39 wk pic and appt update

{{7 days to go.}}

yesterday was my 39 wk appointment.

i opted to have the internal exam done so at least i would have two points (since i'll likely still be pregnant at my 40 wk appointment and have another internal done then).

yesterday's results:

75% effaced

fingertip dilated

he's head down, his face on my backbone (yay!) and at the -1 station (i'm not sure if that's how you say it, but you get the picture).

i saw a midwife that i'd seen one other time before. she was alright--she has a funny accent--and i got the privilege of hearing her tear the lady in the room next to me a new one for gaining 10 lbs in 2 weeks but i digress...

this particular midwife seems to think that carter will be a "good size baby". her guess is 8 lbs (and change maybe)--which is news to me/us since the last i'd heard (from a different midwife--my favorite midwife in the practice actually) was that carter would be in the high 6s to mid 7s. so basically it's a waiting game and no one has an effin' clue 'til he actually comes out and gets weighed. :)

we'll just have to wait and see...

weekend recap and then some...

...friday...
my lunch date with nikki was SUPER FUN and SUPER DUPER DELICIOUS! we decided on cheesecake factory (which is sort of against my religion) due to NUMEROUS visits of waiting ridiculous amounts of time for a table, but man, was i glad that she was 51% cheesecake 49% california pizza kitchen! i got this bacon, chicken avocado sandwich thingy that was totally NOT good for me but tasted amazing and then we split a piece of red velvet cheesecake which was quite possibly one of the greatest things i've ever tasted! mmmmm...my mouth is watering as i type...

...friday night...
heather v's bridal shower was on friday and it was FABULOUS! i had an AWESOME TIME seeing old friends (and new ones at that!) and being around the excitement of an upcoming wedding! i must give carter a "public" thanks for staying in my uterus long enough for me to be a part of the festivities, so "thanks, bud for letting mommy have something she wanted and don't think that mommy doesn't realize that those rib kicks all night into saturday morning were your way of punishing me for standing around and visiting at the shower! it's okay though, i forgive you. oh, and p.s., you can come out now." ;)

...saturday...
we got the car seat(s) inspected and we're all good to go now!

...saturday night...
kenny and i decided that we NEEDED to have a "date night" since carter's arrival is imminent and there's a *chance* (however slight it may be) that this past weekend was the last weekend before carter REALLY becomes a part of our world.

since it was going to be a nice night, we wanted a place with outdoor seating. we decided on giving restaurant BT a try. the atmosphere was nice but pretty much everything else about the experience stunk, but let's not dwell on the negatives...

we came home and rented "the blindside" on apple tv and LOVED the movie! it's one of the few that we'll actually purchase, it was that good.

...sunday...
was a bit of a lazy day that ended with a chocolate with chocolate chips mixed in like it from coldstone. double mmmm for REAL chocolate ice cream and sugar cones! mmm...mmm...

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kenny and i have spent a lot of time talking about carter coming. we realized while on our date on saturday that the full moon will be here soon AND a cold front JUST came through. we were talking about how he could be here before march is out, which would work out perfectly since then carter's birthstone would be aquamarine--which means nothing for him, but could mean pretty blue-tinted jewels for me. ;)

when i woke up this morning i felt pretty down though. after all that talking about how "soon" we would be able to hold and meet our little guy, it was pretty disappointing when i really thought about it and realized that likely, he won't be here for another few weeks. :( sad face because i want to meet him sooner rather than later and sad face because i'm DONE with being pregnant. :(

i just got home from my 38 week appointment

...they offered to do an internal exam but i declined. i figured there was no point in stressing myself out over numbers at this point since it is still potentially 4wks before he receives his final eviction notice. i'm not sure what i'll do next week--if i'll take them up on the internal or if i'll wait until it's mandatory at 40wks.

...carter's heartbeat was 145 which is lower than usual for him, but apparently that's what happens as we get closer to the end.

...i was measuring at 36wks, which freaked me out for a second, since i was suddenly measuring behind after being right on track the whole pregnancy, but apparently this is normal/good--it means he's dropping further. yay! maybe he will come out on his own--before 42weeks. only time will tell. ;)

38 wks today...

{{14 days to go.}}

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how far along: 38 weeks
total weight gain/loss: +35.6 lbs
circumference at belly button: 39.5 inches
how big baby is: on his way to watermelon size!! 6.2 lbs and 18.9 inches long!
maternity clothes: always!
stretch marks: not any red ones
sleep: disturbed but essential! i'm SO tired lately and by the time it's bedtime, all i can think is, "carter, please don't come tonight because mommy isn't rested enough to deal with childbirth."
best moment this week: seeing the beautiful maternity photos that chenelle took of us...celebrating kenny's last birthday as just "married" and not "married w/kid"
movement: i've noticed during my "disturbed" nights that he is oh-so-active during the middle of the night--which is not a good sign for when he's no longer in my uterus!
food cravings: not really
gender: BOY!
labor signs: nope
belly button: still in technically, but the top right (from my view when looking down) is slightly protruding...
what i miss: not having to wear a bra...
what i am looking forward to: heather v's bridal shower (yes, i realize that is totally NOT pregnancy-related, except that i hope carter doesn't come between now and friday night so i can attend)

the parts of pregnancy that i want to...

