two. Our last weekend of freedom as so many have pointed out. Our house is peaceful, our time is ours to spend as we want. Now that we have this official end date in sight, things just feel different...in an absolutely wonderful kind of way.

When we went to the doctor this past week, our doctor assured us that we wouldn't be needing that induction date and that she really didn't think we'd be seeing our due date. I may need to ask to see her medical school diploma. While I know it's difficult to predict just when a baby while arrive, she really was certain we would have delivered a good week and a half ago. I can't wait to see the look on her face on Tuesday when we come for our last appointment.

Dave is still holding out hope that she'll come before the induction. Me, on the other hand, I think that baby girl knows that I love when things are planned and an induction, well it doesn't get any more planned than that. While I wouldn't be opposed to her coming out on her own, now that I have it set in my head that Wednesday is the day, I'm actually finding some peace in the waiting. I know that the night before I can make sure our house is clean, our fridge is fully stocked, all the laundry is done and put away, and that all of her things are ready and waiting for when we arrive home from the hospital. I can enjoy one last peaceful night, get some last-minute sleep, and not feel rushed in the morning before heading to the hospital. There won't be any rushing around the house to throw last-minute things into my hospital bag. There won't be any wondering if the contractions are real or if my water actually broke. I like things planned and I am kind of looking forward to being in control for just a minute on Wednesday morning. It'll be nice for our family and friends to know where are so we don't have people lingering at the hospital while I'm in labor. I've made it clear on my birthing plan that no one (aside from my husband and mom of course) is allowed near my room until a good hour or two after she's born, when we're ready for visitors. And since the waiting area is cramped and labor can take quit some time, this allows everyone else eagerly awaiting her birth to rest comfortably at home until receiving a call that we're ready for visitors. Yes, I'm begining to look forward to this induction. I am, however, going on the assumption that once I'm induced labor will progress naturally, in a rather quick fashion, so that I don't end up having a c-section. I told Dave I kind of feel like my body has failed me already since baby girl has progressed so close to the point of labor and now I have to be induced. However, I think having a c-section would be the ultimate failure and letdown at this point. I'm praying things continue to go smoothly and naturally, though and if it gets to that point we'll face it then.

Thanks for following along on our pregnancy journey. We appreciate your continued prayers and well-wishes for a healthy, safe delivery and for a healthy baby girl. We look forward to sharing the joyous news of her arrival this week!

The Showering Continued

Since this blog has become the official documentation of our pregnancy (I'm working on turning the pregnancy posts into an actual book), I wanted to share about our last two baby showers that came as a complete surprise last week.

Every Wednesday morning my team has what we call "Matching Meetings" where we present new homestudy-approved families added to our waitlist and update each other on our recruitment and matching efforts for the kids on our caseloads. These meetings are much-anticipated for the simple fact that bagels are usually involved. I was on my way to the meeting last week when various people, including my supervisor, felt the need to stop and talk to me about what I felt to be very insignificant things. As we were sitting her office discussing her son being sick the day before, I kept looking at the clock thinking "We're going to be late and I could really use a bagel!". Five minutes after the meeting started, a co-worker called her office to ask if she was coming to the meeting. I was just hoping all the good bagels weren't gone at that point. Social workers are like vultures when it comes to free food. Little did I know, all the randomness of the morning was actually stall tactics so that my co-workers could put the finishing touches on decorating the conference room in lots of pink! There was a huge spread of delicious food (bagels included), a beautiful little cake, lots of pink decorations, some very special balloons, and a lot of smiling faces waiting for me on the other side of the conference room doors when I opened them. It was a lovely surprise. We enjoyed some food and discussed horrendous baby names we've seen throughout our careers in child welfare. They gave me a beautiful card with a very generous Target gift card to purchase some of the items remaining on our registry. I am so thankful that although I've only worked at Children's for a short period of time, I have such a thoughtful bunch of co-workers. I just wish I had a camera on hand to take pictures!

