39 Weeks

Well, 39 weeks is here, which means that Sprout's due date is only a week away! It seems pretty unreal. I think I've been pretty patient with this whole pregnancy thing up until this point, but this past week, I've had a lot of trouble being patient. I think it's because I know that the 39 week mark means that Sprout would most likely be just as healthy if he/she were born now as he/she would be this time next week. I'm still enjoying being pregnant (for the most part), but I'm ready to move on and meet this sweet baby! Here's the 39 week picture (and my new haircut)!
This has been another busy week. On Monday night, I went out to dinner for one last "girls night" with Leslie, one of my best friends. We had a delicious dinner at the local Chinese buffet, and I don't know about Leslie, but I sure got my money's worth. :) A really bad storm blew in while we were there, so a tiny portion of our dinner was consumed in the dark. It was quite the little adventure. Leslie gave me a little pep talk and some last minute advice about delivery, etc. I have so appreciated her (and my other mom friends) over these last 9 months. They've been so helpful with their advice and recommendations.
Tuesday night was my last night of teaching until after I return from maternity leave! Woo Hoo! I love my job, and I really enjoy the teaching aspect of it, but it's definitely the most stressful aspect of the job. I've got to say that I'm looking forward to a little over 12 weeks of not grading assignments, tracking down students, and all that stuff. I realized today that I have a serious case of maternity leave-itis. I'm just done with work...it's like senioritis to the millionth degree! It's also hard because there are so many loose ends that I just can't wrap up before I leave (due to the nature of the job), and that's just so hard for me to be okay with. I like nice, neat beginnings and endings. I just feel like there will be too much stuff left for my boss to take care of while I'm gone, but I'm doing my best to keep that to a minimum.
On Wednesday after work, I went to get a much-needed haircut. I have the worst habit of waiting until my hair is just straggly and gross before making an appointment, and that's exactly where my hair was this week. The girl I usually go to doesn't work on Wednesdays, and Wednesday was the only day I was available, so I went out on a limb to try someone new, and I'm glad I did. I love her! When she came out to the lobby area to get me, the two receptionists squealed, "Look at you two!" We're both pregnant! Chelsey is due June 24th (David's birthday!), so she's just a few weeks behind us. We had lots to talk about during the appointment, which is something I usually struggle with. I have to say that I'm loving the new cut. It didn't turn out exactly as I had in mind, but it turned out great nonetheless. I even went way out of my comfort zone and let her cut some bangs. That was the best hair decision I've ever made...why have I held out this long?! It makes such a difference in the overall cut. I think it'll be nice and low maintenance for after the baby comes, which is exactly what I was looking for.
There's not too much else going on right now, which is a good thing because I am just so darn tired all the time now. This is what David usually finds if he gets home from work before I do:
Most days, I just can't wait to get home to take a short nap. Just 30 minute's worth of shut eye in the afternoon after work makes me functional enough to get supper fixed and cleaned up and a couple of other chores...then I'm ready to head to the couch again. Sprout is still super-active, so I've decided that he or she is sucking away all of my energy!
A couple of weeks ago, I talked about my cankles...the result of that lovely pregnancy swelling. My feet/legs were really swollen for about 4 days, then it all went away. Well...guess what's back?

Yep, they're back, and they're worse than before. I've gone to my two biggest (widest) pair of shoes, and this is what one pair did to me today. It's pretty uncomfortable, and I feel pretty sure that Dr. Brown will pay close attention to my blood pressure tomorrow morning. I don't really think my blood pressure is up at all, so I'm not really worried about that...especially since if it is a problem, there wouldn't be any problem in Sprout being born at this point.

Speaking of Sprout's impending arrival...I really thought that last night we might be getting there. I'd been having some stronger contractions all day long, and when I got home, I started timing them. They were about 7 minutes apart for over an hour, and I was beginning to get hopeful, but at the same time, I just didn't feel like they were the real deal. And they weren't. I laid down on the couch for awhile, and they pretty much stopped. Yep, just some practice labor. Oh, well! I'll give Sprout a few more days before I start giving him/her the eviction notice. I don't want him or her in there picking out curtains...we're ready to meet him or her! The countdown is on. If I go by my due date, I'll be at 40 weeks on Sunday...and if I go by the OB's due date, I'll be at 40 weeks next Thursday. Either way, it's incredibly close!