**preserve**
...the way kenny rubs my belly and talks to carter (there's a good chance that carter will know kenny's voice over mine, as kenny talks to him WAY MORE OFTEN than i do. the only thing i can think that i have said directly to carter the whole nine months is: "hey buddy" if he suddenly kicks/punches/rolls or "hey, whatcha doin in there?" when he moves around all funny and i feel like my belly button is going to open up and he's going to crawl out)

...reading carter a story every night before bed, me on my back and kenny next to me, head somewhere between my bump and breasts, him reading a page and me reading a page

...how carter almost always immediately begins kicking if we're laying in spoon and kenny puts his left arm on the middle of my side-bump, as if to say, "dad, i know she's your wife and you want to cuddle with her, but i'm kinda laying right here, so MOVE!" :)

...how kenny lays with me in spoon as we fall asleep with his hand on my side-bump, until carter kicks him so much that he can't get to sleep, so kenny changes positions. if only I could change positions and fall asleep...LOL
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**PERISH**
...the inability to eat MY OWN tuna sandwich from panera bread. yes, someone WILL BE going for a panera run while i'm in postpartum!

...being able to roll over in bed...bend over...put on my socks and shoes...get a pan out of the bottom kitchen cabinets...without GROANING!

...the 32.2 lbs (and counting) of baby-related weight i've gained

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i'm sure there's more, but i think it's important for my psyche that there be fewer number of things i want to perish than preserve. ;)

((our last)) st patty's day table for two

for some bizarre reason, i decided a few weeks ago to make this year's st patty's day "special." i'm not exactly sure where this idea came from, but i think it might have something to do with the few bouts of "it's now or never"-itis that have recently plagued me.

kenny and i have NEVER done ANYTHING for st patty's day--quite frankly, i'm a bit of a bore when it comes to "get-plastered" holidays--so i thought i'd just do something small to celebrate the day other than wear green. (thanks to chenelle for the shirt i got numerous compliments on today.)

our "special" st patty's day meal:
homemade irish soda bread
roasted potatoes with bacon
roasted chicken with bacon and cabbage
green Bud Golden Wheat beer for kenny
green Sprite for me ;)
((holy COW that is a LOT of food on our plates!!))

dinner was followed by relaxing on the couch, watching 16 and pregnant. yes, i LOVE that show and yes, it's because it makes me feel better about myself (about becoming a mom in the very near future). don't judge me. it's not like you don't watch maury or dr phil at the end of a rough day, just so you can say "my day sucked, but their LIFE sucks."

i almost forgot about dessert. sadly there are no photos, but there *were* oatmeal lace cookies with dipping sauce. they were okay--nothing special really. i think that the items with bacon in them turned out the greatest. maybe that's because i just recently started buying pig bacon. turkey bacon is just NOT the same!

some of our favorite pics...thanks again chenelle belle!

37 wks

the baby in my belly is officially full term today and on his way to becoming the size of a watermelon.

{{21 days to go.}}

...

yesterday was my 36 wk check up! everything went well and we found out that carter seems to be prepared for the final descent. the midwife said that he is definitely head down and "really low". does that mean that i could "go" at any second?? i hope not. but it's pretty crazy that he's gonna be here soon (i use "soon" loosely here--both "soon" as in any second and "soon" as in 26 days). and i feel it--not in my lady area, but in my body in general--or in my heart or soul or something. i can just feel it that he'll be a part of our lives in the very near future.

anyway, i really hope that the midwife that i saw yesterday is on-call when we go into labor. she is definitely my favorite midwife i've seen, but my luck, she won't be. in reality, it doesn't make a difference which of the midwives are on-call, all that matters is that both kenny and hallie are there (and in that order). they're gonna be the ones with me through each contraction...i know right, lucky them, huh? :)

speaking of hallie, we're meeting with her again this sunday and i'm really excited to discuss things more! i'm really nervous about this whole "birthing experience"--in fact, i graced kenny with a mini breakdown last night via telephone around midnight. i figure i've been pretty good this whole pregnancy and if i have a bad day or hour here or there, it's okay (even though i'm fairly certain that my hormone levels are pretty stable at this point and that's not a valid excuse anymore).

i think it was just bothering me that he was gone for work and i'm nine months pregnant and feeling very unsure and not-very-confident about our son making his way out of my uterus and into this world at what feels like any moment. i let myself get all worked up over the thought of him coming at any second, even though i KNOW that first time moms typically deliver at 41 weeks and 1 day and i've still got lots of time based on those statistics, but still...geez...okay i need to move on from this...

the midwife also said that carter feels like he's gonna be an average-size baby...likely under eight pounds--probably between the mid-six and high-sevens. i guess that's encouraging--i'll be passing a honeydew through my vagina, as opposed to a watermelon...oh joy...