The very next day, Dave's co-workers surprised him with his very own baby shower. I was so incredibly thrilled to hear that they did this because I know how special it made Dave feel. I think often as the dad you don't get to share the full excitement of pregnancy with others since you dont visibly carry a baby around inside of you for nine months. Dave has some truly wonderful co-workers who showered him with lots of food, more delicious cake, and some very thoughtful gifts. I have been talking about how I plan to make all of our own baby food but they had no idea! There must be some experienced mammas among his co-workers because they got us a really nice food processor, two delicious baby recipe books, food storage trays for the freezer, and all the fixings for baby food making. Not to mention some adorable bibs, burp cloths, and toddler eating accessories. Luckily Dave's boss captured a few pictures on his Blackberry. We are both so blessed to have supportive work families who are as much awaiting baby girl's birth as we are!

Patience

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." - Colossians 3:12

This has always been one of my favorite Bible verses. It's simply one of those verses that I strive to exemplify in my daily life. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Who wouldn't want to possess those qualities? I will admit that personally, some of those qualities are easier to possess than others. Some come easier to me because I feel like they are so ingrained in who I am as a person - they are a part of who I am as a wife, a daughter, a friend, and a social worker. Throughout my life, I have watched my ability to show compassion, kindness, and gentleness to the "least of these" grow. I have a heart for the poor, the orphan and the widow, the destitute, the sick, and those suffering. I am a social worker, afterall. I often find myself trying to instill these qualities in those around me as well - attempting to break down stereotypes, racism, and judgements that are often unwarranted and the result of ignorance, fear, or the environment in which someone was raised. While I consider those qualities my strengths, I struggle with the others. Humility is a quality that I think everyone struggles with. How can we be humble while also striving to be the best versions of ourselves? How do we show pride in our accomplishments while maintaining the humility God commands us to have? Perhaps the most difficult of all the qualities in this verse is patience. Patience is something I can openly say I do not have. I am an impatient person regardless of circumstance. When I want something, I want it now. I'm convinced I was genetically wired to be an impatient person. Thanks, mom (let's not kid ourselves into thinking my dad actually could've passed along this trait. He's the most patient man I know).

I've said before that one of the hardest things about pregnancy is all the waiting. You wait for that magic little stick to display the results you've been hoping for. You wait to see if a tiny heartbeat will appear on the ultrasound screen. You wait to see if your baby will continue to grow, if your pregnancy will be viable. You wait for the sickness to pass and your energy to be renewed. You wait to find out what baby is or isn't hiding between it's little legs. You wait to put together a nursery and for baby showers to bring all the baby stuff to fill that nursery. You wait in excitement as the end of the pregnancy draws near. In all of the months of this pregnancy, the last three weeks have been the hardest. In fact, the last three weeks have felt longer than the entire pregnancy. Knowing how close we are the end but not knowing exactly when the end is coming has really tested the patience gene I really think I'm lacking. I'm pretty sure my husband lacks it as well. In fact, his case of impatience may be worse than mine at this point. He sits next to me as I'm having contractions playing his own version of 100 questions. Are they strong? How far apart are they? Do I need anything? Keep breathing (okay, that's not a question but you get what I'm saying).

Well, in these last few weeks I've certainly prayed for a lot more patience, more than ever before. Waiting is hard in any circumstance. I think about those adopting; waiting for their referrals or to travel to meet their children and bring them home where they belong. I think about those waiting for cancer treatments to end, for news of a diagnosis, or for peace after the loss of a loved one. There are those waiting for news of a job offer or for their wedding day to finally arrive. So many people in my life are waiting on something. I just happen to be waiting on a baby. Patience. I just have to have patience. I may joke that baby girl is never going to come out but she is...maybe later than I would have hoped or expected. But she's coming. By next Wednesday, she'll be here. Patience. I just need a little more patience.

Mid-Week Pregnancy Post

I never realized how many people are actually reading my blog until I start to get messages about my posts. Many of you have asked in the past 24 hours if baby girl decided to give her mommy a special birthday present this year. Unfortunately, she did not arrive yesterday but I did get to spend part of my birthday visiting my doctor. Thank goodness we love her and her nurse so much and thank goodness she gave us good news!