38 Weeks

It's time for the weekly update...for 38 weeks! Wow. The end is so daggone near...it's too much for me to wrap my brain around. Sprout could come pretty much anytime he or she wants at this point. I'd like for him/her to wait at least until Sunday (or Thursday, depending on whose due date you use), when I'm at the 39 week mark, though. I had to take my own picture this week. I had to teach last night and didn't get home until after 8 o'clock, and when I got home David was mowing. As comfortable as maternity pants are, they still aren't as comfortable as my pj's, and I just wanted to get into them as soon as possible! So here are two self-portraits using the new camera (which we're still figuring out).

You can see the little stool in the background that I sit on when I put on my eyeliner in the full-length mirror. I used to sit on the floor to do that, but many weeks ago I got tired of hoisting myself off of the floor by pulling on the side of the tub. The stool has really helped.

This one is a little better, I think, but still not great. I'll have to get David to take a picture today so that I'll have a good one of each week of the pregnancy. On Wednesday, one of the nurses at my hematologist's office informed me that I had "dropped." I don't know...what do you think? I definitely feel more pressure in my pelvis, but I can't really tell a visible difference.

The sugar ban is getting old. I'm not complaining...I'd do anything to be sure that Sprout gets here healthy and strong, but I do miss sweets. I'd be lying if I said I didn't daydream about candy, cookies, cake, and ice cream. And when someone is eating something sweet, sometimes I ask them if I can smell it (weird, I know). And when someone tells me about a meal they've eaten, I always ask them if they had dessert. And then I ask them to describe it to me. I have a problem, don't I? Most of you probably know that I love to bake, but I haven't been doing much lately because I can't eat the sweet treats I bake and because we've been spending our free time fixing up Sprout's room or cleaning the house so that the health inspector will allow us to bring our baby home. :) Anyway, I was tooling around the Internet the other day and spied the first dessert I'll be making once Sprout gets here and I'm back to baking. Get ready, because it really is a little obscene:

It's called a "Pudgy Cake". The bottom layer is a brownie. The middle layer is egg-free cookie dough, and the top layer is a funfetti cake, all covered in buttercream frosting! Can you believe it? I found it at Cookies and Cups, and seriously ya'll, she's a genius. It's become one of my very favorite food blogs, and I can't wait to bake up lots of her sweet treats. I'd offer to share some of my Pudgy Cake with you, but I really think that I can eat the whole thing, especially since I'll be home with Sprout all day, every day, for 12 weeks. I might just put it on a cake carrier and sit it on the couch next to me, since I figure I'll spend lots of time there nursing for awhile. I'll say it again...I have a problem, don't I?

Enough about the sweet treats. David and I have been working hard on getting things ready for Sprout's arrival. I think we have his or her room ready...or at least as ready as it'll be before he or she gets here. I don't want it to be completely gender-neutral, so there are a few things I'll still do after we know if Sprout is a boy or a girl. Would you like to see what we've done so far?

We put up several little shelves, but don't have a lot to put on them right now. We got a set of alphabet blocks, so I thought I'd put Sprout's name in his/her room. Maybe once he or she gets here, I'll put the real name.

See the quilt over the back of the glider? That's the quilt my sister made for Sprout. I love it! I've put a side table by the glider, but it really makes things cramped. I'm not sure that I'll keep it. I just felt like I might need a table there, but seeing as how I've never nursed a baby (or spent that much quality time with one, for that matter), I'm not sure if it's really necessary. I guess I'll try it and see.

I'm really pleased with how the quote over the bed turned out. It could probably use one more coat of paint, but I'm honestly tired of painting, and I don't think Sprout will notice.

That little storage bench was a great find. Mom found it online at Target. Sprout's Uncle Patrick had given us a gift card, so we used it to purchase the bench. Sprout says thank you, Uncle Patrick! It's already full. The child has a full library already, and I'm not sure where we'll put more books that he or she gets. The two drawers are full of toys! This kiddo is spoiled rotten already.