18 wks vs. 36 wks

36 wks

here's me...i'm officially nine months pregnant...and REALLY looking pregnant!

{{28 days to go.}}

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how far along: 36 weeks exactly
total weight gain/loss: +31.8 lbs
waist circumference: 39 inches! yowzers!
how big baby is: the size of a honeydew! 5.8 lbs and 18.7 in!
maternity clothes: mandatory
stretch marks: not yet--at least not red ones!
sleep: interrupted
best moment this week: carter kicking the crap outta kenny's hand (that was on my belly) as we were falling asleep in spoon...LOL
movement: he has his periods of wakefulness
food cravings: not really
gender: boy
labor signs: i'm gonna say no...but i should look into what these "labor signs" might involve...i'm assuming, my water breaking and regular contractions (but i really need to read about what contractions will feel like so i know if/when i'm having them)
belly button: barely in! if i'm trying to sit up from laying on my back, the whole belly button area turns into this weird cone-shape and it makes me think that carter might be a cone head...
what i miss: taking deep deep breaths that completely fill my lungs
what i am looking forward to: (1) seeing the maternity photos taken this weekend by my chenelle belle (2) meeting with the doula again on sunday (3) kenny safely going to and coming home from his LAST TRIP before carter comes
milestone: ??

maternity photos--check!!

chenelle did GREAT today! i can't wait to see the 725 photos on the "big screen"--hopefully on tuesday!

but now, i'm officially exhausted.

plans for the rest of the night include

...baked ziti

...chocolate covered strawberries

...a bath

...a movie in bed

can i skip the part where i have to "make" dinner and clean up and go straight to the chocolate covered strawberries and bath??

maternity photos!!

i'm SO excited! tomorrow chenelle will be doing her first ever maternity shoot with kz and i and i can hardly wait! i just finished picking out our outfits and making the shot list, now i just have to show kz what i'm thinking and let him veto at will! ((he's already said no to anything that would require him to be completely naked. at least i was able to get him to agree on a few shirtless shots.))

i REALLY hope that i'm still feeling this excited tomorrow. yesterday was not a good day for me and i want tomorrow to be like today. today i felt sexy (it probably helped that i wore pink all day, including my "future milf" tshirt that i can't wear in public...except to cold stone creamery really late at night with a jacket over it). yesterday i felt ginormous and just plain ugly and every bit of 8.999999 months pregnant!

tomorrow WILL BE like today and i WILL FEEL beautiful, even if my makeup doesn't turn out super fabulous since i decided to do it myself ((YIKES!!))

putting away the gifts from the friends shower

....looking at the newborn size diapers used to make my diaper cake

it's starting to hit me...

another living thing is going to soon inhabit our space. there's still so much to do to prepare for his arrival that could happen anytime in the next 34 (days until i'm due) +14 (days the midwives will allow him to stay in past my due date) = 48 days!

he's moving around like crazy in my belly as i type this--i guess he liked my egg salad sandwich, tomato soup and two samoas. ;) i bet he REALLY liked the samoas just like his mama does. :)

happy 35/35 to me!

if you know me at all, you know that i'm weird about numbers and you should understand why 35/35 is so neat to me!

today i am 35 wks pregnant and i have 35 days to go! wowzers! it's crazy to think that carter will be here in just over one month! last night i had a dream i saw his face--he looked exactly like his daddy!! :D


i thought it would be fun to take a photo in the same shirt and pose as early on in pregnancy when i was wearing the "pregnant pillow." i H.A.T.E. the way i look right now--i am so frickin' fat--especially in the face--and so i almost didn't post this comparison shot...

the friends shower

this past saturday chenelle, nikki and anitra hosted the friends shower. these girls did an amazing job putting the party together and a good time was had by all!

a shout out to stephanie for helping make this decoration happen!

how cute is the diaper cake?? thanks anitra!
and how about the saying on the cake?? perfection!

gifts!!

there were so many clothes that they wouldn't all fit on the couch!

with the wonderful hostesses!

with tara and susan
it's crazy to think that we've known each other for 15 years!

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unfortunately i didn't get pictures with all of the wonderful guests who came... :( ...but many more attended the party!

we played three games:
1) name that baby food
2) name that melted candy bar in the diaper
3) how big is mommy's belly

stephanie dominated--she won two outta three of the games--the first and third game. she got nine out of the ten baby food items correct and then she was within like a sixteenth of an inch of how big my belly was! that just leaves the second game...and guess who won?? i did! now i may not know much about baby food--but i sure know my candy bars! my prize was a bottle of "purple cowboy" wine. how cute is that??

after the shower was finished, we'd made plans for the hostesses and their "others" and kenny and myself to go out to dinner at pf changs. i'm not sure if the girls were more excited about the shower or the dinner...j/k. :) it was a great way to end a great day!