I'm still progressing towards labor naturally. I'm a good 3cm dilated and 90-95% effaced. Our doctor always says how content she must be when we're listening to her heartbeat because it's always strong and loud. I had the option of having a little more intense of an internal exam yesterday in hopes that she could strip my membranes and help get labor started. I gladly accepted this little birthday gift and promised nurse Tory I wouldn't let me water break in the exam room because she really didn't feel like cleaning it up at 5pm on a Tuesday. My water didn't break but she certainly got things going. I’ll spare you the details other than to say that the contractions have really picked up and I’m feeling a lot more pressure. My doctor said that if her exam was successful, I would likely go into labor within 24-28 hours. If not, I could still go into labor naturally or baby could still be in there a little while longer. The good news is that we have set an induction date for next Thursday, February 24. At least there’s a definitive end in sight! My doctor did say that she was setting the induction date fully intending to cancel it – she’s still convinced my body will naturally go into labor in the next week. Either way, things look good and I am so thankful that my body is doing what it needs to do to allow labor to progress naturally so that I don’t have to have a c-section.

Today is a little bittersweet for us as a year ago today we found out that our first baby had stopped developing and that we were going to miscarry. I remember sitting in the doctor’s office last February 16 listening to the doctor explain what would happen over the next 24 hours. I went home with the medication that would help induce the miscarriage and in the early morning hours of February 17th I had miscarried. Throughout this pregnancy, knowing that our baby girl’s due date was so close to this date, I’ve said that I really don’t want her to be born on February 17th. It was just a date that held so much pain for me. When our doctor said labor could come within 24-48 hours I was reminded of that fact that she very well could be born on February 17th. Dave said yesterday that if she were to born tomorrow, on the very day I kept saying I didn’t want her to be born, that it would be because it’s God’s plan. My mom reminded me of this a few days ago as well – she told me that maybe things need to come full circle and maybe it’s all just a part of the healing process. I think they’re both right. If my daughter is born tomorrow it will be an incredibly wonderful day filled with so much joy. It will become a day of blessings rather than pain. It will remind me of God’s grace and mercy and His ability to bring joy during times of healing.

On a side note, since I have started to hear that people are following the blog aside from those who are official followers listed below, I want to let everyone know that I am considering making my blog private following the birth our baby girl. With all the technology today and the amount of danger the Internet can bring, especially to children, we want to do what’s best to protect our daughter. We’d love for you to continue to follow our journey. To ensure that you can still follow our private blog, you can click the “follow” button on the lower right side of the page or you can let me know that you still want to read and provide me with your email so that I can allow you access. I’ve loved hearing that people are following our life journey – there are more of you than I ever anticipated when I first created this blog. I look forward to being able to continue to share more as we begin our parenting adventure!

The Things I'll Miss

This morning driving into work Dave looked at me and said, "Aren't you going to miss being pregnant?". Cue the "are you serious?" stare. Absolutely, positively, no way. In between the traffic-induced nausea I probably actually uttered something like "ummm no" and that was the end of that conversation. Back to listening to my husband complain about all the idiots on the road at 7am.

But as I've had some time to think today I realized that maybe there a few things about pregnancy I'll miss. Now don't get me wrong - I am definitely not a pregnancy woman. You know what I'm talking about. There are some women who love being pregnant and can't wait to do it over and over again. I am not, nor never will be, one of those women. At best, I'm one of those women who will look back and say I gave it a try, didn't like it, but will admit it's worth it when you see your beautiful baby being born. I still have a preference to adopt the rest of our children, though. Dave's still trying to bargain for one more biological child first. That's a battle to be continued.

Anyways, back to the things I will actually miss about pregnancy. While I look forward to holding my baby in my arms, it will be a little strange to not feel her moving around in my belly all the time. Dave still gets so excited every time he feels her move. To me, it's become second nature. I fall asleep to her gentle kicks and wake up to her swift punches, indicating I've gone far too long without feeding her. It'll be weird to not spend my days counting her kicks or giving her little high fives.

I’ll definitely miss chocolate. I’ve had a terrible sweet tooth, especially throughout the later half of this pregnancy when I’ve been feeling my best. I love everything chocolate. Unfortunately, chocolate doesn’t fit into my “get back in shape post-baby” diet and I’m pretty sure it would be counter-productive to all the exercise I plan to find time for so I’ve already declared that my relationship with chocolate ends as soon as she vacates my body. I know it’ll be hard to quit this terrible little addiction cold turkey so perhaps a piece or two of dark chocolate a day will be necessary for the weaning process. Afterall, dark chocolate does provide SOME nutritional value according to the latest research and I will need a little caffeine to keep me energized for all those diaper changes and feedings.