We built our house knowing that we planned to grow our family soon. As we were working with the architect on the plans, one of the things I insisted on was having an extra bedroom on the first floor for a nursery. On the plans, I think the architect listed it as a dining room, but to me, it was always the nursery. I love French doors, and thought these would be so cute for a nursery, and then later on to close off the room if we decided to use it as an office or something like that. What I didn't know was how stinkin' expensive curtains are for these stupid things. We spent an arm and a leg on these curtains, and they're nothing special. If I knew then what I knew now, I probably wouldn't have chosen French doors...but let's just focus on how pretty they are, okay?

We think we're as ready for Sprout as we're ever going to be. The room is done. I moved the Pack 'N Play into our bedroom the other night (mostly to get it out of the living room so I could steam clean the floors). I've washed Sprout's bedding and clothes (except for his or her going home outfit...because I have one girl outfit and two boy outfits). My hematologist said that my platelet count is 124,000! I have a low platelet count all the time, but he wanted to be sure that it was above 100,000 so that I can get an epidural if needed. I'm hoping to not get an epidural, but I want to have the option in case they tell me I have to have a c-section...with an epidural I can be awake for the birth, not out cold. We've got pretty much everything packed:

This is some of the stuff that we're taking to the hospital. The car seat, the breastfeeding pillow, the birth ball, the diaper bag, our bag, and the comfort measures bag. See the list pinned to the side of the bag? That's still stuff we need to gather to take with us.

I was just telling David the other night that I really can't believe that I have a full-sized baby in my belly. A lot of times, I can feel which parts of Sprout I'm feeling. His (or her) little bottom is right below my chest, and when he or she moves from side to side, I can feel it from the outside. And when he or she stretches his/her legs out (most often toward the right), I can feel what I think is a leg or a heel or a foot. It's just absolutely amazing. I've said to a number of people that I just don't see how anyone who has ever been pregnant or who has felt a baby move (from the outside) could deny the existence of God. When you really understand all of the millions of things that have to happen with perfect timing in order for a baby to be conceived and carried to term, you understand how much of a miracle babies really are. As Erma Bombeck once wrote, "I'd...realized that the wonder growing inside of me was my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle."

On Due Dates and Being Oblivious

In my last weekly check-in post (the 37 week one), my mom commented that she'd had a panic attack when she looked at my maternity ticker and noticed that it said that there are only 13 days left until Sprout's due date. So...I thought I'd shed a little light on the due date discrepancy that's there. It's hard to figure out exactly where to begin and how much information to share.
When David and I were finally given the green light to "try again" for our second baby, I did something I said I'd never do. I started charting my temperatures every morning in an effort to maximize my chances of getting pregnant. I'd heard of women doing the whole charting thing, and I thought it was absolutely crazy. But then again, at that point, I think I was absolutely crazy. So every morning, I got up at the same time (which for me was 3:30am, because you have to have a certain number of hours of uninterrupted sleep in order to get an accurate temp) and took my temperature. I also charted various other fertility signs that we won't go into on the internet. :) I used Fertility Friend and a paper chart to keep all of this organized. I was so disappointed each month when I turned up not pregnant. But at least I learned a few things that really helped in our quest for a baby. I learned that everything you read online/in textbooks/anywhere says that a woman is the most fertile on the 14th day of her cycle. Not so! It's amazing we got pregnant the first time, because my "peak fertile day" is always day 10 or 11 of my cycle...so a little earlier than your "average" woman (which is who they must base that 14 day myth on). When I figured that out, it didn't take us too long to hit the jackpot! Now, what does all of this have to do with due dates? Hang on.
When I went to my doctor for my first prenatal appointment, of course, the first thing they asked me was the first date of my last period. That's how they base the due dates...which means that they're also assuming that ovulation takes place on day 14. And that's how we got the June 2nd, 2011 due date. Because if I had a "normal" cycle of 28 days, and ovulated on day 14 of my cycle, then my due date would be June 2nd. But I know that I ovulated on September 5th (because of my temperature charting)...which is the 10th day of my cycle, which means that Dr. Basham's due date is 4 days behind schedule. So...my maternity ticker is based on the due date that I believe to be right...May 29, 2011. (And, for what it's worth, every single ultrasound we've had puts the baby's gestational age in line with a May 29th due date.)
When people ask me what my due date is, I always say June 2nd, and that's for a couple of reasons. First, it's because David really wants Sprout to have a June birthday (because he, his mom, and his brother all have June birthdays). Second, it's because that's the reference point my doctor uses, and I haven't been able to convince her that I know when I ovulated. But for my personal purposes, I base everything off of May 29th. My "change date" (the date I move from week to week in my pregnancy) is Sunday, because September 5th was a Sunday and May 29th is a Sunday.
Believe me, I know that it's a rarity for a baby to be born on his or her due date. I only know of two kiddos who were born "on time." I just think it'll be fun to see how close Sprout gets to each date. There's only four days' difference, which isn't much...but I'd love to meet my baby four days sooner than June 2nd.
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Now it's time for a funny story about my being completely oblivious. Last Friday night, I called my aunt to see if my sister and I could borrow some floral arrangements for a church function we were decorating for. It rang a few times, so I just thought I'd leave a message. But Paula answered on the last ring, and she sounded a little panicked. When I asked to borrow the flower arrangements, she audibly sighed and said, "Oh, I thought you were going to tell me that you were going to the hospital!" That thought hadn't even crossed my mind...after all I was still about 2 1/2 weeks from Sprout's due date! Then, a few days later, I called my Mom to ask a question. She answered the phone and said, "Is this my 'It's time to go to the hospital' call?" Nope...I hadn't even thought of that. Then, yesterday morning, I called David on his cellhpone while he was at work (which is something I do at least once a day). Most of the time, he doesn't answer because he's either in a meeting or doesn't feel it vibrate. But he sure picked up the phone yesterday morning. I said, "What are you doing?" which is my standard line. He said, "I'm in a meeting right now." So of course, I said, "Why are you answering the phone if you're in a meeting?!" And he replied, "Because I thought I'd better start answering it anytime you call." Wow! What had I done to warrant that kind of priority?! "Why?" I asked. He was quiet for a second and said slowly, "In case you're in LABOR!" Oh! I hadn't even thought of that! It just cracks me up that my family members are all hypervigilant about this baby coming, and it's not really even on my radar. I mean, I can't wait for it to happen, but when you've been pregnant for 9 months, it gets kind of hard to believe that it's ever going to happen! I'm not sure that I'll be making too many phone calls over the next few weeks, because I'm only going to disappoint people until they get the real call!

37 Weeks!

What does week 37 mean? It means that little Sprout is officially considered "full term." I think that's because, for the most part, his/her organs should be able to function on their own if he/she were to be born right now. But all of the research indicates that babies really need to stay in utero until 39 weeks, unless their health is compromised for some reason. So...as much as we're ready to meet this baby, he or she needs to bake a little longer. Here's the belly picture for the week, taken at 37 weeks, 3 days. (I need a haircut...that's what it means when my bangs are pulled back.)

I've really felt a lot bigger this week, but I can't really tell that I'm that much bigger from pictures. I also can't tell if Sprout has "dropped" any. It sure feels like it, though! I feel a LOT more pressure in my pelvis, and I'm constantly on the run to the restroom. I had another appointment with Dr. Basham this morning, and she said that it's still going to be a bit before Sprout comes, but I've made some progress since last week. We'll see what next week brings.

You know what happens when you sit around with friends on Derby Day and kind of let yourself brag about the fact that you're nearly 37 weeks pregnant and haven't had any swelling? You wake up the next morning looking like this:

Cankles! I swear, they came out of nowhere. I'm not complaining, though. I just find it very interesting that they snuck up me. It's ninja swelling, that's for sure. I'm very glad that I have a very flexible work environment and a super-supportive boss, because I have exactly 2 pairs of shoes I can wear that aren't flip flops...and neither of them are all that nice or attractive. I just can't see any sense in buying more shoes when the swelling will be gone in a matter of weeks, so the flip flops and other shoes will just have to do. If this had happened about 10 weeks ago, I might have used it as an excuse to buy more shoes, but not at this stage of the game. :) When I showed them to Dr. Basham this morning, she paid a little extra attention to my blood pressure, but it was good. So luckily, no signs of pre-eclampsia. She said that it's perfectly normal to have one foot/leg/ankle swell more than the other, and she also reassured me that the occasional heaviness I feel in my right leg is perfectly normal.