I’ll also miss making friends with strangers. It’s so easy to make new friends while pregnant. Everyone wants to know when you’re due or what you’re having and of course if you’ve picked a name. I’ve met new people in the locker room at the gym, washing my hands in the bathroom at work (usually other pregnant ladies since that is where we spend most of our day), nice cashiers and baggers at the grocery store, other young couples at church, and just about any other public place where people enjoy talking about pregnancy. While it still creeps me out when people touch my belly, I do enjoy sharing about our pregnancy and it’s always an easy conversation starter. Heck, I even made friends with the old macho body builder dude at the gym last night whose skinny yet freakishly muscular body totally freaks me out – who would’ve thought a big Cretine-loving man like that would care about a baby!

I wish I could say I will miss being spoiled by my husband with foot and back rubs, him helping with the laundry and cooking, or his need to be over-protective of me but I really don’t think that’ll end after pregnancy. I’ve always known my husband to be an incredibly caring and considerate man but pregnancy has made him even more of a softie (a very manly softie I assure you) and having a baby girl only made his heart a little softer. He reminds me constantly that I’m the most important girl in his life and I’m prepared to share that title with our baby girl soon. I also know that he’ll continue to help out around the house and he’ll do the best he can to make my job as a mom easier, especially in the early weeks. Although, on second thought, those foot rubs definitely will come to an end due to our mutual hatred of feet. I could do without the foot rubs once all this swelling goes away!

Finally, I’ll miss being able to use the constant hormonal changes as an excuse for speaking my mind or acting like a complete mad woman at times. While I look forward to my hormones getting back to normal, it has been nice to say exactly what’s on my mind and not worry about the consequences. Everyone gives a pregnant woman a pass. Hormones can be a fabulous little weapon. I wonder if women going through menopause use this excuse as well. That would explain soooo much. Just saying.

I’ve spent the past nine months with a baby inside my belly – my daily routine and life have been impacted by her being inside of there in so many ways. So while I am looking forward to not being pregnant so very soon, I know there will be little things I’ll miss, especially at first. I’ll be curious to see if my feelings towards pregnancy chance once she’s finally here.

Weekly Pregnancy Post

Thirty-nine weeks. Yippppiieeee!!! (you should note some serious sarcasm there)

We didn't actually think we'd make it this far to be honest. I know most first babies come on or near their due date but we really were progressing towards labor rather quickly that we convinced ourselves that she'd be early. I guess we learned our lesson on that one. Dave still thinks she's coming in the next few days...I'm starting to think she may just hold out until her due date, if not a few days later. I'm already in early labor - our doctor said on Thursday that I'm sooooo very close to being in active labor. Literally, baby girl has done everything right to move the process right along...she's just being a little stubborn in going the last little bit of the way here at the end. Our doctor said she really didn't think she'd make it until next Sunday and she's almost certain she won't be late. Then again, she did say babies can change their minds and she'll still come when she's good and ready. Thanks for the confidence there, doc!

My contractions are really intensifying so I know labor must be near. I've had some as frequent as five minutes apart, lasting a minute (which signals active labor has begun) BUT they haven't stayed consistent like this for at least an hour (the final prerequisite to head to the hospital). I'll have awful contractions for an hour or two, at various intervals, and then go a few hours without any. When I'm having contractions I get terrible chills, nausea, and headaches - my doctor said this is all wonderful because it means my body is working towards active labor. I say it makes me feel even worse and usually I curl up on the couch and try to sleep through it. I actually never thought I'd beg for painful, frequent contractions but at this point I'd do anything to get her out and hold her in my arms. Everyone told me this all along when I'd say how afraid I am to give birth but right now, I'm ready for the pain if it means I get to meet my daughter.