Last night I went to the labor class at Baptist East, and I'm glad I went. I almost flaked out because we've already done 7 weeks of prepared childbirth classes and because I was going alone (David had a work meeting). I got some very interesting information, though. The more of these classes I go to, the more I really get the vibe that they don't really appreciate women attempting a natural childbirth. I just can't figure out what difference it makes to them, though. I mean, they're not the ones laboring, right?! I was also told that once my water breaks, I'm confined to bed. I was not a happy camper when I heard that, because I'm figuring that mobility is going to be very important in coping with labor. I guess I need to start praying that my water breaks pretty late in the game, or Sprout is born in the caul.

David put up the shelves in Sprout's room tonight, so we're that much closer to having everything ready (in an aesthetic sense, anyway!). I spent some time late yesterday afternoon at Babies 'R Us picking up a few last minute things we need. I'm feeling very ready for this baby. I figured at this point that I would be thinking, "Holy crap...I'm not ready for this," but that's not really the case. We've been waiting for this little one for a very long time, so I think that's probably why we're not panicked. I won't lie...lots of times I think to myself, "I have no idea how to take care of a baby." But we have lots of support, and I have a feeling that we'll just kind of fall into it. Sprout, David, and I will all figure it out together. :)

I meant to take a picture of the growing pile of "stuff" to go to the hospital with us. Maybe I'll remember for next week. You can't see the top of the deep freeze right now. We've got the carseat out there, plus three bags and a breastfeeding pillow. I still need to wash the birth ball and put it out there. When the folks at BHE see us coming, they're going to think that we're moving in to stay! I've probably overdone it, but I'd rather do that than leave something at home.

Mother's Day

I don't really have vivid memories of Mother's Day celebrations of the past. For the most part, they all just seem to run together and be pretty much the same. We always tried to make the day special for Mom, but I guess that's how it goes when you're the child, not the mother. But I can vividly remember the last two Mother's Days.

Two years ago, I remember sitting in church praying fervently that it would be the last year that I wasn't a mother. I hadn't yet convinced David that it was time for us to start a family, but I was certainly trying!

Last year, I couldn't even bear to go to church, because I was still hurting so badly from the miscarriage we'd had in February. I didn't want to hear about how wonderful it was to be a mother. I didn't want to hear the sermon about what makes a godly woman/mother. I didn't want to watch women be recognized as mothers when my own child had been taken from me. Instead of going to church, I cleaned house and made lunch for my Mom, stepdad, sister, brother-in-law, and husband and tried to put on a happy face. They all knew I was hurting, though. Before she went home that afternoon, my wonderful mother gave me my first Mother's Day gift...a Willow Tree angel (the Angel of Healing) and a poem she'd written about our loss. Then, a couple of hours later, Leslie (one of my very best friends) came by to just be with me for a few minutes. She'd experienced two miscarriages in the year prior, and was so supportive for me during my loss. It meant so much for Leslie and Mom to recognize me as a mother on that day. I believe wholeheartedly that a woman becomes a mother the moment a child is conceived...but not everyone else does. That they thought of me gave me some validation.

This year, several people have wished me a happy "first Mother's Day." I just smiled and said thank you, but in my heart and mind, I said, "Oh, it's not my first Mother's Day, it's my second." But this one has been a good one. I've grown so much during the last year. I can say now that our first baby, while we only knew about him or her for about 5 or 6 weeks, taught me so very much. That child taught me about love, forgiveness, letting go, and brought me closer to my God. I can also see now that God did answer that prayer two years ago...He did make me a mother before the next Mother's Day. It just wasn't the way that I had planned. And that's another thing I've learned to embrace: that my time is completely imperfect, but His is impeccable. I don't understand why things have happened the way they have in the past year, but I accept that I don't have to know. I know this: if I hadn't experienced that loss last Feburary, I would not have been able to offer support, love, and encouragement to a number of women in my life who have recently lost children. Maybe that's part of the reason it happened...and maybe it's not. It doesn't matter. What matters is that I've chosen to trust rather than doubt, and to move on rather than dwell on something I had no control over.