Dave and I have been attempting to keep busy but the waiting is still hard. We've cleaned the house nearly every day this week, I've rearranged all the baby stuff in the house a million time, and I've taken to piling up meals in our freezer to keep us energized our first few days full. We had one last date, just the two of us, this afternoon at the movies. Dave even gave me my birthday/valentine's present a few days early to help distract me from the waiting. Before we even had kids I told him that instead of anniversary bands for my wedding ring I wanted to get a single band of diamonds for each child we had so that I could stack them on my right ring finger as a reminder of each of my children. He certainly has a good memory and he came bursting through the door Saturday morning, dying to give me my gift. It's absolutely beautiful and we can't wait to have it engraved with baby girl's birthdate!

So, here's to hoping that the next pregnancy-related post has a sweet picture of a beautiful little baby girl instead of one of my big ole basketball belly :)

Twenty Five Years Later

On Tuesday I will turn twenty-five. Sure, this birthday marks a few milestones in my personal life – I’ll be a quarter of a century old, I can finally rent a car, my car insurance rate will drop (yippie!!), and most significantly, I’ll become a mom. But that’s not what makes this birthday so special. I came to the realization the other day that exactly twenty five years ago my mom was preparing for my birth…she was preparing to become a mom with the birth of her own first child. To some it may seem like an insignificant coincidence but for me it makes this time even more special. Twenty five years ago, my mom was in the very same position that I am now. She was waiting for me to arrive, feeling uncomfortable and swollen, and full of love for her unborn daughter (although she didn’t know I was a girl at the time – they didn’t do ultrasounds back then). I wish I could take a glimpse back in time and watch my mom as she went about her days with me tucked in her belly. I wish I could remember the words she whispered to me and the pleas I’m sure she made for me to come out safely and quickly. I wish I could feel just a minute of her joy the moment I finally arrived.

I don’t think I could have survived this pregnancy without my mom. I’m pretty sure she’s experienced all the emotions, side effects, and anticipation right along with me. It’s almost like her own body has traveled back twenty five years – while her womb may now be empty, I know her heart is just as full as it was when she waited for her own daughter to be born. After our miscarriage, Dave and I decided that we’d wait to tell our families the next time we got pregnant because we saw how hard the loss was on them as well. We wanted to make sure we knew the next pregnancy would be viable first. Well, when the word “pregnant” popped up on that little stick back in June, I called Dave immediately at work and after exchanging a few words of excitement among the tears, he told me to call my mom. He knew I was overwhelmed with fear, anxiety, and joy and that I’d need my mom to help get me through the next few weeks. I’m pretty sure I had her work phone number dialed before I even hung up the phone with Dave. And he was right; she really was exactly what I needed over the next few weeks. She validated my fears and calmed my worries. She left work to bring me Gingerale, soup, and crackers when my head hit the toilet. Being pregnant made me realize how much I still need my mom (and undoubtedly, always will, especially as I begin parenting for the first time). Being pregnant reminds me how very much I appreciate her willingness and heart to put others needs first. While Dave was (and continues to be) a wonderful source of support during this pregnancy, nobody can take the place of a mother in a woman’s life as she prepares to become a mother herself. I’m so thankful for the relationship I’ve had with my mom over the past twenty five years and I look forward to how it will continue to grow and change as we step into our new roles as mother and grandmother to my baby girl.

In just a few short days I’ll experience the joy my mom felt twenty five years ago as she became a mom for the first time. I cannot think of a greater birthday gift than that...

I'm here to announce...

...that I am still pregnant. Believe me, I'm as disappointed as you are.

I've received so many texts, emails, facebook messages, and phone calls asking if baby girl has arrived yet. I can assure you that she is still nestled comfortably (for her anyways) in my womb. In fact, I'm convinced she's caught on to the fact that it really is absolutely freezing outside (seriously, with a windchill of 10 below, it's freezing even for Wisconsin!). My belly isn't all that bad of a place to spend her days given that it's all nice and warm and cozy. While she may be enjoying her last few days (or weeks) in there, I certainly am not. I wear slippers under my desk at work, waddle like a duck, eat like a bear storing up food for the winter, and alternate the same two pairs of work pants all week long because my legs are too swollen for all the others. If I sound like I'm whining it's because I am - my doctor gave me full permission to whine like a two year old these last few weeks because she knows how absolutely miserable the end of pregnancy is. If you've been there you most certainly can understand my desire to scream repeatedly all day long, "Get this baby out of me!!"

With just eleven days until her due date, people have begun placing bets as to when they think she'll arrive. The majority still feel she'll arrive this weekend with a few people picking Valentine's Day or my birthday. A few weeks ago I would've told you she'd likely come early but now I think she may just hold out until the very end. We did tell her, afterall, that she's not due until February 20th. Dave reminds me every day that it's in God's hands and that she'll come when He feels she's good and ready. Waiting is hard; having patience is harder. Admitting my husband is right may just be the hardest thing of all... :)

Nursery

We finally put the finishing touches on baby girl's nursery with two weeks to spare (technically anyways). I plan to add some photographs of her and us as a family above her bed once she's born but the room is all ready for her. it's the smallest room in our house and a sort-of odd shape but we managed to squeeze in all the essentials without making it look cluttered. I wanted the room to be as functional as it is cute, cozy, and safe. While I certainly changed my mind a few times during the decorating process (two painting jobs and different colored furniture top the list of changes), I am happy with how it turned out and I think it's a room fit for a little princess :)

Here's a look back at the room before we began converting it into her nursery. It was a second guest bedroom with some of my childhood furniture in it. The daybed has since gone to my grandparents house and the dresser was moved into the other bedroom.











And here's a peak at the room now. It's a nice pale shade of pink with espresso-colored furniture, soft brown curtains, a comfy pink rug, and some bright pink lamps to accentuate the colors in the bedding (the lamps were a must since the room doesn't have overhead lighting). We have some hand-made artwork and plenty of storage room in the closet to hide toys and clutter as she grows. I've got breastfeeding supplies tucked away in the bins on her small espresso storage shelf that also doubles as a nightstand since we didn't have room for a table. It's amazing what you can do with such a small space!

Looking in from the doorway


View from entry into room


Wall against the doorway


"It's a Zoo!" bedding - we won't use the blanket until she's over a year and no bumpers of course for safety reasons


Storage and functionality all in one!


Changing table/dresser combo - great space saver!


Changing pad cover matches the bedding


A friend drew us some pictures to match the animals on her bedding/changing pad cover - way better than anything we could've drawn ourselves!


Closet organization and lots of pink clothes!


Dave testing out the rocker

Weekly Pregnancy Post

Thirty-eight weeks. Two centimeters dilated (at least), 80% effaced, and her head is in the negative one station, meaning it's as far down as it can go without me being in active labor. If you've ever been pregnant than you understand those numbers. If you haven't (or if it's been a while) this basically means that she is more than ready to come out. In fact, my doctor said that some women would already be in labor at this point. If this were my second or third pregnancy I'd likely have delivered by now. She said that because my uterine muscles are all nice and tight I can hold her in there just a little longer and stronger and for some reason she's just not ready to come out yet.

I certainly have held up my end of the deal in helping motivate her to come out. I do about 40 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill each day, I've cleaned my house from top to bottom, I've eaten way too much spicy food this past week, and I've taken lots of hot showers and baths. I still think all of those labor-inducing tricks are bogus. She'll come when she's good and ready but I am certainly good and ready. Baby girl is resting on a nerve in my upper abdomen which is causing some pain, the swelling only continues to worsen in my legs, and I still have trouble breathing even though my belly has noticeably dropped (just compare the above picture to one a few weeks ago). Last night I thought for sure my water was breaking as I was in the bathroom every 5-10 minutes. I think I'm starting to leak small amounts of amniotic fluid because I always feel like I'm peeing myself but I've been assured that when my water actually breaks I'll most certainly know. My contractions are still varied in pattern but can come for a few hours at a time, every twenty minutes, lasting about a minute each. Last night they came about every ten minutes, adding to my anxiety that labor was near. We know it's only a matter of days now but it's the not knowing when that's starting to get to us both. We're both too anxious to play the waiting game any longer!