This year, I can say that I fully appreciate the gift that God is giving me in ways that I never could have before. I have done my very best not to take lightly the huge responsibility I've had for the last eight months as this child has grown inside me. I cherish every kick in the ribs, smile every time I feel him or her moving around inside me, and breathe a sigh of relief every time I hear his or her heartbeat. I'm now just about three weeks (!) away from my due date, and I just can't wait to meet this little miracle. I sometimes wonder what I've done to deserve this gift, and I hope that God will be pleased with the way we raise our baby. We're still trying to decide on names for Sprout, but one thing has been decided: if Sprout is a boy, his middle name will be Samuel. After our first loss, when we were finally able to start trying again, I took much comfort in reading the Biblical account of Hannah and her prayers for a child. I love 1 Samuel 1:27: "For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted my request." In fact, it was one of the final contenders for the quote painted above Sprout's crib. Instead, I think we will use it on Sprout's birth announcements...whether Sprout is a girl or a boy, because I can't think of any better way to put our feelings into words. We have prayed wholeheartedly for the better part of a year for this child, and the Lord has granted our request. And for that, we are so very thankful.

36 Weeks

Thirty-six weeks means that we're only 1 month away from Sprout's due date! It's so hard to believe that in 6 weeks (at the very most), we'll have a baby! Here's the newest belly picture, and it appears that I must've had something stuck in between my teeth. :( Oh well...I'm already in the pj's, and we're not taking another pajama picture!
We've been busy around here getting ready for Sprout's arrival. Last weekend, David and I went to Campbellsville to visit with Benson & Kristin, and Kristin did our maternity photos. We didn't get to spend a lot of time with Benson, because he had to go lead worship at church, but it was good to catch up with him for a few minutes. I miss "the good ol' days" when he and I worked in the same office. There was never a dull moment in our department! It was so nice to be able to spend some time with Kristin, though. She's just so sweet, and a wonderful photographer. I can't begin to guess how many pictures she took of us. I was on the fence about doing maternity photos for a long time, and I finally decided that if I was going to have them done, I really wanted Kristin to do them. I was so glad when she agreed to do them. They're expecting their second little blessing, Kate Elisabeth, toward the end of June. We've decided that Sprout and Kate with either be BFFs or boyfriend/girlfriend...depending on whether Sprout is a boy or girl!

We've made lots of progress around here in getting ready for Sprout's arrival. The nursery has been cleaned up considerably. I thought about posting a new picture, but I'd like to get the shelves hung and some decorations on the wall first. I'm telling you what, organizing that room was one heck of a job. It seemed like I worked and worked on it, with little visible progress. But finally, there's a place for everything, and everything's in its place. We'll see how long that lasts!

I've also packed the hospital bag and the "comfort measures" bag. They're sitting on the deep freeze, by the garage door, along with the car seat. I've got a list attached to the hospital bag of last minute items to pack...but I think it's too full to fit them in there! What else have we gotten ready? My FMLA paperwork is together and ready for Dr. Basham/Dr. Brown's signature after Sprout is born. The birth plan/preferences is written and printed, waiting for Dr. Basham's signature tomorrow. The car seat has been inspected (we passed!). I've bought all the stuff for aftercare/recovery from delivery. There's a waterproof mattress cover on the bed (thanks for telling me about that, Kristin!), just in case my water breaks at night. There's a Pack 'N Play, swing, and bouncy seat in the living room. The birth ball is upstairs and ready to go to the hospital. Whew! I told you we've been busy!

I took the day off of work tomorrow, thank goodness. I have my first weekly OB appointment in the morning, then the rest of the day will be spent making/freezing meals for us to eat after Sprout gets here. My deep freeze has been cleaned/purged so we'll have plenty of room for the meals. I'm going to try to get six recipes made tomorrow, and several of those make more than one meal's worth. It's going to be a long day, but at least I enjoy cooking.

Finally, I have to be honest that this no-sugar thing the doctors have put me on is starting to get to me. I really, really miss my sweet treats. I've been making a list of the foods that I want to eat as soon as Sprout gets here! The list so far includes ice cream (any kind, but preferably a chocolate base with some mix-ins), a big caramel frappuccino, a big diet Coke with vanilla syrup, a Moon Pie, and candy. Anyone want to sign up? :) I should have a sign on the door that says, "Nobody sees Sprout without bringing Mom something sweet to eat!"

We're in the home stretch now...and it's hard to believe. I can't really say that I feel like I'm "done" being pregnant, because I've really enjoyed it. I haven't had anything to complain about the entire time...I've felt great, except for being so incredibly tired all the time. But I'm so ready to meet this baby. Is Sprout a boy or a girl? Does he/she have any hair? How big will he/she be? So many questions, and I can't wait to find out the answers!