We're hoping this is our last weekly pregnancy post but she may just decide to hold out until her due date, despite the progress she's already made towards delivery. Her daddy was sort of hoping to watch the Superbowl game with her today. It would've been rather fun for her to cheer the Packers onto a victory by entering the world today but given that it's just two hours to kick-off, I'd say it's safe to assume she won't be a Superbowl baby. I have, however, gotten pretty good at deciphering her kicks though and I'm pretty sure she's chanting "Go Pack Go!!" in there :)

Blizzzzzzzard

I had a tiny amount of hope that those rumors that snowstorms brought babies would be true but the blizzard of 2011 has come and gone and I'm still pregnant. So while 15 inches of snow was piling up outside of our windows, we hunkered down inside to take a few pictures together. We are having professional maternity pictures taken on Saturday but just in case she arrives before then, I told Dave we needed a few good ones of us together to remember this pregnancy by. I suppose I could've done my hair and we could've put on some nicer clothes but these pictures seem to be a more accurate representation of this pregnancy - messy hair, tired eyes, and lots of sweatpants! After about 100 attempts, I found a few that satisfied this crazy pregnant lady :)





Of course we couldn't stay inside forever (and by we I actually mean Dave). We both had snow days today (if you count having to use a vacation day) so I suppose we could have put off digging ourselves out but my hubby wanted to be sure we could get out just in case I went into labor. Which I appreciate because my dad's backup plan for getting me to the hospital with all this snow was on the back of his snowmobile. Somehow I doubt I'd be the first pregnant lady in Wisconsin to get to the hospital that way. Anyways, while Dave braved the blizzard's winds outdoors, I snapped a few pictures from the safety and comfort of our home.

Snowdrift outside our front door


Where to begin...


I think you'll need more than a shovel, Dave!


There's the mailbox!

Weekly Pregnancy Post

Thirty-seven (and a half) weeks.

I'm a little behind on the weekly pregnancy post. That's what happens when in a matter of a week you go from feeling alright to suddenly begging your daughter to vacate your body and enter the world because you're convinced that if you have to be pregnant one more day your body will just stop functioning. I am amazed at how in just a few short days things changed to drastically.

When we went to the doctor last Tuesday for our 36 week appointment my doctor informed me that I was already 2 centimeters dilated, baby girl had dropped into position, and that I had "the cervix of the day" (seriously, those were her words). I've neglected to read all those pregnancy books sitting on our bookshelves because they scare the crap out of me and I know better than to trust everything you read. So I wasn't really aware or even prepared for our doctor to inform us that I was already dilated with four weeks until my due date. Of course the logical question out of my mouth after she informed us of this was when baby girl was going to arrive. Our doctor informed us that it could be a matter of a few days or a few weeks - there really was no way to predict that. Dave tried asking again and she laughed. She plead the fifth and said she doesn't want to be held accountable for any wrong estimates. Fair enough. Either way, we were excited to know that everything was progressing perfectly and naturally so far and we have high hopes that in the next week or two (hopefully!) I'll go into labor the good old fashioned way and have a successful labor and delivery.

While my co-workers are convinced I'll have the baby on Friday (not sure how this date was picked!?), I've been told that women can walk around for weeks dilated and not make any more progress. I'm praying that after we go to the doctor on Thursday she'll tell me that I've dilated even further and that she's confident I'll be going into labor soon. Everyone also has advice on how to naturally induce labor and while I'm not sure I believe in any of these methods, I am walking like a mad woman at the gym and staying plenty hydrated. I'm including spicy foods in our weekly menu plans and enjoy a hot bath once in a while. I've been told that snowstorms can also induce labor and well, we've had one this week and we're in the middle of a blizzard right now but it's not looking promising.

While I am incredibly eager to start this labor process and welcome our baby girl into the world, I am also experiencing an overwhelming amount of anxiety around going into labor. I don't sleep because I can't stop dreaming terrible dreams about labor (think delivering on the side of the road during a blizzard) and I have this fear all night and day that my water is going to break in the most unsuspecting place. The amount of pelvic pressure and pain I am feeling was something I was not prepared for. It scared me at first, especially when coupled with the intense contractions I am beginning to feel. Each day they get stronger and last longer but I know that they are still just braxton hicks contractions and I'll know when the real ones actually arrive. I think I'll actually be much more relaxed and calm when my water finally breaks because that element of anticipation will finally disappear.

Despite how I may be feeling now and how awful these last few weeks could be for me physically, I know we're so close to finally holding our baby girl in our arms and that makes any amount of pain and discomfort worth it. I'm hoping this is my last weekly pregnancy post but you never know...afterall, we did learn early on that baby girl can be just a little bit stubborn :)